Khairy slams former PM’s ‘sad and petty’ criticism of TN50
KUALA LUMPUR: Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin yesterday lambasted Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad over the latter’s criticism of the government’s Transformasi Nasional 2050 (TN50) programme.
In his statement detailing the concept and aspirations that form the basis of TN50, Khairy rejected Dr Mahathir’s claim that the programme was a copy of his Vision 2020.
Dr Mahathir, in his comments on Wednesday, labelled TN50 as an admission of the failure to meet Vision 2020’s objectives of achieving developed nation status by 2020, while also claiming it was an effort to distract the people from Vision 2020.
Khairy clarified that Vision 2020, implemented for the period between 1991 and 2020, had served as a successor to the New Economic Policy that was the thrust for nation-building between 1971 and 1990.
Thus, he said, TN50 served to continue the effort for the period between 2021 and 2050.
Khairy said Vision 2020 had not prepared Malaysia for a future of technological advancements, such as artificial intelligence, augmented reality and the Internet of Things.
“Vision 2020 had not predicted the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which is about to transform the world’s economic development. It also did not address future developments, such as an ageing society, rapid urbanisation and the need for green technology, which are among the key reasons TN50 is required.”
He said the key differences between TN50 and Vision 2020 were the approach and implementation.
In preparing the nation for TN50, Khairy said, the government took on a bottom-up approach and respected the views of the people.
“TN50 is not just a legacy of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, the Barisan Nasional government or Umno, but is the legacy of each Malaysian who had shared his or her aspirations,” said Khairy.
He added that TN50 was not an admission of the failure to achieve the objectives of Vision 2020.
“Who says Vision 2020 had failed? According to World Bank forecasts, Malaysia is expected to surpass the high-income nation benchmark value with a per capita gross domestic product of US$12,236 (RM50,167) as early as 2020 and latest by 2024, factoring in the world’s economic state,” said Khairy.
“It is extremely sad and disappointing to see that you have simply dismissed the collective aspirations of young Malaysians. TN50 is the voice of young Malaysians, for the future,” Khairy said in his footnote aimed at Dr Mahathir.
“Millions have come forward to share their hopes, dreams and aspirations to build the future, together. But for you, it is just about your personal legacy. It has been reduced to Vision 2020 vs TN50.
“How sad. And how petty. I have explained countless times in great detail how both are part of the grand narrative of the Malaysian story. A continuum of success and development. But for you, it is all about your legacy. Me, myself, Mahathir.
“I hope future generations of Malaysia will not be so vindictive and mean-spirited. That they will be gracious and magnanimous enough to support that which deserves support and give credit where it is due.
“It is only with that spirit of munificence that we will become a great civilisation.”