Vision 2020 architect says it failed to create ‘Malaysian race’

Chan Kok Leong Chan Kok Leong Updated 5 years ago · Published on 2 Aug 2020 10:25AM · 7 Comments

Malaysia is a nation of migrants, many of whom want to retain ties to their mother land, says former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad. – EPA pic, August 2, 2020.

VISION 2020 has succeeded in reducing the income gap between races and turned the country from an agrarian society into an industrial nation but it has failed to create a Malaysian race, said Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

“When I proposed a Malaysian race (Bangsa Malaysia) to call our own, I believed that we could be like countries such as the USA,” said the 95-year-old on Facebook Live last night.

“But we in Malaysia want to maintain our ties with our original countries in terms of language, culture etc, and it’s hard to turn them into one nationality. To do this, we have to forget our original countries,” said the former prime minister.

He said although former US president Dwight Eisenhower was originally from Germany, he fought against the country during World War 2.

“He may be German by race but he identified himself as an American and fought against Germany.”

But Dr Mahathir said he saw some changes today among the younger generation where Malays have learnt how to use chopsticks and Chinese can “berpantun” (recite Malay poetry).

“We still have to find out what it means to be Malaysian.”

Dr Mahathir, however, believed that Vision 2020 brought many successes although the nation has yet to reach developed status.

“There are more professionals among the Malays, for instance. Back then, we knew if we gave them the chance to further their studies, they could be successful, too.

“Today, there are many Malay professionals compared to when we first started.”

He said Proton is another success story for Vision 2020.

“We were once an agricultural country. Agriculture needs a lot of land compared to manufacturing. And there are not enough job opportunities if we stuck to agriculture as it takes fewer people to do agriculture.

“Hence to create more jobs, we chose to make cars.”

A car generally uses 4,000 parts, said Dr Mahathir.

“When we build Proton, we are not just making a car but creating industries to make the 4,000 parts. This creates more jobs and raises our engineering capacity. And from there we can go on to make other things,” said Dr Mahathir.

In 1991, Dr Mahathir introduced the Vision 2020 concept in the 6th Malaysia Plan. The vision called on Malaysia to become a self-sufficient industrialised nation in 30 years, encompassing economic prosperity, social wellbeing, political stability and world-class education. – August 2, 2020.

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Comments

  • Diversity in culture is a good thing. Your vision 2020 was not inclusive and so it failed.

    Posted 5 years ago by Tanahair Ku · Reply

    • Have you read the Vision thoroughy before saying it is not inclusive?

      Posted 5 years ago by Ammar Gazali · Reply

    • I am referring to the method the vision was implemented. It is far too lobe-sided to take care of a certain race and neglected the reality of our diversity.

      Posted 5 years ago by Tanahair Ku · Reply

  • The fault lies with Tun M himself. His policies in giving tongkats to a certain race instead of teaching them how to stand on their own two feet is the primary root cause.

    Posted 5 years ago by Rupert Lum · Reply

  • The fault lies with Tun M himself. His policies in giving tongkats to a certain race instead of teaching them how to stand on their own two feet is the primary root cause.

    Posted 5 years ago by Rupert Lum · Reply

  • No need to feign surprise that WAWASAN 2020 failed to create a Malaysian Race (Bangsa Malaysia). From the very beginning you never accepted the non-Muslims as Malaysians. You labelled them "PENDATANG".
    You still do not accept them as Malaysians as was very clearly shown when you called them ORANG ASING at the Malay Dignity Congress in October 2019.
    Then, soon after you became PM in the early 80's, you set up the Biro Tata Negara to indoctrinate about KETUANAN MELAYU (Malay supremacy).
    Now if the top leadership of the country does not see the non-Muslims as Malaysians but creates divisions between them and the Muslims, how is Bangsa Malayisa to develop in such an atmosphere?
    Who should be creating a conducive atmosphere or climate for the development of Bangsa Malaysia?
    If there is no sincerity in developing Bangsa Malaysia, the objective cannot be achieved. So as a first measure steps must be taken to create an ENVIRONMENT THAT IS FERTILE for the growth of a Bangsa Malaysia.

    Posted 5 years ago by Ravinder Singh · Reply

  • First time since Hitlers infamous reign that I have heard of a German race. Indigenous European People are Caucasians. This harping on race is destroying Malaysia.

    Posted 5 years ago by Malaysia New hope · Reply