The nation's future

Because they bother about their positions, we have seen our national debts climbing and money handed out generously. Because they fear losing their power, administrative agencies have been spared from the rod despite deteriorating efficiency. 

Lim Sue Goan, Sin Chew Daily 

To Malaysia, 2012 should have been a year of accelerated transformation. Everything seems to have been on the right track but unfortunately, several year-end international ratings seem to have exposed the "king's new clothes."

In the 2012 corporate bribery survey, Malaysia is right at the bottom. 50% of respondents contacted by Transparency International have replied affirmatively when asked whether they have lost their contracts due to bribes offered by their rivals during the past one year, attesting to the fact that commercial bribery is very serious in this country.

According to Global Financial Integrity's latest report, some RM196.8bn of black money made its way out of Malaysia in 2010 alone, the second highest in the world. During the past decade (2000-2010), a whopping RM871bn of money flowed out of the country through illegal means, a loss of RM33,000 for each of the country's 27 million inhabitants.

In addition, Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) studies show that Malaysia slides the most among 59 countries surveyed in mathematics and science performances.

It is not true to say that the government's Economic Transformation Programme has resulted in more foreign investments, as Q3 manufacturing investments plummeted 26.1% to RM6.2 billion against a sharp increase to about US$20 billion in our neighbour Indonesia.

International rankings aside, we also fumble in a number of domestic issues. While the transport ministry has reiterated that that legal issues pertaining to the AES system are non-existent, Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail lately announced that all court prosecution procedures involving the AES would be temporarily halted.

In another incident, the MCMC recently awarded eight 4G (LTE) Long Term Evolution permits, with companies having no telecommunication background getting the biggest quota share.

Rampant corruption, sliding academic standards, stagnant administrative and executive capabilities, lack of transparency in the award of contracts, etc. are all old issues. The ETP is not half as great as the government has claimed and the irregularities are still very much alive.

Without checking on corruption, the country's valuable resources will continue to drain away. Without solid effort to improve the calibre of Malaysians, there is no way we can achieve our vision.

If such things are allowed to go on next year, we won't expect to see any significant breakthrough in 2013.

We are not lacking talented people or ambitious plans. We are seriously in want of political wisdom.

Leaders with political wisdom should place national interests above their own.

Because they bother about their positions, we have seen our national debts climbing and money handed out generously.

Because they fear losing their power, administrative agencies have been spared from the rod despite deteriorating efficiency.