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Chief Secretary’s Welcome Note
Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan Chief Secretary Government of Malaysia
Dear Readers,
Make the next century with Malaysia.
Malaysia–Our story has spanned many journeys, bridged several cultures and turned notable pages of history. Malaysia’s uniqueness is a result of the early influence of Hindu kingdoms in our cultures, the arrival of Islam in the 10th century through Arab merchants, and the interaction with the Dutch, the Portuguese, the Japanese and the British.
Our priority is to make Malaysia a developed country by 2020. We rank very competitively on the Institute of Management Development (IMD) (10th for 2010 IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook [WCY]), the World Economic Forum (26th for 2010 ranking) and the World Bank Ease of Doing Business Rankings (21st for 2010 ranking). Several other global rankings have marked Malaysia as one of the fastest growing economies in Asia and the most attractive for investment, tourism and as a place to live for expatriates.
Malaysia, led predominantly by a Muslim majority population, has been active in addressing issues within the Muslim communities globally: witness our driving role in the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), Islamic Development Bank (IDB), World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) and the Halal and Islamic Finance agendas, to name a few.
Great emphasis is placed on eradicating poverty. Women have equal opportunities as men, irrespective of race, colour or creed. We are probably one of the few countries in the world with so many women in key roles, in both our public and private sectors.
market transparency, driving excellence in service delivery and our role in the wider perspective of social responsibility. Malaysia introduced the Government Transformation Programme (GTP), which sets key national and ministerial performance indicators to ensure greater accountability in government performances. We have introduced the Economic
attractive and large investment areas in several growth sectors like energy and power, information technology, renewable energy, real estate, service industries, finance, agriculture, education and entertainment, to name a few.
Malaysia has successfully overcome several global crises, and our endurance has been credited to our commitment to
market, the fortification of our judiciary, the thriving non-government organisations and our democracy predicate the strengthening of our public institutions. We have notable and strong global brands located here. Malaysia’s Islamic finance sector is one of the most progressive and attractive in the world. Our tourism industry, one of the leading industries in the country, attracts a wide variety of tourists from all over the world. In fact, many people who come here as tourists revisit the country later for business, having seen that Malaysia is truly a land of opportunities.
In a world where investors are spoilt for choice, Malaysia is more than just a great place to do business—it offers an environment for a balanced life.
Ours is a country woven by a rich fabric spanning cultures, traditions, religions and languages; it also offers a safe and
growth nexus is here. Malaysia is moving assuredly towards becoming a developed economy in less than 10 years. I invite you to take this journey with Malaysia as we step into the coming century of economic prosperity!
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