Tertulia Fulbright: Malaysia: The Struggle for Peace, Stability and Development

Dr. Mohd. Yusof Ahmad
Malaysia: The Struggle for Peace, Stability and Development
Lunes, 11 de Septiembre de 2006

En nuestra próxima tertulia del lunes 11 de septiembre, que como ya os hemos dicho será a la hora habitual en la Sala «C» de la Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Industriales de Madrid (calle José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2; ver apartado «Ubicación» en www.etsii.upm.es/inforgen), tendremos el honor de contar con el Excmo. Sr. Embajador de Malasia en Madrid, Dr. Mohd. Yusof Ahmad, que nos hablará (en inglés) sobre:

Malaysia: The Struggle for Peace, Stability and Development

Abstract

Malaysia is a small trading nation comprising two geographical areas separated by the vast South China Sea. Populated by some 25 million people of multi-religious, multi-ethnic, multi-lingual and multi-cultural background, Malaysia today is one example of a developing country committed to the continuing struggle for national progress and development amidst a constantly changing and often hostile regional and international environment. Since independence from Britain in 1957, Malaysia has charted its own progress from primarily a commodity based agricultural economy to become an increasingly industrialized advanced developing state. Born at a time of heightened Cold War tension regionally and confronted with a diverse, complex and often conflicting socio-economic, cultural, ethnic, religious, political and security dynamics domestically, the struggle has not been an easy one. Despite these challenges, Malaysia’s progress thus far has been remarkable. A critical ingredient of this progress must necessarily be the continued prevalence of domestic stability accruing from the blessed combination of committed leaderships, pragmatic policies and a political and economic system which is open and adept to changes in the domestic and regional environment.

The end of the Cold War, rapid advances in communication and information technology and the advent of Globalization have also brought along with them many new challenges. For small trading nations like Malaysia, the task ahead is indeed more daunting. Given its continued overdependence on external trade and new developments in the domestic, regional and international system, which could disrupt national development objectives, Malaysia is thus once again confronted with the task of devising appropriate strategies to cope with these new challenges. The success of this venture will determine whether her struggle to achieve the vision of becoming a fully developed nation by the year 2020 will be realized.

Después de la tertulia iremos, como de costumbre, a cenar al Café Hispano.