OF late, things foreign have begun to attract our attention.                                                                                          
Articles that deprecated Malaysia in the foreign press have                                                                                           
generated bad publicity for the country.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                      
Both the Government and the public have become accustomed to                                                                                          
Malaysia making the lists of some new indices or surveys                                                                                              
conducted by respectable foreign organisations.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                      
The problem with such exercises is that despite Malaysia's                                                                                            
enviable economic achievements, somehow the country has never                                                                                         
made made the grade in whatever classifications or criteria                                                                                           
drawn up by these organisations.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                                      
Malaysia's achievements have always been faulted. For several                                                                                         
years, our position in the Human Development Index (put                                                                                               
together by a United Nations agency) has always been low                                                                                              
compared to other countries, which are very much worse off.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                                      
Similarly, in the annual Human Rights Survey executed by a US                                                                                         
government agency, Malaysia occupied a position that did not                                                                                          
reflect the true situation pertaining to the issue in                                                                                                 
question.                                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                      
Most recently, another result of an international survey, this                                                                                        
time on corruption, was released by a Berlin-based group                                                                                              
believed to be funded by British and US business interests.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                                      
While Malaysia was excluded from the list of the "most                                                                                           
corrupt" countries, it stands at number 23 in the full list                                                                                      
that has New Zealand at the "least corrupt" position.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                      
It actually does not matter where Malaysia stands in such a                                                                                           
list, or any other future lists. What is important is that we                                                                                         
have made the list, and this indicates that we are being                                                                                              
noticed by the rest of the world.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                                      
Talking about being given a section look, we note that                                                                                                
Malaysia has been able to chalk up some impressive results. We                                                                                        
will soon take over the chairmanship of the United Nations                                                                                            
General Assembly.                                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                                      
We are also in the Human Rights Commission, in efforts to                                                                                             
rebuild and reconstruct Bosnia-Herzegovina, in the lead in                                                                                            
linking up Singapore and Kunming in China by rail, and being                                                                                          
given an important role in the revived Mekong Development                                                                                             
Project.                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                      
The Malaysian Technical Co-operation Programme . has reached                                                                                          
out to many other developing countries as well as the South.                                                                                          
Malaysian investors have been active in Cambodia, Papua New                                                                                           
Guinea and South Africa.                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                      
Revelling in foreign affairs has been a natural phenomenon in                                                                                         
Malaysia's history. Apart from getting noticed, Malaysia has                                                                                          
reaped benefits from the contacts and networking being                                                                                                
established throughout these years. In fact, the foreign                                                                                              
factor in our development has been quite remarkable.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                                      
Take education, for example. The bulk of our students are                                                                                             
still going to universities and colleges in foreign countries.                                                                                        
Post-graduate education has formed a big part of all                                                                                                  
governments support for sometime now.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                      
Some have spoken that with the policy of allowing the setting                                                                                         
up of branches of foreign universities, the trend is going to                                                                                         
be-reversed.  But as many also remarked, the reality is that                                                                                          
going abroad to study will still be a popular choice for many.                                                                                        
The lure of things foreign will still remain attractive.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                      
Malaysia's economic development is next. Three foreign                                                                                                
elements have combined to give us the status that we now have.                                                                                        
Without direct foreign investments, we could not have joined                                                                                          
the East Asian miracle.  Our "friendly" foreign policies have                                                                               
brought us support and encouragement. The other two elements                                                                                          
are foreign workers and foreign imports.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                      
Direct foreign investments: Malaysia's investment climate has                                                                                         
continued to draw foreign interests. Our laws and regulations                                                                                         
are about the most flexible anywhere.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                      
Countries that top the list of foreign investors include                                                                                              
Japan,- Singapore, Britain and the United States. Of                                                                                                  
importance today is our intention to increase the size of our                                                                                         
domestic investments and cut down our dependence on foreign                                                                                           
investors.                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                                      
The aim is to increase the value added component in our                                                                                               
manufacturing industry and to encourage the transfer of                                                                                               
technology and enhance R&D.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                      
There are fears that with the new economic order emerging, the                                                                                        
amount of available direct foreign investments will soon be                                                                                           
reduced Then again, the developed countries are in the habit                                                                                          
of tying up, their investments to other extraneous items                                                                                              
such-as the social clauses, environment record and human                                                                                              
rights evidence which in the long run will further restrict                                                                                           
trade.                                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                                      
Foreign workers: Malaysia Will remain a foreign-worker country                                                                                        
for many more years.This factor cannot be pushed away if web;                                                                                         
are to.  maintain our. present eco nomic growth and                                                                                                   
prosperity.                                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                                      
The case in point here is the attendant social problems that                                                                                          
have surfaced as a result of the influx of foreign workers.                                                                                           
Housing, education and medical woes are piling up, and these                                                                                          
require instant action.                                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                                      
These problems are further compounded by the large number of                                                                                          
foreign workers whom have entered the country illegally. The                                                                                          
Government has taken measures to overcome this problem: by                                                                                            
appointing agents, regularising the issuing of permits and                                                                                            
negotiating government-to-government agreements on the entry                                                                                          
of foreign workers.                                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                                      
The Government has realised that something has to be done to                                                                                          
prevent over-dependence on foreign labour. One way out of this                                                                                        
dilemma is to extend the retirement age and increase the range                                                                                        
of skills training for workers to make them more marketable.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                                      
Alternatively, to establish evening classes for adults to                                                                                             
acquire as many different skills as possible.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                      
Foreign imports: In moving from an agro-based to an industrial                                                                                        
based economy, Malaysia requires a lot of equipment and                                                                                               
machinery to develop the industries. This has fuelled a huge                                                                                          
deficit in the country's trade balance.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                                      
It was reported that last year, the figure stood at RM9.2                                                                                             
billion, compared to RM2 billion in 1994. But towards the end                                                                                         
of last year the figure had been very much reduced.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                                      
In any case the Government had declared that the deficit would                                                                                        
run for a number of years still, because of the demand in the                                                                                         
development of infrastructure and essential services.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                      
Aware of the impact this trend may have on the domestic econo                                                                                         
my, the Government has also instituted measures to tighten                                                                                            
local spending and mobilise domestic savings.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                      
There are of course other ways to overcome the problem. We                                                                                            
could try, for instance, to reuse or recondition old equipment                                                                                        
and machinery.  They need not be written off for mere junk.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                                      
We could also spend money on second-hand items. Unfortunately                                                                                         
the one habit that most developers and consultants have never                                                                                         
given up is that of including new items on the shopping list                                                                                          
almost immediately upon the signing of a contract. This will                                                                                          
naturally add on to the costing of the project.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                      
An additional point to note is that Malaysians can never get                                                                                          
rid of the "foreign is numero uno" syndrome.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                                      
We will always value the opinions of foreign experts more than                                                                                        
our own. We will go for foreign consultants than the                                                                                                  
home-grown. In the end, even to make it into profes sional                                                                                            
soccer, our teams have to hire foreign players and coaches                                                                                            
whom to our horror do not perform that well anyway. Again, so                                                                                         
much money has gone down the drain.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                                      
In other instances this fascination with things foreign take                                                                                          
on extreme proportions. French names are given to nondescript                                                                                         
restaurants and eating-places, even shops selling bath items.                                                                                         
Everything is either "Cafe something?' or Le something."                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                                      
As Malaysia joins the ranks of developed countries, the                                                                                               
foreign elements in our lives will grow and Malaysians are                                                                                            
expected to understand this development and become aware of                                                                                           
its ringgit-and-sen implications to both people and country.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                                      
Foreigners too, will find it exciting to understand why                                                                                               
Malaysians are queuing up to listen to one management guru                                                                                            
after another-that, too, after paying through their noses. The                                                                                        
money could be better spent on supporting our homegrown                                                                                               
experts.