Oleh/By : DATO SERI DR MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD
Tempat/Venue : SUNWAY PYRAMID CONVENTION CENTRE,
BANDAR SUNWAY,
SELANGOR
Tarikh/Date : 28/07/2003
Tajuk/Title : THE SEVENTH WORLD CHINESE
ENTREPRENEURS CONVENTION
Versi : ENGLISH
Penyampai : PM
"UNITY AND INTEGRITY FOR GLOBAL GROWTH AND PROSPERITY"
Firstly, I would like to thank the organisers for
this invitation to speak at the Seventh World Chinese
Entrepreneurs Convention, here in Bandar Sunway,
Selangor, Malaysia. I feel greatly honoured.
2. There is a common thread that links Malaysia,
Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia with
China, and that is the presence of the overseas
Chinese. Although they largely resist assimilation,
they nevertheless identify themselves with the
countries they live in. Their presence has never been
used as an excuse by China to invade and to colonise,
as happens with other countries. Instead, adapting to
local conditions, the Chinese have contributed to the
development and growth of these countries. But of
course the Chinese are not only in Southeast Asia but
are in every country in the world. And wherever they
may be they have contributed to the wealth creation of
these countries. This they do because of their
entrepreneurship, their willingness to take risks and
their quick appreciation of the needs of the places
that they migrate to. They literally see what the
locals fail to see, the opportunities which abound. At
times they have to pay a high price for their success,
including losing their lives and all the wealth that
they have accumulated. But this does not deter them,
nor does it bring the wrath of China on the countries
or communities concerned.
3. Population pressure, wars between warlords,
famines, floods and epidemics were the reasons for
Chinese emigration. They came usually as destitutes
but were willing to work hard and to be exploited by
their own people and the locals in order to escape the
poverty and hardships of their own country. In time
their labour paid off. Many became very rich,
controlling vast business empires across the borders of
many countries. Hard work, entrepreneurship and a
willingness to endure all kinds of privations are the
ingredients for overseas Chinese success. In many
countries they also gained a lot of influence in the
Government.
4. Malaysia is one of those countries where the
Chinese have done very well. It also has one of the
highest percentages of Chinese in its population. In
doing well for themselves they have also done well for
the country. While the Malays provide a good, if not
perfect administration, the Chinese have provided the
entrepreneurship and the business skills to enrich the
country. The relationship is symbiotic - both gaining
from each other's specialised role. Some would say it
is cronyism between the ruling indigenous elites and
the Chinese tycoons. Cronyism is a universal
phenomenon found in every country, developed and
developing. The difference is only one of degree. In
Malaysia for example, the number of Chinese who succeed
without knowing Government leaders or officers are
uncountable. Inevitably the prominent among them are
recognised and are known by members of the Government
especially when they are generous in charitable work.
It is impossible for the rich and the generous to
remain in obscurity.
5. The Seventh World Chinese Entrepreneurs Convention
is not about China. Yet it has everything to do with
China. The roots of each member of this convention can
be traced to China. The Chinese Diaspora is one of the
greatest the world has ever seen. According to the
Overseas Chinese Confederation, in May 2000, there were
34 million Chinese residing in 140 countries in the
world. A 2002 Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy
study puts the figure at about 60 million. Whatever the
figure, it is still a small proportion of the total
Chinese population of China, or of the world.
6. With an estimated wealth of more than US$1.5
trillion, overseas Chinese constitute what could
arguably be called the third-largest economy in the
world after the GNPs of the United States and Japan.
It is estimated that Asia has the largest overseas
Chinese population (28 million). The Americas are
second (3.5 million), Europe third (1.6 million),
Oceania fourth (571 thousand), and Africa fifth (137
thousand).
7. Going by the numbers and the wealth that this
group is estimated to have generated and is capable of
generating, some political observers and economists
have opined that the overseas Chinese can hold sway
over the global economy. John Kao, a Harvard Professor,
has alluded to the eventual emergence of a "Chinese
Commonwealth." Books have been written about the "The
New Asian Emperors" and the "Offshore Economic Empire."
But China itself has never tried to shape the
international financial and economic regimes in order
to ensure Chinese economic dominance of the world. The
overseas Chinese are left very much to themselves to
survive and to prosper.
8. Far from trying for domination in ideology or in
restructuring the systems of the world the Overseas
Chinese have tried to maintain a low profile. Not
being protected by China as a superpower the overseas
Chinese have always been sensitive to the question of
their political and economic loyalty to the countries
where they have settled.
9. Still their success and their wealth have been the
cause of much envy and jealousy on the part of the
indigenous people. Off and on there would be outbreaks
of violence in which the Chinese residents were the
target. But when the violence is over they still
mostly opted to stay in the countries of their
adoption, to rebuild their businesses and regain their
wealth.
10. Perhaps the overseas Chinese should be more
visible in the nation building process of their host
country. This will also help correct the long held
stereotypical view of the overseas Chinese, biased
perhaps by behavior of earlier waves of .migr.s, who
appeared to be more focused on enhancing their wealth
than they are on contributing to the socio-economic
development of the host country. Whenever possible
they should have true partnership with the locals. And
the locals for their part must make serious attempts to
learn and acquire the business and entrepreneurial
skills of the Chinese.
11. In the past the overseas Chinese were not so
insular. In Malaysia they developed a culture that was
a unique blend of local culture and their own Chinese
culture. The Babas and Nyonyas of Melaka, Singapore
and Penang formed a distinct community, still Chinese
but obviously not the same as their China-born
ancestors. The Nyonyas, the womenfolk of their
community have developed their own food which is well
accepted by Malaysians of all races.
12. It is said that these Straits Chinese had lost
their business skills somewhat. But how far this is
true cannot be determined. Certainly we are not made
conscious of the antecedents of the successful Chinese
businessmen in Malaysia. They seem to be all Chinese.
13. In Malaysia we do not expect or try to assimilate
the Chinese or the Indians into the indigenous
community. Our approach is one of integration. In
this we have been quite successful. Racial clashes
hardly ever happen in Malaysia, although there could be
tensions at times. But there can be no doubt that the
Chinese have contributed much towards making what
Malaysia is today.
14. The role of the Overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia
is crucial. We have to admit that for one reason or
another the indigenous people have not been able to
keep up with the evolution of business in the developed
world. In East Africa when the Indians were forced to
leave the country, the economy was unable to grow or
even to be sustained. Perhaps without the Overseas
Chinese the economic situation in Southeast Asia would
not crumble as happened in East Africa. But it
certainly would not be as dynamic as it is now.
Undoubtedly the dynamism of the Southeast Asian
countries prior to the currency crisis of the late 1990
had lifted everyone up with it. The disparity between
the wealth of the overseas Chinese and the indigenous
people remains but in Malaysia at least the policies to
uplift the indigenous people have resulted in poverty
among them being reduced to negligible numbers. At the
same time many indigenous people have achieved success
in business fields from which they were absent before.
Given time the disparity between the indigenous people
and the overseas Chinese would diminish.
15. There are and there will always be charges of
cronyism between Government leaders and the successful
businessmen, both those of Chinese origins and the
indigenous. No amount of denials would convince the
great moral warriors. But the truth is that true
cronyism happens in the very countries from where the
moral warriors come from. The only way to prove to
these people that there is no cronyism is to ensure
that no one succeeds in business, especially big
business in developing countries. Everyone should be
poor or at the most making a living as small time
individual retailers living from hand to mouth. In
that situation the great foreign corporations can move
in to indulge in big business and to dominate the
economies. The locals whether indigenous or not would
be totally dependent on these great foreign banks and
corporations for all their needs. Then of course their
critics will condemn the Government and the people for
being incompetent and incapable of exploiting the
potentials of their own countries.
16. Between being dominated by ethnically different
foreigners and getting a share of the wealth generated
by local citizens of Chinese origins these countries
should prefer the local Chinese. They are at least
sensitive to the needs of the indigenous people, are
prepared to share the opportunities and the wealth, and
are not going to call upon China to force the
Government of these countries to accept systems which
would work against the interest of the indigenous
people.
17. Most overseas Chinese have become successful in
practically all the countries they have migrated to.
Despite being citizens of these countries they have
maintained their identity. They have also remained
largely loyal to their clan and family links. They
therefore form a natural global network which
facilitates their doing business worldwide. In today's
globalised world and easy communication this network
cannot but be very convenient. Together with their
links with the emerging economic super power that China
has proven to be, the opportunities available to the
world's Chinese entrepreneurs are truly limitless.
18. But being sensitive to local conditions and the
need to ensure that a good environment exist for
business in these countries, the overseas Chinese must
work closely with the indigenous people and help to
reduce the economic disparities between them and the
locals. It would certainly contribute not only to the
fair sharing of the wealth released by Chinese
entrepreneurship but it would help prevent the kind of
incidents that seem to be common in many countries of
Southeast Asia for example, whenever bad times come.
The Chinese are well-known for their charity work and
this can contribute toward greater social justice in
their countries of adoption.
19. As you discuss the business that you can be
involved in worldwide and the entrepreneurial
opportunities that globalisation presents, I hope you
will also ponder on the contribution that you can make
to the well-being of your adopted countries and the
world in general.
20. I wish you a fruitful convention.
Sumber : Pejabat Perdana Menteri
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