Oleh/By		:	DATO' SERI DR. 
			MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD 
Tempat/Venue 	: 	PETRONAS TWIN TOWERS, KLCC 
Tarikh/Date 	: 	06/07/99 
Tajuk/Title  	: 	THE OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF SIEMENS 
			FUTUREL@B (FUTURE LAB) 


     
       I  am  very  pleased to be here and  to  have  been
  given   the   honour  to  officially   launch   Siemens'
  Futurel@b  (Future Lab). Let me begin by  congratulating
  Siemens  for  making the right choice  to  set  up  this
  state-of-the-art lab in Malaysia. Siemens has also  made
  the  right decision to locate this centre right here  at
  the  world's  tallest  buildings  -  the  Petronas  Twin
  Towers.   Having the tallest building in the world  does
  not  make  Malaysia a player on the international  scene
  but  I  would agree that the building being the  tallest
   reflects  many facets of us, Malaysians.   Malaysia  has
  achieved  a significant degree of stability, development
  and   progress,  sustained  over  the  years  until  the
  financial crisis in mid-1997.
  
  2.    Following  the  financial crisis,  many  so-called
  analysts  had  "written off" Malaysia, saying  that  the
  country  was  doomed. But we have yet again  proved  the
  prophets  of  doom wrong. The increasing  well-being  of
  Malaysia  have  imbued us with a sense of confidence  to
  be  competitive,  to  tackle  the  tasks  ahead  in  the
  national,   regional  and  the  international   context.
  Having  decided to be on the fast track  does  not  mean
  that  we  think  the  world is our oyster,  but  we  are
  certainly  interested in joining  efforts  to  make  the
  world  a  better place and to be party to  the  widening
  decision-making processes on major issues.
  
  3.    Futurel@b will, I am sure, live up to its name  --
  the  future. This centre which is said to be  the  first
   in  this region and the best in the world, will help  to
  achieve the Government's vision of a Malaysia that is  a
  regional    hub    for   high-technology,    information
  technology  and software companies. Malaysia is  already
  the   world's   largest  exporter  of  microchips.   The
  Government of Malaysia has accorded greater emphasis  to
  the  services sector, value-added manufacturing and high
  technology industries targeted at the world market.   In
  the   process   of   industrialisation,   Malaysia   has
  progressed   from  the  humble  beginning   of   labour-
  intensive  semi  conductor assembly of  the  1970's   to
  today's  sophisticated, value-added  manufacturing  that
  includes  marketing and customer support which have  all
  been  pioneered  by foreign companies.  Recognising  the
  need  to  develop a strong foundation in IT in order  to
  be   at  the  forefront  of  economic  development,  the
  Malaysian   Government   is   actively   promoting   the
  Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC).
   
  4.    The MSC will serve as the gateway for Malaysia  to
  become  a  regional  hub  for  high-technology,  IT  and
  software  companies. We have the advantage  of  planning
  and  working  on  a green field site,  taking  the  best
  ideas  from  Japan, United States and  even  Germany  to
  incorporate  in  this  massive  project.  The  MSC  will
  encompass the Kuala Lumpur City Centre, the new  Federal
  Government  Administrative  Centre  Putrajaya,  and   of
  course the all new KL International Airport in Sepang.
  
  5.    In  between, large tracts of land have  been  made
  available  for IT industries, hardware and  software  as
  well as operations centres for worldwide businesses.  We
  are   confident  that  our  target  of  200   MSC-status
  companies  by  the  year 2000 will be surpassed.  As  of
  September  last year, there were already 175  MSC-status
  companies with investments worth more than RM3  billion.
  Of these, 109 companies are already in operation.
  
  
   6.    The  International Advisory  Panel  (IAP)  meeting
  which  will be held soon in Cyberjaya, a core  component
  of  the  MSC  where Siemens is a member, will  re-access
  and   re-evaluate   the  MSC  progress.   The   dialogue
  sessions,  one  on  one  meetings, seminars,  roundtable
  sessions,  conferences,  visits and  general  networking
  have  made it amply clear that the MSC, with its mission
  to  become  a  testbed for IT and multimedia  solutions,
  has  captured  the attention and indeed the  imagination
  of global IT entrepreneurs.
  
  7.    The  companies taking up offers in the MSC project
  will  create  value  for themselves  in  an  environment
  uniquely  suited to their needs. While  they  will  help
  transform  Malaysia and the region, they would  also  be
  contributing  towards their own role in the  information
  age.  What the companies learn and test in the MSC  will
  help  prepare them to solve problems faced when applying
  their technologies and expertise worldwide.
   
  8.    The MSC offers many opportunities for companies to
  explore multimedia technologies to their limits.  It  is
  by  far the most comprehensive  test bed devised for the
  purpose  of  innovation and testing of technologies  and
  their applications in the information age.
  
  9.    Malaysia is indeed proud to have Siemens  play  an
  important  role  in  the  MSC. We  are  going  to  great
  lengths  and taking great pains to harness the power  of
  information  technology.  The Government  believes  that
  foreign  firms such as Siemens will be able to test  all
  its  ideas  on  the application of IT not  only  without
  hindrance,  but  with  the support  in  terms  of  cost,
  infrastructure   and   policies   of   the   Government.
  Siemens  could also help Malaysia to be more  than  just
  an  assembler of products. Siemens, we believe, can help
  us  to  become  the  product  designers.  We  will  make
  available  the  land, the physical infrastructures,  the
  fiscal  incentives and the soft infrastructure in  terms
   of   Cyberlaws   and   a  determined   and   disciplined
  workforce. But we are shorts of the right technology  to
  become    innovators   of   multimedia   contents    and
  applications.
  
  10.   By  being  actively involved in the  MSC,  Siemens
  could  share  its technological know-how with  Malaysian
  companies  for  mutual  benefit.  Siemens  can  help  us
  create  and  develop  applications that  are  culturally
  compatible  with the various cultures of Asia.   Through
  the  MSC,  Siemens  can also assist local  companies  to
  intensify their R & D programmes.
  
  11.   Apart from its commitment to the MSC, we are  also
  happy  to  note  that Siemens is the employer  for  some
  7,000  people. Despite the recent financial crisis  that
  witnessed  many foreign and local companies  winding  up
  while  millions lost their jobs in some Asian countries,
  Siemens   has  continued  to  invest  in  Malaysia.   It
  testifies to the fact that foreign investors still  have
  confidence  in the Malaysian economy. With  our  economy
   on  the road to recovery, we are confident that more and
  more  foreign  investors will invest  and  re-invest  in
  Malaysia.
  
     12.   Siemens'  involvement  in  the   expansion   of
  Malaysia's  infrastructure is  indeed  welcome.  Siemens
  has   the   potential  to  bring  in  and  develop   new
  technologies  as  well  as to utilise  and  blend  these
  technologies  to  create and meet  new  demands  as  the
  industry  evolves.   Malaysia continues  to  welcome  an
  active  German  economic role in Malaysia. Specifically,
  we welcome your trade and investments.
  
  13.   Malaysia  is keen to attract more  investors  that
  can  enhance  the  development  of  the  high-technology
  industries  in  the country. We hope you  will  see  the
  potential  of  Malaysia - standing at the crossroads  of
  Asia,  confident  of its future, determined  to  achieve
  its   Vision  2020  -  as  a  reliable  and  trustworthy
  partner.  We welcome Siemens and other foreign companies
  to join with us in our quest to upgrade our industries.
   
  14.   On  this  note, I have the pleasure to  officially
  launch Siemens Futurel@b.