Business Innovation

Launch Of Malaysia Creativity Week

Addressed by Professor Emeritus Tan Sri Dato’ Dr Lim Kok Wing, Limkokwing University of Creative Technology, Cyberjaya
11 August 2003

Thank you very much for honouring us with your presence.

Thank you very much Zaireen Ibrahim and Muhammad Ariff Abdullah, our two very young, very charming MCs for handling this event so well.

About creativity, so much has been said, and so much has just been shown – I suspect that you must have sat through the longest introduction video ever produced to launch a book!

(I hope you have enjoyed it, especially the commercial breaks which featured some very high profile individuals. Let me assure you that their faces and their voices are real, not computer generated.)

What is left for me to do now is to thank the Prime Minister for having set aside so much time to be with us.

His presence has not only added special meaning to this occasion, but also given recognition to the many who have worked with me over the years.

Many others would have considered the launching of a book a rather unimportant event.

But the Prime Minister knows that the building of intellectual property is no less important than the building of concrete property. This holds true for any society, any country wanting to achieve real progress.

I thank the Prime Minister for the encouraging words he has spoken about my work.

And I thank him for the opportunity to learn from him, and be part of this wonderful experience of shaping mindsets and building a nation that is unique in so many ways.

Of late, there has been much debate about the importance of creativity. The Prime Minister said it best when he said some years ago (I quote) “ The most important asset of a nation is the creativity of its people”.

Yang Amat Berhormat Dato’ Seri, to everyone of us, (except for a few who might have been misled) you have long been an inspiration. In doing what you do, you have given us a greater sense of pride in who we are, and a greater sense of purpose in what we do.

Because of you, Malaysians are not what they used to be. Because of you, this country has become a proud, progressive nation.
If not for you, this book would not have been written.

Ladies and gentlemen, the two videos you have just seen were produced by a team of six very young Limkokwing graduates.

This team of young animators, electronic designers and sound designers are as good as the best you can find anywhere in the world.

I know the Prime Minister is sometimes worried that we might be lacking in such creative talents, talents we must have in order to create content.

But the Prime Minister should take comfort in knowing that our young people are not lacking in anything, either in talent or in passion.

Malaysians are naturally gifted, with creative abilities and inclinations. What is needed is to put in place the right learning environment that will bring out the best in them – that will not stifle them.

This is where our education system has a pivotal role to play.

It must not be inflexible because creativity itself is a dynamic agent of change. Breaking the norm to find better and more practical solutions is the very purpose of the creative process.

I must now thank Dato’ Mustapa Mohamed for the very kind gesture he has extended to me in introducing the book, and the generosity of his kind words and thoughtfulness.

On that note, ladies and gentlemen, may I thank you once again for honouring us with your presence, thank you for giving us so much of your valuable time, and thank you for being here to make this event special.

May I also take this opportunity to wish everyone, especially our Prime Minister, a year of peace and tranquility, one that is full of joy and happiness.