Just like the global weather phenomenon, the catastrophe of earthquake all around the world, the turbulent shift in the tectonic plates, all may have the repercussion of tsunami. This is to say that tsunami doesn't happen on its own and the result is normally fatal for islands and even continents in its path.

Whether we like it or not, Malaysia is indeed a bless country in terms of where it is geographically located and our abundance of natural resources. Where we are located geographically is an extension from a large Asian continent while we do not have borders with many countries, we are also protected by Sumatra, other Indonesian island in the south, Borneo, and Phillipines on the east from any direct impact of tsunami or earthquake due to the tectonic plate shift along the earthquake litosphere.from the Indian Sea or Pacific Ocean while the single border with Thailand separates us from the larger continent that houses China, Myammar, Laos, India, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Afhghanistan etc. This in turn protects us from infringement and attacks from these countries. Together with our abundance in natural resources like Palm Oil, Crude Oil, Rubber, dense jungle providing greeneries and logs, Malaysia was destined to be great. Not to mention our country's size versus the 30 Million citizens today were by far still underpopulated with a degree of natural resources earnings to population ratio. Technically we are able to contribute per capita income much higher and with ease compared to the other countries with lesser to earn and choose.

While the truth is that we are blessed with many things, but in actual we are far less compared to some of our neighbors in many ways. Just a look from the per capita income is sufficient to see what I mean while the country still have a significant number of citizens living below the poverty line. I have personally heard the interview with Dr Mahathir on the reason when those facts were presented with a comparison to Singapore and the answer was simply that Malaysia was a bigger nation and larger population and due to complexity of bigger multiracial nation, it was just harder while a smaller nation like Singapore was easier to maneuver in terms of policies and infrastructure project. Well then I do hv a question on our rich states like Johor, Selangor, and even Sarawak which can be deemed smaller with so much more potential and resource while being govern semi independently contributing to the country's coffers still cannot match Singapore. Why? The intent of this topic is not to achieve the answer objective of the posted question but more to leading towards where we will be in the future with the same ideology, methodology and policies as the nation population increases. Of course with that we also have to factor in globalisation factors such as foreign worker, ease of entry to a country, foreign business, foreign investment and global taxation whilst on the hind side the leakages have to be accounted. 

Source: Wikipedia

Fig 1

So where and why are we here?

There are many twist and turns since we have gained independence in 1957. I believe Malaysia peaked (in terms of population growth rate in the 1990s and similarly 1998 recorded the worst GDP per capita due to AFC) This is one of the growth criteria recorded (ie population growth vs GDP growth per capita used in Singapore. If we relate this between Fig 3 and Fig 6 in the context of Malaysia, we will notice that while population growth rate reduced over the years, the sustainence of the existing population against the GDP growth per capita is almost flat.  What this means is that the income is almost at a flat growth sustaining the slower growth in population.

If you look at this from a business standpoint, the revenue growth has stagnated vs a slower growth in employment. So at topline the revenue per employee is declining. This does not include inflation which can be translated to higher OPEX and CAPEX cost which in turn will affect the bottomline (earnings) In addition, this also does not include the country's debt or the debt guaranteed by the Govt. to the GLCs. in hind side, debts and debts' interest repayment and forex will fall under interest expense which will affect the bottomline.

So how did we get from a promising nation with all the natural resources to a country prominently located geographically to a country with high debts and flattish GDP per capita growth. What do you think we will see once the figures for 2015 and 2016 come out especially with the currency weakness last year and crude oil price depression? 

Our challenge is effective leadership in steering through difficult situation like some of our neighbour. I like to compare with Singapore because technically, Singapore being a country without natural resources and having to start from bottom again every year should and must be doing worst than Malaysia? Yes Singapore has slip in and out of recession in the last 10 years however they always come back stronger and sustain their GDP per capita and indoing so retaining their position globally. In fig 1 as you can see Singapore is in rank 3rd which arouse my curiousity. What is it that a country with nothing, can be fueled to drive at this acceleration even after they breakdown they come back even stronger.  After much down to earth research I found it was leadership. 

While googling on leadership and Asia, Singapore's founding father's name Lee Kuan Yew almost always appear. In one message, Lee Kuan Yew spoke about how Singapore became top 5 in education achievement globally while success in Singapore was attributable to the 3 criteria he stated. (Ref to the video A below) According to him leadership is also with the times and one of the key important message was that the leaders must have the feel of the ppl on the ground. His personal existence in politics was born from the war and revolution during his time. 

Watch the videos from A to E below on his kind of leadership exudes. Many interview him on his view of Asia.

So finally my question to you is " Do we have a Leader of our times" to take us through the next stage when our economy is set to boom again. Watch Video C on how he handled Deng Xiao Peng.

Fig 2

Fig 3

Fig 4

Fig 5

Fig 6

I will leave you with some inspirational quotes, key to succeed and Leadership of different times. I hope it inspire you as much as it did for me.

A. Some Inpirational Quotes from Lee Kuan Yew. Some of which is still applicable today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSXmwv00AvI (Short Quotes)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=so4tMYaEGyc&ebc=ANyPxKrLG_S2bpqnhmXXaGrzSnF1Q3_PiYImo6yQCRj2LBrT6WQyCY-pkMX4lyv5sW8HEPLKOeGRTQc1JQiXWU6STrTxldblbA (Watch at 7minutes, 12minutes and 19.28minutes ppl want his views)

According to him at 19.28minutes 3 key areas to succeed

1. Absence of corruption

2. Meritocracy

3. Fair Level Playing Field for everybody

B. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0G9A0NVxc8&ebc=ANyPxKpG39zQjv5XA7YCXDcX0HHlz86hZE3Y2uHgspw0kz_TGvxg_eqVmMa94ORIkMOKm84GnV8Pd_eXnJBSDFo12bS7AcM9Pw (Watch at 43.56minutes on the question of why Singapore still doing manufacturing?)

C. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9q7G3uQANn4&ebc=ANyPxKoKuKOnVjwxmRsimstA1X4md57WKhHjbgCrvIWDKn3Eqb48EYi7fvwqBZxHqFFoi7WXbvcQ1nORAwE_YYhlY5V8zu_jTw (Talk on Leadership) Listen to 15.35minutes how LKY handled Deng Xiao Peng to manage Chin Peng in Malaya.

D. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvBlzDz9ttM (11.33minutes on being a mentor or PM you must have a feel of the ppls needs)

E. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9q7G3uQANn4 (Leadership)