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There Is A Need To Review All Aspects Of Life In The Throes Of Globalisation Statement by Dr Tan Seng Giaw, DAP National Vice-Chairman and MP for Kepong on e-programmes for all sections of society announced by the Deputy Prime Minister Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi yesterday. 28 April 2000 | |||||||
| In the past few years, we talk so much about the changing world. We shall continue to do so for many more years. The Prime MInister Dato' Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his deputy Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi have voiced their ideas within and outside Malaysia. Things are changing in all aspects: the increasing use of new technologies such as information technology and new concepts mean that the world has become borderless or what is called globalisation which is so many things to so many people. What is new is not necessarily good and what is good is not necessary new. Ignorance and blindness frequently become the bases for the courage to plunge into things. Malaysia is no exception. For example, in 1996, the Government expected foreign direct investment to rise as a consequence of further globalization of corporate production and distribution strategies caused by trade liberalizaton, technological change and opening up of previously closed economy. The developed countries set the tone and play the tune. Others follow. Just as many countries such as Thailand, South Korea and Indonesia, Malaysia was not prepared for the shock as evidenced by the July 1997 economic crisis. Rapacious speculators capitalized on the weaknesses within the international financial architecture, IFA, to attack Malaysian currency, resulting in economic disaster. Of course, it is not just the IFA faults. Domestic financial architecture, DFA, has inherent weaknesses such as cronyism, nepotism, wastage, mismanagement and relatively small foreign exchange reserves. In the 2000 Malaysian budget, the Government announces its intention to go for knowledge economy, k-economy. Previously, it talked about electronic government, | |
e-commerce, smart cards and e-world. Now, there is e-Malaysia. Dato' Seri abdullah said that e-programmes formulated towards creating a knowledge society e-Malaysia were for all sections of society and not for a select group. "E-programmes on economy, learning, community, sovereignty and public services are aimed at encouraging the people to benefit from an electronic world," he added. Getting Malaysians to understand K-economy, new (Internet) economy, e-Malaysia and all the other e's and k's implies continuous education. On 10 april 2000, the Defence Minister Dato' Seri Najib Tun Razak stressed that the Government was committed to keeping the social cost of globalisation to the minimum. "While we strive towards this new economy or k-economy, we are going to retain our value systems like caring for our old, for our young, for our poor and for our deprived," he continues. It is important that the e's and k's things are for all sections of society and that the value system of a caring society must always be nurtured. But, there are values that must be eradicated such as money politics, business politics, cronyism, nepotism and wastage. Dato' Seri Dr Mahathir is trying to stop money politics in the May Umno elections. We hope he can succeed. Money politics has been going on for many years, taking myriad different varieties. Besides value system, the gap between those who are able to use the e's and the k's and those who are unable to do so is widening--the digital divide. We have mentioned this in Parliament and we shall continue to do so. We have to review all aspects of life in the confusion of e's and k's. Maybe, the way to be safe is never to feel secure. Dr Tan Seng Giaw | |||||
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