Wednesday, January 15, 1997
POLITICS:
Mohomad focuses on nation’s hope to expand technologicallyBy
Brooke Olson
Daily Bruin Staff
UCLA is famous for many things  sports teams, research,
and of course, its famous guest lecturers.
So it came as no surprise Tuesday when Malaysian Prime Minister
Dr. Mahathir Mohomad stopped by a public policy course to speak on
the future of his country.
Mohomad arrived in Los Angeles last Sunday in an attempt to
encourage multimedia and technology companies to invest in the
expanding Malaysian economy.
However, he took a break from his business trip after being
invited by one of the professors to lecture for Policy Studies
290.
Visiting Professor Kenichi Ohmae serves as a major business
consultant and corporate strategist to the prime minister and has
visited Malaysia for the last 15 years. Ohmae teaches the class
with Associate Dean and Professor of School of Public Policy and
Social Research Allen Scott.
Malaysia, a small country of 30 million, is located in Southeast
Asia. The country is composed largely of three types of people
 indigenous Muslims, Chinese Buddhists and Indian Hindus.
Mohomad began his lecture by giving a brief review of Malaysian
history. He noted that in the 1960s, race riots severely divided
the country, and that the government’s solution for peace was to
increase the wealth of the nation.
"(The government) had (decided) to build a nation and everyone
needed to work together in order to live together," Mohomad
said.
The country began to focus on industry production, opening up
its market to foreign investors. Their aim was to create jobs in an
ever expanding nation.
"In Malaysia, lots of people were farmers and each person needed
five acres of land," Mohomad said. "But with the factory, one acre
of industry was significant for 500 people to work."
In the last eight years, the nation has grown by 64 percent and
Malaysia is so economically successful that noncitizens frequently
emigrate to the country to improve their own financial
situations.
Despite the country’s success, the Malaysian government believes
that it is time for a change.
"Currently there is a large switch from the industrial age to
the technology age," Mohomad said.
And Malaysia aims to become the leading multimedia center of the
future.
Currently the country is creating a Multimedia Super Corridor
(MSC). Encompassing an area of 9 by 30 miles, the center will house
the new administrative government.
This Malaysian government will be entirely electronic, cutting
the use of paper and increasing the country’s reliance on
computers.
"People will be able to do their business with the government
from home and will be able to obtain any information they need by
use of computers," Mohomad said.
The prime minister’s goal is to have major technology companies
use Malaysia as a testing ground for innovative research and
development of new products.
But some question the country’s capability to become the leading
technology center of the world.
"The technology industry is very young and many countries have
the ambition of becoming leaders in the multimedia industry,"
Professor Scott said. "With the competition so fierce from so many
sides, why does Malaysia think that it will be able to achieve its
goal?"
Mohomad noted that it would be to any company’s benefit to
invest in Malaysia.
The prime minister pointed out that not only are the laws and
tax-exemptions favorable towards foreign countries, but Malaysia
can also provide highly-educated and skilled workers.
"Malaysia is one of the few countries that is spending a lot of
money on education," Ohmae said. "So when you talk about research
and development, Malaysia is developing people … and their
expertise is paying off."
In addition, the Malaysian government as a whole is entirely
dedicated and supportive of any and all foreign countries who wish
to invest in the Southeastern nation.
"We are committed to this and we want to do this and we will
make sure that the companies can do this," Mohamad said.
With that, the class ended, and some of the students were left
admiring what many people call the "vision-driven leader."
"It seems like the Malaysian government is one of the few
governments that is on the right track towards capturing a large
share of the technology market in the future," said Michael
Navarro, a third-year political science student who dropped in on
the class to listen to the prime minister.
"It’s just like Professor Ohmae said  Malaysia not only
sets up a vision but also delivers."
CHARLES KUO/Daily Bruin
(l. to r.) Professor Kenichi Ohmae, Malaysian Prime Minister Dr.
Mahathir Mohomad and Professor Allen Scott discuss Malaysia’s
future in Professor Scott’s Policy Studies 290 class.