ENDORSEMENT: Malaysia has made a good investment in young people, says US president
KUALA LUMPUR: “MR President, what is the legacy you wish to leave behind?” was one of the many questions thrown at United States President Barack Obama at a town hall session with young Asean leaders at Universiti Malaya yesterday.
Obama said he still had 21/2 years left as president, “so, I hope he (participant from Singapore) is not rushing me”.
“But what is true is that as president of the United States, you have so many issues coming at you every day but sometimes, I try to step back and think about 20 years from now when I look back what will I be most proud of or what do I think will be most important in the work that I’ve done,” he said.
“Now, my most important legacy is Malia and Sasha (his daughters), who are turning out to be wonderful young people. So, your children, if you’re a parent, the most important legacy you have is great children and I have those who are happy and healthy, and I think they’re going to do great things.
“Another important legacy is being a good husband. So, I’ve tried to do that. That’s important, because if you don’t do those things well, then everything else, you’re going to have some problems with,” he said to laughter from the floor.
On a serious note, Obama said as president, what he had tried to do in the US was to focus on how to create opportunities for all people. “When I first came into office, we were in a huge financial crisis that had hit the entire world. And it was the worst crisis the United States had had since the 1930s. So, the first thing I had to do was just make sure that we stop the crisis and start allowing the economy to recover. And we’ve now created more than 9 million jobs and the economy is beginning to improve for a lot of people.”
On the international front, Obama said his main goal had been to work with other partners to promote a system of rules so that conflicts could be resolved peacefully.
“So that whether you’re a big country or a small country, you know that there are certain principles that are observed, that might doesn’t just make right, but that there’s a set of ideals and there’s justice both inside countries and between countries,” Obama added.
The president took on a host of questions, ranging from economic development to global warming, candidly replying to every question.
On what it would take for Malaysians and the Malaysian government to become a developed country, Obama said he had an extensive conversation with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak about Najib’s development strategy.
“First of all, Malaysia is now a middle-income country. It’s done much better than many other countries in per capita income and growth over the last two decades, and there’s been some wise leadership that has helped to promote Malaysian exports and to help to train its people.
“And Malaysia has made a good investment in young people. So, that continues to be, I think, the most important strategy for growth in the 21st century.”
A participant asked what happiness meant to him, to which he replied his loved ones.
“I’m still fairly young. But when I think, at the end of my life and I’m looking back, what will have been most important to me, I think it’s the time I will have spent with the people I love.
“And, so, that makes me happy.
“But I also think that, as I get older, what’s most important to me, is feeling as if I’ve been true to my beliefs and that I’ve lived with some integrity.
“Now, that doesn’t always make you happy in the sense of you’re laughing or just enjoying life — because sometimes, being true to your beliefs is uncomfortable.
“Sometimes, doing things that you think are right may put you in some conflicts with somebody. Sometimes, people may not appreciate it and it may be inconvenient.”
Cambodian Sokhema Nara, 22, said she was upbeat and encouraged to proceed with programmes to help women empowerment in Asean.
“He (Obama) has urged us youths to stay true to our beliefs and the importance of upholding integrity, which I plan to do when I return home,” she said.
Sovan Srun, 24, described Obama as humble and down to earth.
“He portrays himself as an ordinary person with visions.”
-NST
