Vision 2020 may now become Vision 2025 instead

TOKYO: Tun Dr Mahathir Moha­mad says his once envisioned Vision 2020 might be delayed until 2025.

This (could be achieved) provided that the right policies were in place and Malaysians worked very hard, the Prime Minister said.

Delivering his keynote address at the 24th Nikkei Conference on the Future of Asia, Dr Mahathir said when he stepped down as prime minister back in 2003, he believed that Malaysia could attain developed status by 2020.

“But the policies put in place were changed by the succeeding prime ministers.

“From 2003 to 2018, we found that our policies were not compatible in achieving Vision 2020.

“Even if we work extremely hard, we cannot achieve (it by 2020).

“Maybe (we could achieve it) by 2025 if we adopt the correct policies,” he said, naming the IT and electronic sectors as the new growth industries.

Later at the Japan Press Club, he said the new Bank Negara Governor would be appointed soon.

“Although we have identified the person, we cannot name him or her until we have obtained the approval of the King,” he said during a dialogue.

He later clarified in a statement that the name of the person identified had not been presented to the King for consent.

To a question on the status of the Forest City project in Johor, Dr Mahathir reiterated his stand that it did not qualify as a Foreign Direct Investment.

“FDI does not involve buying plots of land and developing it into townships for foreigners to settle in the country,” he said, adding that Malaysia had the right to deny such entry.

“We will have to deal with this problem if the plan is going ahead.”

Yesterday, Dr Mahathir received courtesy calls from Sumitomo Mitsui Group chief executive officer Takeshi Kuribe, Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean and Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh.