Vietnam’s Transition Tiger On The Prowl
By Ignatius Stephen

Bandar Seri Begawan - Just about 20 years ago, I took a trip to Laos and then on to Vietnam. It was a journey that took me from Bangkok northwards by overnight train then crossed the border to Vientiane.

Then it was real adventure. It was indeed a brand new world that opened up. The overwhelming American military presence that coloured the region had gone away a more than decade ago, leaving behind a sense of high expectations and perhaps a degree of bewilderment.

One had the feeling that people everywhere in the region were trying to find their feet and somehow explored the future not without a degree of anxiety.

The capital of improvised Laos, Vientiane, reminded you of old time Kuala Belait then.

It appeared to be, on the surface, a sleepy little town having little form of sophistication, lying lazily on the banks of the Mekong, nevertheless laid back and charming.

A trip however to the outlaying areas was an experience that reminded you how cut off and remote the authorities had successfully enshrouded the villagers, keeping them away from corrupt modern influences.

There were no industries to, talk of nor did you meet anyone having any plans for starting up one and the Socialist government kept themselves to themselves. Information was hard to come by.

Some people were talking about the impending aggressive Thai business domination now that the borders were easier to cross. There was also some fear of criminal elements from Bangkok. But that simply was just talk and perhaps speculation, you guessed.

From Vientiane you took a rickety Russian built aircraft to Hanoi. You checked into Sofitel Metropole Hotel then, the only decent hotel in the city.

The hotel was full. It was not the tourists that took up the rooms. It was the frustrated businessmen who had mounted a vigil.

After the Americans were gone in 1975, the Communist authorities were cautiously exploring the Chinese economic model, which had brought flocks of businessmen to its shores.

They submitted plans and blueprints to the Politburo or whoever who could decide.

And they waited and waited. And waited. Who was in charge? No one seemed to know. It was it seemed to be, a faceless government.

A couple of years later I returned to Hanoi. The same story. The more determined of them still occupied the Sofitel. Some had left but others had taken their place. And they waited, too. Would someone make the decision?

By this time, there were other hotels in the city. Singaporeans and some Malaysians had broken through. They had a number of establishments. And that perhaps was a sign of hope. Of course, there are now many international hotels in Hanoi.

Private enterprise was making a mark. Stagnation, red tape and above all fear of foreign economic domination had been overcome.

And all of a sudden, the Vietnamese transition tiger was on the prowl. And now it seems there is no way to stop its relentless marauding.

Vietnam's positive stance has enabled its economy to reach an all time high since 1994.

Some of Thailand's top footballers are now playing in the Vietnamese football league, lured by better pay. The number of new companies is increasing at a remarkable speed, reports Asian Focus Group, which works in cooperation with the Australian National University. More than 100 Vietnamese companies have gained official approval to invest overseas.

But what now of Brunei? When are we to break away from our cycle of fear and apathy? When will be making quick decisions? Will we be able to follow the Vietnamese example, which was far back in economic development compared to Brunei not too long ago?

Asian Development Bank reports that Vietnam is expected to have the highest economic growth this year at 7.6 per cent, followed by Laos and Cambodia.

Brunei's economic growth is expected to be the slowest in the Southeast Asian region. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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