ASSALAMUALAIKUM WARAHMATULLAHI WABARAKATUH, SALAM SEJAHTERA AND A VERY GOOD MORNING TO ALL
1. BAGI PIHAK KERAJAAN NEGERI PERAK SAYA MENGALU-ALUKAN KEHADIRAN PARA PESERTA DIALOG PEMBANGUNAN ANTARABANGSA PANGKOR, PANGKOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT DIALOGUE (P.I.D.D. 2015). DIALOG INI DIADAKAN UNTUK MEMBICARA DAN MEMBINCANG SOAL PEMBANGUNAN SECARA ILMIAH, TEORITIKAL DAN AMALAN. HARI INI KITA SEMAKIN TERPENCIL DALAM MEMBICARAKAN PERKARA-PERKARA BESAR YANG BERKAIT DENGAN PEMBANGUNAN. INI TERMASUKLAH SOAL FALSAFAH PEMBANGUNAN, NILAI-NILAI PEMBANGUNAN, ERTI PEMBANGUNAN DAN APAKAH MODEL PEMBANGUNAN YANG SESUAI KETIKA KITA MENGHADAPI CABARAN MASA KINI.
2. LANTARAN ITULAH KERAJAAN NEGERI PERAK MENGAMBIL INISIATIF MENGHIMPUNKAN KALANGAN PEMIKIR, CENDIAKAWAN DAN PEMBUAT DASAR UNTUK BERINTERAKSI, BERDISKUSI SERTA MEMIKIRKAN CADANGAN DAN MODEL BARU YANG MAMPU DIKETENGAHKAN AGAR WARGA DUNIA MENDAPAT MANFAAT DARIPADANYA. ADALAH MENJADI HARAPAN SAYA, AGAR P.I.D.D. MENJADI SATU TESTIMONI SEJARAH DAN SEBAHAGIAN DARIPADA SIRI DIALOG DUNIA MENGENAI PEMBANGUNAN DAN AKAN BERTERUSAN UNTUK TAHUN-TAHUN MENDATANG.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
3. IT GIVES ME GREAT PLEASURE TO BID YOU A WARM WELCOME, TO THE PANGKOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT DIALOGUE OR P.I.D.D. 2015. INDEED, THE STATE OF PERAK IS HONOURED TO HOST ALL OF YOU DURING THIS TWO DAYS MEETING OF MINDS, SHARING OF KNOWLEDGE AND EXCHANGING OF IDEAS. LET ME EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO Y.A.B. DATO’ SERI NAJIB TUN RAZAK, THE PRIME MINISTER OF MALAYSIA FOR HIS SUPPORT THROUGH FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, PARTICULARLY THE ECONOMIC PLANNING UNIT (EPU) AND NORTHERN CORRIDOR IMPLEMENTATION AUTHORITY (NCIA). I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO CONGRATULATE DR MAZALAN KAMIS AND HIS TEAM FROM INSTITUT DARUL RIDZUAN (IDR) FOR MAKING THIS PROGRAM A REALITY.
4. THIS INTERNATIONAL DIALOGUE IS PART OF OUR HUMAN PURSUIT TOWARDS A BETTER HUMAN CONDITION. IN THIS AGE OF NEW NORMAL, WHERE NATURAL DISASTERS, ECONOMIC TURBULENCE AND SOCIAL DISPLACEMENTS ARE COMMON, A SERIOUS RETHINKING OF DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH IS NEEDED. LET THIS P.I.D.D. 2015, BE ONE OF THE PLATFORMS FOR SUCH THINKING TO BLOOM.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN;
5. THIS BRINGS ME TO THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS TWO DAYS INTELLECTUAL DISCOURSE; WHICH ARE TO FACILITATE AN OPEN EXCHANGE OF VIEWS, AMONG THE PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS – LEADERS, INTELECTUALS, THINKERS, POLICY MAKERS, CEO’S OF COMPANIES, CAPTAINS OF INDUSTRIES, SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, RESEARCHERS, MEDIA PRACTIONERS AND OPINION LEADERS. IT IS ALSO TO EXPLORE THE IDEAS TO FULFILL THE NEEDS OF THE PRESENT, WITHOUT COMPROMISING THE FUTURE GENERATIONS. THEREFORE ANY DEVELOPMENT MEASURES MUST ALSO INCLUDE THE NEEDS OF SOCIETY THAT GO BEYOND THE PARAMETERS OF NATIONAL GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT.
6. THE CONCEPT OF DEVELOPMENT IN THE WORLD BEFORE US TODAY IS OFTEN ENTANGLED WITH “UTILITARIANISMS” AND IDEOLOGICALLY ORIENTED TERMINOLOGIES. CONSEQUENTLY, WE ARE CONSTANTLY BAFFLED BY THE TRUE MEANING OF DEVELOPMENT ITSELF.
7. HOWEVER, THE FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS OF WHAT WE WANT AND WHERE WE ARE HEADING REMAIN AMBIGUOUS. AT THE SAME TIME, THE WORLD CHRONIC ISSUES CONTINUE TO UNEARTH, MARKETS AND SOCIETIES BECOMING MORE COMPLEX, TECHNOLOGICAL CREATIVE DISRUPTIONS ARE CHANGING THE RULES OF THE GAME, HENCE, LEAVING MAJORITY OF HUMAN DISINTEGRATED, DISILLUSSIONED AND LOSING THEIR MORAL COMPASS. SEVERAL NEW SCHOOLS OF THOUGHTS EMERGED IN AN ATTEMPT TO UNDERSTAND THE COMPLEXITY AND TO FIND APROBLEM DRIVEN ITERATIVE ADAPTATIONS (P.D.I.A), SUCH AS THOSE PROPAGATED BY THE HARVARD’S KENNEDY SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT, AND THE WORLD BANK. AS MUCH AS THESE ARE DELIBERATED AT LENGTH IN LECTURE THEATERS AND CLASSROOMS OF RENOWNED IVY LEAGUES, THE QUESTION REMAINS OF HOW APPLICABLE THESE PROPOSED REMEDIES AND SOLUTIONS ARE IN THE LOCAL CONTEXTS.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
8. REFERRING TO THE CONTEXT, THE REALITY IS THAT WE ARE LIVING IN A DIVERSE, MESHED AND INTER-CONNECTED WORLD, MALAYSIA AND PERAK INCLUDED. BUT THERE IS NO SOLUTION THAT IS “ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL”. THE SOLUTIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT AND INCLUSIVE GROWTH, MUST BE DRIVEN BY THE PEOPLE, TO THE PEOPLE AND FOR THE PEOPLE. INCLUSIVE GROWTH DEVELOPMENT NEEDS TO BLEND BOTH BOTTOM-UP ASPIRATIONS OF THE PEOPLE AND TOP-DOWN VISION OF THE LEADERS. FINDING THE RIGHT BALANCES OF THESE TWO ELEMENTS, ARE NECESSARY.
9. IN THE AGE OF FAST-PACED DEVELOPMENT, INCLUSIVE GROWTH IS PERTINENT TO ADDRESS THE DEMOGRAPHIC IMBALANCES, ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, AS WELL AS MORAL AND SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT. IT IS A CONCEPT THAT ADVANCES EQUITABLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ECONOMIC PARTICIPATIONS WITH BENEFITS, EXTENDING TO EVERY SECTION OF THE SOCIETY. RAPID PACE OF GROWTH IS UNQUESTIONABLY NECESSARY, FOR SUBSTANTIAL SOCIAL UPLIFTING. HOWEVER, FOR THIS GROWTH TO BE SUSTAINABLE IN THE LONG RUN, IT SHOULD BE BROAD-BASED, ACROSS SECTORS AND INCLUSIVE OF THE LARGE PART OF THE PARTICULAR REGIONS WORK FORCE. INCLUSIVE GROWTH REFERS BOTH TO PACE AND PATTERN OF GROWTH; WHICH ARE CONSIDERED INTERLINKED AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED TOGETHER. PEOPLE IN REMOTE AREAS LIKE IN TEUPIN ASAN IN ACHEH, THE PEOPLE OF BATANES ISLAND IN THE PHILIPPINES, AND ALSO THE ABORIGINES OF KUALA MU IN PERAK, MUST BE INCLUDED IN THE CONTEXT OF INCLUSIVENESS. THEY MUST NOT BE LEFT BEHIND WHEN THE PEOPLE IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD ARE ENJOYING ECONOMIC PROSPERITY AND THE LATEST COMMUNICATION GADGETS. WE ARE ALL INTERLINKED; AND THESE PEOPLE MUST NOT BE MARGINALISED FROM PROGRESS AND DEVELOPMENT.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
10. POVERTY IS A MALAISE, AN ON GOING ISSUE THAT CONTINUES TO HAUNT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US --- POLICY MAKERS AND LEADERS ALIKE. I BELIEVE EVERY GOVERNMENT IN THE WORLD IS WORKING VERY HARD TO OVERCOME THE PROBLEM OF POVERTY, WHICH IS AN ANTI-THESIS TO PROGRESS AND DEVELOPMENT. IN LINE WITH THIS, LET ME ILLUSTRATE AND SHARE WITH YOU EFFORTS TO TACKLE POVERTY IN OUR STATE OF PERAK. THROUGH THE AWARD WINNING AND INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED YAYASAN BINA UPAYA DARUL RIDZUAN (YBU) OR THE FOUNDATION FOR THE PEOPLE’S EMPOWERMENT, WE HAVE CARRIED OUT SEVERAL PEOPLE CENTRIC PROGRAMS. THE COMMON GOAL OF THESE PROGRAMS IS TO EMPOWER THE POOR AND FOR THEM TO BE SELF RELIANT. THE FOUNDATION HAS BUILT AND REPAIRED HOUSES FOR 2,149 FAMILIES SINCE 2009; AND HAS CREATED 3,652 MICRO ENTERPRISES; PROVIDING FREE KIOSKS FOR SELLING FOOD; INITIATED ISLAMIC PAWNBROKING FOR SHORT TERM COLATERALISED BORROWING KNOWN AS AR-RAHNU; AND SETTING UP A MOBILE SUNDRY SHOP CATERING ESSENTIAL GOODS AT A HEFTY DISCOUNTED PRICE. TO DATE, WE HAVE RECORDED A DECLINE IN POVERTY STATISTICS - FROM 3.5 PERCENT IN 2009 TO 0.7 PERCENT IN 2014.
11. YBU IS NOT THE ONLY SOCIAL INCLUSIVE GROWTH INITIATIVES IN THE STATE, THERE ARE MANY OTHERS. FOR EXAMPLE, THE STATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (SEDC) HAS STARTED THE REDEVELOPMENT OF 41 SMALL TOWNS, THUS CREATING LINKAGES, CONNECTIVITY, NEW JOBS AND BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE SEMI-URBAN AND RURAL COMMUNITIES. THIS IS TO ENSURE THE EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH AND TO CLOSE THE DEMOGRAPHIC GAPS.
12. ALL THESE EFFORTS STARTED FROM OUR HUMBLE PROGRAM CALLED “BE WITH THE PEOPLE” OR TURUN PADANG AND WALKABOUTS, TO GAUGE THE NEEDS AND THE PULSE OF THE PEOPLE. THEMED 3F – FIELD, FEEL, FILL. WE TIRELESSLY GO TO THE FIELD, MEANING TO VILLAGES, INTERACT AND STAY WITH THE PEOPLE AND FEEL THEIR NEEDS, AND FROM THERE, FORMULATE PROGRAMS TO FILL THEIR EXPECTATIONS. THIS FORMED THE BASE FOR OUR PEOPLE-CENTRIC PROGRAMS.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN;
13. YOUR PRESENCE IN THIS HISTORIC STATE IS VERY MEANINGFUL. THE ADVENT OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY, THE IDEAS MOOTED HERE CAN BE SHARED WITH THE WORLD IN SPLIT SECOND. IMAGINE THIS, TODAY’S DIGITAL AGE WHERE 400,000 WHATSAPP MESSAGES ARE SENT EVERY SECOND, FACEBOOKS AND INSTAGRAMS HAVE BECOME HOUSEHOLD ESSENTIALS, WE ARE INDEED LIVING IN A VIRTUAL BORDERLESS UNIVERSE, WHERE BARRIERS AND LIMITATIONS OF KNOWLEDGE AND LANGUAGE ARE NO LONGER A HINDRANCE. THE GLOBAL GEO-POLITICS AND ECONOMY ARE SO INTERLINKED THAT ANY MAJOR CATASTROPHIES HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE OTHER CORNER OF THE WORLD. THE 2011 JAPAN TSUNAMI, FOR EXAMPLE, HAVE SENT SHOCKWAVES TO GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAINS ESPECIALLY IN AUTOMOTIVES, TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND CONSUMER ELECTRONICS. THE MOUNT EVEREST AVALANCHE IN APRIL 2014, AND THE VARIOUS EARTHQUAKES IN INDIA AND CHINA, HAVE IMPACT ON THE THEORY OF INCLUSIVE GROWTH WHERE VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES CAN QUICKLY BE DISPLACED FOLLOWING MAJOR CATASTROPHIC DISASTERS, YET THE REDEVELOPMENT AND REHABILITATION PROCESS TAKE A LONG TIME.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN;
14. I SINCERELY HOPE THAT ALL OF YOU WILL BENEFIT FROM THIS INTELLECTUAL EXCHANGE OF IDEAS AND THOUGHTS, FROM OVER 40 RENOWNED INTERNATIONAL AND LOCAL SPEAKERS THAT WILL DELIBERATE ON VARIOUS TOPICS OF ECONOMY, INNOVATION, SOCIAL, CULTURE, ENVIRONMENT, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND OF COURSE, INCLUSIVE GROWTH. I ALSO HOPE THAT THIS PROGRAM WILL BE A CATALYST, AND A REFERENCE POINT, FOR ANY DIALOGUE WITHIN THIS REGION, IF NOT GLOBALLY. IT IS ALSO MY ARDENT HOPE FOR P.I.D.D. TO BE ABLE TO DEVELOP A NEW MODEL OF DEVELOPMENT THAT CAN SHED LIGHT TO THE WORLD’S PRESENT AND THE FUTURE QUEST FOR HOLISTIC MEANINGS OF DEVELOPMENT AND PROGRESS.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN;
15. LET ME CONCLUDE THIS SPEECH BY QUOTING THE VIEW OF THE FOUNDER OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX, DR. MAHBUB UL HAQ, THAT EACH COUNTRY NEEDS NEW DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES IN THE SENSE OF “A SELF CONFIDENCE TO EXPERIMENT WITH ITS OWN DEVELOPMENT STYLE, WITH ITS OWN VALUE SYSTEM, USING ITS OWN TECHNOLOGY, ITS OWN RESOURCES, ITS OWN INTELLECTUAL, ITS OWN IDEAS.” HOWEVER I AM CONVINCED, DESPITE STANDING ON OUR OWN, THE INCLUSIVE GROWTH IS THE NEW REALITY THAT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THE INTER-DEPENDENCY AMONG THE COUNTRIES AS THE ECONOMIC BORDER HAS BEEN BLURRED BY THE FREE MOVEMENT OF GOODS AND SERVICES, TECHNOLOGIES, COMMUNICATIONS, AND GLOBAL CONNECTIVITY. I SINCERELY HOPE THIS P.I.D.D. WILL PROVIDE A NEW DIRECTION FOR OUR EFFORTS AND STRUGGLE TO CREATE A BETTER WORLD. THANK YOU.
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