C h a i r m a n ’ s M e ss ag e
Tan Sri Azman Hashim
Chairman, Board of Trustees,
Perdana Leadership Foundation
There have been a number of issues
that occupied the minds of Malaysians
in 2015 – the economy (the price of oil,
weakening ringgit, the rising cost of living
and the impact of TPPA), political stability, the environment (the haze), society
(ethnic relations), education (the quality
of our education system and our proficiency in English) and security (ISIS and
terrorism). How we tackle and overcome
these and other challenges depends not
just on present policies and decisions but
also how we have faced similar problems
in the past. Solutions applied then could
very well still be relevant today.
We don’t have a crystal ball to divine what is in store for us in 2016 and
beyond but we can with certainty expect
more challenges ahead. Given the rate
of technological change and the economic upheavals experienced within the
past few years, the nature of our challenges will also change.
One example is social media.
This has wrought tremendous
changes in how Malaysians become
aware of issues and how we dialogue
about them. Social media has allowed
everyone with an internet connection
to access up-to-the-minute news and
a wide range of opinions. The danger
occurs when there is no adequate filter
to differentiate the fake news from the
truth, and the conjecture-based views
from fact-based opinions.
What is certain is that social media is
here to stay, just as newspapers, the television and radio are. While the exact laws
that govern newspapers, the television
and the radio may not be applicable to
the internet, we can ask ourselves what
the overarching principles are and apply
the same approach in drafting legislation.
In Malaysia, I believe one of the major guiding principles is the maintenance
of our peace and harmony. It’s something that Malaysia is rightly proud of.
2 | P e r d a n a M a g a z in e 2 0 1 5
In the aftermath of the 1969 riots, we
were written off as a nation-state and
doomed by many countries to a future
of strife, discord and economic stagnation. We’ve proven the world wrong and
the formula that we have used – a combination of affirmative action, strong
leadership and no-compromise laws has proved to be effective for us. Does
this formula still hold for the present
and future? That can be debated and
discussed. What should never be lost
from our sight is the objective: peace
and harmony without the annihilation
of the individual rights and freedoms
granted in a democracy.
This issue of the Perdana Magazine
contains interesting conversations the
Foundation has had with two former
Ministers: Tan Sri Leo Moggie and Tan
Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop. Both of them
shine a light on our rich history. Tan Sri
Leo Moggie enlightens us on Sarawak
politics especially pre-1963 while Tan
Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop tells us how he
was roped in to help resolve the 1997-98
crisis. What they shared is illuminating
and based on these, I cannot wait for
the full conversations to be published in
2016. This issue also contains highlights
from Tun Dr. Mahathir’s speeches on Islam and Islamisation and on Managing
Financial Crises, both of which remain
pertinent to the present-day.
The path forward for Malaysia to
become a democratic, high-income
economy by the year 2020 is by no
means an easy one but I believe that if
Malaysia adheres to the sound principles
and values that had guided us through
challenging times before, the country
will overcome and remain a thriving
economy as well as a model Islamic democracy the world respects.
Do enjoy this issue of Perdana Magazine, and visit us via our website, social
media sites and our home in Putrajaya.
Honorary President:
Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad
Board of Trustees:
Tan Sri Azman Hashim
Tan Sri Dato’ Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz
Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Arumugam A/L A Packiri
Tan Sri Dato’ Francis Yeoh Sock Ping
Dato’ Zainal Abidin Putih
Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr. Jeffrey Cheah Fook Ling
Tan Sri Dato’ Lee Kim Yew
Datuk Mohaiyani Shamsudin
Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Haji Mohd Khamil Jamil
Tan Sri Datuk Hj Mustapha Kamal
Tan Sri Rozali Ismail
Tan Sri Datuk Tee Hock Seng
Tan Sri Dato’ Teh Hong Piow
Dato’ Robin Tan
Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Shahril Shamsuddin
Tan Sri Lee Oi Hian
Datuk Soam Heng Choon
Tan Sri Datuk G. Gnanalingam
Dato’ Azmil Khalili Khalid
Tan Sri Nik Mohamed Nik Yaacob
Executive Committee:
Tan Sri Azman Hashim
(Chairman)
Tan Sri Shahril Shamsuddin
(Honorary Treasurer)
Tan Sri Datuk Tee Hock Seng
(Joint Honorary Treasurer)
Tan Sri Nik Mohamed Nik Yaacob
(Executive Director)
Tan Sri Khamil Jamil
Datuk Soam Heng Choon
Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew
Datuk Mohaiyani Shamsudin
Editor:
Zarina Abu Bakar
Assistant Editors:
Nurul Humaira Kamarulzaman
Sri Fitriaty Mohd Kenali
Faridzuan Abd Rahman
Contributors:
Maizatul Kartini Kamaruldin
Hidayati Haron
Adnan Haris
Suriyana Mohd Noor
Hasniza Hashim
Magdaleena Lampas
Photography:
Musyri Md Zin
Layout & Design:
Twentyfivecents Creative Solutions
Printed By:
I Graphix Solutions
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