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Challenges, opportunities

The stopover in Kuala Lumpur on the way to the Asia Society’s 11th Annual Corporate Conference in Shanghai was exhilarating. Malaysia is both an occasion for euphoria and depression, sheer pride in this Muslim and Asian country having achieved so much in so little a time, a numbing depression following the realisation that we have been left so far behind as a nation. Contrary to what is propagated in the western media about widespread demonstrations in the streets due to Anwar Ebrahim’s incarceration, there was not even a hint of protest. Even his die-hard supporters admit that protests are very much confined to a small area in midtown Kuala Lumpur by a very small number of people and that too on days that the former Mahathir ally makes a court appearance. Perceptions mostly being influenced by what the western media dishes out to us, the absence of anarchy that is supposed to have engulfed Malaysia was a surprise. Anwar Ebrahim is not even a topic of conversation. The ruling party elected to go to the polls in the face of dire predictions by the western media, even though it lost some ground it only proved that the elections were transparent and that democracy must remain the ultimate arbiter of what is right and what is wrong. Literacy level does play a huge part in achieving political maturity and Malaysia has invested billions in education. Having written an article entitled “Mahathir the Magnificent” sometime back, it is a matter of the greatest satisfaction to note that there is nothing to suggest any subtraction from that well deserved epithet. Transforming a diverse and divisive multi-racial society into one great melting pot of economic and social emancipation deserves far more!

Kuala Lumpur is a revelation, from the magnificent traveller-friendly airport to the drive into the heart of the city, one can only marvel at the evergreen splendour, the architecturally beautiful buildings so designed that the proliferating concrete blends beautifully with the natural environment. So modern and yet so inexpensive, except for real estate, that is. Malaysians do not cross the Johore causeway to shop in Singapore anymore, now it’s the other way around. Our wonderful host, Adil Naidu Abdullah and his delightful spouse Situ, took great pride in showing us around, from the twin towers that are the highest buildings in the world to the Sun City Resort, an exact replica of the one near Johannesburg in South Africa. Was it only three years ago that George Soros, egged on by the media, was hurling muck and contempt at Mahathir and Malaysia, leading speculation against East Asian currencies that seriously undermined the economies of Thailand, Indonesia, Hong Kong, South Korea and to an extent the Philippines and Malaysia? Today Soros is a victim of his own gambling, having lost US$3 billion in betting on the Euro. Tens of millions of East Asians were beggared beneath the poverty line because of him. The only reminder of his opportunistic and callous “raid” is the unfinished Light Rail Transport (LRT) which was temporarily suspended while Malaysia, without any external help, fought back to shore up its economy, even lending a hand to its neighbours. Obviously we cannot compare our potential to the vast oil, mineral and natural resources of Malaysia, however one wishes our leaders would mean it when they say they will stand up to the IMF, not have dual personalities, one face for Washington, another one for Islamabad. The height of their corporate ambitions seems to be an eventual job with the IMF, or even the UN, who knows? Pakistan comes only as a convenient stepping stone for their CVs. In the 21st century economic environment Pakistan needs committed people with permanent addresses in Pakistan to clean up its act, it badly needs a Mahathir-clone.

If Kuala Lumpur was impressive, so was Shanghai but in a far different way. This former commercial capital of China pre-1949 does not have the actual beauty of Malaysia’s capital, the present airport being not at all impressive but the vast ongoing construction in this city of 14 million people is equally stunning. If you were lucky to hear the Mayor and his Deputy, you would know why, no rhetoric or bluster in their speeches, only the down-to-earth pragmatism of leaders with ideas and integrity. The Malaysians have a distinct advantage in sophistication and beauty but the sheer size and volume of Shanghai is awesome, the new development of Pudong is high tech and futuristic. Every time one visits China one sees the continuous unfolding of the Chinese miracle, brought about by leadership of outstanding quality at all levels starting from the top. With plenty of maturity too, that the Asian countries survived in 1997-98 is only because despite pressure (and temptation) China did not devalue its currency. We were privileged to hear the Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji give his keynote address on “China and Asia at the turn of the Century and opportunity for world business”. Among the 1,000 delegates and 43 speakers were Ambassador Nicholas Platt (Pakistan 1991-93) who is the President Asia Society, Foreign Minister of Indonesia Aliw Abdurrahman Shihab, Thailand’s Finance Minister Nimmanhaeninda, Deputy PM of Vietnam Nguyen Manh Cam, Mayor Xu Kuangdi of Shanghai and Chairman China Charter of International Trade Yu Xiaosong. Delegates from Canada, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, China, Philippines and Thailand also spoke. Australia, Cambodia, England, Germany, Malaysia, Uganda, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore and Taiwan were represented. Pakistan’s Ambassador in China, Riaz Khokhar represented official Pakistani presence. Not one mention was made of Pakistan in any of the speeches, neither good nor bad, we might as well have not existed.

Because of the short-sightedness of our leaders and the sheer obduracy of our bureaucracy we have been left far behind. In the Middle East and the west, we are used to a constant measure of difference, journeying eastwards one sees this gap widening, both a sickening and frustrating situation. Unless we break the shackles that stifles free enterprise with a mixture of bureaucratic vested interest and sheer ignorance we will be put at a disadvantage that will eventually Somalia-ise us, at least relatively. The city of Shanghai alone has attracted US$40 billion investment, even New York will be eventually dwarfed by the developing skyline. In a significant vote of confidence after 50 years, Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank (now called HSBC) has moved back its HQ for mainland China operations from Hong Kong to Shanghai. On a personal note, my mother-in-law was only 7 when she was interred by the Japanese in 1941 in Shanghai during the Second World War, along with her father, he being British India’s Trade Commissioner based first in Osaka and then Tokyo.

The present regime represents our best chance to effect real change, unfortunately they do not have the luxury of time to give civilians in the various Cabinets On-the-Job Training (OJT), a national crisis demands that nationally the best talent available is tapped for service to the country. Now that the Supreme Court has given a three years mandate, national considerations require one to rise above petty animosities. One cannot have economic emancipation without breaking the logjam of our relationship with India. India may revel in temporary advantage, but with 400 million plus people below the poverty line out of a population of 1 billion, it is going nowhere. At best their progress will be uneven, deepening social polarisation. Riding on a high of world opinion the Indian leadership has not shown maturity by spurning our overtures for reconciliation. The intelligentsia has no love lost for Pakistan but seeks rapprochement anyway because of economic considerations. The broad spectrum of the Indian masses, particularly in the South and the East, have priorities other than Kashmir. Individually there is an easy camaraderie with the Indians, the deep suspicion and apprehension of each other at the State level has been aggravated by the BJP leadership. This mistrust may result in total breakdown of communications, eventually leading to complete erosion of normal human contact. Such a void becoming permanent, the children of South Asia will face a bleak future, the meltdown could escalate into a nuclear catastrophe. That is certainly not going to solve the Kashmir problem. Why not take advantage of straws in the wind, the drought affecting both Pakistan and India? A large population in the border areas of both countries are in deep trouble bereft even of drinking water. This poses both a challenge and an opportunity, that is if we have the courage to confront the demons that bedevil us with pragmatic solutions, ready to take calculated risks for the sake of lessening tensions. Can we offer the Indians access to drinking water in locations where we can whenever we can, conversely can they do the same for our affected people on priority basis wherever and whenever? Can we rise beyond our base emotions, even temporarily? Does this challenge in adversity give both the nations an opportunity, a defining moment for lasting peace?

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