PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today expressed confidence that Malaysia can emerge as a great nation within the next two to three years.
Anwar said the target could be materialised through a collaborative approach involving all parties, including civil servants.
"I'm expressing my idea; an open concept in terms of approach so that the civil servants can provide full cooperation.
"I believe because Allah has tested me a lot and there is patience and (becoming) more rational.
"After experiencing the trial and turbulations in politics and seeing what has happened in the previous country's administration, I believe with a new spirit, give it two or three years, Malaysia can emerge as a great nation," he said at the launch of Kolokium Madani Perkhidmatan Awam (Public Service Madani Colloquium) held today.
Present were the Minister of the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs), Datuk Dr Mohd Na'im Mokhtar, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali, Public Service Department director-general Datuk Dr Zulkapli Mohamad and Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) director-general Datuk Hakimah Mohd Yusoff.
Malaysia, Anwar said, used to be known as the East Asian miracle, due to its economic dramatic growth.
However, he said that based on BCG's (Boston Consulting Group) Seda (Sustainable Economic Development Assessment), the country's economic development had been stagnant since the late 1990s.
"From Seda's point of view, Malaysia's threshold has been moderate since the late 1990s. Unlike countries such as Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand.
"This is frustrating, what is wrong with our society and nation?
"Hence, we must do something about it," he said.
Anwar, in his speech, acknowledged the cooperation given to him by those in the cabinet, the top leadership of the public service, and also the civil servants.
In his speech, Anwar also called for the old method of approving foreign investment activities to be revamped and accelerated.
"If the regulations and technicalities are hindering foreign investment, it is not wrong to 'breach a bit', as long as it is not related to corruption and misconduct."
Anwar said he was disappointed when investors he met during his recent trip to New York complained that Malaysia was too slow in terms of approval compared to Vietnam.
"Some (investors) have to wait for eight months to get the approval. This cannot be prolonged, if we can breach the rules a little, as long as it's not corruption or misconduct; and I have discussed it with the Auditor General."
In his speech, Anwar said corruption, misconduct, and wastage practices must be stopped because they affected the distribution to those in need.
"Wastage practices resulted in losses of millions of ringgit, and these practices need to be eradicated with political determination from the cabinet and the support of senior government officials.
"The most obvious is because mismanagement and misconduct are accepted as a system."