Leadership lessons for Malaysia
from Forbes Global CEO Conference.
Forbes Global CEO Conferences is an annual three-day event that is attended by global CEOs, tycoons, entrepreneurs, up-and-comers, capitalists and thought leaders. It was recently held at Kuala Lumpur from 28th September to 30th.
Anyone can attend this event – yes – anybody – as long as you are invited – because this event is strictly by invitation only. 
DigitalRules: The Blog (of Forbes) has some interesting lessons to share from this conference for Malaysia; such as
Datuk Seri Najib’s leadership
Najib is the son of Malaysia’s second prime minister. He is British-educated and took his degrees in industrial economics. Most of Najib’s career has been spent modernizing Malaysia’s military. Najib displayed an easygoing manner that reminds me of Lee Hsien Loong, Singapore’s prime minister. Both men are comfortable in their roles. No surprise, since both are sons of prime ministers.
Malaysia’s biggest challenge
will be the maintenance of social cohesion and peace in a rapidly changing multicultural society. Malaysia is a Muslim majority country in which academic and business success has been achieved disproportionately by ethnic minorities–Chinese, mainly, but also Indians and Brits (Brits??).
Datuk Seri Najib’s action plan
No ethnic conflicts are likely to get better with continued stagnation. Najib also sees that direct foreign investment and ownership, as practiced by neighbor Singapore, spur growth. To that end, Najib has loosened the quota system that has limited foreign ownership.
On Tun Dr. Mahathir leadership / economic / business model
The Mahathir model would not work as well today as it did in ’80s and ’90s simply because growth in China and India will keep the best and brightest Chinese and Indians at home. Najib knows this.
Tun Dr. Mahathir is different from Lee Kwan Yew
Mahathir ruled as a strongman as did his contemporary to the south, former Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kwan Yew. But whereas LKY was internationalist, pro-market and pro-U.S., Mahathir occasionally liked to thumb his nose at all three beliefs. Mahathir reserved his harshest comments for bankers and Jews, whom he regarded as one and the same.
When a Thai attendee who wanted to know why Malaysia could grow palm trees rich with luxury palm oil while the same effort in Thailand produced forest fires; Tun Dr. Mahathir replied
“Rain. It rains here. Have you noticed? We can’t export our rain to you. I’m sorry.”
Read the rest here.
By the way, in Rwanda, entrepreneurs can now start a business in two procedures and three days; while in Malaysia, the process has improve from 45 days previously to 30 days now.
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