MALAYSIA and globalisation are no strangers. It has been happening for some time now. Every day, there are new ventures and breakthroughs.
The volume of goods, services and capital crossing borders is increasing, so is the number of people working abroad. Career paths are being invented for those wishing to conduct business in foreign lands or as volunteers to work with minority cultures.
Malaysia, as part of Asean, is benefiting from the bilateral and multilateral free-trade agreements being inked, namely the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and the Comprehensive Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership, with economic global players China, Japan, South Korea and India.
Yesterday, for instance, a Malaysia-based regional industrial service and oil and gas group sealed a US$300 million (RM1.26 billion) contract with a Qatari company, and a leading floating, production, storage and offloading service provider was awarded two contracts for a revitalisation project in Brazil.
These are indicators that the business community is speeding up globalisation, and liberalising international trade and investment. The goal — to build a stronger national economy and raise living standards.
That aside, new developments are coming up. Every event affects our lives. It may seem like a lot to keep abreast with world happenings, but there’s the Internet, social media and television.
Even scrolling through this newspaper’s headlines, print or online, can help one develop a better understanding of the world.
We are, as a nation, keen on goings-on beyond our shores.
Hence, in line with the belief that we should expand our horizons, the NST has started a Region page, online, which focuses on happenings in Southeast Asia. Yes, we are curating stories, but we are also extending the frontier of our news coverage. Our young should know about current affairs to make the world a better tomorrow.
How many are aware that the Brexit deadline is approaching? (The United Kingdom is due to exit the European Union on Oct 31). Or that Saudi Arabia has been holding talks with the Houthis to break the Aden impasse?
As a young country, Malaysia is also a nation of travellers. Ask any Malaysian, and he will regale you with stories of visits to foreign countries and fabled lands. Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad hit the ground running after he was sworn in as prime minister last May.
His first official trip was to Japan to attend a conference, then to Indonesia, China, Brunei and the UK. Last month, he attended the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Next week, Dr Mahathir will attend the 18th Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Non-Aligned Movement in Azerbaijan. He will then cross the Caspian sea for an official visit to Turkmenistan.
His travels are opening up Malaysia to the world, reconnecting and putting it on the world map. They are also an opportunity for world leaders to enhance reciprocal cooperation and to allow Malaysia to put forth its latest policies and stand.
Malaysians must spread their wings and go beyond their limits because the opportunities are endless. Malaysian Bond girl Michelle Yeoh concurs, “If I only get to play Malaysian roles, there wouldn’t be very many roles for me to play.”