source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/11/14/nation/20091114115...

in the article titled "PM: We'll make Malaysia a better place" published in The Star on 14 November 2009, the Malaysian Prime Minister talks about the need to make Malaysia more attractive to the best brains in order to drive the transformation into a knowledge society. He goes on to talk about creating opportunities for not only Malaysians abroad, but also foreigners too.

the thing about opportunities, is that it is dependent on a number of factors. and it is not just about business opportunities. although this is often deemed as the reason certain groups of people do not wish to work in malaysia.

i would say that the perceived lack of opportunities by these group of people is only a symptom of a larger issue.

opportunity is a big word. it not only relates to business opportunities, but also to opportunities for doing things differently; opportunities to make mistakes and try again; opportunities to explore the further reaches of our knowledge without fear of upsetting certain sensitivities; opportunities to express oneself freely; opportunities for better education, healthcare, financing etc.

the common thread in all of this to me is openness and empowerment.

as a society, malaysia needs to be more open. the common reasons people why some people prefer to work overseas than in malaysia relates alot to the perceived lack of openness in the country. if at all we wish to attract the best people, we need to quickly shift our practices to allow for greater openness, greater empowerment - but at all times emphasising strong values of respect and integrity.

the government is making the right noises with regards to what is needed for the country's competitiveness. however, are the rakyat ready? will the politicians rise about politicising things to the detriment of our long term future? sadly, i think not.

i would suggest that openness is driven in the following key verticals:

1/ education
2/ business
3/ governance

look at education. to many emigrants, education for children is cited as one of the reasons for leaving malaysia. but yet, we as a society cannot agree which way to go in this area. every single bickering would set us back significantly.

to address this, education must be looked at as a means to equip our younger generations with the right skills and values to face their future. do not look at education as an end in itself. it is not about passing exams or whatever. failing should be seen as ok, but constant learning is a must.

the political pressures to change education delivery comes from parents who cannot accept that their children will get bad grades. but if this fear of getting bad grades are removed, then i would venture to say that the value of education would be further enhanced. yes, teaching maths & science in english would result in many failures for certain segments... but that is ok. it is a learning process. let the children learn at their own pace... but recognise that english is current the global language - and our children need to be equiped with the capability to articulate their ideas in this language.

it is here that one of the reforms need to happen.