Oleh 		: 	DATO SERI DR MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD 
Tempat		: 	HONG KONG
Tarikh		: 	28-10-2000 
Tajuk 		: 	THE ASIA SOCIETY GALA FORUM 
Penyampai	: 	PM


" AGENDA FOR A NEW ASIA " The Asia Society has asked me to
talk about Asia and about the future. I know something about Asia's past,
and its present situation. But as to its future my guess is as good as
anyone else's. That is not to say that I don't have some ideas. I do. But
they are just ideas about what should be and maybe what can really
be. 2. There is a tendency in this part of Asia to think that East Asia is
Asia, and that South Asia, Central Asia and West Asia do not count. Of
course Russian Asia is totally ignored. But in talking about Asia, its
present and its future these other very substantial part of Asia must be
taken into account. Maybe we don't think anything much would happen in
these parts which would be as dynamic as in East Asia, but it is entirely
possible that these parts of Asia would change too. Already India is
showing signs of economic dynamism. Central Asia can be a source of
minerals and other raw materials. 3. Of course in the political field any
number of things can happen which can affect the rest of Asia. So far the
pressures from outside for the Central Asian countries to democratise have
not been significant. But as soon as these countries become rich and offer
good markets, democracy, human rights and the implementation of open
market economies will be forced upon them. As we all know the pressure to
democratise and respect human rights is not due to concern for the
well-being of people, but for the benefit of those rich people wishing to
reap more profits for themselves in more countries. 4. Asia is most unlike
Europe. The Europeans are of three major ethnic groups -- the Slavs in the
East, the Germanic race in the North and the Latin in the South. All these
races are very acquisitive, especially of the territories of their
neighbours. As a result over the past two millennium there has not been a
year when there was not a war between their states. In the process they
got rather mixed and developed more or less along the same line culturally
and economically. Since they are prone to fighting, they developed great
skills in devising and producing ever more efficient killing
instruments. This skill spilled over into other commercial activities so
that they became industrialised very early. 5. It is not so in Asia. The
area is so vast that delineation of boundaries was not easy. Though there
are distinct ethnic groups, but most Asians are sub- divided into tribes
which off and on came together under strong tribal leaders. Thus the
Seljuks, the Ottomans, the Mongols and the Manchus. 6. Asians built
empires in Asia largely but these empires were not durable. The death of a
powerful leader invariably led to a break-up into numerous little empires
or states. 7. By the beginning of the 20th Century almost all the Asian
countries had come under the rule of various European powers, including
the European Russians who subjugated the Central Asians. Almost without
exception the Asian countries under European domination remained backward
and poor. The only country which managed to remain independent and to
industrialise along the European pattern was Japan. 8. This then is the
historical and cultural background against which we must consider the
present and the future of Asia. During the second half of the 20th Century
competition for influence between the Western Bloc and Communist Russia
led to the freeing of the Asian colonies of the European powers. The
reason given for this generosity on the part of the European colonial
powers was humanitarian. It was wrong it seems for people to colonise
other people and other countries. But the true reason was fear that the
colonial people would side with the other bloc. The desire to dominate
remains and it was a matter of time before this desire manifests itself
again. 9. After the end of the Pacific War most Asian countries were in
shambles. It seemed that they would never be able to rebuild themselves
much less challenge the industrial and commercial supremacy of the
West. But Japan set out to restructure itself and to reindustrialise. And
Japan succeeded beyond expectations. Its Zaibatsu had been broken up but
the broken pieces regenerated themselves until each one was bigger than
the original conglomerate. The old strategy of producing inferior cheap
products was replaced by an assault on the world market with high quality
but still relatively cheap goods. 10. It is difficult to imagine what the
international market would be like without Japanese products. Left
unchallenged the Europeans on either side of Northern Atlantic would
produce high quality expensive products meant basically for their own rich
markets. They would stress margins rather than market share. If their
goods were exported to poor countries they would be meant for the rich
only. Their consumer products would not flood the markets and the people
of the poor countries would not enjoy the luxuries of sophisticated
household appliances, pick-up trucks and small economical passenger
cars. Their standard of living in terms of modern life-styles would remain
primitive. 11. But the Japanese, by producing high quality cheap goods had
lifted the living standards of a great many people. Of course the Japanese
did not set out to do this. They were after profits as much as the
Europeans. But their strategy of maximising market share through low
margins inadvertently contributed to the improvement in the standard of
living of many in the poor countries. 12. The countries of Asia, East Asia
mainly had not failed to see that an Asian nation could do all that the
Europeans could do, and better. It did not take long for everyone to jump
on the bandwagon. Soon South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the countries of
Southeast Asia exhibited a desire to emulate Japan. It is not unlikely
that they too would pose a challenge to the Europeans in the markets of
the world. 13. South Korea showed obvious signs of becoming another
Japan. Japan had caught the West off guard. But it became obvious that the
West was not going to allow themselves to be again caught flat-footed. And
so South Korea came to be described as a NIC -- a Newly Industrialising
Country. It was not a recognition of South Korea's success or an
expression of admiration. It was a term invented to justify subsequent
action to stifle Korea's economic growth. A NIC must be curbed through all
kinds of restriction on its exports. 14. In the meantime the other East
Asian countries were also growing rapidly and the term NIC was liberally
applied to them so as to justify early economic discrimination against
them to be applied. Still they kept on growing. There was much talk of the
21st Century becoming the Asian Century. The Europeans were not going to
have things their way much longer. China, held down by the Communist
ideology, woke up from its slumber and rapidly absorbed Western- style
commerce and industry and showed every sign of becoming another Japan,
only five times bigger. 15. China and Japan remained virtual enemies but
it did not seem likely that they would go to war against each other. Both
seem to appreciate that they would be committing national
suicide. Attempts to persuade them to expand their energy on military
confrontation failed. Both apparently seem bent on becoming economic
powers and to dominate the world through their wealth and technological
know-how rather than by force of arms. 16. The threat of Asian domination
of the world in the 21st Century was becoming more and more real. They
could not be stopped militarily. Nor could the West defeat them and
impoverish them by competing in the market. 17. I don't think there was a
conspiracy. It is more likely that an opportunity had presented itself and
it was seized by the worried Europeans. 18. For some time the Western
media had been harping on the failure of the tiger economies of East Asia
to adopt Western moral standards of governance and their approach to
national recovery and economic development. The Japanese came under attack
for the close cooperation between the Government and big business. This
was labelled Japan Incorporated and this was regarded as thoroughly
immoral and wrong. There must never be Government help for the private
sector. It was a thoroughly shameful way of doing business. That it had
helped the Japanese economy to recover from the ravages of war, that it
had brought tangible benefits to the poor people in poor countries is
irrelevant. The Western media, agencies and governments claim that by
universal moral standards it was wrong and it must be stopped. In fact all
the Japanese business practices were wrong and immoral and must be
stopped. 19. In trying to adjust to the alleged universal norms the
Japanese dismantled all their practices, made crimes of everything that
they had been doing before, arrested their civil servants and generally
undermined the confidence of their own people. Even lifetime employment
was considered wrong. Workers must be sacked and thrown on the streets,
and executives must be publicly humiliated for doing what was acceptable
before. 20. But the attacks on the morality of Asian Governments expanded
to the other Asian economic tigers. All were accused of crony
capitalism. The Asian Governments were told they cheated by helping the
establishment of corporate giants which were able to challenge Western
supremacy in manufacturing, in commerce and trade. That these Governments
had built good economies, alleviated poverty and generally contributed to
the well-being not only of their people but also of other people in the
poor countries, meant nothing. These Governments cheated by collaborating
with their corporations and they must stop. 21. The Korean companies for
example had successfully competed with Western construction companies for
great engineering and construction projects worldwide. Their low cost had
saved billions of Dollars for many developing countries. But in the
process they had reduced the profits of the great construction companies
of the West. The Koreans were therefore doing something immoral. It was
suggested that they were using prisoners to reduce their labour cost. That
was how they could outbid their Western competitors. 22. After the Koreans
came the Taiwanese, Hong Kong, even the Southeast Asian countries. They
were growing fast and they must be cheating through their penchant for
close cooperation between the Government and the private sectors. They
were all indulging in crony capitalism. And they should stop. The Western
media carried out a sustained campaign against everything that is
practised by the countries of East Asia. And International Agencies under
the control of certain powers cast baleful eyes on these economic
upstarts. 23. But the countries of East Asia continued with their own ways
of growing their economies. It looked like there was no stopping
them. They were going to grow and they were going to continue to challenge
the West. There was a good chance for the 21st Century to become the Asian
Century. 24. Again I would stress that there was no conspiracy. The
attacks against the East Asian economies were not orchestrated. It is most
likely that the rogue currency traders just saw an opportunity to make a
pile for themselves. Be that as it may, the fact is that their attacks
soon left most of the East Asian economic tigers in a state of
unprecedented economic turmoil and sudden poverty. From being economic
threats to the West they suddenly found themselves totally dependent on
the West for their recovery. 25. This is where the IMF, a major instrument
of Western policy stepped in. No one, no country should help the
beleaguered Asian countries except the IMF. And the IMF should only help
if the Asian countries give up all their strategies for economic
development. They should not help their distressed corporations to
recover, they should allow their banks to go bankrupt, they should
increase the taxes on their people, do away with subsidies and in a severe
recession introduce a surplus budget. 26. Maybe there was no intention to
worsen an already bad situation. Maybe there was really a sincere desire
to help the distressed economies. But whether by accident or design the
IMF succeeded in putting an end to the practices which had contributed so
much to the rapid and spectacular growth of the East Asian
countries. 27. Dangling the loan carrot and brandishing the big stick, the
IMF, backed by the power of the powerful, demanded the dismantling of
everything that had contributed to the amazing development of the East
Asian tigers and dragons. Not only must corruption stop but subsidies for
the poor, business-friendly Governments, protective tariffs and non-tariff
barriers, conditions on foreign ownership of businesses and banks, all had
to stop. These countries must open up to direct and full foreign
participation in their economies. There must be no restriction at all to
foreigners wishing to take advantage of the business potentials of the
economies. 28. Anything done to help local corporations in distress came
under the general definition of bailing out cronies. These corporations
must be forced into bankruptcy or sold to foreigners. As the stock market
collapse and share prices plunged. That tens of thousands of poor workers
would be thrown out of work as a result of the collapse of the businesses
was irrelevant. Let them starve, riot and kill. But no Government help
should be extended. Helping them was regarded as morally wrong in terms of
business practice. In the developed countries there is unemployment
benefits so that those thrown out of jobs could be supported by the
Government. This is not considered as a subsidy. But any help extended to
the distressed businesses and the unemployed would smell of bailouts and
would not be permitted. 29. Anything that could be imposed or done to
prevent the quick recovery and regeneration of the East Asian tigers was
done, at times blatantly. Governments were undermined and overthrown, law
and order were destroyed, the break-up of countries was encouraged and
expedited. The Asian tigers were no more. The ambition to make the 21st
Century the Asian century was pulverised. No one talks about it any
more; least of all the former tigers. 30. Asia today is in total
disarray. West Asia continues to be unstable as their state glare at each
other and undermine each other. Rich in oil and other resources they are
nevertheless underdeveloped. They have no country with an industrial
economy capable of supplying even their own needs. They are totally
dependent on the developed countries of the West, and many are subservient
to the Western powers. They pose no threat and they will pose no challenge
to the north Atlantic alliance in the foreseeable future. 31. Central Asia
is very rich in resources but are unable to adjust to democracy and the
free market. Landlocked and isolated, separated from the world market by
vast distances, they are unable to benefit from the bounties of a world
free market. They are certainly not in a position to develop the way the
East Asian countries had developed. They too will be no threat. 32. South
Asia has tremendous potential. With almost 1.5 billion hard working and
very clever people, they could have become another economic giant like
China. But they are pitted against each other and their experiments with
democracy has merely resulted in weak Governments which change frequently
and seem unable to plan and develop their countries. Still, next to the
East Asians, South Asia is the most likely to prosper in the new
millennium and to challenge the status quo. 33. The countries of Northeast
and Southeast Asia, the most dynamic of the Asian countries are now
largely emasculated. Even Japan, the most powerful of the East Asian
economies, seems unable to come out of its economic malaise. In trying to
Westernise its way of doing business and to adopt Western values, Japan
has now become totally disoriented. For a decade now, despite expanding
huge sums of money to rehabilitate the economy, Japan still remains in the
doldrums. 34. This is the picture of Asia at the beginning of the new
millennium. It is a dismal picture. Much of the energy and the spirit
which had driven it in the second half of the 20th Century have been
dissipated. No Genghis Khan, Akhbar the Great, no Mongol or Turkish hordes
are likely to appear on the scene. Because of its extreme diversity and
the distances which separate its people, Asians cannot come together the
way the Europeans can come together. Asia must accept that it is a divided
continent. Accepting this, it must plan its future as separate sub-
continents, growing according to its special comparative advantages and at
different paces. 35. Northeast Asia should be the sub-continent to recover
strongly after it regains its self-respect and the desire to emulate the
values and the ways of the West. The stress now is too much on systems
rather than results. The idea that a "good" system which produces bad
results is better than an alegedly "bad" system which produces good
results should be re- examined. 36. The West is too fond of a single
cure-all. We saw how the IMF had forced down the throats of all the East
Asian countries their single formula for recovery and we saw how
disastrous it had been for many countries. Asian ways of doing things are
not bad simply because they differ from the West. Asian ways which
obviously deliver results must be quite good. Japan, Korea and China
recovered very quickly from the effects of war and the socialist ideology
of the West. Their people became more prosperous and poverty was largely
eradicated. Their self-respect has been restored. Maybe they have still to
subscribe to the norms of western liberalism, maybe the freedom of
individuals to thumb their noses at the majority are less. But is thumbing
our noses a greater priority than the well-being and self respect of the
majority? 37. Asians everywhere must have pride in their values and
culture and their ways of managing their countries and their problems. The
attempts by the West to force their values and ideologies on Asians must
be resisted. Remember that Communism and Socialism were invented by the
West and these two ideologies have retarded the development of so many
countries which adopted them, countries in Asia and Africa. There is no
reason why we should believe that what is being propagated by the West now
-- liberal democracy, free markets, borderless world etc, would do any
better in the long run. The day can still come when the West will reject
their present values and ideologies because of the harm they suffer. We
must never again be held back by the Western values and systems after they
have discarded. Indeed we must not blindly accept Western ways, ideologies
and values without waiting for them to be tested extensively in the
West. 38. There is no doubt that if Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia
regain their faith in themselves, their values and their ways of doing
things, they would be able to again achieve the kind of developmental
success that they exhibited in the decades before the economic turmoil of
the nineteen nineties. 39. Southeast Asia can recover faster and more
strongly if it is less preoccupied with gaining the approval of the West
in the way it manages things politically and economically. While
oppressive authoritarian rule and corruption must be avoided, firm and
strong Governments must be allowed to govern and to develop their
countries. The idea that a country is not democratic unless disruptive
forces are allowed to threaten peace and stability must be rejected. The
essence of democracy should be Government by representatives elected by a
majority of the people. Liberalism which permits the individual or
minority rights to negate the rights of the majority need not be regarded
as an essential part of democracy. Freedom cannot be absolute whether it
be in the area of human rights or free speech or free press. Freedom of
the press should not include freedom to tell lies and instigate
violence. Harsh perhaps, but to believe that people should accept being
maimed and killed because other people are exercising their democratic
freedom is to negate reality in the interest of the ideal. 40. The
countries of Northeast and Southeast Asia have enough in common for them
to come together and to act together. It would take a very long time
before they can unite the way the European countries unite. But
cooperation on many things affecting them is entirely possible and
productive. It may be an economic group or an East Asian Monetary
Fund. But these things and many others are entirely possible for East
Asia. 41. If South Asian countries cannot develop together, they can at
least develop by themselves. Some may be able to make modern political
ideologies work. Some may not. But what is important is not to try to be
politically correct to please the West. What is important is the economic
development of the countries. Poverty eradication is far more important
than the right to bring down Governments because of alleged misdeeds. The
important thing to remember is that the next Government will commit the
same misdeeds. There is really no difference between the Government that
is overthrown and the Government which replaces it, particularly in so far
as the ordinary citizens are concerned. The people most interested in
overthrowing a bad Government are the people who hope to get the power in
their own hands. And having succeeded in grabbing power they would proceed
to do exactly what the previous Government had done. The best thing that
the countries of South Asia can do is to allow elected Governments to last
their terms at least. It would be less disruptive and damaging than the
habitual premature unseating of elected Governments. 42. Central Asia is
doing quite well in terms of stability but it is not able to build needed
infrastructure especially in terms of railways. The camels were once
regarded as the ships of the desert. Obviously they are no longer adequate
to carry the rich raw materials of Central Asia and the goods that Central
Asia needs. The ships of the desert in these days of mass consumption are
the railways. What Central Asia needs is a vast network of railways of
super sizes and length. Two mile long trains running on ultrawide gauge
tracks would reduce the cost of transporting raw materials and goods
across the vast expanse of Central Asia. Just as tankers are built to
transport ever increasing quantities of oil across vast oceans, there is
no reason why the railways cannot be improved in the same way. 43. If the
Governments of Central Asian Republics can accept that making profits is
not criminal, the countries of the West and the East can come together to
invest in these super transport facilities which will make being
landlocked no longer a disadvantage. 44. The Governments of West Asia may
not be very democratic but it is doubtful that they will improve simply by
adopting liberal democracy. What is more important is for them to reduce
their quarrels and subversion of each other. Generally under-populated
they should strive for capital intensive, high tech industries in order to
make themselves more relevant to the world. Already they are accepting
immigrant labour. It is no big deal for them to invest in modern
I.T. industries utilising both local and foreign knowledge workers. They
have the capital and technology can be bought. 45. We need not be
concerned over Russian Asia. Asia, the whole of Asia, not just East Asia
can have an agenda for the new millennium. Politics should be
downplayed. Political ideology, including liberal democracy should not be
of major concern. Strong but benign Governments should be the aim for all
Asian countries. And such Governments should concentrate on developing
their countries and giving their people a good life. 46. The more
developed nations of Asia should invest and help the less developed. An
Asian Monetary Fund would be useful. An Asian Association for Development
should be set up to enable the countries of all Asia to interact, to
discuss common problems and to cooperate where necessary. 47. Any idea
about Asia dominating the world in the 21st Century should be
abandonned. It is not feasible and it will merely serve to antagonise the
rest of the world, in particular the European nation on both sides of the
Atlantic. Neither should any Asian nation harbour ideas about dominating
Asia. 48. Asia and Asian nations must be free, truly free. No one should
impose their values or ideologies or system on Asia. While everyone should
be concerned over human rights, the environment etc, no one from within or
outside Asia should appoint himself or his country as the policeman
charging himself with the responsibility to ensure that everyone
behaves. Asian countries are mature enough to know what is right and what
is wrong. Any attempt to undermine the sovereignty of independent
countries through subverting nationals should be condemned roundly by
everyone. 49. This agenda is very general but it should serve to point the
direction that Asia should take. Obviously it is going to take time, a
long time. Obviously it is not going to be smooth sailing. It is going to
be difficult to achieve. But the long term objective should be for all
Asian countries to be subservient to no one, but truly independent and as
developed as the nations of Europe. Asian countries must take their places
in the community of nations of the world as equals. And Asian values and
Asian ways of doing things must be accepted as legitimate, normal and
inferior to no one. 50. This is the agenda for Asia. It is not
fanciful. It is not a dream. It is really doable and it is within the
capability of Asians to realise it. With this agenda Asian countries will
emerge in the 21st Century as equal partners with the developed countries
of the World. Sumber : Pejabat Perdana Menteri Download Teks Ucapan