After emulating Malaysia’s Vision 2020 to turn the country into a developed nation by 2020, some African countries are looking at Malaysia’s New Economic Model (NEM) to transform them into highincome nations.
The Commonwealth Partnership for Technology Management (CPTM) Chairman, Tan Sri Dr Omar Abdul Rahman, said southern and eastern African nations were interested in the NEM, which would double Malaysia’s per capita income from US$7,000 in 2010 to US$15,000 by 2020.
The southern and eastern African countries including Tanzania, South Africa, Uganda and Kenya wanted to emulate Malaysia’s Government Transformation Programme (GTP) and Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) into their countries’ development planning by making some adjustments tailored to their needs, he said.
“Some have even appointed ministers to especially oversee the transformation programmes in their countries. They have a clone of our own Datuk Seri Idris Jala (Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department),” he said on the sidelines of the Global Smart Partnership Dialogue in Dar es Salaam.
The GTP introduced in April 2009 aimed to transform the government to be more effective in its delivery of services as well as to move Malaysia forward to become an advanced, unified and just society with high standards of living for all, while the ETP will drive Malaysia into a high income nation by 2020.
Sharing Malaysian experiences and challenges in developing the country was part of the important outcomes of the Smart Partnership Dialogue in the past 18 years, said Omar. The Global Smart Partnership Dialogue was launched in 1995 when Malaysia hosted the first Langkawi International Dialogue (LID).
The dialogue serves as a platform for Smart Partners including heads of government, business leaders, scientists and academicians meet and discuss ideas and experiences related to science, technology and innovation.
In the last 18 years, the hosting of the dialogue alternates between Malaysia and countries from the African region with the dialogue in Africa having been convened in Uganda in 2009 and the last LID was held in Putrajaya in 2011.
CPTM, apart from providing advisory services to Commonwealth governments on economic development through sound management of technology, has also assisted the host country in convening the dialogue. “Continuing engagement and learning through experiences are important elements of the dialogue,” he said.
As a result of the Smart Partnership Dialogue, Omar said Botswana has Vision 2016, Mauritius Vision 2020, Tanzania Vision 2025 and Uganda Vision 2035 — all to enhance their country’s development for the benefit of their people.
“The dialogue has provided a platform for Malaysia to win friends. One of the challenges is that Malaysians still do not learn how to take advantage of the situation,” he said, referring to lack of Malaysian businessmen engagement in the African countries.
Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) Chief Executive Officer, Datuk Dr Wong Lai Sum said market access, financing and lack of opportunities were the main challenges in attracting Malaysian investors to this region.
However, she said, the situation began to change with more Malaysian companies venturing into oil palm, electrical and electronics, oil and gas and furniture industries in the region.
“The investment guarantee agreement to be inked between Malaysia and some African countries later will further facilitate market access to Malaysian investors to this region,” she said.
Wong said Malaysians should not look into the supply of goods and products only when entering the African market but explore the information, communications and technology and energy services as well.
She said the dialogue provided a platform for Malaysian and African businessmen to engage, which could lead to economic expansion. “More than 300 business meetings were held here yesterday and 28 Malaysian companies were among those involved. The dialogue provides a win-win situation for the African-Malaysian businessmen,” she said.
Source Tanzania Daily News
