Abdullah: 2057 Is About Heights To Which Malaysians Will Scale

KUALA LUMPUR, June 14 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi tonight called on Malaysians to prepare for the future by striving to achieve excellence, distinguishing themselves in all fields and scale unprecedented heights in the next 50 years.
While they have come a long way since Merdeka, Abdullah challenged the people to "gaze into our future (and) set dreams and aspirations that may seem unattainable today but will be within the grasp of our centennial generation."
If Vision 2020 identified nine challenges that are about creating a united, democratic, ethical, tolerant, scientific and prosperous society, 2057 must be about the road to excellence, he stressed.
If 2020 is about the foundation of a developed nation, 2057 is about what it takes "to distinguish ourselves" in all fields.
"If 2020 is about the kind of people we will be, 2057 is about the heights to which our people will scale," he said in his address "Looking Back, Forging Ahead: 50 Years of Business in Malaysia" at the Kuala Lumpur Business Club dinner here.
On his rally cry of "Cemerlang, Gemilang, Terbilang" (Excellence, Glory, Distinction), Abdullah said it is an approach that could propel Malaysia forward.
"I have always said Cemerlang, Gemilang, Terbilang. I have said it so often to the point where maybe people are bored of it but to me it brings a lot of meaning for the future of this country. It represents a philosophy where the present is not enough.
"It is an approach that can propel us forward, again and again, generation after generation, as we create added value, foster innovation, generate knowledge, never once looking behind or stepping back.
"This is the spirit that informs of the five thrusts of the national mission. And the same spirit guides my dreams for 2057," Abdullah said.
"This is what I mean by Terbilang; 100 years of independence, 100 years of advancement."
Abdullah said 100 years of Merdeka would see "this society, this nation" achieve the unimaginable.
Abdullah outlined the Malaysia that is in his dream for 2057:
* We will have nobel laureates, truly global corporations, respected and market-leading brands, internationally acclaimed poets and artists, among the largest number of scientific patents in the world, some of the best sportspersons on the planet - dare I even say the best football team in Asia.
* Our students and professors will dominate Ivy League universities and our own universities will be citadels of excellence for international scholars.
* We will be pioneers in alternative energy, drawing on our strength in biofuels.
* Our cities will be the most livable in the globe, blending cosmopolitan facilities that are rooted in our tolerant and just societal ethos.
* We will have managed to successfully find our place in this world.
* The rise of regional economic powers will not have left us in oblivion, but motivated us to find our competitive advantage and lead in many strategic industries.
* We will become a true logistics hub, the undisputed Islamic financial centre, and the global reference point for biotechnology and modern agriculture.

tunku : i guess we should achive all what pak lah has outlined by 2020. this is another attempt to make himself look good when there's already a vision set by his predecessor.focus on vision 2020 first and make it a reality first.do we have to wait another 50years to achieve all these when others already achieving it? do we want our football team to be best in asia another 50years? that means we have to wait at least 20 years more for our footballers to born into this world.there's no meaning of progress if our economy control by foreigners.wake up pak lah and speed things up.