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Showing posts with label governance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label governance. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Why West misreads new development paradigm

 

A view of Beijing's CBD area. [Photo/VCG] - China Daily/ANN

IN all ancient civilisations, especially in Asia, material and socio-cultural-spiritual development progressed more or less hand-in-hand. Hence, there was generally balanced human progress, even though all the civilisations had their share of shortcomings.

A major disruption occurred with the Industrial Revolution in the late 18th and 19th centuries. Spurred by new productive forces, the Industrial Revolution facilitated epoch-changing discoveries in science and innovations in technology, which exponentially raised many European nations’ capability to generate material prosperity.

As a result, European countries became fabulously wealthy.

However, the European countries used, rather misused, the new productive forces to consolidate their hold on their colonies in Asia, Africa and Latin America. They ruthlessly exploited and pillaged the colonies’ resources, seeking to destroy native cultures and establish European civilisational superiority.

Their fierce internal rivalry, though, led to two horrific world wars, which claimed millions of lives and ruined the economies of both the victims and perpetrators.

Hence, Western nations, despite their superior material wealth, became culturally, morally and spiritually impoverished. Even the birth of the United States was an outcome of the sordid history of colonisation. European powers literally mass-annihilated almost all the Indigenous peoples in the Americas in their lust for land and riches.

The United States, in the last century, contributed to the further explosive growth of productive forces with revolutionary advances in science and technology, especially in computers and the Internet, heralding the “information age”.

Nevertheless, these productive forces, being at the service of an uncontrolled capitalist system, have been misused leading to the extreme concentration of wealth and power in the hands of a minority.

Moreover, US administrations have abjured neither the Western instinct for global domination nor the habit of using their country’s powerful productive forces to launch illegitimate wars.

The importance of the rise of “new quality productive forces” in China needs to be understood against this historical background. Many in the West have dismissed it as just another “buzzword” meant to divert the international community’s attention away from China’s economic slowdown.

However, the concept can be properly understood only in the context of the Chinese leadership’s goal of developing “China into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful”.

Seen from this perspective, the new quality productive forces, wedded to people-centric and planet-protective development, could be the harbinger of a significantly different kind of, and balanced, human development.

The rise of new quality productive forces in China will have both domestic and global impacts. It is accompanied by, and is contributing to, positive changes in the West-dominated world order.

For the first time in modern history, China is surging ahead of Europe and the United States in scientific research and innovations in technology, especially in deploying new technologies and innovations.

China’s new quality productive forces are primarily in the areas of new energy, new materials, new hi-tech manufacturing systems and new applications of artificial intelligence.

In terms of the production and use of solar photovoltaic panels and other clean and green energy products, China is far ahead of the rest of the world. In fact, China installed more solar panels in 2023 than the United States has ever built, setting new standards in low-carbon footprints.

Besides, there are more industrial robots in Chinese factories than in any other country. In space and ocean research, too, China is advancing at a pace faster than the West. For instance, it is developing the world’s first quantum communications satellite network. China now ranks No. 1 in science and technology innovation clusters in the world.

While China is making rapid strides in developing its strategic industries, its agriculture and traditional industries are also becoming smarter and more innovative. As a result of the huge innovation-led increases in productivity, quality and efficiency, the Chinese economy is sure to navigate its current challenges satisfactorily.

However, China’s new development paradigm differs from that of the West in the past in one crucial respect: Chinese leaders have time and again emphasised that China will never seek hegemony irrespective of how prosperous it becomes. China is not trying to replace the West in global domination. Instead, it aims to help improve the world order by making it equitable, fairer, more representative and more democratic.

Five features set apart China’s new quality productive forces from the Western template.

First, China has not become the world’s second-largest economy by colonising any other country or by exploiting or stealing other countries’ resources. On the contrary, it has made much of the self-reliant technological advances despite the unlawful sanctions imposed by the United States and other Western countries.

Second, China has not misused its technological prowess by waging deadly wars against far-off countries. As a matter of fact, it advocates resolving disputes through dialogue.

Third, China aims to use the scientific and technological breakthroughs primarily for boosting all-round development so its vast population can lead a high-quality life and the country can achieve common prosperity. It has already lifted about 800 million people out of extreme poverty within a short span of four decades – a feat unparalleled in history.

The fact that the common people are living much better lives, as I have seen during my travels across the country, shows China is committed to using its resources to enrich its human capital, an obligation many Western governments have nearly abandoned.

Fourth, China is sharing its development experiences with other countries so they can learn from them and apply them, if necessary, to boost their development. As a matter of fact, the Belt and Road Initiative shows China is committed to helping build a community with a shared future for mankind.

And fifth, in its 5,000-year history, China has achieved great feats in arts, culture and science and technology, while seeking harmony in society – and in the world at large – although it has suffered many setbacks and foreign aggressions.

Now that China has become a moderately prosperous society in all respects, it views its development propelled by new quality productive forces as a contributor to the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and a driving force behind the creation of a better world order.

Most Western observers fail to understand this civilisational wisdom guiding China’s modernisation. — China Daily/ANN

By Sudheendra Kulkarni,  an advocate of India-China-Pakistan cooperation for a New South Asia and was an aide to former Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The views expressed are the writer’s own.

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Wednesday, August 9, 2023

Come back and vote, urge Penang state election candidates to vote on Aug 12.2023

 

DAP revealed its 19 candidates for the Penang state election yesterday. Ten out of the 19 are incumbents – including party chairperson Lim Guan Eng and caretaker Penang chief minister Chow Kon Yeow – while seven are fresh faces. The party has dropped caretaker deputy chief minister II and incumbent Perai assemblyperson P Ramasamy, 74, as well as women’s wing chief and Padang Lalang incumbent Chong Eng, 66.

Attendees greeting Kit Siang (centre) and other DAP leaders and candidates at the start of the ceramah at the Chinese Town Hall in Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling, Penang. — Photos: LIM BENG TATT/The Star



PAKATAN Harapan’s unity candidates are hoping for a higher voter turnout for the state election and are urging Penangites to return to vote on Aug 12.

Penang Pakatan chairman Chow Kon Yeow said local voters working in other states or even overseas should come back, and give the caretaker unity government an overwhelming mandate.

“We are a state government with a proven track record since 2008. We managed to fulfil 93% of our 2018 manifesto promises, and we are also on track to becoming a family-centric and green state by 2030,” he said.

He was speaking to more than 500 supporters at the Chinese Town Hall in Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling during the inaugural ceramah for the state election.

Also present was DAP’s Air Itam candidate Joseph Ng Soon Siang who urged Penangites not to gamble with their future by not coming back to vote, as “there is no sure thing” in this state election.

“It is not good to assume that Pakatan candidates are a ‘shoo-in’, as anything can happen. So, Penangites must tell their friends, relatives and colleagues to come back and come out to vote,” said Ng.


Chow: We managed to fulfil 93% of our 2018 manifesto promises.

Datok Keramat candidate and incumbent Jagdeep Singh Deo, who was one of the ceramah speakers, said that under the state government’s Green Agenda launched in 2021, Penang aimed to plant 500,000 trees by 2030.

“The good news is that we are already very far ahead of schedule as to date, some 470,000 trees have been planted all over the state.

“Also, since I became the state housing and local government committee chairman, about 76,000 units of affordable housing costing between RM150,000 to RM300,000 have been built statewide,” he said.

First-time Pengkalan Kota candidate Wong Yuee Harng, 35, who was one of the speakers, said if elected, he would do his best to improve the lives of the people as what he had been doing since getting involved in politics 11 years ago.

“I started from the bottom as an assistant to a DAP member of Parliament and also an assemblyman, to later become Penang Island City Council (MBPP) councillor for the past eight years.



Wong: I may be short like a cili padi but I am very spicy, and I will fight for the rights of my constituents.

“I may be short like a cili padi but I am very spicy, and I will fight for the rights of my constituents while improving their socio-economic status,” he said.

Another first-timer is Seri Delima candidate Connie Tan, 33, who said she joined DAP in 2012 upon returning to Penang from the United Kingdom after she graduated with a law degree.

“I joined the party with the intention of making my voice heard, as I just wanted to help Penang prosper. I had no lofty ambition whatsoever then and never thought that I would ever be selected to be a state election candidate,” said Tan.

For Datuk Seri S. Sundarajoo, 61, being the oldest candidate with no political experience is not a deterrent as he feels his experience as a developer will help to solve the housing woes in the Perai constituency.

“I can also help to solve the squatter and flood problems in Perai. My life in the corporate world has been good, and now is the time for me to give back to society.


Sundarajoo says his experience as a developer comes in handy in solving housing woes in Perai.

“I consider my candidacy to be a form of ‘national service’ for Penang over the next five years,” said the former chief operations officer of developer Ecoworld Development Group Bhd.

Other candidates who spoke at the event were Lim Guan Eng (Air Putih), Ong Ah Teong (Batu Lancang), Kumaran Krishnan (Bagan Dalam), H’ng Mooi Lye (Jawi), Daniel Gooi (Padang Lalang), Phee Syn Tze (Sungai Puyu), Chee Yeeh Keen (Bagan Jermal) and Joshua Woo Sze Zeng (Pulau Tikus).

Veteran DAP politician Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang and Bukit Bendera MP Syerleena Abdul Rashid also spoke at the three-hour ceramah which started at about 8pm.

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I

Monday, August 7, 2023

It’s almost always flu season

PETALING JAYA: Although there is a sharp drop in reported influenza cases this year, the highly contagious respiratory illness occurs all year round, says the Health Ministry, while reminding the public to take safety measures against it.

From January to July this year, the ministry logged 158 influenza clusters – compared with 255 clusters during the same period last year.

Of the 158 clusters reported this year, 54% were in schools, followed by kindergartens at 20%.

Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said the total number of cases reported from the 158 clusters was 4,606, whereas in 2022 the cases were three times higher or 12,876 cases from 255 clusters.

“The ministry still monitors influenza outbreaks and clusters that occur, although individual cases are not required to be notified by clinics and hospitals,” she said in an interview.

This is because influenza, or the flu, is not subject to mandatory notifications under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342).

Dr Zaliha said influenza tends to occur all year round and has the potential to attack all ages.

While most people recover within a week without requiring medical attention, some may require admission for close monitoring, she said.

Influenza and the common cold are both contagious respiratory illnesses but caused by different viruses, she added.

“The flu is caused by influenza viruses only whereas the common cold can be caused by a number of different viruses, including rhinoviruses and (human) parainfluenza (viruses),” she said.

Dr Zaliha said the best way to avoid infection is to get the influenza vaccine every year.

She also advised those with symptoms to avoid close contact with others and keep a distance to protect other people from getting sick too.

“Stay home when you are sick. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick,” she said.

Flu viruses, she noted, spread mainly by droplets made when people cough, sneeze or talk.

Dr Zaliha said practising good hand hygiene is also important to curb the spread of the flu.

Germs can also be spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches their eyes, nose or mouth, she said.

Other good health habits – such as cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces at home, work or school, especially when someone is ill – should also be practised, she added.

“Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids and eat nutritious food. Also seek immediate treatment if symptoms worsen,” she said.

Federation of Private Medical Practitioners’ Associations Malaysia president Dr Shanmuganathan TV Ganeson said the flu season peaks in May to July and November to January.“For the first 24 weeks of 2023 in Malaysia, there was 18.45% positivity for influenza of the specimens sent. The figures for Singapore were quite similar at 20%,” he said.

Dr Shanmuganathan said that as there are pockets of spread, the prevalence would vary from area to area and from time to time.

For example, he said that in May, Klang doctors commented on increased influenza A and B cases, but doctors in Kuala Lumpur did not seem to corroborate that increase.

Symptoms of influenza are fever, flu, cough and chest discomfort, sore throat, lethargy, headache and body aches, respiratory distress, and even vomiting and diarrhoea.

Meanwhile, the symptoms of the common cold are sneezing, stuffy nose, runny nose, sore throat, coughing, mucus dripping down your throat (post-nasal drip), watery eyes and fever.

“However, most people with colds do not have fever,” said Dr Shanmuganathan.

The at-risk groups include children below five years old, the elderly above 65 years old, those with chronic conditions like asthma, diabetes, heart disease or chronic bronchitis, persons with poor immunity like HIV, cancer and chemotherapy patients, healthcare workers and caregivers, he added.

Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia president Datuk Dr Kuljit Singh said Covid-19 has taught the world how to curb the spread of upper respiratory infections, and that the same principles could be applied to flu infections.

“The precautions are pretty similar to Covid-19, such as masking up, social distancing and hand washing – as well as isolation for those infected to control the spread,” he said.

Dr Kuljit also said that in July, private hospitals saw a rise in bed occupancy due to many factors, most notably influenza.

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Wednesday, May 10, 2023

'Anwar: The Untold Story' biopic premiere

 


Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his wife, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail appeared touched after watching the premier of 'Anwar: The Untold Story' - Bernama pic

PM pays loving tribute to wife

Anwar was sentenced to jail in 1999 after being charged with abuse of power. Four years after his release, he was accused of sodomising an aide in 2008.

He was imprisoned for sodomy in 2015 and released on May 16, 2018, upon receiving a royal pardon.

The film documents Anwar’s journey to battle corruption. It charts the period from when he was first appointed as Finance Minister in 1991 until his sacking from the Cabinet in 1998 and the “Reformasi” campaign, which led to his imprisonment later that year.

“It is difficult for me to comment much as I have tried very hard to forget certain episodes which were too hurtful for me to bear,” he told reporters.

He also said that although the film’s overall dialogue was not wholly accurate, the issues it raised were based on true events.

Despite going through so much, he made it clear during the media conference that he would not let the hardship stop him from campaigning for what’s right.

“The battle against corruption continues. As Prime Minister, I want to save this country, fight against corruption and fight it hard,” he said.

 

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his wife, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail appeared touched after watching the premiere of 'Anwar: The Untold Story' last night.

He said although some of the dialog and storyline may not be truly accurate, he acknowledged that it was not easy to put together years of incidents into the 90-minute long biopic.

"We were touched, it was surreal, the performances were great and extraordinary.

"The children asked how can I agree to the making of the movie which I have not watched. 

"Agree or not is not important, this is not a movie by Anwar for Anwar.

"Also, whether this movie will have a political impact or not is secondary, because this is a story that needs to be told," he said, after the show at Dadi Cinema, Pavilion here.


The film was directed by Viva Westi of Indonesia, with Farid Kamil as Anwar, Tanda Putera actor Hasnul Rahmat as former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Indonesian actress Acha Septriasa as Wan Azizah.

The film attempted to chart the period from Anwar's appointment as finance minister in 1991 until his firing from the cabinet in 1998, as well as his Reformasi campaign which culminated in his jailing that year.

Anwar said while watching the movie, he identified some scenes that might not bode well with his siblings.

However, he said he has no plan to intervene and ask for it to be edited out and would leave the matter to the censorship board to decide.

"If they (siblings) are offended, then I will just have to make it up to them." he added.

Anwar said initially, he was hoping to listen to 'Menjaga Cintamu', the movie's theme song by pop queen Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza Taruddin but it was not included during the premier.

He hoped that the song, composed by Andi Rianto and written by Sekar Ayu Asmara, will be included in the final version of the movie which will be screened to public from May 18.

Also present during the premiere were director Viva Westi, executive producer Zulkiflee SM Anwar Ulhaque or better known as Zunar, and DMY chairman Datuk Mohamed Yusoff, the movie distributor. 

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Wednesday, April 5, 2023

Who is more intelligent and successful, Dr. Mahathir Mohamad or Mr. Lee Kuan Yew (Malaysia vs Singapore)? Why?

 


To compare Mahathir with Mr Lee is like placing a pig next to a lion. The short answer is: No Comparison! Let me explain my reasons.

After 55 years after these 2 men become PM of the respective country, Mr Lee left behind a legacy of democracy, progress, dynamism and true success for Singaporeans and the nation Singapore. On the other hand, Mahathir has broken Malaysia into multiple segments of people - divided by race, religion, economic status - mistrusting and suspicious of each other. Economically 70% of Malaysians are poor except all his 7 children are billionaires in Ringgit terms.

At a personal level, all Mr Lee’s children attended and graduated from top notch universities in the USA or UK and qualified as professionals. On the other hand, all Mahathir attended 2nd or 3rd tier institutions in these countries but never work for a day yet became billionaires. How?? They received parts of the money Mahathir looted from the country’s coffers.

How they are remembered by their country men and women. Singaporeans - even those who dislike Mr Lee’s policies - recognized that the man has been good to Singapore. Conversely, Mahathir has confirmed himself a unreformed racist, self-centred street level political manipulator who destroyed Malaysia. 

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