Mahathir Opens Intelligent City

["Irfan Khan" <KhanIA@super.net.pk>]

[slightly off-topic; worth reading anyway]


Mahathir Opens Intelligent City 

By Hans Lombardo
Managing Editor, asia.internet.com 

[July 9, 1999--CYBERJAYA] Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad 
opened Malaysia's much heralded intelligent city, Cyberjaya, on 
Thursday. 

Cyberjaya is one the flagship intelligent cities in Mahathir's 
Multimedia Super Corridor, an information technology zone. 
Mahathir said at the official opening ceremony, "The timely 
completion of this first phase of Cyberjaya's development despite our 
recent economic difficulties, is proof of our commitment to all 
investors in the MSC. Its timely completion will also contribute 
significantly to our ongoing economic recovery." 

The Malaysian prime minister said that the opening also highlighted 
the creation of key 'soft' infrastructure including the various 
cyberlaws and measures implemented catalyze e-commerce development in 
Malaysia. 

"The Internet's growth and its global reach is opening up almost 
endless possibilities for e-government, e-business and edutainment," 
said Mahathir."It has the potential to change almost every aspect of 
our lives." 

Ironically, however, the Internet was responsible for energizing the 
Reformasi movement last year when it rallied around Mahathir's former 
deputy, Anwar Ibrahim, after he was sacked and arrested. Although the 
Malaysia Government initiated an online campaign against pro-
Reformasi or pro-Anwar site, the Web became a forum for Malaysian 
political dissent. 

Moreover, reports indicate that Mahathir's vision of the MSC has 
suffered because of Malaysia's economic woes and the lack of interest 
from foreign corporations. According to sources and the media, the 
MSC development organization, the Multimedia Development Corporation, 
has substantial debt. 

http://asia.internet.com/1999/7/0903-msc.html