Introduction
The country has been pounded by the lead politician with the word ’
TRANSFORMATION’ over the last year or
so. The economic front worldwide is in turbulence and rather unpredictable. The
American economy is wired with confusing messages and unintelligible numbers.
Health care is escalating and inflation is like a ‘run-away train’ with no end
in sight! In the midst of this when economic transformation is discussed as to
how money is to be spent and what needs to be done to achieve the set targets,
I worry what will become of the fundamentals of both life and the ethos of good
governance. I am not sure if it was HG Wells who articulated his message in plain
English as to a ‘the lecturer floundering with exquisite illumination relating
to the irregular and fragmentary nature of creeds we produce’ that I am
reminded of the lack of insight in young professionals I encounter today. They
appear to be content with the doings of the day not caring about the fervent drive
of policy makers to encounter insurmountable problems confronting the world.
The haze is back as if to renew acquaintance having parted a year ago with less
than expressed feeling of annoyance. The
uncertainties are compounded by war and conflict. Some nations spend huge
proportion of their GDP on defense and national security. At a more micro-level
this is translated by household living in housing estates as fending for
oneself (having to fork out some RM 100-500 a month) for the services rendered
by security companies who appear to recruit, largely foreigners!
Transformation
Ivor Chipkin discussed critically about transformation in Southern
Africa ( Transformation: Critical Perspectives on Southern Africa, pp.
31-51/10.1353.2011.0035) where four principles were referred to: to integrate
diverse governments and administrations in a single service, changing the direction of public spending to focus on Black majority, change the demographic
character of the public service to correctly reflect on South Africa’s
population and deburacratize the public service in South Africa. This was after
several decades of submission and unfair governance by White rulers of South
Africa. It is often repeated that the troubles of humanity is not only due to
misunderstanding but due to creed and colour, an incapacity to think, to want
to remain different maintaining that some men have greater intellectual power
than the ordinary, the ruled and the ordinary citizen. In such an environment
any form and discussion are promptly
closed with no recourse to elaboration and understanding. This absolute
conclusion of effectual criticism and comment is assumed to be personal submission
and consent.
Bureaucracy has been the bane of ineffectiveness if it is strictly
applied overriding reason and pragmatism. This is often seen when impotence is
exemplified because the problem cannot be handled by any single party as a
result of delineation of duties by fragmented regional and national divisive
governing bodies. Cross border assimilation for the betterment of governance
must be in place for the transformation concept to be implemented effectively. I
personally have my own beliefs of religion, moral values and life at large but
that matters little as it is said that a majority of men on this earth are all some
form of a philosopher. What my concerns are that mature adults are failing to
come to terms with the rapid changes of society evolution and cultural mores giving in to personal
pleasure and immediate gratification with minimal consideration of how their
actions impact on national aspirations and worldly needs. There is clearly a
need for a capacity to elaborate and discuss discursively questions that arise
in life as to their form and thought. Empathy is said to eliminate objectivity and
appear not inherently present in all actions of life. As an analogy one does
not empathize as to what will happen to the naïve minority share holder in
bursa trading when short selling is permitted. The ultimate aim is to enhance
liquidity in the market!
Globalization
Two words have been haunting
my life over the last two decades, globalization and ‘glocalization’. David
Held and Graham Walls discuss globalization as a process which ‘embodies a
transformation in the spatial organization of social relations and transactions
, expressed in transcontinental or expressed in transcontinental or interregional flows and networks
of activity, interaction and power’. There is a
cross flow of all matters related to social and transactions across borders and
continents. The extensive network of transportation and communication permits
rapid transfer of these processes. This extends from commodities to personal
matters and cultural-religious affairs. The impact is not only severe but
rapid, the velocity of the processes only determined by the mode and media
utilized. The finance system has evolved so quickly that one can transfer
millions of dollars within minutes to most banks overseas. The flow of trade
can be sped with air cargo transfer only limited by the speed of the aircraft
and its ready availability. The magnitude to which globalization is growing is
breath taking. The authors summarily state that globalization is here to stay
and has intensified and facilitated all aspects of trade and life making
world-wide interconnectedness a sign of being a developed nation
Hyperglobalists
Ohmae (1990) introduced the concept of a ‘single
global economy transcending and integrating the world’s economic regions’ and
many terms were introduced as ‘The Hyperglobalists’ and turbo-capitalism. All
this appears to work towards denationalize economies. Do the citizens have a
say and how does this impact on the lives of the people in a nations where
recourse to philosophy and humanity is cherished as the making of a fine
gentleman. Some thinkers of yesteryears often have lamented that the human mind
should consider metaphysical education as a means of living well and
collectively residing as fellow humans. With de-nationalization of strategic economic
activities, we tend to lose sight of the ‘hidden factors’ that makes us human
and humane. Globalization is a means to escape from social regulatory
principles and contribute to a rather irate population who focus on global financial
success and economic power and wealth. The recession that Malaysia suffered in
the 1990s’ was frightening. Most did not what wrong they did- they did not
expect the financial manipulators to control the nation’s ringgit so badly. The
government of the day was perplexed and the citizens were furious. The solution
to this financial crisis by World Bank was not acceptable to the then Prime
Minister. Economic globalization is not about wealth accumulation but will
inevitably affect the sovereignty of nations despite the acceptance of its
philosophies by most political leaders.
The SHIFT World
Just as we are coming to terms with cultural revolution, globalization
and the ‘wired or wireless world’ we are moving to what is called the ‘SHIFT
WORLD’. This term needs to be dwelt with considering we have just started
accepting the term that the ‘world is a global village and globalization is
here to stay’. David Houle in ‘Entering the Shift Age’ rediscovers the shaping
and re-shaping of the world. This would be a continuous process and citizens of
the world need to be moving in tandem if we are not to be left behind. The
shift world is where globalization is integral to national development and
accepted by one and all, but there is a need to focus on the individual too.
What is it that will impact on individuals? I have a an old version of a Nokia hand
phone and when I was trying to text a message the other day attempting this
with two fingers and getting the spelling correct , obviously taking a longer
period than a young adult, a much younger tech-savvy colleague commented that I
should but the new 4 G Samsung phone with a touch pad! I felt rather sheepish
as the texting apparently interfered with the proceedings of the day. In the
Shift Age over lives will inevitably be affected and this will range from how
business is transacted and how technology will affect the environment. The
world will become a more expensive place to live in as both land lines (internet
connection) and hand phones have to be paid for in most households. The TV adds
on packages for us to watch and the subscriptions keep rising as if they is no tomorrow.
Conclusion
There is a need for synthesis of all the effecting forces so as to meet
the needs of citizens who have been living by the rule of conduct and several factors
dictating modern livelihood. Economic transformation is essential but will need
to be ‘glocalized’ so as to ensure the young and old can thrive in crisis and
in peace times in the country. The environment must be congenial for the ingenious
enquirer and those with less than normal capacity. Man has been endowed with exceptional
ethical and moral gifts through religion and family unit dynamics- these need
to be enhanced and engaged in any form of transformation. A collective synthesization
of all factors and forces that has come out of globalization, transformation and
the ‘shift age’ customized to the individual of the country would not eclipse
out the basic human right to live and live well for generations.
Sivalingam Nalliah
27 July 2013
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