SMART PARTNERSHIPS IN A BORDERLESS WORLD
THE message from Langkawi is loud and clear. There is a need for the application
of Smart
Partnership principles among countries at the global, regional and country
levels for shared
prosperity. In addition, smart partnerships between the public and private
sectors as well as
other sections of society including women, labour and media can result
in mutual benefit.
The fourth Langkawi International Dialogue (LID '99) concluded that a more
constructive and
positive approach can be developed through more consultative, collaborative
and cooperative
efforts with those from other countries with diverse backgrounds and different
levels of
development.
LID '99 in fact, put this into practice by bringing together a number of
stakeholders including
women and media in an effort to enhance and strengthen the building blocks
of smart partnership
covering a larger strata of society. The setting was informal and unstructured
which encouraged
participants to speak their minds and offered them a different no-holds-barred
perspective.
The role of women, who account for half the population, cannot be ignored.
During an economic
crisis and social disruptions, women are as equally affected as the men.
Thus it is a smart move
to include them in the mainstream discussions and policy initiatives and
to learn from their
experiences and for them to share their knowledge.
Malaysia's First Lady, Datin Seri Dr Siti Hasmah Ali, who convened the
"First Ladies Dialogue"
at Langkawi showed that the women are a force to be reckoned with. Their
contribution to the
"weighty and current issues" of managing economies recovery proved refreshing.
Their lucid and clear conclusions must necessarily be taken seriously.
And it would be a smart
move to include them in the main discussions instead of the women discussing
the issues
separately and on the sidelines of the main event. It is important to harness
their talents and
knowledge and "air them for the common good".
In keeping with the spirit of "prosper thy neighbour" and in an effort
to forge closer collaboration
and cooperation in terms of sharing information, Malaysia assembled its
"economic recovery
team" for the leaders and participants in Langkawi. The members were hotly
pursued as many
were keen to learn from Malaysia's approach to managing the crisis.
While there are numerous recommendations, remedies and solutions proposed
towards resolving
the Asian financial crisis, participants agreed that there is no single
prescription, no golden rule or
universal panacea for crisis management and resolution.
Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister Supachai Panitchpakdi spoke of his country's
experience while
Taiwan's Minister of Finance, Paul C.H. Chiu, explained the measures undertaken
by his country
in response to the Asian financial crisis.
The two - Thailand and Taiwan - followed very different paths in the wake
of the crisis.
Malaysia's remedies were different from the other two and First Finance
Minister Tun Daim
Zainuddin outlined the country's recovery plan with its home grown remedies
and achievements
and progress so far which impressed many participants of the dialogue.
While the three countries - Malaysia, Thailand and Taiwan - adopted different
approaches, it
was stressed that there is a need to focus on the smart partnership approach
for a speedier
recovery from crises.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad, reiterating his "prosper
thy neighbour"
message, stressed that there should not be a "zero sum game". While the
crisis-hit Asian
economies are recovering, it should not be at the expense of other countries
or other regions.
Malaysia, he stressed, would like to see continued prosperity in the US
since the economic
fortunes of Malaysia and many other developing countries are closely linked
with that of the US
economy.
It was recognised and acknowledged that in an increasingly globalised world
there has to be
collaboration and cooperation. This does not mean that developing countries
must continue to be
subjected to unfair treatment and be disadvantaged by the policies of the
developed countries.
The informal setting of the international dialogue in Langkawi may not
attract the attention of the
world media but it nevertheless is important and helps forge links that
go beyond Langkawi and
last much longer than the four days that the leaders and participants spent
on the legendary
island.
Although there are no communiques or lists of recommendations at the end
of the dialogue, the
message from Langkawi is very important. The leaders and participants agreed
upon the need to
work closely, collaborate and to share information and expertise for the
common good.
Having moved beyond defining "smart partnerships", the fourth LID showed
that "smart
partnerships between governments and the private sector can play a catalytic
role in promoting
economic development and accelerating the recovery process".
Even as the links and friendships forged in Langkawi are important, it
might also be worthwhile
to ensure that the message is conveyed to and heard in other international
forums.
The developed countries do not have a monopoly on good and workable ideas.
Developing
countries too have the expertise and a pool of talent that can devise successful
policies that lend
themselves to effective and workable smart partnerships. These "smart ideas"
ought to be shared
with others around the world - in developing and developed countries alike.
HARDEV KAUR