Mahathir and the Asia Pacific Management Forum on Asian Values and International Respect

21st May 1996

Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohomad came out kicking at today's 29th International General Meeting of the Pacific Basin Economic Council in Washington, when delivering a paper on "The Asian Values Debate". Right on the ball, Mahathir referred to the "Asian Values Debate' as being defensive in nature, and then reinforced it by continuing the defence. "It was right and about time that Asia too was accorded the regard and high esteem that was its due" said Mahathir. He went on to say "that there was a belief among many in the West that their values and beliefs were universal; that the advocates and champions of Asian values were merely justifying oppression, dictatorship and uncivilised behaviour". He called for "mutual respect" among nations.

Even though Dr Mahathir , and quite rightly, has to play the diplomatic game, he also knows in his heart of course that calling for respect is far less effective than earning it, and that is certainly what the developed countries of Japan and Singapore for example and the tigers and tiger cubs have done in recent history. Respect only comes with power; "words", in the light of history runs a poor second.

Perhaps even more important is to enhance respect in your own people, and their own values, beliefs and cuture.. (which Dr Mahathir is doing...)

For only with self respect comes respect from others.

Malaysia, Singapore and many other regional economies still informally acknowledge the "superiority" of the West by their actions. Middle class Asians still fall over themselves to send their offspring to "prestigious universities" in the West, who often provide less quality education than the fast improving local providers. Despite limited efforts being made by these institutions to make their educational offerings relevant to Asians, local institutions also have the always superior advantage of providing education in the mileau of the region itself, providing cultural assimilation and local language at the same time. Maybe its about time that parents gave their children an education in the "new world" rather than the "old world". Our own Asia-Pacific Management Discussion Group also discussed recently the need for a "reverse" Colombo plan, where Australians would send their children to Asian universities rather than for Asian parents to send their children to Australia. Predictably the discussion was dominated by Westerners.

The perception that "West is best" pervades still the culture of many ex colonial countries, in several less than obvious ways. An expatriate worker is sometimes paid 4 times, (including benefits). of a local worker who could do the job just as well, and in a more culturally appropriate way. Advertisements for Western products dominate the cities, (though Japanese and Korean products have a substantive presence now). ...And the universal indicator of value in Asia (cool, hard currency), reinforces that Western food is better than local, and Western products are better by placing a premium cost on Western items. It is not only that these items may be more costly because of carriage and import duty. Traders unscrupulously raise their margins to pander to this perception.

In management the story is similar. An understanding of the recent theories and techniques of management will demonstrate that techniques such as "Business Process Engineering" and "Team Management" among many others have been practiced in their root form in the region for many years. The communalist philosophy of team management is surely what Kampung economies were all about until the Westerners colonised the East with what was promoted (and just as incorrectly accepted) as "universal" approaches to business development and productivity. An American system like "Covey's Seven Habits of Successful People" is successfully promoted to all countries in Asian despite the early development and research work being carried out almost exclusively in the US. Covey will attract thousands of people to hear him speak for a couple of hours for the price a local consultant, who knows the problems and opportunities here, will earn in one day. To borrow from Dr Mahathir, it is "about time" that local indigenous management techniques are developed, marketed and used here.

Dr Mahathir is quite correct that it is time for the West to give Asia "due regard and high esteem". Even more timely is for us to give ourselves the same.