OVER the weekend, the nation celebrated its 57th year of nationhood, albeit in a rather subdued mood in respect for the lives lost in the MH17 and MH370 Malaysia Airlines catastrophes.
Despite the heart-wrenching incidents and various other challenging moments, Malaysians have again shown their resilience and resolve to remain united as one. While some joined activities at national, state, district or in small housing areas organised by residents associations from as early as 7am, many others stayed in bed to get additional hours of rest after a very hectic week. And, for whatever the reason we have to be up so early on the morning of Aug 31, or remained tucked in bed until mid-day, it is safe to say that most Malaysians care for the country. The difference is how we show our affection through our actions and, in some cases, inaction, but for the most part, we are happy with ourselves and the country’s achievements over the past 5½ decades.
Regardless of our social ranks and political aspirations, we are all alike — we want better living conditions, better health service and improved economic and educational opportunities. More importantly, we want security and greater independence as individuals. Such demands are common everywhere we go and, in most cases, economic prosperity and financial security are influenced by external factors.
With the increasing competition between countries, income disparity has become more distinct, with more developed nations having a better hand in deciding the outcome of a new world order.
As we speak with pride of our independence, the success that followed and the unity that prevailed, efforts are ongoing domestically and internationally to make the world a better place for everyone.
Speaking of income disparity and equality reminds me of the Global Economic Symposium (GES 2014) which will be held for three days beginning this Saturday in Kuala Lumpur. Some 170 speakers, 150 of whom are from abroad, will be at the event, which will be held for the first time in this region. Organised by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, and hosted by Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), the event has chosen “Restructuring Economies, Transforming Societies” as its theme.
A long list of themes has been prepared by the organiser that underlines the event’s significance.
Issues on the future of jobs, future of global money and inclusive leadership in the 21st century have been scheduled for Saturday.
On Sunday, the symposium begins early, with an opening plenary at 8.45am featuring distinguished speaker and Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz, who will be joined by Laszlo Andor, (European Union Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion), Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar, and managing director of Khazanah Nasional Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar.
An important focus of GES 2014 is the future of energy. The topic, scheduled immediately after the plenary session on Sunday, will be discussed by Prince Turki Al Faisal Al Saud (chairman of the King Faisal centre for Research and Islamic Studies, Saudi Arabia) and Eivind Reiten (chairman and partners, SICP, United Kingdom, and former minister of petroleum and energy in Norway). They will be joined by Roslina Zainal (deputy president of the regulatory economic and planning division, Tenaga Nasional Bhd), Arnold Volkenborn (managing director for Asia and senior vice-president, Schlumberger Business Consulting, Singapore) and Prakash Chandran (president and chief executive officer of Siemens, Malaysia).
A parallel session on investing in Asia and geopolitics in Asia will be convened with panelists that include Patrick Cronin (senior adviser and senior director, Asia-Pacific Security Programme, centre for a New American Security, United States), Tan Sri Mohamed Jawhar Hassan (chairman and CEO of the Institute of Strategic and International Studies, Malaysia) and Datuk Charon Mokhzani (MD of Khazanah Research Institute, Malaysia).
Other related sessions would deliberate and find solutions to issues relating to forest, food and biodiversity, climate and competitiveness.
Equally important and interesting would be the panel discussions on the transformation of education in the digital age, on efforts to bring morality into markets, and on how best the US, European Union, Russia, India and China can address the sources of global, national and human vulnerability, while at the same time, promoting security.
Other sub-themes include enhancing social capital, monetary policy, inequality in income distribution, labour migrants in Asia, global supply chains and the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
GES 2014 will come to a close on Monday with a keynote address by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, followed by a concluding plenary featuring, among others, Pascal Lamy, former director-general of the World Trade Organisation.
The GES is a unique initiative that offers an insightful, innovative and practical approach to global challenges.
This approach underlines the principle held strongly by Kiel’s president Prof Dennis J. Snower, who believed that the present age of globalisation should be supplemented by an age of global cooperation.