SPEECH BY YABHG TUN MUSA HITAM,
CHAIRMAN, WIEF FOUNDATION,
AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF
THE 5TH WIEF ROUNDTABLE,
19 MARCH 2012
HOTEL RADISSON, DHAKA BANGLDESH
- H.E. DR HASAN MAHMUD, MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT & FOREST , BANGLADESH,
- H.E. DATO JAMALUDDIN BIN SABEH, HIGH COMMISSIONER OF MALAYSIA
- AMBASSADOR DR MOHSIN, CHAIRMAN, SEACO FOUNDATION, BANGLADESH,
- MR SALAHUDIN KASEM KHAN, CHAIRMAN OF THE ORGANISING COMMITTEE, BANGLADESH AND MEMBER OF THE WIEF INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY PANEL,
- TAN SRI AHMAD FUZI RAZAK, SECRETARY-GENERAL, WIFE FOUNDATION
- SYED NURUL ISLAM, PRESIDENT, BMCCI
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
ASSALAMUALAIKUM AND A VERY GOOD EVENING TO ALL OF YOU.
IT GIVES ME GREAT PLEASURE TO BE BACK IN BANGLADESH AFTER MY LAST VISIT HERE SOME 30 YEARS AGO.
CHANGES NO DOUBT ARE TAKING PLACE IN BANGLADESH, ESPECIALLY DHAKA.
I AM GLAD TO OBSERVE THE CONTINUED SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROGRESS ACHIEVED BY THE COUNTRY IN THE MIDST OF A CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENT WITHIN A ROBUST DEMOCRATIC POLITICAL FRAMEWORK.
WITH A 6 PERCENT GDP GROWTH, BANGLADESH IS STEADILY DEVELOPING ECONOMICALLY WHILST MOVING TOWARDS A MORE MATURED DEMOCRACY.
THAT BANGLADESH HAS SURVIVED AS A NATION SINCE INDEPENDENCE IS A CLEAR TESTIMONY TO THE SHEER DETERMINATION OF ITS PEOPLE IN FACING ALL ODDS, BE IT HUMAN OR NATURAL.
I BELIEVE CREDIT SHOULD BE GIVEN TO ALL THOSE DEDICATED TO ENSURING THE CONTINUED PEACE, STABILITY, PROGRESS AND WELLBEING OF THE COUNTRY AND ITS PEOPLE.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
AS CHAIRMAN OF THE WIEF FOUNDATION, I AM PARTICULARLY HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO BRING TO DHAKA, ONE OF OUR POPULAR PROGRAMMES UNDER THE AMBIT OF THE WIEF ROUNDTABLE.
HAVING SUCCESSFULLY ORGANISED OUR PREVIOUS ROUNDTABLES IN BAHRAIN, TURKEY, RUSSIA AND SOUTH AFRICA WE FEEL THAT IT IS TIMELY TO HOLD IT IN DHAKA AS A WAY OF WIDENING OUR REACH AND NETWORK AND FOR THE BENEFIT OF A WIDER AUDIENCE IN SOUTH ASIA.
IN SAYING SO, I MUST ALSO CONFESS THAT, INSTRUMENTAL IN PERSUADING US TO COME TO DHAKA IS NONE OTHER THAN BROTHER SALAHUDIN, ONE OF THE MOST ACTIVE MEMBERS OF THE WIEF INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY PANEL. INDEED HE HAS BEEN WITH US SINCE ITS VERY INCEPTION.
I WISH TO THANK HIM, AS CHAIRMAN OF THE ORGANISING COMMITTEE IN DHAKA AND MEMBERS OF HIS COMMITTEE;
• OUR CO-ORGANISER, THE SEACO FOUNDATION IN BANGLADESH AND
• OUR SUPPORTERS, THE BANGLADESH FEDERATION OF WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS,
• THE BANGLADESH-MALAYSIA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY AND
• THE MALAYSIAN HIGH COMMISSION IN DHAKA AS WELL AS
• OUR KEY SPONSORS
FOR COLLABORATING CLOSELY WITH THE WIEF PERMANENT SECRETARIAT IN ENSURING THE SUCCESS OF THE ONE-DAY 5TH WIEF ROUNDTABLE SCHEDULED TO BE HELD TOMORROW.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
GOVERNMENTAL SUPPORT HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN IMPORTANT DIMENSION OF THE WIEF. INDEED THE GOVERNMENT OF BANGLADESH, UNDER THE HON’BLE PRIME MINISTER, SHEIKH HASINA WAZED, HAS BEEN A STRONG SUPPORTER OF THE FORUM WHICH SHE PARTICIPATED WHEN IT WAS HELD IN KUWAIT AND MALAYSIA.
I WISH IN THIS REGARD TO RECOGNISE WITH SINCERE APPRECIATION THE GRACIOUS PRESENCE AMONGST US THIS EVENING OF H.E. DR HASAN MAHMUD, THE MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT AND FOREST OF BANGLADESH. WE ARE INDEED GRATEFUL TO HIM FOR AGREEING TO DELIVER A KEYNOTE ADDRESS AND TO OFFICIALLY OPEN THE 5TH WIEF ROUNDTABLE AS A GESTURE OF SUPPORT AND COOPERATION OF THE GOVERNMENT OF BANGLADESH.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
THE MUSLIM WORLD TODAY CONTINUES TO FACE NUMEROUS CHALLENGES. WE ARE LITERARILY AT THE LOWEST EBB OF THE CYCLE. TO REPEATEDLY BELABOUR THE MUCH PUBLICISED AND TALKED ABOUT NEGATIVE IMAGE CURRENTLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE MUSLIM WORLD IS LIKE WHIPPING A DEAD HORSE. PESSIMISM AND A GENERALLY GLOOMY OUTLOOK APPEAR TO PREVAIL TO THE EXTENT THAT VERY LITTLE HOPE IS GIVEN TO THE RETURN OF THE GLORY OF ISLAM AND MUSLIM COUNTRIES IN THE MODERN WORLD.
SUCH IS OUR COMMON FATE. WE ARE SEEN TO BE STILL CRAWLING WHEN OTHERS ARE ALREADY WAY AHEAD OF US. NO MUSLIM COUNTRY CAN CLAIM TO BE A DEVELOPED COUNTRY NOTWITHSTANDING SOME MEASURE OF ECONOMIC PROGRESS ACHIEVED BY SOME INDIVIDUAL MUSLIM COUNTRIES. AND COLLECTIVELY WE ARE IN NO POSITION TO PLAY A LEADING ROLE IN THE WORLD, POLITICALLY, ECONOMICALLY, TECHNOLOGICALLY OR MILITARILY. TO MANY OF US THE FUTURE CAN BE BLEAK INDEED.
HAVING SAID THAT, I AM NOT ENTIRELY A PESSIMIST, BUT NOR AM I AN OPTIMIST. I WOULD PREFER TO CHARACTERISE MYSELF AS MORE OF A PESSIMISTIC OPTIMIST IF THAT IS AT ALL POSSIBLE!
IT WAS ESSENTIALLY WITH THE INTEREST AND WELL-BEING OF THE MUSLIM UMMAH IN MIND THAT THE WIEF WAS CONCEIVED IN 2004 WITH THE FIRST FORUM HELD IN KUALA LUMPUR IN 2005.
OUR AIM AT THE WIEF FOUNDATION IS TO DO SOMETHING POSITIVE FOR THE UMMAH. TO PROVIDE A PLATFORM FOR INTERACTIVE DIALOGUES AND NETWORKING ON RELEVANT ECONOMIC ISSUES OF CONCERN TO MUSLIM COUNTRIES. TO BUILD BRIDGES THROUGH BUSINESS. IF POSSIBLE, TO PROMOTE CONCRETE BUSINESS DEALS. AND PERHAPS, MORE IMPORTANTLY, TO PROVIDE SPACE AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN AND THE YOUNG TO DEVELOP THEIR TALENTS AND POTENTIALS TO BE SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEURS AND BUSINESS LEADERS.
ALHAMDULLILAH, SLOWLY BUT SURELY, WE HAVE MADE STEADY PROGRESS. THE WIEF IS FAST BEGINNING TO MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT. I AM PROUD TO SAY THAT WE ARE INCREASINGLY ALSO MAKING OUR PRESENCE FELT AS TO BE INCREASINGLY RECOGNISED AS A CREDIBLE BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC RELATED GLOBAL PLATFORM. IT IS FOR THIS REASON THE FORUM IS OPEN TO ALL.
WHILST THE ANNUAL WIEF FORUM REMAINS OUR CORE EVENT, THE WIEF ROUNDTABLE TOMORROW, MARKS YET ANOTHER IMPORTANT EVENT IN THE CALENDAR OF PROGRAMMES AND ACTIVITIES OF THE WIEF FOR 2012.
WE HAVE IDENTIFIED THE CORE ISSUES FOR DISCUSSION WHICH WE BELIEVE WOULD BE RELEVANT FOR BANGLADESH AND THE SOUTH ASIA REGION.
I HOPE THE ROUNDTABLE WOULD FOCUS SPECIFICALLY ON;
- HOW TO MOVE FORWARD WITH REGIONAL COOPERATION TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE
- HOW TO DEVELOP ISLAMIC MICRO FINANCE AS AN INSTRUMENT FOR POVERTY ALLEVIATION
- AND HOW TO CREATE WORLD CLASS INSTITUTIONS FOR PRIVATE HIGHER EDUCATION THROUGH REGIONAL COOPERATION
THESE ISSUES ARE OF COURSE NOT NECESSARILY EXHAUSTIVE OR SUFFICIENT IN ADDRESSING OUR COMMON CHALLENGES. NOR ARE THEY ENTIRELY NEW AS TOPICAL CURRENT ISSUES FOR GOVERNMENTAL POLICY CONSIDERATION, ACADEMIC RESEARCH OR PUBLIC AND MEDIA DISCOURSE.
BUT HOPEFULLY, PROVIDING A PLATFORM FOR DISCUSSION ON THESE ISSUES WOULD HELP COMPLEMENT THOSE ALREADY UNDERTAKEN ELSEWHERE AND AT DIFFERENT LEVELS NOT ONLY IN DHAKA BUT OTHER COUNTRIES IN THE REGION. AND WHAT PERHAPS IS MORE SIGNIFICANT IS HOW TO TRANSLATE THE OUTCOME OF THE DISCUSSION INTO RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CONCRETE FOLLOW UP ACTION THROUGH EFFECTIVE PUBLIC-PRIVATE SECTOR COLLABORATION.
IN THIS REGARD, I AM PLEASED TO A SEE THE PRESENCE THIS EVENING OF THE DELEGATION FROM THE MALAYSIA EXTERNAL TRADE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, REPRESENTING, I UNDERSTAND, 13 MALAYSIAN COMPANIES. WE WELCOME THEIR VISIT HERE TO COINCIDE WITH THE HOLDING OF THE WIEF ROUNDTABLE IN DHAKA.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
IT IS MY SINCERE HOPE THAT THIS ROUNDTABLE WOULD ALLOW YOU TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE WIEF ITSELF, INCLUDING OUR ANNUAL FORUM. I WISH TO ANNOUNCE THAT OUR NEXT FORUM, THE 8TH, IS SCHEDULED TO BE HELD IN MALAYSIA AT THE END OF THIS YEAR INSHAALLAH.
IN MAKING THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, LET ME ALSO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO REQUEST YOU TO TAKE NOTE OF THE HOLDING OF THIS MAJOR EVENT IN MALAYSIA WITH A VIEW TO ATTENDING THE FORUM.
WE LOOK FORWARD EVENTUALLY TO WELCOMING YOU ALL TO MALAYSIA.
THANK YOU AND WABILLAHI TAUFIK WAL HIDAYAH WASSALAMUALAIKUM WARAHMATULLAHI WABARAKATUH.