21st Century Malaysia: Challenges & Strategies in Attaining Vision 2020

Malaysia has come a long way from its colonial roots that saw the country languishing in the economic backwaters upon independence in 1957. The fledgling country had to learn how to build a nation that could stand tall in the eyes of the world. Today, at the dawn of the 21st century, Malaysia has carved a name for itself among the peoples and nations of the world. These are days of reckoning. Never before has Malaysia encountered a host of endless challenges at the dawn of a new century. Malaysia's transformation from an obscure nation to a rapidly industrializing nation that thrives on national unity, racial harmony, economic aspirations, political maturity, and social prosperity is remarkable.

However, there are still many challenges Malaysia will have to face as the new century is arguably different from the previous one. The wave of globalization, the liberalization of markets and industries, the advent of information and communications technologies, the new paradigm of knowledge economy, and a maturing society in terms of political and social sophistication provide opportunities and challenges for the nation. Malaysia and its people cannot afford to be complacent. The Malaysian government has thus formulated various policies and programmes to achieve Vision 2020. Besides offering an excellent overview of Malaysia in the 21st Century, this book also looks at the many challenges the nation will have to embrace, the government's strategies to propel the nation forward, and the private sector's initiatives towards releasing common goals.