THE ultimate aim for transformation is a better life for all – and that includes you – a life which is comparable in quality and material comforts with that of developed countries anywhere in the world.

The Government can do all it wants to get there but if you – the worker, the employer, the entrepreneur, the owner, the investor, the homemaker, the parent, the teacher, the student, and whatever other role you play – if you don’t make your own personal effort to get there, then we are sunk.

Think of it as war. There is one over-riding aim – to win at all costs. The imperative is to galvanise everyone into one single direction – in everything that you do, you must contribute to the war effort.

In one way or the other you contribute towards the war – by being part of the process that produces goods and services, that helps to deploy these at the right places, that prioritises what needs to be done to optimise the limited resources and put them to best use for the overall war effort.

Sustainability

Our aim in transformation is to become a developed country by 2020 while at the same time ensuring that we can do this sustainably and include as much of the populace as possible in the overall effort. Sustainability refers to sensible and prolonged use of resources and developing new ones so that limited resources are not used up prematurely.

To measure whether we are developed or not, we use the World Bank’s per capita income for a developed country and then project this, using the forecast inflation figures to arrive at a figure for 2020, which is US$15,000 per year – that is our true north to steer our efforts towards at all times.

In any attempt to achieve a given target, we must be able to measure it, and this is our measurable target for income per capita that we must achieve if we want to call ourselves developed. That’s the very minimum.

We work backwards from that minimum standard to determine what we need to do to arrive there by 2020. We break down the distance into years that we aim to achieve it.

We determine what we need to do to get there and which are the high-growth areas where we can increase income fastest and we bear in mind sustainability and inclusiveness at all times.

There are many things that need to be done to reach there. We need to focus on certain areas, we need to get productivity up, we need a properly trained workforce, we need entrepreneurs and employers who are enlightened, we need students who will study, we must upgrade our skills, we need education to be good, we need competitiveness in our industries and a 101 or more other things.

But for all of these things to happen, we must all – each and everyone of us, no matter how big or small, whatever our station in life, wherever we are and whatever we do – play our part unflinchingly and become connected with that single purpose that will eventually enrich our lives. That is, to become developed.

Productivity

If you just do what you do better you will already be doing something great, because that in itself will result in an increase in productivity. And if you are an entrepreneur, recognise that improvement in productivity and reward it and seek to give the worker greater opportunities for increasing productivity.

There is a reason why we implemented the minimum wage, we want people to be rewarded for work done. Our wages for labour are low, which does not encourage mechanisation and adopting and adapting technology to improve the output per person.

The enlightened employer and owner will recognise that we must strive for output increases per person because that is what will increase incomes for both worker and employer. That is sustainable. There must be enlightened partnership for this to happen.

If you are a government employee, recognise that you are a facilitator. If you do, then you open up opportunities for others to expand economic output, the government gets more in revenue and you yourself will reap the rewards accordingly.

If you are a private sector employee recognise that your fortunes are tied up with that of your company and do what you can to help your company for only if your company makes money can it give back more to employees.

If you are an employer, entrepreneur or owner, recognise that a better worker is better for you and reward performance. If you don’t he will leave, if not for some company locally, some other one overseas. We must pay well to get good staff, be prepared to invest accordingly.

If you are a parent, take great interest in your child’s education and inculcate in him or her the need to learn for life in the schools. Monitor them closely to see how they are doing and offer every encouragement. After all, education is one of the greatest ways to improved quality of life.

We can have the best schools but if we don’t have students who are motivated to learn it all goes down the drain.

If you are a parent you should also inculcate the right values to your children.

Teach them to be morally upright, to stand up for truth and honesty, to uphold integrity and responsibility in everything to do. That would promote the right kind of behavior among our youth and eventual leaders and reduce crime and corruption in our midst.

Likewise, if you are a spiritual leader of any faith, take time to emphasise to your congregation the universal values which all great faiths promote – to do good for and be kind to your fellow human beings, be just and fair in all your actions at all times and to stand up and be counted against injustice and wickedness.

Apart from that, we all need to have a strong work ethic where we need to give in order to receive and where we can fully expect to be rewarded for our work and to improve our income by working harder and smarter – smarter is just as important as harder.

When we can move as one force towards our true north, without wavering from our goals and targets and focusing on the need to do better and more,and to take care if each other at all times no matter what our station in our life, no matter what our religions or beliefs, no matter what our political ideology or affiliation, I am more than sure we will get there before 2020.

● Datuk Seri Idris Jala is CEO of Pemandu, the Performance Management and Delivery Unit, and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department. Fair and reasonable comments are most welcome at idrisjala@pemandu.gov.my

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