The government has been talking about upgrading or restructuring of the economy to a value-adding or knowledge-based model which will pay workers higher wages since a long long time ago.
During the last two recessions, ministers have carried out some forms of economic restructuring which was intended to this same purpose.
Why the silence about these economic restructuring as presented by the high powered Economic Restructuring Committees?
If government wants to claim its leaders have all the world-class standards and talents, then the ministers should be talking about the progress in value-adding to all the jobs and new technology start-ups created every year by our million-dollar scholars.
Is there not a senior minister in charge of such upgrading or restructuring or do we have to rely on selling out all our accountant's, lawyer's and doctor's jobs before upgrading or restructuring will happen.
Leadership and talent talk is cheap. The way to prove it is to achieve value-adding jobs for new graduates and retrenched workers who are now unemployed.
No idea how to upgrade the economy of the Jurong Days started by Dr. Goh Keng Swee?
Then ministers should try to learn from Acer's boss Mr. Stanley Shih who was interviewed on CNA sometime ago about his secrets of success in making Acer into an international company excelling in computers.
He told CNA this:-
(1) When he was a young graduate, he had already been thinking about the secret of survival for Taiwanese and his company.
(2) He came to the conclusion that to survive in this competitive world, Taiwan will have to create products wanted by the world and international brand names.
Guided by these two ideals, he managed to build up a very dedicated team in his management who knew what products are wanted by the world and how to create international brand names.
Shouldn't our self-proclaimed world's best ministers have this kind of calibre. They should have a high degree of perception as to what are the products wanted in the world markets and should go about how to create all the necessary incentives and conditions for local businesses to manufacture such products.
They should stop wasting so much monies on souzhou, Bangalore and Russian townships or Shincorp or Optus or on all the concrete arches and 7 wonders.
Leveraging on knowledge about world-wanted products and go into creating conditions to encourage more technology start-ups without any more excuses.
Be more positive in their attitude towards leading the growths of the knowledge-based start-ups.