DR ZAMBRY'S SPEECH IN BUSAN, KOREA

Here are the acceptance speech by Dato' Seri Dr. Zambry Abd Kadir on the conferment of the Honorary Doctorate Degree in Fisheries Science by Pukyong National University, Busan, Republic of Korea on 29th July 2010.

"I stand here today, grateful for the conferment, humbled by the prestige recognition and mindful of the sacrifices of fishermen. I thank the Pukyong National University for the generosity shown in awarding a son of fishermen beyond Korean shores.

Like millions of sons of fishermen, I grew up with stories of poverty and hardship. I was the eldest in my family, in a small island, Pangkor, where my parents lived and received minimal education. However, my parents were determined to see that I received proper education and it was their determination that made me what I am today. My mother’s dream was that I’d be a teacher, which at that time was considered the highest achievement or else, a townboard sweeper as it was the only way out of the cycle of poverty.
I knew back then, that one day I would have to come back with a strong political determination and will to change the lives of the people. Of course education is always the answer to poverty. And I must confess that I am one of the most fortunate son of fishermen to be given an opportunity to study in a university.  Never in a million years did I think I would go to the United States, much less to pursue a Ph.D and return home with distinction.

And today; this conferment of Honorary Doctorate from Pukyong National University is a testimony to the aspirations, struggles, commitment and my responsibilities as a child to his parents, and as a man to his family, colleagues and society. It is a salutation of the human spirit and endeavors.

Besides the academic credential that is bestowed upon me, this award also carries along the symbol of friendship and the noble hope towards a more meaningful collaboration especially in the field of education and training for the betterment of human capital, between the two great nations i.e. Malaysia and South Korea. And this underlies my hope that Malaysia and South Korea can engage in various activities at different levels to achieve mutual benefit and shared goals. And with this I humbly accept this honorary doctorate.

Distinguished Guests, Ladies and gentlemen;

As I was born and raised on an island, amidst fishermen families,  this had in one way or another molded and shaped my world view of life and ideas. 

The slamming of the gigantic surging waves that pummeled the island during the monsoon, taught me about the challenging natural phenomena, and more than that, educated me on how to survive in the middle of these strenuous and challenging moments. 

Sometimes the sky would darken, black clouds emerged seemingly from nowhere, and the storm suddenly punishes the innocent island. Pangkor is just a small island in the Straits of Malacca, where could I hide? Where could I go ?.  We were after all, islanders.  I neither hid nor ran away, as within those natural phenomenon; there were also the promising phenomena of humanity. 

Right there were my parents, peers and most importantly, hopes and endeavors.  And more so, this ambition to succeed burned in me vehemently, a flame that refused burn-out.

As a son from a poor family, my education in Malaysia was paid for, by the Malaysian Government, from primary school right up to the formative years of my secondary school.

Subsequently, I left the island to pursue my tertiary studies. And this allowed me to view the island from a different perspective and dimension, giving credence and meaning to the term “socio economy”. 

During the schooling days, being awakened daily by the rumble of the engines from the fishermen’s boats, it always reminded me that uplifting one’s livelihood was never an easy task, it required toil and diligent effort, punishing sweat and tears. 

The experience of fishing in the open seas inspired me to be friendlier to these challenging elements. The sea was in essence my life and my world. 

I strongly realized that more must be done to uplift the fishermen’s livelihood.  Later, in a small way, as a student activist and writer, I became a voice to bridge over their problems and grouses. Awestricken by their predicament, my bachelor degree in economics thesis was largely about the fishing economy, and issues that the fishermen faced continuously.

I am very much influenced by the concept of “economy of the poor”, a thesis that is really close to my heart.

Distinguished Guests, Ladies and gentlemen;

My experience taught me that education is the mightiest weapon against poverty, so very true in my case. I must register my highest regard to the Malaysian Government and its policy of education democratization that enabled a fishermen’s son education from primary to secondary, from tertiary to the pinnacle of postgraduate studies.

Reflective of changing dynamics of time and needs, the Malaysian Education policy has been reviewed and revised several times since our independence in August 1957. However, in all the reviews one main theme remained; that is to further enhance the democratization of education’s policy to enable better accesibility and affordability to education, and to strike a just balance of opportunity between the rural and the urban areas, the haves and the have-nots.

Further, it also stressed on the importance to develop individuals who are responsible and capable of achieving high level of personal well-being as well as being able to contribute to the harmony and betterment of the family, the society and the nation at large. I do believe the poor in Malaysia benefits from this strategic thrust.

I must confess, that in the absence of such noble education policy of the Malaysian Government, which facilitated my own academic journey, most likely I would have inherited my father’s profession and the challenges associated with it, and possibly it will continue as a trans-generational endeavor.

This education policy surely enhanced the social justice based on equity distribution of opportunities and I am a living proof of that and so are the many Malaysians who have moved to greater heights. It is here again I am touched by the visionary Prime Minister Najib Razak, who has paved the path in spearheading a transformatiomal leadreship model. It is he who resonates the voice of hope that ordinary people can still do and achieve extraordinary heights. In his wisdom and far sightedness, he chose the son of a fishermen to lead and navigate the State of Perak, the most challenging task to do, given the recent political history.

Distinguished guest, ladies and gentlemen;

On a more global front, I strongly believe, building a peaceful and prosperous global society must be anchored in an educated citizenry in all corners of the world.  If we are to solve global socio-economic problems, if we are to succeed in the highly competitive and increasingly integrated world markets, if we are to profit from the amazing new technologies and sciences, if we are to resolve regional and global conflicts, then we must give the highest priority to investment in the human mind as the best way to modify human behavior and attitudes.

We must give the highest priority to disseminating knowledge and applying it to advance human welfare; then we can produce the resources to abolish the disease, the hunger, the illiteracy and insecurity that still blight the lives of millions. The continuous disparities in skills and educational resources contribute to the persistent wider imbalances between nations; successful development around the world requires that these disparities be reduced or altogether eradicated.

Malaysia and South Korea play major roles in world affairs and it is our duty to enhance our mutual cooperation and understanding in all areas. We share in your optimism that this reservoir of good will between our two countries will lead to many cooperative initiatives in the future.

Back home, our strategy in building and maintaining the quality of education system is to set high standards for ourselves and for our students. At every level, our educational programs aim to provide a broad base of knowledge, understanding and analytical capability and to prepare students to become leaders and innovators.

Ladies and gentlemen; 
Knowing that your city, Busan, is the leading port city in Korea, I immediately contemplated forming a sister city affiliation with my own constituency of Lumut, which is itself a leading maritime port in our country, off the Straits of Malacca. While looking into this possibility, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Busan had already formed sister city ties with another Malaysian port city, that of Kuching on the island of Borneo in the State of Sarawak. 

Notwithstanding that happy coincidence, I would like to invite you to come to our own port city and State. There are several places of interests in Perak, such as its capital, Ipoh, and historical city, Taiping, as old as Amazon Jungle if not more, Belum Forest and scenic Pangkor Island..

Historically, our State was a leading centre for mining tin, quarry, and other valuable metals and minerals. These activities have subsided from their peak and, as leaders, our vision for the future is to utilize technology and intellect to develop eco-systems that can co-exist and grow in a sustainable way.

As your President, Dr Park, has himself noted, the 21st century requires future leaders who will create a richer world in which humans and nature can live together in a state of harmony.  

This common shared belief between PKNU and the State of Perak will undoubtedly create opportunities for us to interact. And I would like to seize this unique opportunity to invite Pukyong National University to spread its academic wings, by establishing a branch campus specializing in Aquaculture, Marine and Fishery Sciences Program in Perak, Malaysia. Perak State will provide such incentives and facilitations that are necessary to realize this objective. 

Given the fact that PKNU is ranked number 1 in Marine Sciences in South Korea and given the fact that 90% of marine tankers and ships in South Korea has the alumnus of PKNU as their Captains or Masters (as they call in the shipping world), Perak and Malaysia will certainly gain immensely from PKNU’s presence in Perak. 

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen; 
It is also commendable that PKNU, under Dr. Park’s Presidency, has developed a unique and specialized curriculum of “green growth” studies in which the protection of the earth's environment and life is emphasized.

Surely we can share resources to create value in sustainable and innovative eco-systems that will benefit South Korea and Malaysia at various levels. 

For example, there can be increased student and staff mobility between universities in South Korea and Malaysia engaging in innovative projects in various areas of academia. In Perak we have the famous Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) or Petronas Technology University, which is a subsidiary of our national oil and energy company, Petronas. UTP offers a wide range of technology and engineering programs, with a strong focus on research and development activities. Both Universities, PKNU and UTP, can bring their own complementary expertise to explore areas of importance such as sustainability and innovative technology. 

Our ties, formed on auspicious occasions such as today, will create a shared platform for ideas and commitment for collaborations. Our role, as leaders, is to encourage, support, and facilitate such interaction.

 

South Korea is known the world over for its innovative technology. South Korean companies have become world leaders and household names. And South Korean people are known for their legendary work ethic and discipline. We, the Malaysian people, have much to gain from our shared interaction. And we also hope to return some knowledge in the process.  

Leading South Korean companies such as Samsung, Daewooo and LG have long provided scholarships and fellowships for higher degrees and joint research projects. We will also encourage leading Malaysian companies to do the same. 

In the creative industries, Korea has become a case study for the entertainment industry with its emergence on the world scale in cross-over feature films, 3D animation, motion capture animation and on-line gaming.

Busan, which is famous for the Pusan International Film Festival, is an inspiration for us as we launch our own Creative Content Resource Centre, which will aim to educate practical professionals in film, television and the fast-growing animation industry, thereby helping form crucial links in the eco-system that will support it in its infancy. We will look to South Korean companies that are leaders in this space to help us as we grow our presence in this high-value knowledge industry.

Indeed, the investments in Malaysia by South Korean companies --- whether in the high technology, contracting or service industries --- have played no small role in developing Malaysia as a modern, progressive and upper middle income nation within the span of a decade. Malaysia is indeed appreciative of South Korea's participation in Malaysia's progress and development over the years. 

Today, South Korea can play a pivotal role in helping Malaysia's transformation from an industrial economy to an innovation economy. I have no doubt future collaborations will take our relationship to new heights. 

I would like to borrow from my host city its wonderful motto, “Dynamic Busan”, and apply it to our own efforts in the State of Perak as we strive to better our citizens and our environment for ourselves, for our country, and also for our gracious neighbors such as yourselves who have been so kind to me on this day.

Distinguished guest, ladies and gentlemen; 

The honorary doctorate I have received today from Pukyong National University makes me feel a little bit Korean. All my children have great affinity to South Korea. My soccer-playing son Munir, impressed with South Korean football exploits in the world scene, came to Seoul to attend leadership camp early this year and has a foster family that includes foster brother Mr. Ko Kun and the foster mother Madam Kim Dae Yoen who lives in Ssangyong Apartments, Ilsan-Dong. My three daughters Shifa, Huda and Husna, despite not being in the South Korean shores, amazingly loves the many Korean TV miniseries or drama like Cinderella Sisters while bands like Big Bang, Super Juniors attracts them. Hence the affinity is almost natural. 

The conferment of this honorary degree on fisheries science, in a sense, is an unexpected invitation of the memory of my formative years on the island, and nevertheless struck the right chords within me.  

I wish you all the best, and would like to thank you for the gift of these new Korean roots. It has indeed touched me today that will surely engender Touching Tomorrow, consistent with PKNU’s own Touching Tomorrow drive. 

I have covered so much, but none could have been achieved without the sacrifice and endurance of my beloved mother, Madam Badru.  This momentous occasion is also a tribute to her and what she had stood for.   

And with a deep sense of humility, and on behalf of my wife Saripah Binti  Zulkifli, and my family, I would like to say “gamsa hamnida” which in the Malay Language means “terima kasih banyak-banyak”, or “thank you very much”.

Again, thank you Sir.