WE had a dream. Malaysia will be a fully developed nation by 2020. It should not be developed economically only but politically, socially, spiritually, psychologically and culturally, too.
It wasn’t too long ago when the fourth prime minister came out with the idea. It became “Vision 2020” or “Wawasan 2020”. It caught the imagination of Malaysians back then. The idea stood the test of time. Subsequent prime ministers were passed the baton to realise the dream. We have hardly five years to see if that dream becomes a reality.
Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad (now Tun) always dreamed big. He knows what he wants for the nation. Like him or loathe him, he believes in spearheading initiatives that will change Malaysia for the better. Vision 2020 is mega-thinking, something only a contrarian can do. Some 34 years ago, it was merely a vision. Like many other things Dr Mahathir did, it provoked strong reactions, some negatively, but in the end he was proven correct.
It is now up to Datuk Seri Najib Razak to ensure the right ecosystems, economic policies and growth strategies to achieve the desired results by 2020. It is not impossible but it is tough. Since its inception in the early 80s, the nation has gone through some tumultuous times, especially economically. The Asian Economic Crisis of 1997 almost derailed the plan. There were forces beyond our control that affected economic growth. But 2020 is hardly five years away and we are on the right track to achieve that vision — provided other factors remain equal.
The issue now is not about what will happen in 2020. The vision was concocted for a nation that was chugging on the back of commendable growth back then. Ours was a fledgling nation that was audaciously embarking on industrialisation and technological advancement hopefully to leap frog to developed status. And of the new confidence of its people. It is a vision of my generation, the one after the founding generation. We are now an aging generation, though many of us are still in a position to make decisions and are leaders in our respective fields. We helped engineer and translate that vision into reality, even if we were not sure of the final outcome. It is a critical time to reflect objectively on what happened over the last three decades. We achieved many things but failed in some. What a journey it was for us. But my generation is a minority in a young country like this one. This is no country for old men.
A bright young chief executive officer who met me recently spoke about Vision 2020 with a caveat. Yes, he admitted, it was a truly gargantuan endeavour to make it happen. And we are almost there. But what’s next? Will the clock stop at midnight of 2020? Will there be a collective sigh that we have done our job? Will that end the making of a nation? Do we say, “we have arrived?” Certainly not. Year 2020 is just another beginning, in fact a new beginning. The dawn of a new era. Year 2020 is not the end of the journey. It is the beginning of a new journey. This time, the journey of our children. The journey beyond 2020.
“What is the vision for my generation?” he asked.
A sensible question. And a clever one, too.
Would we come out with Vision 2050 for him and his generation? But what will the new vision be? We have to be prepared for that journey. A new thinking on taking the nation to a new level. The initiatives have begun, no doubt about that.
The transformation programme that the prime minister has embarked on is part of the process to bring Malaysia to face new realities. The challenges of the future are unpredictable. The odds insurmountable.
The world has changed beyond recognition in the last three decades and it will change even more dramatically, in fact frighteningly, in the next three decades.
When Vision 2020 was concocted, it spelled out nine challenges we were to face. The challenges too will be different.
Creativity and innovation are now more critical than ever. Human capital plays a critical role. Education is key. But of more importance is the mindset of the people. We can achieve very little if our society is not liberated psychologically, is immature, intolerant or decadent.
A year is too long in the ever changing world of today, what more 30 years. That must not deter us from dreaming of a new vision. One that is even more unpredictable than the one envisioned by Dr Mahathir in the early 80s.
We can be a developed nation by 2020. The challenge now is to think beyond that. The future is now.
Together we must prepare for the future.
Twitter @Johan_Jaaffar