Together, to greater heights in 2019
THE year 2018, in which we witnessed a number of defining moments and developments in our Motherland, will come to a close tomorrow.
As I reflect on the past 12 months, I can only utter words of gratefulness and thankfulness for what the nation has gone through, especially the conclusion of GE14 and the peaceful transition of power in Putrajaya. The voice of the masses was finally heard, the call to gain a foothold on the nation’s sliding economy and forge a strong, progressive and resilience central government heeded.
The challenge is not yet over, as we face a number of serious challenges – that have caught the attention of the international community – that will have negative implications for the nation if left unattended or ignored.
Economically, we can pick up the shattered pieces resulting from the previous government’s mismanagement and move on to carve a better future for all Malaysians regardless of race or religion; politically, our nation could play an effective and meaningful role on the world’s stage if we remain politically strong and economically stable.
Regardless of the pain the nation has gone through, we ought to move forward gallantly and with fortitude in the new year by doing our part even as Putrajaya charts the direction towards achieving developed nation status by 2025. We suffer still as we pay the price for what transpired in the past. Alas, we cannot do anything about it. But we can change our future, ensuring past mistakes will never be allowed to happen again.
I’m sure we all hope to see Malaysia gaining ground economically, strategically positioned to grab hold of opportunities, both regionally and internationally, especially in forming strategic alliances with other countries for mutual gain. A nation cannot live in isolation economically or politically, as we need the support of other nations to sustain and main- tain a vibrant economy of our own.
The United States, China, Europe, Japan and South Korea appear to be our happy hunting grounds but we should not overlook emerging economies such as India, Indonesia, etc, as they are becoming economic giants Malaysia cannot live without. Even our regional block, Asean, holds vast opportunities for its member states with a huge population base.
Change we did, and the time has come to chart the nation’s destiny by looking forward while learning by looking back at the past as a warning that a repeat of such a situation could mean the destruction of what we have built since Merdeka.
Above all else, all that we want to achieve in the future will certainly yield excellent results provided the money in our national coffers is spent prudently and with utmost accountability and responsibility. Our hard earned money must not be siphoned off by those sitting at the pinnacle of power. Haven’t we seen the damning destruction when corruption was allowed to rear its ugly head?
Malaysia can progress and not regress if Putrajaya does the right thing. Therefore, stop petty quarrels and acrimonious discourse and lead the nation into a better, progressive and dynamic new year.
To my fellow Malaysians, I wish you well as we approach the dawn of 2019. May we, together, steer the nation to greater heights.