Oleh/By : DATO' SERI DR. MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD
Tempat/Venue : RADIO AND TELEVISION MALAYSIA (RTM)
Tarikh/Date : 31/12/92
Tajuk/Title : NEW YEAR MESSAGE
Praise be to Allah The Almighty for with His Blessings,
we are able once again to celebrate the New Year in peace
and harmony. In a world where war, conflict and famine
continue to persist, the peace and stability that we enjoy
are indeed a great blessing which we should value. While
economies the world over have deteriorated, we on the other
hand continue to prosper and flourish. Hence, we ought to
be grateful with our performance and the situation we
experience in the whole of 1992 which was willed by God,
and by virtue of our multi racial people's moderation
and relentless efforts.
2. The country's stability is the result of the close
cooperation among all the races who have always worked
with great determination to ensure that harmony and unity
among the races are safeguarded. The key to the unity that
we are so proud of is the spirit of tolerance and the mutual
respect we have for one another. With such unity and close
cooperation among the races, we have successfully created
a nation which is stable politically, economically and
socially. It is this stability that has enabled us to
successfully attract foreign investments, one of the factors
which have contributed toward our high economic growth.
3. For the past five consecutive years, Malaysia has
achieved a tremendous rate of economic growth. This high
growth rate has enabled the country to continue to provide
various facilities for the comfort of the people. The
people now have a higher standard of living. Malaysians
not only have access to the basic necessities but also
enjoy other facilities that are only found in developed
countries. Higher incomes have invariably increased the
purchasing power of Malaysians. In addition we have health
and education facilities which are the best among developing coun-
tries. These are among the benefits we enjoy as a result of
a high economic growth.
4. If in the past many people predicted that Malaysia with
its multi racial population and with its need to distribute
wealth among the races, will face a downturn and instability
,today it is clear that all these predictions are inaccurate
. On the contrary, the country has proven that our social
engineering process of restructuring society not only does
not jeopardise economic growth but has also enable a high
growth achieved during peace and stability. This success has
made many countries to regard Malaysia as an example of
development in a democratic and pluralistic society.
5. While we can be proud of our economic achievements, we
should also be cautious because we may not be able
to sustain this high economic growth. After five
consecutive years of rapid growth the country's economy is
expected to undergo a process of consolidation. Although
there are early signs indicating that a recovery is in the
making, especially in Japan and the U.S.A., most economies of
the
industrialised countries are still ailing. The latest
developments in the GATT negotiations, the EC, and NAFTA,
while presenting new opportunities, are expected to pose an
even greater challenge to Malaysia's economy. Hence, we
anticipate that Malaysia's economy will grow by about 8
percent compared with 8.5 percent this year. Although this
is an encouraging rate, we can no longer take for granted
that the economic growth will always be high.
6. Thus, the government needs the cooperation of all to
ensure that the country's economy is still capable of
registering this required rate of growth. This is important
as our development is dependent on a healthy and continuous
economic expansion. The responsibility of ensuring that the
country's economy continue to expand is not the sole
responsibility of the government. It is also the task and
responsibility of all Malaysians.
7. Malaysians can play their role by being thrifty and not
be lavish in their spending in our efforts to curb
inflation. They should also increase their savings so that
it could be used for more productive investment. A strong
local savings is a basis needed to ensure that investments
in the country are increased. Hence, reduction of excessive
consumption to curb inflation and encourage savings are
imperative.
8. Likewise, the workers can contribute by increasing
their productivity, efficiency and not make unreasonable
demands for pay increases. Any wage increase must be
commensurated with increases in productivity. Wage increases
not accompanied by higher productivity will only result in
Malaysian products being uncompetitive. When this happens,
the losers are the workers themselves apart from the
employers and the country.
9. Exporters for their part should be more aggresive in
making the necessary adjustments by seizing whatever
opportunities available resulting from the changes in the
international economic and political scenario. They should
also be bold enough to penetrate new markets and not to
limit only to the traditional ones in the efforts to widen
the markets for our goods. In this context, the government
has initiated efforts to improve relations with countries in
the South. It is now up to Malaysian companies to take these
opportunities.
10. We have enough resources to be a developed country.
Apart from our vast natural resources, we also have very
capable human resources. But the resources alone are not
sufficient. To be successful, we also need to change our
attitude and to be more disciplined. Negative attitudes,
which can impede our excellent performance, must be
discarded. On the other hand, we must instill good values
such as hardwork and integrity. We must also adhere strongly
to discipline, for high discipline is among the important
factors which can enable the country to develop and prosper.
11. I am confident that if all parties play their roles,
carry out their responsiblities effectively and strive hard,
our country will be able to face the challenges in 1993 and
the years ahead. We have in the past years proven our
ability to weather all kinds of challenges. There is no
reason why we cannot overcome the challenges in 1993.
12. As I have reiterated, the nation's political stability
is crucial to our development efforts. Without political
stability, we will not be able to achieve a developed nation
status which we envisioned. Hence, it is hoped that
Malaysians will maintain the existing harmony and unity so
that the country will continue to progress and prosper. We
should learn from the experiences of several countries faced
with racial conflicts. Such racial conflicts not only have
made life more difficult for their citizens but prove
impossible to contain once they occur. Thus, let strengthen
our determination to maintain the unity and racial harmony
that we now enjoy. In fact our multi-racial, multi-cultural
and multi-religious country can be made a source of
great strength to enable the country to greater heights of
success.
13. Finally, I wish all Malaysians a Happy New Year and
hope 1993 will bring greater success and prosperity to all
of us.
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