EDITORIAL : THE NEW STRAITS TIMES, MALAYSIA

 

 

Dialogue with Africa

THE African response to the prime minister's offer to help the continent to kick-start its economic transformation has been positive. This is not altogether surprising as Malaysia has long been regarded as a model among developing countries. In any case, though every nation wants to choose its own destiny and chart its own path, no government that wants to avoid the pitfalls of the past and aims to act purposefully for the national good would be averse to learning the lessons from other parts of the world. Certainly, there is no one correct answer. Every blueprint has to be country-specific and based on the local political, economic and social realities. Nevertheless, while neither the Government Transformation Programme nor the Economic Transformation Programme can be easily replicated, they do contain ideas and initiatives that could be incorporated in the home-grown policies devised on the African continent. What is clear is that to overcome the development challenges and sustain economic growth, the African countries have to have a clear vision of development and a comprehensive, coherent and coordinated planning framework. This message was apparently not lost on the political leaders present at Putrajaya. It also fits in with the idea that the Langkawi International Dialogue is a forum for exchanging and sharing experiences for mutual benefit.

The concept of a smart partnership to promote economic ties also seems to have borne fruit. When the dialogue was inaugurated in Langkawi in 1995, trade between Malaysia and Africa was less than RM1 billion. Last year, it stood at RM25 billion. A large number of Malaysian companies, including Petronas and Sime Darby, have invested in Africa in recent years. There is no doubt that over the years, Malaysia's trade with Africa has expanded exponentially. However, Africa accounted for just two per cent of Malaysia's total trade, is limited to a narrow range of products and pales in comparison with India's, China's, Turkey's or Brazil's trade and investment in Africa. With 20 of the fastest growing world economies in the continent, there is tremendous scope for increased trade between Malaysia and Africa. What is needed is for businessmen and entrepreneurs to work closely with government officials to map out ways to identify opportunities and contact potential partners.

The challenge is also to strengthen and diversify the partnership with Africa to education, science, technology and other areas. It is also time to invest in think tanks with expertise in Africa. Above all, the challenge is to come up with meaningful and effective action so that pronouncements at the biennial dialogue are treated as something more than empty words.