Vision 2020, is it really extremely expensive? – Faridzul Nasaruddin

When I was a kid, my friends and I were always told in school about Vision 2020. We learnt from our teachers that Malaysia will become a tremendously great nation by year 2020.

I still remember, during Art Classes, we were asked to draw our imaginations as to how Malaysia would look like in 2020. I would usually draw sophisticated jets and high-tech rockets, and when asked, I would tell them that in 2020, every family in Malaysia would at least have one jet or rocket as a mean to commute.

So did my friends. In our imaginations, Malaysia would certainly become a thriving nation in 2020. At that time, we were truly convinced that Malaysia was cruising on the right track. Every three to four years, we saw new developments in Malaysia. Proton, Perodua, Modenas, KLCC, KLIA, Sepang F1 Circuit, and a few more just to list down.

But, we had never been told that Vision 2020 comes at a very high price. None of our teachers told us that.

Although we could somehow understand and accept some hurdles and challenges, we had never imagined that Malaysia would encounter a time of great turbulence which would put the unity of Malaysians as well as the sanity of our leaders at stake.

Today, about four years away from year 2020, our conviction is tested. We have to admit that at some points, we asked ourselves and our close friends, is Malaysia still on the right track?

Malaysia's reputation at the international level is not as good as how it was a few years ago. The integrity of the Malaysian government is being questioned. And, what is more disappointing is, the alternative pack still couldn't convince Malaysians that it has a better formula to run Malaysia as they are too busy with things I have no idea about.

Is this really the price that we have to pay in pursuit of our dream to be a greater nation in 2020? If it really is, we shall then tell ourselves to be patient and just bear with the pain.

But, if what we are seeing today is indeed a reversal to the old atmosphere we used to have in 1981/1982, we would be very very sad. Our drawings would just remain as drawings.

How I wish we could collate all the drawings that the kids of Malaysia have ever done to visualise 2020 and paste them up in Putrajaya (or at any other remarkable spot) to remind all of us, Malaysians, that... WE ARE JUST 4 YEARS AWAY FROM 2020. – December 8, 2015.

* Faridzul Nasaruddin reads The Malaysian Insider.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer, organisation or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.