Oleh/By : DATO' SERI DR. MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD
Tempat/Venue : BAYAN LEPAS, PULAU PINANG
Tarikh/Date : 24/05/88
Tajuk/Title : UPACARA PERASMIAN KILANG SYARIKAT
BAXTER HEALTHCARE
Yang Amat Berhormat Dr. Lim Chong Eu,
Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang;
Yang Berhormat Menteri-Menteri;
Yang Berhormat-Yang Berhormat;
Yang Berbahagia Encik Jeffery Roski,
Presiden Kemajuan Perniagaan
Baxter Healthcare;
Yang Berbahagia Encik D. Michael Deignan,
Naib Presiden/Pengurus Besar
Syarikat Baxter;
Dif-Dif Kehormat;
Tuan-tuan dan puan-puan sekalian,
Saya mengucapkan terima kasih kepada Lembaga Pengarah
Syarikat Baxter Healthcare kerana menjemput saya merasmikan
kilang syarikat ini. Terbinanya kilang ini menandakan
selangkah lagi ke arah kemajuan kita dalam perindustrian
yang menggunakan sumber-sumber tempatan.
Tuan-tuan dan puan-puan,
2. Salah satu pendekatan perindustrian kita ialah
menggalakkan industri-industri yang menggunakan sumber
tempatan, terutama bahan-bahan utama negara seperti getah,
minyak sawit, kayu tropika, koko dan bijih timah. Strategi
ini bermakna kita menggalakkan peningkatan nilai atau
value-added kepada bahan-bahan utama kita sebelum dieksport.
Kalau dua-tiga dekad dahulu eksport kita adalah dalam bentuk
bahan-bahan mentah sahaja, hari ini semakin banyak
bahan-bahan mentah keluaran utama kita yang telah diproses
kepada barangan separa-pengguna dan barangan pengguna.
Dengan ini, kita bukan sahaja meninggikan pendapatan kita
tetapi ramai daripada rakyat kita dapat menumpang dengan
bekerja dalam kilang-kilang pemerosesan ini. Walau
bagaimanapun masih banyak lagi bahan-bahan mentah negara
kita yang dieksport tanpa diproses. Oleh itu, para usahawan
dan pemodal hendaklah mengkaji kemungkinan industri-industri
pemerosesan yang sesuai diadakan di negara ini. Jika
kita tidak mempunyai teknologi, orang asing harus dipelawa
sebagai rakan usahasama atau pemilik perusahaan-perusahaan
ini.
3. Sehubungan dengan ini, saya mengucapkan tahniah kepada
Syarikat Baxter yang telah membina kilang untuk mengeluarkan
barangan yang menggunakan getah asli kita. Kilang ini juga
dapat menyediakan banyak peluang pekerjaan kepada rakyat
negara kita, yang mana ini sudah menjadi tujuan utama dasar
ekonomi negara. Kita perlu bahagikan nikmat pertumbuhan
ekonomi kepada semua rakyat Malaysia.
Tuan-tuan dan puan-puan,
4. Upacara hari ini dihadiri oleh ramai para eksekutif
Syarikat ini dari luar negeri. Oleh itu izinkan saya
berucap juga dalam Bahasa Inggeris.
Ladies and Gentlemen
5. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate
Baxter Healthcare Inc. for the initiative they have taken in
expanding their manufacturing facilities in Malaysia. I
would like to assure you, and other investors, that the
Malaysian Government will do its utmost to ensure that the
economic environment of this country continues to be such
that you will continue to be able to manufacture, expand
and to be profitable. The millions of Ringgit that the
Government is spending on infrastructure, the continuous
improvement of government machinery to ensure speedy
approvals and facilitate implementation of projects, are
all intended to maintain an investment climate in Malaysia
that is second to none. I give you my assurance that we will
continue to ensure that Malaysia offers one of the
most viable environments for offshore manufacturing
operations.
6. I am sure all of you are aware that Malaysia of late
has been receiving a considerable amount of negative
publicity in the international media. The comments range
from allegations that democracy is being threatened in
Malaysia to denouncements of Malaysians as barbarians. We
are helpless to defend ourselves as those controlling the
international media carry out a very effective censorship
which denies us the right to give our side of the story.
However, companies such as Baxter Healthcare which have not
only one operation in this country, but have set up their
second and third facilities and which have invested almost
U.S. $100 million in Malaysia, employing more than 3000
workers and are still expanding, should be sufficient proof
to those who look towards Malaysia for new investments,
that all these comments in the media are just
so much lies borne of envy at the ability of this country to
prosper and to recover under its own steam. We are not
embittered by these crude attacks and we will continue to
welcome foreigners as investors or as tourists.
7. I hope that companies such as yours and other foreign
manufacturers in Malaysia will help us disseminate correct
information about this country and the opportunities it
offers to foreign investors, that is Malaysia is safe and
stable and is eminently suited as a profit centre for all
kinds of manufacturing activities.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
8. Malaysia, as you are well aware, is the world's largest
exporter of several primary commodities. However, of late,
we have been experiencing a phenomenon that is not often
experienced in developing countries. The last time we had
experienced this was in the early 1970's when a wave of
investments in the electronics industries hit our shores.
American industrialists were in the forefront of this first
wave. Today, there are 17 factories belonging to the
American Electronics Industry Group with investments
exceeding $1.5 billion Ringgit. It is significant that the
industry has projected an annual investment of over $300
million Ringgit over the next 5 years. Thus, it can be
expected that by 1993, the total investment by American
electronic companies alone in Malaysia will be in excess of
3 billion Ringgit. We are happy at this prospect but we
realise that the state of the world's economy will determine
actual investments. We will be busy encouraging other
investments as well.
9. Today we are experiencing another wave in the form of
projects for the manufacture of household, industrial,
examination and surgical gloves. To-date, the Government
has approved 149 projects for the manufacture of various
types of gloves, 28 of which are already in production with
an approved total capacity of 825 million pairs of gloves.
The trend continues and more than 100 new applications
are now being considered by the Government.
10. At one time, it was thought that the tyre industry in
Malaysia would be the largest consumer of rubber. However,
today latex goods manufacturers have far exceeded the tyre
manufacturers in Malaysia as the single largest consumer of
rubber.
11. Malaysia currently produces more than 34% of the
world's natural rubber. There is an abundant supply of
rubber in Malaysia and any fears that Malaysia is about to
run short of rubber is totally unfounded. The Government
will refrain from interfering but rubber producers must
remember how high prices and shortages led to synthetic
rubber. Do not be too sure there will be no substitute for
natural latex.
12. Today in Malaysia, we have not as yet fully expanded
the potential for rubber products manufacturing. I say this
in the context of the performance of other Asian non-rubber
producing countries. South Korea, for example, in the first
11 months of 1987 has consumed approximately 375,000 tons of
rubber and Taiwan in the first 10 months of 1987 consumed
more than 97,000 tons of rubber. Malaysia, the world's
largest producer of rubber on the other hand, consumed
only 87,600 tons of rubber for the whole of 1987.
13. To increase local rubber products for export the
Government has provided a number of incentives. However,
these incentives will come to nought if raw material cost
becomes prohibitive. Manufacturing activities and exports
will earn us more if apart from Government incentives
producers can do their bit. Once we have really big
rubber-based industries, our products will become cheaper
and we will be able to overcome the problems of exporting
bulky finished rubber products. In the meantime, we should
be more prudent and not allow greed to overcome the wisdom
of long term strategies.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
14. More than a hundred years ago there was not a single
rubber tree in Malaysia. The rubber plant originated from
Brazil. Today Malaysia is the world's largest producer of
rubber. More than fifty years ago, there was not a single
oil palm tree in this country. Then a few plants were
imported from Africa for ornamental purposes. Today
Malaysia is the world's largest exporter of palm oil. In
1970, there was not a single 100% export oriented
manufacturing operation in this country. Today Malaysia is
amongst the world leaders in the export of electronic
semi-conductors, room air-conditioners, rubber gloves,
catheters and swimming caps.
15. We are not yet a Newly Industrialising Country. Indeed,
we are far behind them. But that does not discourage us. We
are going to strive to better the living standards of
Malaysians in every walk of life. The Government will be
pragmatic. If policy changes or different approaches are
needed, we will always be prepared to consider them. Indeed,
we have liberalised our attitudes towards foreign
investments considerably. Still our liberalism must be
tempered by our need to ensure that every community has a
fairs take in the economy. Rapid economic growth will become
meaningless if it destabilizes the country.
Tuan-tuan dan puan-puan,
16. Ekonomi negara yang lembab sebelum ini akibat
kemelesetan ekonomi dunia sekarang telah mula pulih. Bank
Negara meramalkan ekonomi negara akan berkembang sebanyak
4.7% tahun ini. Satu institusi ahli-ahli ekonomi meramalkan
pertumbuhan yang melebihi 5%. Pertumbuhan ini akan kita
capai sekiranya tidak terdapat usaha-usaha yang negatif,
yang mengeruhkan suasana dan iklim politik negara.
17. Kerajaan telah mengambil berbagai langkah untuk
memulihkan semula ekonomi negara. Tetapi Kerajaan dengan
sendirinya tidak mungkin berjaya. Setiap warganegara
Malaysia mempunyai tanggungjawab dalam pemulihan
ekonomi negara. Janganlah kerana irihati politik, kita
tergamak memburukkan imej negara kita di luar negeri
sehingga menakutkan para pelabur dan para pelancong asing.
Perbuatan ini akan menjejaskan pemulihan dan pertumbuhan
ekonomi yang mana ia akan menyebabkan pekerja dan siswazah
kita menganggur. Demikian juga usaha yang sengaja untuk
memberi gambaran bahawa iklim politik negara tidak stabil.
Ini juga memberi kesan yang buruk terhadap perkembangan
ekonomi.
18. Jika kita mahu kemajuan, kita harus sanggup berkorban
sedikit dahulu. Kita harus ketepikan kepentingan diri.
Insya-Allah dengan menolong negara sendiri menjadi lebih
menarik dan lebih produktif, akhirnya kita semua akan
mendapat ganjaran dengan peningkatan taraf hidup kita. Oleh
itu, bersabarlah. Kita akan mendapat balasan yang baik
kemudian.
19. Saya sudahi dengan mengucapkan berbanyak terima kasih
kepada pengurusan Syarikat Baxter kerana memberi peluang
kepada saya berucap pada pagi ini. Dengan ini, saya dengan
sukacitanya membuka kilang Syarikat Baxter Healthcare ini
dengan rasminya.
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