[kictanet] Malaysia/Policy Clarifications

[Eric M.K Osiakwan]

Well said Bwana Ndemo,

If others can learn from us and advance their cause then we can too,  
Africa CAN.

I believe alot in the champion approach which is that if one country  
gets it right, the others would follow and i may be wrong but am  
strongly convinced that Kenya has the mantle in our time to shoot off  
and stand tall for all other African countries to follow. I pray  
Kenya does not disappoint destiny.

Eric here


On 10 Oct 2008, at 21:10, bitange at jambo.co.ke wrote:

> Dear Eric,
> Thanks for your comments.  The current Malaysian Prime Minister was  
> among
> the delegation in 1972 that came to Kenya and other African  
> countries to
> learn the magic of growing an economy at rate of 7%.  They were  
> shocked to
> visit cities in Africa that had no shanties.  They grabbled with  
> the issue
> of poverty, disease and ignorance.  The poverty level here is at 3%  
> and
> every Malaysian has a house.  Their ICT corridor is 70Km long and  
> 30 Km
> wide.  They are now working on a biotechnology corridor which shall be
> even bigger than the ICT one.
>
> In meetings to chart the way forward on these projects, the  
> attendance is
> greater than 95%.  Contrast this with our Africa.  We call meetings to
> discuss policy and you hadly see anybody but when it comes to  
> criticism
> everybody has something to say.  More often in the negative.  A good
> example is the policy proposals that I have made here.  Peterson is
> already criticizing and saying the Government should ... strike a  
> balance.
>  Should we be asking where our problems are?  We are simply too
> argumentative and have fallen flat on our bellies when it comes to
> responsibility.
>
> We do not need to reinvent the wheel, we simply have to learn what the
> Newly Industrialized Countries (NICs) did.  They allowed the MNCs but
> ensured that components were manufactured locally.  The backward and
> forward linkages enabled them to develop sufficient confidence to  
> go it
> alone.  The assembly of Motor Vehicle industry in Kenya had  
> attained 60%
> local content before it slid.  In 1985 we attempted to make a local  
> car,
> Nyayo.  Incidentally, that is the same year the Malaysians started  
> their
> Proton.  The initial production both in Malaysia and Kenya were so
> expensive that we ridiculed our Nyayo car to oblivion.  Malaysians  
> on the
> other hand knew they had a learning curve to go through in order  
> cut the
> cost.  Today we import the Protons to Kenya.  Our technicians from  
> General
> Motors helped India with the Tata and Mahindra but we still have  
> not quite
> gotten it correct.  I have always wondered whether God made us  
> perpetual
> pessimists?
>
> Had we trusted ourselves even by a tinge, we could very easily be
> competing with Japanese or better.  The situation is not getting any
> better since it is common to see 40 year old men living with their
> parents.  Are we really creating independent minded Kenyans who can  
> change
> this country or Africa for that matter?  These are the people who make
> comments on subjects they have no idea in.
>
>
> Eric I worry a lot for our continent.  Per harps I shouldn't.
>
> Regards
>
>
> Ndemo.
>
>
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>

Eric M.K Osiakwan
ICT Integrator
Internet Research
www.internetresearch.com.gh
emko at internetresearch.com.gh
42 Ring Road Central, Accra-North
Tel: +233.21.258800 ext 2031
Fax: +233.21.258811
Cell: +233.24.4386792



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