Rafidah must come out of her denial syndrome and  be more serious about Malaysia’s plunge in international competitiveness if she is not to end her long political career as Minister for International Trade and Industry under a cloud
 

Media Conference Statement (2)
by Lim Kit Siang  

(Parliament, Wednesday): It is most regrettable that my motion to adjourn Parliament yesterday to debate Malaysia’s crisis of competitiveness, falling 12 places from 16^th to 28^th ranking in the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 2005 and  losing for the first time in international competitiveness to Thailand, was rejected by the Parliament Speaker, Tan Sri Ramli Ngah on the most unconvincing of grounds.

My motion yesterday stated:

“That under SO 18  the House gives leave to the Ketua Pembangkang and MP for Ipoh Timor YB Lim Kit Siang to move a motion of urgent definite public importance, viz  Malaysia’s crisis of competitiveness, fallng 12 places from 16^th to 28^th ranking in the IMD World Competiveness Yearbook 2005 and  losing for the first time in international competitiveness to Thailand.

“The Minister for International Trade and Industry in her written reply to my question this week highlighted the denial syndrome afflicting her Ministry when she  tried to gloss over the gravity of the nation’s crisis of competitiveness by giving weak and indefensible arguments challenging the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 2005 and  claiming that Malaysia’s competitiveness was still strong when ‘looked at in a specific and broader context, and not only focused on one indicator’.

“In refusing to acknowledge Malaysia’s deteriorating international competitiveness, the Minister for International Trade and Industry was doing her Ministry and the nation a grave disservice, as Malaysia will not regain her competitiveness and fulfill the Prime Minister’s goal of giving top priority to excellence and the enhancement of the nation’s competitiveness to rebrand Malaysia in the global marketplace if the government continues to be blinded by a denial syndrome and refusal to  own up on  Malaysia’s crisis of competitiveness.

“Parliament must debate Malaysia’s crisis of competitiveness to place it  as the priority agenda of the government, particularly the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, if

1. Malaysia is not to  lose out in the  race for a proper stake in the global marketplace;  or
    
2. Fail in the Prime Minister’s  campaign to rebrand Malaysia internationally as a corporate nation with integrity, quality, security, service and efficiency.”

It is most ridiculous and outrageous that when Malaysia has a good ranking in the IMD (Swiss-based International Institute of Management Development) World Competitiveness Yearbook 2004, improving by five places from 21^st position in 2003 to 16^th ranking in 2004, Rafidah and other government leaders crowed about the nation’s achievement.  The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, in his keynote address at the Malaysia-China Business Dialogue in Beijing on 28^th May 2004 during his first official visit to China as Malaysian premier, specifically cited  Malaysia’s 16^th ranking in the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 2004 as testimonial why Malaysia was a good place to do business.

Can Rafidah give one reason why the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 2004 is a good and credible report and should be accepted at face value for its 16^th ranking for Malaysia while the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 2005 is dubious  in credibility just because it recorded a 16-place plunge to 28^th position  for Malaysia’s international competitivness, even losing to Thailand for the first time?

Rafidah must come out of her denial syndrome and  be more serious about Malaysia’s plunge in international competitiveness if she is not to end her long political career as Minister for International Trade and Industry under a cloud.

I call on Rafidah to present a ministerial statement in Parliament next week before the end of the current meeting to show her seriousness about Malaysia’s crisis of competitiveness, falling not only 12 places from 16^th to 28^th ranking in the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 2005, but also losing to Thailand for the first time in the nation’s history.

Rafidah should note the article by the daughter of a former Finance Minister of the country in the local media yesterday, warning that “Unless Malaysia steps up the pace, it may find itself lagging behind in the regional sweepstakes”.

She referred to two developments last week which “underscore the fact that while Thai bureaucrats are drawing up strategies aimed at capturing the mantle of regional leadership, their Malaysian counterparts, wallowing in a misplaced sense of superiority, are in danger of playing tortoise to Thailand’s hare”, viz:

• Thailand’s 10-year plan to produce nanotechnology-based products worth RM11.3 billion over the next decade and to become the Asean leader in nanotechnology research and development; and
   
• Feasibility study by  a Thai government department and the Thai Military Bank on a prototype RM282 million biodiesel production complex.
   

(06/07/2005)