Published: Friday December 5, 2008 MYT 8:25:00 PMUpdated: Friday December 5, 2008 MYT 9:25:24 PM
Former US President Clinton in KL (updated)
By ROYCE CHEAH
PUTRAJAYA: Former United States President Bill Clinton met with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi at Bangunan Perdana Putra here on Friday.
Clinton was in Kuala Lumpur to give a talk at the inaugural BC Sekhar Memorial Lecture on Friday.
During his address on Friday, Clinton said political conflict is a good thing whereby disagreements or discussions only promote thinking.
“I was told that there are political conflicts here. That is a good thing. Nobody is right all the time,” Clinton said in reference to the current political situation in Malaysia.
Clinton said just like when he was president of the United States, he would prefer a slightly negative press as opposed to a press that only sings praises of the administration.
“My wife Hilary and I also disagree on many issues but it is this disagreement that allows thinking. It is also healthy to have discussions,” he told a packed hall.
Clinton said he paid a courtesy visit to Abdullah, visited the KL Bird Park and did some shopping for souveniors for his wife and daughter.
Clinton had actually turned up half an hour late for the lecture, arriving at 6.30pm, instead of 6pm as scheduled. He however said it was due to the traffic that lengthened his journey from 35 minutes to 65 minutes.
“Given the current economic climate, having that much traffic indicates that your economy is doing just fine,” he said to laughter from the crowd.
On his visit to the bird park, Clinton said he had met two Muslim women who came up to greet him.
“It is this ability to respect people’s faith that I admire in Malaysia. If only everyone could look another person in their eye and welcome them to their common space, what a different world we would have.”
During the 40-minute lecture, Clinton touched on a vast array of topics ranging from climate change, health issues, global interdependence and empowering people to take control of their lives. He also related the many experiences he had gone through in the 100-odd countries he had visited since setting up the Clinton Global Inititive foundation.
Clinton said the current global economic crisis showed that it was now a fact that the people of the world were simply more interdependent than the entire human race has ever been.
“It shows that divorce is not an option. We’ve seen the negative aspects of the interdependency from terrorist attacks and the financial crisis but good things can also come out of it.”
In this context, Clinton said that the definition of success also had to change from comparing what one person had over another to a situation that ensured all parties benefited. He said it required people to embrace anyone who they shared common values with.
“We have no choice but to share the future. Since most of us care for the future of our children and grandchildren than ourselves, I’m sure we will make the right decision,” he said.
Later during a question and answer session, Clinton said the only way to balance the growth of developing countries at the expense of the environment was to make the business of environment a good business.
“Most cities have landfills. The organic waste could be compacted and used as biofuel and the tyres can be recycled.”
He said the problem was that people think profits could only be made in the way it is already being done rather than challenging the status quo to make profits in a different manner.
Clinton gave the example of how the business model for AIDS medication was changed from one of low volume, high profit margin and uncertain payment to one that is now of high volume, low profit margin and certain payment. He said this sort of paradigm shift could also be done in the environmental industry.
Organised by the Sekhar Foundation, the lecture was held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre and aired live on Astro Awani.
This is Clinton’s first trip to Malaysia. He will also receive the BC Sekhar Medal for Transformational Leadership which is handed out to world leaders who have an excellent record and have brought positive change to the lives of the people.
Former US President Clinton in KL (updated)
By ROYCE CHEAH
PUTRAJAYA: Former United States President Bill Clinton met with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi at Bangunan Perdana Putra here on Friday.
Clinton was in Kuala Lumpur to give a talk at the inaugural BC Sekhar Memorial Lecture on Friday.
During his address on Friday, Clinton said political conflict is a good thing whereby disagreements or discussions only promote thinking.
“I was told that there are political conflicts here. That is a good thing. Nobody is right all the time,” Clinton said in reference to the current political situation in Malaysia.
Clinton said just like when he was president of the United States, he would prefer a slightly negative press as opposed to a press that only sings praises of the administration.
“My wife Hilary and I also disagree on many issues but it is this disagreement that allows thinking. It is also healthy to have discussions,” he told a packed hall.
Clinton said he paid a courtesy visit to Abdullah, visited the KL Bird Park and did some shopping for souveniors for his wife and daughter.
Clinton had actually turned up half an hour late for the lecture, arriving at 6.30pm, instead of 6pm as scheduled. He however said it was due to the traffic that lengthened his journey from 35 minutes to 65 minutes.
“Given the current economic climate, having that much traffic indicates that your economy is doing just fine,” he said to laughter from the crowd.
On his visit to the bird park, Clinton said he had met two Muslim women who came up to greet him.
“It is this ability to respect people’s faith that I admire in Malaysia. If only everyone could look another person in their eye and welcome them to their common space, what a different world we would have.”
During the 40-minute lecture, Clinton touched on a vast array of topics ranging from climate change, health issues, global interdependence and empowering people to take control of their lives. He also related the many experiences he had gone through in the 100-odd countries he had visited since setting up the Clinton Global Inititive foundation.
Clinton said the current global economic crisis showed that it was now a fact that the people of the world were simply more interdependent than the entire human race has ever been.
“It shows that divorce is not an option. We’ve seen the negative aspects of the interdependency from terrorist attacks and the financial crisis but good things can also come out of it.”
In this context, Clinton said that the definition of success also had to change from comparing what one person had over another to a situation that ensured all parties benefited. He said it required people to embrace anyone who they shared common values with.
“We have no choice but to share the future. Since most of us care for the future of our children and grandchildren than ourselves, I’m sure we will make the right decision,” he said.
Later during a question and answer session, Clinton said the only way to balance the growth of developing countries at the expense of the environment was to make the business of environment a good business.
“Most cities have landfills. The organic waste could be compacted and used as biofuel and the tyres can be recycled.”
He said the problem was that people think profits could only be made in the way it is already being done rather than challenging the status quo to make profits in a different manner.
Clinton gave the example of how the business model for AIDS medication was changed from one of low volume, high profit margin and uncertain payment to one that is now of high volume, low profit margin and certain payment. He said this sort of paradigm shift could also be done in the environmental industry.
Organised by the Sekhar Foundation, the lecture was held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre and aired live on Astro Awani.
This is Clinton’s first trip to Malaysia. He will also receive the BC Sekhar Medal for Transformational Leadership which is handed out to world leaders who have an excellent record and have brought positive change to the lives of the people.
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