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Unofficial Translation
Selected Comments at the IIC University of Technology Graduation and Diploma Presentation
| Congratulations | Absorbing Capacity | Young and Capable | Mentor for Life | Human Resource Investment | More for Education and Health | Locally Educated | Personal Performance | Macroeconomic and
Political Stability | Asia
Asked to Share Experiences | Outward
Looking | Cyber Info | Coping with Rain | Individual Versus Law Conflict |
18 October 2010
Congratulations to Graduates
I am so happy that I
could make it here today to preside over the graduation and diploma
presentation ceremony of 834 students of the IIC University of
Technology. It is a great pride that the families, society and nation
as a whole have attained new human resources as a result of training
effort by the IIC University of Technology. According to the report by
the Rector, in the period between 1990-2000 and 2009-10, there have been
5,249 graduates and some 1,163 that are pursuing their studies. It is a
contribution from the University but also personal commitment and effort
by all of our students.
Absorbing Capacity
This has indeed
signified that every student requires personal absorbing capacity. I
have some experiences from the 1980s, when the country had been provided
with education investment from the former Soviet Union. There had been
two major factors that limited our absorbing capacity in face of such
assistance and opportunity. Firstly, we have a problem of fulfilling our
counterpart fund obligation. Secondly, we did not have human resources
who could go on to further education.
The same is true now
that despite we have had so far capital investments from various sources
in forms of grants, loans and other private investments, still we have
to have between 20% and 30% of counterpart funding. And to benefit from
these forms of investments, we also have to have sufficient human
resources who could benefit from these investments or we could never
absorb them at all.
On another front,
students have to have the ability to absorb lectures. Of course
absorbing capacity varies from person to person. However, some students
have proven to be industrious and possessed strong absorbing capacity as
they not only absorb knowledge from professors in the course of his/her
studies but also conduct own research.
Younger and More Capable
In light of this
effort some students will be more knowledgeable and capable in the
future. It is a fact that now they are students thanks to their effort
they could prove to do better. This can be the case in every family. As
a general rule for Cambodia that parents treat their children always as
kids no matter how old or knowledgeable they are, even after they get
married and have children. It is the Khmer nature. I am sure there are
many people who would find themselves in the same situation as I
mentioned.
I also have a part
in following up my children development. All my five children and
in-laws have now assumed continuing education. What I wanted to share
with all of you today is that today s/he is our child but in the future
s/he would become intellectual, and some of whom may acquire higher
knowledge than we do. This is a true nature that lecturers, leaders,
etc. have to understand and accept as a natural rule.
Mentor for Life
In response our
students, no matter how far they could go in their education, Ph. D, or
higher, should also behave accordingly. Take for instance some could
have gone farther in their education than their primary teachers. I
would not want to see that these students underestimate or look down on
their teachers at all as it is not a good manner. There has been as
saying that goes ‘mentor one day is mentor for life.’ You may notice
that it is in this gratitude that we have set October 5 as the ‘Mentor’s
Gratitude Day’ since 1997. I am at the centre of the move to set the
date and the philosophy of the day.
Human Resources Investment
Investment in human
resources is in fact a key activity. According to the figure I have here
there are in all some 89 state and private tertiary education
facilities, of which 35 belong to the state. Thousands of students have
been offered chance for education in each facility. Look we people who
are sitting on the tribune are people with gray hair already and some
with deteriorating health conditions. That is why we have younger
generations to follow us up. That is why there needs to have education
and training so that new human resources will be available and able to
take over the tasks.
We have made great
efforts in consolidating education from primary to secondary and to
tertiary educations. It is like the form of a pyramid. There are
millions (of people) at the lower part of the pyramid, but as it goes
up, and remember there is no barrier for anyone whatsoever between
junior and senior secondary levels of education, less number of people
would make it to the top part. Entry exams will define that.
Take for instance
this year some 87,000 students have finished their secondary educations,
so they have to pass screening exams in order to get a seat for
furthering their educations. Each country is pursuing a different way
and setup for continuing education to tertiary education. Let’s take
Kuwait as an example. Each year only 25 students will be allowed to
graduate with tertiary education. They have a policy to orientate their
citizens who finished their secondary education to taking up vocational
training. In this note you will understand that those students will have
hard time to get University’s admittance.
As for Cambodia, we
leave it widely open that for 87,000 students who have finished their
secondary education to further their studies either with state or
private education establishments. As a result, between 20,000 and 30,000
of them has been absorbed by the system. The rest will have to benefit
from vocational training facilities and go on with their lives.
Quality education is
indeed key in this endeavor. It would be a loss or in vain if people who
have been trained and could never fulfill any work. It is a loss of
money, time and other resources. However, in general, I would like to
convey my appreciation to all Universities for the fact that they have
made a good job in their training and educating our human resources.
Some of their graduates have now come to the fore in state and private
positions and jobs. Some have assumed positions as Governor and Deputy
Governor, State Secretary or Under State Secretary, as far as state
function is concerned.
Growing Share for Education and
Health
I hope that those of
you who have graduated will continue to make efforts in finding jobs and
also to continue your studies. I would suggest that you are doing a good
job in whatever you do so as to provide a good reputation for your
University. You may have learned already that the budge law, in which
more investment is made for the share of education and health sectors,
has been approved by the Cabinet and is on its way to the National
Assembly. We also have approved the annual increment of twenty percent
of salary for the Government officials, the armed forces as well as
teachers/teaching staffs.
We do not do it the
way some people have demanded otherwise. I am clinging to my principle
of not making promises that one cannot keep, especially when the promise
(of salary increment) cannot be supported by the state budget. As for
those who do not care about making empty promises, what would s/he do
when there is no money? If one resorts to printing more money just for
the sake of increasing salary, their time in power would not be long.
Locally Educated but Valuable
It should not be
misunderstood that unless one has got education from abroad, one would
not be able to come up with working ability. To get a chance for further
education abroad is good but if you don’t get one, please do not be
disappointed and blame yourself for that. I have a true story to share
with you. You all are aware that I have five children, and after they
got married, with my children in laws, I have in all ten children. They
have all finished their tertiary education and postgraduate studies. One
day we had meal together and in the course of our conversation my
children seemed to have unanimously agreed that human resources that are
trained inside the country are doing great.
They all have got
remarkable results in their education abroad but their evaluations on
locally educated human resources seem to be appreciative. They agreed
that foreign language skill needs to be improved and it can be done.
People who are educated by local education establishments get a better
knowledge and understanding of local condition and situation compared to
those educated abroad. By saying so I do not mean to underestimate those
who have been educated abroad because my children also have been
educated this way too.
What I want to say
about this is that despite they got educated abroad, my children and
children-in-laws have unanimously made an assessment that locally
trained and educated citizens are in fact quite capable and doing a good
job. It is true and most of my staffs are locally educated too. I joked
with my kids at the dining table that I like MIC and not MIF and asked
them if they could guess the abbreviations stand for. By MIC I mean
‘Made in Cambodia’ and by MIF I mean ‘Made in Foreign’ (Countries).
Well, it is just a remark and it is not to distinguish between those who
have been educated locally and those from abroad at all. We must make
use of all to build up a common force for national development.
Personal Performance, University
Reputation
That is why I am
stressing on quality education. It is usual that people with quality
education have been screened for and recruited by private sector. Take
for instance, for private sector as well as for state, selection and
recruitment of able staff is important. However, despite conditions,
criteria and contracts and many other tools, recruitment of new staff
has always had some problem that not all of the new recruits are
performing according to the standard expected. It should not be the case
when one person is not doing a good job and blame is placed on where he
is educated.
In some countries,
selection and recruitment of best-performed students has started even
when the students have not yet graduated. They came and signed a
contract with the student whom they have selected in advance. This has
been the case mostly because of the University’s reputation. Also it has
been the case as in other universities job opportunity is scarce. I
would suggest that staff recruitment should not cling too much to the
University’s reputation because the curriculum and professional
development provided by a University is one factor but personal
absorptive and performance capacity should also be a matter to be
considered. Sometimes, there are capable people in University with
reputation but there is also this case of University of high reputation
but not well performed students.
Macroeconomic and
Political Stability
Macroeconomic
stability is indeed a decisive factor as losing it the country will face
immediately with political instability. Look in Europe there have been
demonstrations in many places. It has been up to months in Greece. What
happened in Greece is a good example as to what could happen when the
politicians are making promises in the course of their elections
campaigns about pay rise. When elected they had to fulfill their
promises and in the end the state debt has reached some 200% of GDP.
That has prompted the last measures which are to lower the salary and
increase tax. (PR) China has come to the rescue. (The PRC Premier) HE
Wen Jiabao conducted a visit to Greece prior to the ASEM Summit. He was
enthusiastically and cordially welcome because China has indeed
purchased the Greece’s debt.
Asia Asked to Share Experience
with Europe
In the ASEM Summit
there has been one remarkable trend about asking Asia to share
experience with Europe on economic recovery. The United Kingdom under
the Prime Minister form the Labor government used to propose to China to
help with its economy and in the ASEM meeting, the British delegation of
the Conservative government led by Deputy Prime Minister has asked for a
share of experience in economic recovery.
Together with the
Commissioner of the EU, President of the EU and Prime Minister of
Belgium, and the President of Korea, and in my role as a coordinator of
the meeting I found it a surprise. This has showed clearly that things
have changed. Asia, which used to depend on markets in America and
Europe, has been able, through the recent experiences in resolving
financial crisis and economic downturn to recoveries, to recover before
Europe and Asia. This has brought about change of not only political
course but also economic structure in the region.
Outward Looking to Existing and New
Markets
I have mentioned
sometimes about outward looking behavior and strategy. By that I am
talking about two main areas of concern. First, we have to hold on to
existing market; and second, we have to expand into new market. Outward
looking means that we are working out to increase export. As we have
already established markets in America and also Europe, we should go on
maintaining our positions there. Now we have more and more of our rice
going to markets in Europe and some three billion US dollars worth of
garments have been exported to markets in America.
However, we should
not overlook potential markets in the region. (PR) China is a big
country that provides Cambodia with early harvest position for hundreds
of favored items within the framework of ASEAN integration and Cambodia
has yet to provide to the offer. As of now we are intensively working to
bring our rice into China’s market in addition to the latter’s import of
rice from Thailand and Vietnam. On coming Sunday there will be a
signatory ceremony in which Cambodia and China will agree to issues
relating to rice export to China, and that would include also
quarantine.
Aside from rice,
Cambodia is also working for a recognition and importation by various
markets in the Middle East of Cambodian cassava and Muslim halal food.
These are some of the issues that are contained therein with regard to
outward looking strategy and market oriented actions for local
production. The world before has been in the order that America is
number one, followed by Japan. Nowadays China has taken the second rank.
In the last few days there has been concern about depreciation of the US
dollar and this also has a particular effect on Cambodia because our
people are holding more US dollars than other currencies.
Cyber Info/News
In all aspects of
life, let alone education, it is very easy nowadays as there is this
cyber information system where Cambodia also has posted many websites.
I have found out that so much information has been made available out
there. Take for instance I visited the everyday.com.kh site in which
there is this section on poem. There is this latest poem dated October
16 entitled ‘Flood Brings Love’ and there is this other one ‘Bye Ferry,’
which is dated May 3, the day we put into official use of the Prek Kadam
bridge.
News and information
service have been fast. Unlike before it has taken so much time to get
information from one person or place to another. This service has
definitely shrunk the world and no matter where you are on the face of
this earth you can find information. However, taking precaution for
security and also in order that the Cabinet meeting would not be
disturbed by phone incoming and outgoing calls I have instructed the
special unit to block all incoming and outgoing calls. Let me remind you
to turn off your phone and restart in order to get back to unblocking
state. This technology has been developed in order to prevent phone call
that activates the bomb, which has been widely used by terrorists. So it
is used here for the sake of ensuring the focus of the Cabinet’s
meeting.
Thanks for Effort to
Cope with Rain Flood
I would like to take
this opportune moment to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to
authorities of all levels for making every effort to overcome
difficulties and challenges by rain flood. Though it has not been
devastating as that caused by the Ketsana typhoon effect, but it has
extended widely to various provinces, which therefore makes it more
disastrous. A preliminary comparison between rice destruction in Pursat
because of the rain flood to that of Kompong Thom province because of
the Ketsana typhoon effect, the former has been more severe. I would
like to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to the efforts by the
sub-national level authorities, the National Committee for Disaster
Management and the Cambodian Red Cross for taking every possible
measures to look after people. I also thank the CPP working groups who
have been working to help restore situation to normal. I wish we all
continue to do whatever we can to fix the problem as it has been quite a
disaster for our nation.
I received a report
from HE Suy Sem (Minister for Industry, Energy and Mines and Head of
Cambodian People’s Party Working Group for Pursat province) last night
about the flood situation. He told about some six thousand hectares of
rice field that has been damaged. The point to draw a lesson from is
that we have mobilized our people there to swap from long-term to short
and medium-term rice cultivation. Some are in the stage of being ripe
and some are in the stage of giving flower and grain. That is a severe
situation beyond redressing by any means. As for other places, rice is
growing quite well and we have exceeded plan up to 100,000 hectares or
about 4% more than plan.
Phnom Penh also has
been hit by the rain and flood but we could do a great deal to relive it
because of two main draining pump stations. The rain had been remarkably
heavy at more than 600 mm within the span of 48 hours. Provinces
affected by rain and flood have been Phnom Penh, Kandal, Kompong Chhnang,
Pursat, and Banteay Meanjei to further north and northwest, where flood
has come from Thailand. Flood has been a threatening calamity now in
Thailand. Since yesterday there has been a storm on Philippines, and
that has in fact relieved our state of being in a depression. Because it
has been predicted to go up to Hong Kong and other parts of China and
back down to central part of Vietnam, we also must be careful and get
ready for the worst that could happen.
Individual Vs Law Conflict
As far as political
matter is concerned I just want to have your attention that there seems
to be an intention to transfer conflict from between individual and
legal system to between individuals. I heard that there will be
questions raised to me. I have not received it yet but it seems that
these are questions that could have been asked on behalf of foreign
nations. When there was an aggression by foreign forces, not a single
word was mentioned about that. Now they pose questions about Cambodian
interference into other countries’ internal affairs and they made it
their argument that the actions are in violation of the Paris (Peace)
Agreement.
May all compatriots
look into the nature of the question? When Cambodia was being invaded,
why was it not a case of violation of the Paris Peace Agreement? This in
fact has brought me to a precautionary thought that they may try to
transfer the nature of conflict from that of themselves with laws to
between themselves with me. If it is the case I would not be easily
tricked.
(It has been decided
by the court that) in all, the sentences will be 12 years in prison.
S/he must serve at least two-third of the term. Furthermore, the matter
is not with me or within my authority to act. It is the court matter and
it is in the jurisdiction of the Appeal Court and the Supreme Court. It
is not my problem. It seems they have tried to leave no stone unturned
to get me to respond. As I used to say to HE Nhek Bun Chhay (Deputy
Prime Minister) back in 2003 that ‘I no longer talk to loser’ as they
raised a political scenario of ‘anyone but Hun Sen’ (in augmenting their
bargaining power in the post elections) ...◙
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