In his book Development as Freedom

, 1998 Economics Nobel Prize winner Amartya Sen dealt with the issue of improvements in the standard of living of a population; arguably the single most important issue in the progress of human civilisation.

Sen eloquently and convincingly argued that human freedoms (broadly defined) should be the primary end and principal means of development. He went on to identify five interrelated 'instrumental' categories:

1) Political freedoms: freedom to select, scrutinise and criticise leaders. This has a deeper meaning than just simply democracy. It encompasses things such as freedom of media, freedom of speech and so on.

2) Economic freedoms: freedom to enjoy and utilise economic resources.

3) Social opportunities: freedom to participate in social opportunities, which includes education and healthcare.

4) Transparency guarantees: freedom to transact with others and legal protections. This includes that they are no all powerful 'barons,' and

5) Protective security: freedom to avoid incidents of abject poverty (social safety net).

It is interesting to apply these categories to our own country, including looking at them from the perspectives of different races.

Development as freedom in Malaysia, anyone?