Oleh/By : DATO' SERI DR. MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD
Tempat/Venue : CARCOSA SERI NEGARA, KUALA LUMPUR
Tarikh/Date : 21/04/98
Tajuk/Title : THE LAUNCHING OF THE
MALAYSIA-BRITISH BUSINESS COUNCIL
I wish to thank and congratulate the British
Malaysian Society and the Asian Strategy & Leadership
Institute (ASLI) for initiating the establishment of a
high-powered Malaysia-British Business Council comprising
15 prominent business leaders on each side. The
establishment of this business council by the business
community of both countries and with the active support
and encouragement of the British Department of Trade &
Industry is indeed apt and timely; apt because it builds
on the solid and dependable relationship between our two
countries and timely because it demonstrates that despite
the current Asian economic crisis, British business is
still interested in Malaysia. I am confident that the
Business Council will further deepen bilateral
partnership between our two countries. The Malaysian
Government like the British Government will lend its
support to the Business Council and will be interested to
hear of its progress.
2. When I was recently in London for the Asia-Europe
Meeting or ASEM, I was impressed with the friendship
shown to Malaysia by the British Government and the
British people. The statement by Prime Minister Tony
Blair that Britain is not a fair-weathered friend is
appropriate and appreciated. The statement on the
financial and economic situation in Asia issued at the
end of the first day of ASEM recognising the shared
interest in restoring stability, stressing the concern
about the human cost to the people of Asia and noting
the strong economic fundamentals of Asia as well as the
need to curb speculation-induced instability vindicates
the long-held stance held by Malaysia.
3. During ASEM, the leaders of participating countries
noted that developments in Asian markets could lead to a
drop in investments in both directions and pledged to do
their best to facilitate the maintenance and expansion of
foreign direct investment. In this regard, I wish to
reiterate that Malaysia welcomes foreign investments.
Malaysia has always adopted a pro-market, liberal and
open economic system in which foreign participation in
our economy is welcomed and encouraged. In fact, some
British companies have operated in Malaysia for well over
a hundred years. Let me assure our British and foreign
friends that we shall do what we can to have and maintain
an attractive climate for foreign investment. We shall
continue to liberalise our economy and adopt market
reforms that will make us more competitive and resilient.
4. We recognise that we cannot develop Malaysia on our
own. Whilst we promote self-reliance, we also know that
in an interdependent, globally inter-connected world, we
need to work with foreign friends to develop our nation.
As such, foreign investors will find a hospitable
business environment in Malaysia. With the depreciation
in our ringgit and with currency fluctuations having
somewhat stabilised, this is the right time to invest in
Malaysia. I hope British members of the Malaysia-British
Business Council will encourage your companies to invest
more in Malaysia and to get more British business to come
here to Malaysia.
5. Besides encouraging two-way trade and investment, I
believe that the Business Council can also play a useful
role in facilitating business partnerships and joint
ventures in third countries. Being the fulcrum of Asia,
Malaysia is well-placed for foreign investors to enter
the Asean market of 500 million people as well as the
China, India and Middle East markets because of our
historical, cultural and religious linkages. I am also
encouraged by the Business Council's objectives of
developing opportunities for small and medium enterprises
which are also consistent with the ASEM objectives.
6. Having achieved 40 years of independence, the time
has come for Malaysians to drop our historical baggage.
Whilst the past provides us with useful lessons, it also
gives us both pleasant and unpleasant memories. British
colonial rule has left behind a rich tradition for our
civil service, education systems and judiciary to build
upon. Yet at the same time, colonial rule has deprived
us of much of our wealth and compartmentalised our
society through a 'divide and rule' policy. We are not
here to pass judgement on the British. As I have said,
we are no longer interested in carrying our colonial
baggage of historical injustices. Let us let bygones be
bygones. More importantly, we should look to the future,
to what we can do together to create a better future for
our respective countries and peoples.
7. In Malaysia, Vision 2020 provides us with a clear
strategic direction of where we want to go. ASEAN has
also adopted its own Vision 2020. And ASEM has
established a vision group to develop a long-range shared
vision for Asia and Europe. Having a clear vision is
important as it provides a roadmap of the route to take
in the future. Sadly, in business, few of our business
leaders or corporations have a vision of where they want
to be in 10 or 20 years time. Short-term and shallow
negative thinking will not get us out of our current
difficulties. Our business community must be able to
conceptualise and articulate a clear vision of where they
want to go. Merely depending on the Government for hand-
outs is not the way to succeed. Neither is blaming the
Government. It can be so easy to be negative, and to
apportion blame. It is so much more difficult to right
wrongs, to build and to create. Yet, as we progress
towards the new millennium, only two years from now, we
must build and create a new and better world for all our
people. To succeed, we need a smart partnership of
government, business, employees and foreign friends,
working together to develop the nation and bring it to
new heights of achievement. With close cooperation, a
clear vision and proactive strategies, we can emerge
again to be a regional economic powerhouse. It will be
difficult, it will take time but we will triumph finally.
8. In our efforts to promote national economic
recovery, I call on the business community to discard
negative thinking. Have confidence in the government and
in our nation. Together, we shall prevail. And with the
good friends from Britain and also from other countries
cooperating and working together with us, we can recover
faster.
9. On this note, I have pleasure in launching the
Malaysia-British Business Council and wish Mr. Patrick
Gillam and his team every success.
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