My first post-retirement project is a book on whether Malaysia can reverse the national decline of past half-century and become a world-class great nation by 2040 or 2050

For the past three weeks since my retirement from competitive politics, I have been wrestling with the questions:

• whether Malaysia can reverse the national decline in the past half-century and become a world-class great nation by 2040 or 2050;
• whether Malaysia can return to the founding nation-building principles embedded in the Malaysian Constitution and the Rukun Negara on national unity, the doctrine of separation of powers, the rule of law, integrity and good governance, respect of human rights and fundamental liberties;
• whether it is possible to get Malaysians regardless of race, religion or region to accept that Malaysia is a plural society – multi-racial, multi-lingual, multi-religious and multi-cultural - and at the confluence of four great civilisations of the world, and diversity is our greatest asset instead of liability; and
• whether it is possible to stop the take-off of the Second Malaysian Diaspora after the first Malaysian Diaspora when over a million of the best and brightest Malaysians regardless of race or religion opted to stay overseas all over the globe to help make other nations great and world-class instead of Malaysia.

Basically, whether Malaysia can be saved or whether it is condemned in the trajectory of a kleptocracy, kakistocracy and a failed state.

In the past half-a-century, Malaysia lost out to Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore and Vietnam. Will we lose out to more countries, even to Indonesia and the Philippines, come 2,040 or 2,050?

I have decided on the first post-retirement project – to write a book on these questions which should concern all Malaysians who love this country.

I believe all thinking Malaysians have ideas on these great questions and I invite them to write their reflections and perspectives to share their thoughts with me in the coming month to help me write this book.

This is the best testimony of our love and patriotism to Malaysia.

Recently, the press have been full of foreboding about the future of Sri Lanka, as exemplified by these examples: “Lessons from Sri Lanka’s economic fiasco” (April 10, 2022 ); “How Sri Lanka’s economic crisis has been decades in the making” (6th April 2022), “Sri Lanka on the verge of becoming a failed state” (3rd April 2022),), “How Sri Lanka Became a Nation of Beggars” (Jan 5, 2022), (March 25, 2022), “Sri Lanka economy has ‘hit rock bottom,’ Putting Pressure on President” (March 25, 2020”), “’There is no money left’: Covid crisis leaves Sri Lanka on brink of bankruptcy” (Jan 2, 2022), “’Sri Lanka becoming a failed state’ warns former finance minister” (29th July 2021) and “Sri Lanka’s perfect storm of failure” (April 23, 2019).

Malaysia has not be spared warnings that Malaysia is in danger of becoming a failed state like Sri Lanka as illustrated by the following articles in the media:

“Malaysia Is Staggering Down the Road to Failed Statehood” (July 8, 2021); “Is Malaysia a failed state? Here are the facts” (July 14, 2021); “The Injustice of stereotyping Malaysia as a failed state: (July 14, 2021); “Is Malaysia A Failed State” (July 25, 2021”); “Is Malaysia really on the path to becoming a failed state” (July 28, 2021); “Not yet a failed state, Malaysia is decaying rapidly” (Sept. 10, 2021).

Is Malaysia becoming another Sri Lanka and will end up as another failed state?

This deserves the attention of all patriotic Malaysians.