Attending a seminar on economy of China

This morning, I attended a seminar on China's economy held in Berjaya Times Square Hotel's Convention Centre in Kuala Lumpur. The 3-hour public lecture delivered by Professor Justin Lin Yifu (picture) was really comprehensive and in-depth ranging from growth rate, income and wealth distribution, currency management, rural-urban divide, trade, banking, international relations and many other themes.

Professor Justin Lin, although coming from a communist country and is himself a close adviser to the top leadership of China's central government and the Communist Party of China, is also very frank and honest in critically assessing the failures, limitations, shortcomings and inadequacies of the fastest-growing economy of the world, including maldistrubtion of income and wealth between urban and rural areas as well as between the rich and poor.

According to his resume circulated among the 700 particpants, the Taiwan-born Professor Justin Lin holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Chigago and is the founder and director of China's most influential economic think-tank, China Centre for Economic Research at Beijing University. He is also the first Chinese economist invited by Cambridge University's Marshall Lectures to talk about China's economy.

To be frank, even though I am a former politician who used to be a public speaker, I still admire his public speaking skill which enabled him to deliver the 3-hour lecture without looking at any prepared text. His presentation was clear, coherent, systematic, professional and simple enough for laymen to follow.

Earlier, before the public lecture began, I met up Tan Sri Lim Guan Teik (picture) again over coffee. The former President of the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM) and me know each quite well for many years as a common friend of Pak Said Zahari.

Like Pak Said, Tan Sri was also one of the many victims of repression accross the Causeway in the 1963 Operation Cold Store. He was then a progressive student leader of the now defunct Nanyang University in Singapore. Pak Said (picture) used to tell me that he learnt Mandarin from people like Tan Sri while under detention and it was he who taught Tan Sri and other detainees from the Nanyang University Bahasa Melayu.

As a rule, I do not usually like to 'polish shoes' for rich men or women but I must make an exception to the rule in the case of Tan Sri. He certainly belongs to the rare breed of successful and scandal-free businessman who always respect intellectuals. During the 1997-1998 Asian Financial Crisis, his secretary called me several times to say Tan Sri enjoyed my commentaries published in Sin Chew Jit Poh because the articles provided alternative perspectives to the crisis.

He never forgets his old friends like the late Usman Awang and Pak Said Zahari and he always make it a point to attend Pak Said's simple Hari Raya open house once a year. When we met this morning, the first question he asked me was Pak Said's state of health.

Despite his many business concerns and connections, he is never afraid of speaking up as a social critic if and when necessary on issues of public interest. For example, in 2001, he publicly opposed MCA's takeover of Nanyang Siang Pau and China Press.

Just before we went into the conference hall for the public lecture, he whispered to me:"Yong An,when the Q-&-A session begins, shoot some sharp questions to stimulate everyone's minds. I know you can." I did.