For Malaysia To Achieve TN50’s Goal To Be The Top 20 Economy In The World And Penang To Be The Next Silicon Valley Of Asia, We Must Not Lose To Brunei By Being A Clean Welfare State, Not A Kleptocracy, And Be No. 2 In 4G Speed In Asean.(e/c)

Hokkien New Year Message By Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng In Komtar, George Town On 23.2.2018

For Malaysia to achieve TN50’s goal to be the top 20 economy in the world and Penang to be the next Silicon Valley of Asia, we must not lose to Brunei by being a clean welfare state, not a kleptocracy, and be No. 2 in 4G speed in Asean. First Malaysians were shocked when wireless coverage mapping specialist OpenSignal, released a report showing that Malaysia is amongst the slowest amongst 88 countries surveyed, in terms of the average speed of 4G.

Malaysia’s average speed of 4G is only 14.83 megabits per second (Mbps), behind neighbouring ASEAN countries liek Singapore (with an average speed of 44.32 Mbps), Vietnam (21.49 Mbps), and even Brunei (17.48 Mbps) or Myanmar (15.56 Mbps). Malaysia should be No. 2 in ASEAN, losing out only to Singapore but at the atrocious rate we are going, we will be No.2, if we count from behind.

This shocking revelation that the average speed of 4G in Brunei is faster than Malaysia is completely unacceptable. This is followed by Brunei beating Malaysia in terms of Corruption Perception Index(CPI) by Transparency International(TI). Brunei scored 62 points and was ranked No. 32 as compared with Malaysia’s 47 points and ranked No. 62.

Malaysia recorded its lowest ever ranking on the 2017 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), and now is on the same level as Cuba. Both countries are at No. 62 with 47 points on a scale of zero to 100, with zero being highly corrupt and 100 being very clean. This is a precipitous drop for Malaysia of 2 points from 49 points and seven positions of No. 55 in 2016. Clearly anti-corruption efforts have not worked but has become worse.

If this series of bad news is not enough, it was pointed out recently that Price Waterhouse(PwC) had predicted that Malaysia would not succeed in its 2050(TN50)’s objective of becoming the top 20 global economy. Malaysia was ranked by Price Waterhouse at No. 27th top global economy in 2016 and is expected to be No. 25 in 2030. However, in 2050, Malaysia is projected to improve by one spot only, to 24th. Indonesia will be flying high at a lofty 4th. Philippines, Vietnam and even Bangladesh will overtake us, ranked at 19th, 20th and 23rd respectively. Vietnam in 2016 was at 32nd spot.

The PwC’s report continues that the average GDP growth per annum (in domestic currency) for Vietnam, Bangladesh and the Philippines between 2016 to 2050 is projected to be 5 percent, 4.8 percent and 4.3 percent respectively. Malaysia is sadly lagging behind at 3.5 percent. Clearly TN50 will not only fail in our goal to be a top 20 global economy but may also see us lose to lesser countries, including Bangladesh, Philippines and Vietnam.

The time has come for change. It is critical for our country’s future that the wrong direction the country is taking under BN be quickly corrected. Failing to do so will see Malaysia slipping further behind and see us lose out to other countries that send their workers here. Let us not let our children’s future be stolen as ours was stolen.

LIM GUAN ENG

—- Mandarin Version—

槟城州首席部长于2018年2月23日在乔治市光大发表的大年初九天公诞献词:

如果马来西亚要达到2050年国家转型计划(TN50)成为世界第20大经济体的目标及槟城要成为亚洲硅谷的目标,我们不但不可以在廉洁福利国方面不如汶莱,更不可以成为如今的盗贼统治国,而是要成为4G网速在东协排名第二的国家。

如果马来西亚要达到TN50所立下成为世界第20大经济体的目标及槟城要成为亚洲硅谷的目标,我们不但不可以在廉洁福利国方面不如汶莱,更不可以成为如今的盗贼统治国,而是要成为4G网速在东协排名第二的国家。英国专业无线网络公司OpenSignal最新的全球4G网络网速调查揭示,马来西亚乃88国家中网速最慢的国家之一,无不令大马人震惊。

大马的平均4G网速只有14.83 Mbps,落后我们东协邻国如平均网速44.32Mbps的新加坡、21.49Mbps的越南、17.48Mbps的汶莱,甚至是15.56Mbps的缅甸。大马原本应该在东协仅次于新加坡排名第二,但是现实的排名是我们是东协排名倒数第二。

这项惊人的公布让我们知道汶莱的平均4G网速比大马还快,这是难以接受的事实。同样的大马也在国际透明组织的贪污印象指数(CPI)中落后于汶莱。汶莱获得62分排名第32,大马却只获得不及格的47分排名62。

大马在这次2017年的贪污印象指数上获得有记录以来最低的排名,与古巴一样,在0为极贪到100分为极清廉的评分当中,双双皆获得不及格的47分排名第62。大马在从49分降至47分之后,排名从2016年的第55名急速下滑7名至第62名。很明显的,大马肃贪不只没效,而且还越肃越贪。

如果这一系列为坏消息还不够 ,最近 普华永道国际会计事务所还预测说马来西亚不会达致TN50所设下的目标,即成为全球20经济强国。马来西亚在2016年被普华列为全球第27名经济强国,预料到了2030年将下滑排名至第25名。但是,到了2050年,马来西亚大概只会进步一个排名在24名。而印尼将会飞越排在第4名,就连菲律宾、越南及孟加拉都将会超越我们,排在第19、20及23名。越南在2016年排名32。

普华的报告继续指出,2016-2050年期间,越南、孟加拉及菲律宾的国民生产总值的年增长率将会分别达5%、4.8%及4.3%。马来西亚将落后达3.5%而已。很明显地,TN50不只会失败,无法让我国成为前20名全球经济强国,还可能让我们输给其它比我们迟起步的国家如孟加拉、菲律宾及越南。

是时候改变了。我们有必须拨乱反正,让被国阵治理、走在歪道的国家回到正轨。若不这么做,我们将继续被抛在后头,输给那些目前输送劳工给马来西亚的国家。我们的未来已经被盗走,别再让孩子的未来被盗走。

林冠英