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Petaling Jaya was created in the 1950s because British planners thought Kuala Lumpur was congested then, which is laughable in hindsight. Malaysian urban planners adopted British ambivalence towards the cities, which is partly responsible for the sprawling of urban landscapes. It’s time for us to move more Malaysians back into inner cities.

We need to look at the economic relationship with our neighbouring countries in a new light. As investments rush into the region due to US-China competition, Malaysia should be in the middle of a vertically integrated supply chain cooperation. We are not in a competition with our neighbours, we complement each other.

3 ways to ensure the success of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone.

The establishment of diplomatic relations with China on 31 May 1974 marked Malaysia’s shift from a pro-West post-colonial stance to an independent, non-aligned position. Fifty years on, Malaysia continues to uphold this non-aligned foreign policy. As friends with both China and the United States, Malaysia and its ASEAN partners aim to maintain a middle ground to facilitate communication and trade despite US-China competition. The new global situation calls for China and the developing countries to collaborate in growing middle-class societies, fostering consumer markets for global exports including from China and ensuring global trade stability. These were some of the comments I made during the HSBC China Night event on the eve of Malaysia-China 50th Anniversary of diplomatic relations. May Malaysia-China diplomatic relations flourish for the next fifty years.

Semiconductor is the new oil. On the one hand, it means wealth. On the other hand, it is potentially a source of conflict, and the Madani government recognises its role in managing semiconductor diplomacy. As pointed out by Prime Minister Anwar during the announcement of the National Semiconductor Strategy on 28 May, “I offer our nation as the most neutral and non-aligned location for semiconductor production, to help build a more secure and resilient global semiconductor supply chain.” With the right level of commitment from both the government and industry players, Malaysia is poised to become a critical player in the global semiconductor supply chain.

“We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us,” said Winston Churchill in his speech to the House of Lord on 28 October 1943, requesting that the House of Commons bombed out in May 1941 to be rebuilt exactly as before. Architects shape buildings, and thereafter the buildings shape our collective national lives. Hence, speaking with the architects is so important. The ideas that circulate among the architectural community will eventually be represented in their buildings, and our lives, for generations to come.

The theme for today’s Johor Conversation organised by JCorp, “Pursuing growth through infrastructure, innovation, technology, and sustainability”, captures exactly what we need in the next phase of Malaysia’s development story. Malaysia has a second chance because the world has now changed its course altogether, compared to the last 25 years. During the last period, the world was competing on cost and economic efficiency. Now the world cares about resilience and economic security. Geopolitical shifts, digitalisation or technology adoption, as well as sustainability are the three drivers of growth that Malaysia can benefit from. Very few nations and cities have a second chance. Now that we have a second chance, we must do it well.

I emphasised that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s Madani Economy framework places equal importance on “raising the floor” by having high quality investments that allow for the development of local skilled talents, utilising automation and digitalisation to increase productivity, paying better wages for our workforce and moving Malaysia up the global value chain.

Collaboration and cooperation among corporations are crucial to maximise societal benefits. The world needs to transition away shareholders’ economy to a stakeholders’ economy which emphasises impact investing in today’s economic landscape. Similarly, it is important for nations to cooperate and shift the focus of competition away from simply having the lowest costs and taxes for corporations. Instead, there should be complementary strategies to foster a robust middle-class society, benefiting not only Malaysia but the entire ASEAN region.

A strong semiconductor-driven growth in Penang, Kulim, Perlis, and northern Perak will help bring forth a national second takeoff.

𝗚𝗲𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 Malaysia is actually a maritime nation surrounded by the world’s most important waterways – the Malacca Straits and South China Sea – and we should tap into our geographical and natural advantages, such as our lower risk of natural disasters, to boost our economic activities. Malaysia is Asia’s linchpin linking the Pacific and Indian Oceans, a crucial fact that Malaysians should take cognizance of. 𝗪𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 There can be a second economic take-off for Malaysia if we do things right. Employers have to acknowledge that the Malaysian and Singaporean labour market are actually a single labour market. If Malaysian employers can provide high enough wages, they will be able to get the right workforce for them, thereby contributing to overall economic growth. 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 Malaysia’s debt problem should be approached by having higher growth, rather than austerity measures. If we can have a growth of 5.5% to 6% per annum, the size of our GDP can double in 10 to 15 years.

By the end of 2024, I hope we can build a national consensus among ourselves and influence global corporate decision makers that: 1.⁠ ⁠Malaysia is the next Asia hub for high-end manufacturing, and not low-end labour-intensive manufacturing, as envisaged by the New Industrial Master Plan 2030. 2.⁠ ⁠Malaysia is the next Asia hub for high-end services. 3.⁠ ⁠Malaysia becomes the fastest green transition nation in the region.