Oleh/By : DATO' SERI DR.
MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD
Tempat/Venue : THE PALACE OF THE GOLDEN HORSES
Tarikh/Date : 26/10/99
Tajuk/Title : THE AFRICA-ASIA BUSINESS FORUM
In two months' time -- on December 31st 1999, we will
see the dawn of a new millennium. It is significant
that today we have an equally historic event that could
herald a new dawn for a whole continent, whose
population of 600 million people in 48 nations, have by
and large been in the backwaters of the tidal wave of
economic development and progress that has swept
throughout the world over the last three decades.
2. Several years ago, a western politician is quoted
to have said that the centre of gravity of world
economic activity was moving to the Far East. Frankly,
I feel that there has been enough rhetoric about
dividing the world, into the bi-polar world, the north
and the south, the aligned and the non-aligned, the
developed and the developing, etc.
3. Let us see if we can move beyond the polarity of
opposites and establish a convergence of universal
growth, where all nations, small and large, powerful
and weak, get a rightful place and share in the growing
wealth of the world. Let not the term 'wealth of
nations' be an economic doctrine for debate, but a
reality on the ground for every nation and where the
beneficiaries of economic development will be the
people, the common man in all nations.
4. Too often, the faceless economists of the world
look at the economics of national development as though
it is a phenomenon involving figures which measure
material achievements without any relation to the
welfare of people. They measure failures or success
through GDP growth, per capita incomes, the
profitability of corporations, and above all the
indices of the stock markets.
5. Human welfare cannot be engendered if economics
does not have a human face. The jargon of economics
must change. Economics must be about people, their
well-being, the benefits they derive, their joys and
their sorrows, their health and their sickness, the
peace and the freedom they enjoy. The corporations,
big business and multinationals must only be regarded
as instruments for creating the wealth that is to be
distributed to everyone. They should have their
profits of course but not just to enrich their
brilliant Presidents, directors and managers but also
their workers, their research and development efforts
and through the taxes paid to the Governments, to
alleviate poverty and give a good life to all.
6. The 1000 years that we leave behind us have seen
some of the worst examples of men's exploitation and
oppression of Men. We have seen the colonisation of
many nations and the exploitation of their economic
wealth by and for a few nations; we have seen the
destruction of human souls through slavery and bondage,
through genocides and wars that mocks the claim that
man is at the apex of God's creatures. We have seen
the greed of selfish and powerful men destroying the
hard earned wealth of nations, and their hard-working
people. All this and more will be part of the baggage
of history that we will carry into the new century and
millennium.
7. But together with all this, we have also seen
great strides in human ingenuity, science and
technology that has enabled man to explore the deepest
ocean and to probe into space to try to find answers to
the mysteries of the universe. The last 1000 years,
or more specifically the last two hundred years, have
also seen the emergence of exceptional Men who tower
over their fellow men and have become legends in their
own time. We have seen the likes of Mahatma Gandhi,
who dared to face the might of the most powerful
colonial power with nothing but loin cloth and a mantle
of raw courage and conviction around himself. We have
seen the likes of Martin Luther King who raised the
consciousness of the Afro-American people to recognise
that might is not right, and that power can come from a
conviction, and from moral righteousness. And finally,
we have the likes of Nelson Mandela, who has displayed
not to just one country, not just to one race, not to
just one continent, but to all of mankind, the highest
quality of the humaneness of humanity -- a man who
stands as a giant among men, as an awe inspiring
example of one who forgave those who had erred, and
thus has given a new meaning to the old adage 'To err
is human, to forgive divine'. This one man has shown
the world the essential dignity and culture of Africa
so all others may look up to and follow.
8. The next 1000 years will see even greater
developments in science and technology. However if
that is the sum and substance of human endeavour, then
mankind would have failed! The next 1000 years, in fact
the next 100 years or less must show the genius of
mankind in caring for their fellow Men, irrespective of
race or colour, where every Man has for himself and
family the basic needs of life and welfare i.e. food,
clothing, shelter, employment in an environment of
peace and harmony, without fear or want.
9. This is mankind's greatest challenge. Africa
today stands as one of the final frontiers of economic
development. Unfortunately, for many in the developed
world and in the fast growing economies of the East and
elsewhere, Africa is still an unknown continent.
10. If Africa is merely unknown, this would not have
been too great a tragedy, for man's spirit of adventure
and discovery would have made him discover the
opportunities that Africa offers. However, today,
wittingly or unwittingly, Africa has been too often
portrayed by the International (i.e. Western) media as
a continent of violence, war, tribal conflict, poverty,
Aids, etc, a continent to be avoided like the plague.
11. I have personally been to Africa leading business
delegations many times in the last five years or so and
I have been amazed at the potential for business, and
opportunities and profits that Africa offers! Africa
is not one nation any more than Asia is one nation!
Just as the one word Asia covers the variety of nations
and peoples and cultures as diverse as the Japanese,
Chinese, Indian, Indonesian, Filipino and Malaysian,
there is similar diversity in the one word Africa!
12. Africa covers nations as diverse as Botswana that
has managed to have GDP growth rates of 15 per cent,
unsurpassed in the world, to South Africa, Namibia,
Cote d'Ivoire, Mauritius, Uganda & Nigeria, all nations
totally diverse in their politics, social, cultural and
historical environments and they have different degrees
of economic achievements.
13. Just as it would be folly to paint Asia with one
brush, many are committing the same folly of painting
Africa with one brush and thus obscuring their own view
of the real African potential.
14. There is no denying the fact that Africa today
continues to carry the burden of its colonial past.
Virtually every African will agree if we say that for
far too long, Africa has been too Eurocentric. Would
Asians be surprised to know that to go from some
African countries to another, you have to go via Europe
-- that is the level of Eurocentricity. It is as
absurd as the idea of going from Malaysia to Hong Kong
or the Philippines, via London! But in many instances
this is a reality in the Africa of today.
15. One cannot deny that developed nations have poured
billions of dollars of aid and loans into Africa in a
simple-minded attempt to help these nations. This has
naturally not worked out. It has merely made African
countries debt-slaves to the rich nations and their
banks. What has been ignored deliberately or otherwise
is that political independence does not automatically
result in economic independence. Until economic
independence is achieved, the African countries will
always remain beholden to their former colonial masters
in Europe. And economic hegemony is as bad as
political overlordship. Indeed it is worse because it
is insidious, yet it extends into the political domain
as well. It is in fact colonisation by another name.
16. There is a saying 'make new friends but keep the
old, one is silver, the other gold'. Most certainly
Africa must make new friends, look east to Asia and
look further east or further west to the Americas! And
most certainly Africa must keep its old friends -- for
it must be admitted that there are some from among the
old colonial masters who are friends. But let me
change the old adage and tell our African friends --
'make new friends and keep the old, but make sure you
know where there is silver and gold'.
17. Asian nations, including those which have attained
independence at about the same time as the African
countries and which have made tangible progress should
offer their sincere friendship to their African
neighbours. Asians too must remember that they are
also Eurocentric, often ignoring Africa on their way to
Europe, in their trade with Europe. Yet many Asian
countries have only recently achieved development and
the memory of this experience is still fresh in their
minds. They, more than the old developed countries
would be able to understand the African problems of
development and to be of assistance in figuring out
ways to resolve them.
18. When we Asian nations were struggling for a place
in the economic sun, private sector investors from
developed nations came and helped establish industries
and businesses that brought benefit to all. Now it is
time for Asia, with our fresh experience, our new found
wealth, technology and skills to do the same for other
less developed nations. This is what South-South Co-
operation is all about.
19. If we Asian nations become genuine partners in
African development and not exploiters of wealth and
opportunity, and if we Asian nations can help enrich
Africa with our capital, skills and technology, we will
benefit from the increased trade and opportunities that
a wealthier Africa will offer. This is what happened
when the developed countries invest in Asia. This is
what will happen when we invest in Africa. It is a win-
win formula which all must endorse. It will create a
cycle of prosperity.
20. In as much as I would make a plea to my Asian
friends and Asian businessmen to create smart
partnerships on mutuality of benefits and sustainable
relationships, I would like to make the same plea to my
African friends, both the private sector and the
Governments.
21. One of the fundamental pre-requisites of cross
border FDI flows is political stability. Without this
assurance of political stability, investors will just
not invest however high the returns on investment are
supposed to yield. The world investment community must
feel assured of political stability with its
concomitant assurance of peace, security, non-violence,
etc. I admit that frequently exaggerated and
tendentious media reports on Asian and African
countries make life difficult for the Governments of
these continents. But truth will still prevail if
there is peace and stability. People and their
Governments must always remember that the idea that a
change of Government will solve all problems is
fallacious. Much more than a change of Government is
needed if there is to be stability and peace in a
country. Each one of us, Asian and African will have
to identify our weaknesses and work at them so that we
will enjoy peace and stability for our own people and
by extension for foreign investors.
22. Incompetency and corruption are two of the sins
which we are all accused of. They are not inherently
ours. Others are as guilty. But since a good image is
very essential for our development we have to upgrade
our competencies and to visibly deal with corruption
among us and our administration. We will not achieve
perfection but we must appreciate that even for the
corrupt and the incompetent there will be no return if
the country remains poor.
23. These are among the critical challenges that the
political leadership, the administration and the
private sector of both Africa and Asia will have to
face and face squarely. Once these are in place, the
wealth that FDI and domestic investors can engender
will help overcome much of the problems that the
vicious cycle of poverty creates.
24. The gap of ignorance between what Africa and Asia
can offer each other must be closed by bridges of
knowledge and understanding. On behalf of Africa and
Asia, I want to thank the Government of Japan for
building two such bridges.
25. The first bridge is this Africa-Asia Business
Forum that has brought so many African and Asian
businessmen together for direct contacts for mutual
benefit. But any forum by its very nature is transient
and its benefit can only be seen if there is sufficient
and well-planned follow-up. It is in this context that
the second bridge that the Japanese Government is
helping to build takes significance. I am referring
here to the Asia-Africa Investment Technology Promotion
Centre (AAITPC) that the Japanese Government has set up
through UNIDO. I want to thank and congratulate the
Japanese Government and UNIDO for selecting Malaysia
and Sibexlink as the vehicle to carry this initiative.
26. AAITPC will, I hope, operate for more than its
initially planned two years, if not, its initial
efforts may prove to be still-born. AAITPC will serve
as a Centre for Electronic Communication for trade and
investment opportunities between Asia and initially, I
am told, specifically targeted African nations viz --
Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Mozambique, Senegal, Tanzania,
Uganda and Zimbabwe. If successful, I am sure this
bridge will be extended to other African nations.
27. In addition to being a Centre for Electronic
Communication for Investment and Technology and I am
sure, trade, the AAITPC will also pro-actively promote
and give support to all Asian businessmen seeking
business opportunities in Africa and vice-versa.
28. I hope this AAITPC will become a permanent bridge
not only for business opportunities and mutual profit -
- but more importantly for mutual friendship between
Asia and Africa.
29. Asia and Africa can together become the
powerhouses for economic development and prosperity in
the new millennium. Working together and working with
the nations of Europe and the Americas as equal
partners, we can all bring new meaning to the
expression 'wealth of nations', i.e. the wealth that
will be enjoyed by the citizens of all nations of this
shrinking globe which is our world.
30. With these words it gives me great pleasure to
declare open this Africa-Asia Business Forum.
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