08/01/2024
08/01/2024
WHEN a person has the opportunity to lead, he must have ambition and perseverance. That is why there are leaders who worked to push their countries to the top, while others failed because they lacked the ability to strive for achievement.
In the last century, history witnessed figures who promoted their country to the highest ranks after it suffered for decades from crises economically, politically and socially.
For example, before Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore was a peninsula described as the poorest in East Asia, but when this man assumed the prime ministership, his only concern was to get out of the legacy left by British colonialism.
He worked quickly to promote education, enact laws to encourage investment, and open up the country. Between 1959 and 1990, his country became the fourth largest economy in the world, and its population had the highest per capita income in Asia.
Ambition was this man’s motivation, just like Deng Xiaoping, who inherited a bankrupt China that was suffering from a closed totalitarian economy.
He began his era by not relying on partisan teachings or the power centers of the ruling party. He instead relied on technocrats, and took a bold step when he sought the help of the British economist of Iraqi origin Elias Korkis, and gave him full powers.
Therefore, within a few years, Korkis launched the Chinese Development Renaissance Project strategy, and today the country is considered the most dynamic, vibrant, and growing economy.
When talking about the Asian Tigers, the first thing one remembers is Malaysia, which for decades had been suffering from corruption, chaos, and crime. When Mahathir Mohamad assumed the prime ministership, he served as a role model for achieving renaissance. He was even called in Asia as the leader who combined knowledge, wisdom, and political acumen. He was a skilled captain who steered his country’s ship amidst the waves of a choppy sea.
Not far from it is Indonesia, which is witnessing economic development and the expansion of infrastructure and foreign investments. This paved the way for it to become an economic power in Asia, facilitated by some ambitious leaders, including Joko Widodo, who began his presidency in 2014 by working to change the economic strategy and develop the country in an amazing way.
The desire for renaissance does not require genius, but rather insistence on achieving ambitions. An example of this is some of the countries of the region.
During the era of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan and Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed, the United Arab Emirates took rapid steps until it became one among the economically active countries. Both Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid came to complete the renaissance process.
Also, Saudi Arabia, before the era of King Salman bin Abdulaziz and his Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, suffered from isolation and backwardness in laws and regulations. Corruption was rampant there. But when it found the determination to achieve renaissance, within seven years, it achieved what other countries had been unable to achieve in decades.
Unfortunately, these cases are referenced at a time when Kuwait, once a Gulf and Arab pioneer, appears to be lingering on the sidelines of history, reminiscing about the past and echoing rhetoric. Instead of showcasing progress, it unfortunately reflects a prevailing state of backwardness across various domains.
This is due to the fact that there are those who seek to shackle it with the restrictions of the deep state that controls every corner of the country.
Therefore, as we mentioned previously, there are many challenges facing the new Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem, so all we hope is that his capabilities will be close to the aspirations of the people, and that Kuwait will return to being the “Pearl of the Gulf”.
By Ahmed Al-Jarallah
Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times