| The brightness of the glittering Twin Towers | | | | further into orbit, with the successful |
| of Malaysia, the one time tallest buildings | | | | launching of MEASAT - 1, the Malaysia's |
| of the world is telling many success stories | | | | maiden telecommunication satellite.Tan Sri |
| of Malaysia how it has been transformed into | | | | Ananda krishnan's success provides a |
| one of the Asia’s wealthiest | | | | compelling testimony to Dr. Mahathir's |
| nations.The serene beauty of the sky-high | | | | economic policies and their successful |
| towers with a celestial background of shining | | | | implementations.Though, today, Dr Mahathir |
| stars in a clear dark night in the far | | | | stepped down from power, Malaysia boasts a |
| distance, propelled my thoughts back into the | | | | diversified and modern economy, which |
| good old Malaysia where, while Dr. Mahathir | | | | weathered the Asian financial crisis |
| Mohamad was criticising the western | | | | in1997-98 better than many of its peers. |
| capitalism, how cleverly he applied the open | | | | |
| economic strategies which made Malaysia to | | | | Malaysia's success has been by diversifying |
| trade all over the world and its | | | | away from the export of palm oil and rubber |
| entrepreneurs to become international | | | | to the assembly of electronics with the |
| players.Dr. Mahathir’s open economic | | | | steady provision of political stability by |
| strategy with a clear vision and a mission | | | | the resolved ethnic divisions by Dr. |
| triggered my memories back into my effort | | | | Mahathir.Dr. Mahathir's keen stewardship of |
| “Strategic Post-Conflict Economic | | | | the economy has spawned in various projects |
| Development Initiative” as an awareness | | | | and the latest was the Multimedia Super |
| program to transform into Sri Lanka’s | | | | Corridor – a "knowledge-based economy |
| war-ravaged economy into one of the South | | | | master plan" to upgrade the Malaysia's |
| Asia’s best.Dr. Mahathir’s | | | | electronics industry into a hi-tech |
| strategies are well reflected in his macro | | | | application industry.The knowledge-based |
| – economic strategies by adopting the | | | | economy master plan which encourages the new |
| open economic policies with the realization | | | | trend of Business and Knowledge Process |
| in mind that the world trend of Globalization | | | | Outsourcing is a new dimension of |
| and Liberalization is irreversible.We are | | | | Globalization.Southeast Asia first |
| living in an era of Globalization & | | | | experienced a new and different wave of |
| Liberalization, a deeply imbedded | | | | Globalization from Japanby the transferring |
| neo-classical economic thought and its | | | | their locations to more labour – |
| applications everywhere in the globe.This | | | | intensive and resource – intensive |
| overwhelming tide of G&L is reinforced and | | | | Asian countries so that Japan could continue |
| accelerated by the wide spread of Boeing and | | | | to form the international cooperation.By this |
| Airbus jets, Information Technology and the | | | | Japanese initiative of Global - localization |
| better and efficient shipping facilities | | | | most of the Asian countries are generally |
| which made the entire world into much smaller | | | | favourable towards the Globalization |
| and less distant than ever.The current Prime | | | | trend.The born-again WTO from the old GATT is |
| Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong once | | | | permanently positioned to look after the |
| said far back in the late nineties when he | | | | liberalization.The trend of Globalization and |
| was the deputy Prime Minister, “It is | | | | Liberalization is indisputably irreversible. |
| better to embrace globalization and | | | | Therefore, it is really a great challenge to |
| liberalization proactively, at our own pace, | | | | developing countries.Singapore and Malaysia |
| than face the prospect of one day being swept | | | | are successful in tackling the Globalization |
| away by the floodwaters of | | | | and Liberalization because they were well |
| competition.”His realization of | | | | – prepared.These Southeast Asian tiger |
| embracing the globalization and | | | | economies, all went through series of |
| liberalization might have been inherited into | | | | distinctive stages of economic transformation |
| him by the strategies of former Prime | | | | with certain common characteristics.Lee Kwan |
| Minister of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew who in his | | | | Yew and Dr. Mahathir Mohammed had clear long |
| long tenure, changed Singapore from a sleepy | | | | term visions and strong political leadership |
| colonial outpost to a prosperous high-tech | | | | skills how to make use of the globalization |
| enclave and applied better open economic | | | | in their countries’ favour.In Malaysia |
| policies to make use of the Globalization and | | | | and Singapore there are strong and efficient |
| Liberalization in Singapore’s | | | | technocrats who have the ability to chart the |
| favour.Now Singapore’s per capita GNP | | | | vision into planning with the capability to |
| is higher than that of its erstwhile | | | | get things done in a much effective way.The |
| colonizer, Great Britain. It has the | | | | value system which they have reinvented over |
| world’s busiest port and is the | | | | a short span of time after the independence |
| third-largest oil refiner and a major center | | | | produced many successful women entrepreneurs |
| for global manufacturing and service | | | | in Malaysia and Singapore.Malaysia and |
| industries. And this move from poverty to | | | | Singapore successfully defined the paths for |
| plenty has taken place within one | | | | the emergence of indigenous entrepreneurs by |
| generation.In 1965 Singapore ranked | | | | encouraging small and medium size |
| economically with Chile, Argentina and Mexico | | | | enterprises.They overcome the problems of |
| but today its per capita GNP is four or five | | | | relatively shallow and weak entrepreneurial |
| times of theirs.Lee Kuan Yew managed this | | | | group in Malaysia and Singapore compared with |
| miraculous transformation in | | | | well equipped and well experienced thick and |
| Singapore’s economy while maintaining | | | | abundant entrepreneurial group in developed |
| tight political control over the | | | | countries.They altered their countries’ |
| country.Malaysia and Singapore better managed | | | | entrepreneurial strength for an equal match |
| their economies in Southeast Asia than any | | | | of the game if confronted each other directly |
| other countries in facing the new trends of | | | | and instantly.They looked after the private |
| Globalization and Liberalization.Dr. | | | | sector until they can stand alone to compete |
| Mahathir’s strategies have eventually | | | | against international challenges to become |
| made Malaysia into a Southeast Asian economic | | | | themselves multi-nationals.They realized well |
| superpower with number of megastar Malaysian | | | | in advance the strength and competence of the |
| entrepreneurs.Tan Sri Ananthakrishnan, who | | | | private sector which is the main market |
| owns the Twin Towers of Malaysia and several | | | | player in determining a country's eventual |
| other conglomerates is a role model for many | | | | competitiveness.Though Malaysia and Singapore |
| Malaysian entrepreneurs who have given real | | | | had constraints, they realized the importance |
| meaning to the present day Malaysia by | | | | of Government Leadership in the very |
| transforming Malaysia into one of the | | | | beginning itself.Their governments identified |
| Asia’s wealthiest nations.Tan Sri | | | | and developed the countries’ long-term |
| Anantha krishnan, a Jaffna origin Malaysian | | | | competitiveness.They have given meaning to |
| who had a humble beginning as a smalltime | | | | the leadership which can contain not only |
| bookmaker in Australia and later as a | | | | vision, imagination and direction but also |
| polished dealmaker with a degree from Harvard | | | | commitment, dedication and thorough |
| Business School, became a sophisticated oil | | | | follow-up.They have given real meaning to the |
| trader with connections to many of the Asia's | | | | ability to translate political leaders’ |
| political and petroleum industry elite with | | | | visions into realisable planning and policies |
| interests in oil and gas fields in the United | | | | and made eventually their countries as the |
| States.Tan Sri Anandakrishnan later went | | | | richest nations of Asia and beyond. |