Malaysia's Dilemma-Developing country or Developed country

Malaysia and Singapore's planned SEZ (Special Economic Zone) that was announced to be within the ghostly Forest City is indeed a welcomed one, when one City State battles for much needed space while Malaysia fights for much required foreign investments.

Malaysia thinks of itself as an 'ASEAN Tiger' (Says former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir) while even UMNO stalwart Tengku Razaleigh claims that it was never even one.

While powers today such as Anwar's Ministers grapple to even find its own position given that Malaysia had signed many accords while trying to reinvent itself. 

Among many of Malaysia's lost causes is one that baffles me as someone who can see how Malaysia can benefit from Singapore. In recent times, in fact, as far back as 2018 a certain Minister of Environment, Science and Technology Yeo Bee Yin declared an all out 'war' against waste recycling announcing that Malaysia would not be part of the 'worlds garbage' dump. As such Malaysia's ratification of the Basel Convention which it signed in 1992 is now stopping it from benefitting directly from Singapore )among many countries.

How so?

While countries that realise that there are indeed gold among recycling of waste, in particular e-waste, Malaysia's current Environment & Natural Resources Minister chooses to prolong Malaysia's arrogance (or rather stupidity) in NOT realising that the Basel Convention itself has room for such advantages, as some other countries have found in negotiating the accord by recycling e-waste responsibly in line with respecting the environment.

While Malaysia which is still considered a developing country play high and mighty, it is denying industry pioneers from a livelihood that will spearhead a Malaysia-Singapore renaissance of 'Maju Bersama'

Come back for a more detailed deep dive into this and learn about responsibility to the environment that keeps countries that know how to turn in profits from waste, unlike Malaysia's continuance of pushing illegal recyclers that helps line the pockets of authorities.