Studying in the US offers me a chance to compete in a very dismal economy, a point which is stressed by my professors time and time again. There is always this need to appear to be the best, and sometimes being selfish is the way to go.

President Obama has stepped into the Office of President of the US at a time of an economic crisis and while many do not agree with his plan of pumping lots of dollars to stimulate the economy, it does raise concerns about Malaysia's economy and development, and where it is going. I will use Cyberjaya as an example here.

First and foremost, we have enough knowledge to know that for an economy to improve there must be a significant input. In my years living in Malaysia, I've had plenty of opportunities to visit Cyberjaya, driving with my dad or just by myself.

It is a great drive, wide open highway, great scenery on either side and the excitement that comes with knowing that I am about to enter one of the greatest ideas in Malaysia's history. Did I mention the wide open road? That is what always strikes my whenever I take that drive; a wide open road, but not a single freaking car!

The gut feeling doesn't stop there. When I arrive at Cyberjaya, I see vast amounts of open area with the potential for development and yet, progress seems to be going at a very slow pace. And did I mention that I never see a single car? What the heck is wrong here? Was the Cyberjaya project not conceived more than a decade ago? Was it not supposed to be one of the greatest plans ever?

Just think of the vast opportunity waiting; development in the field of Information Technology, the chance for Malaysia to make a huge mark on the world as one of the most advanced countries in said field, and, of course, the job opportunities that it would create. And for such a tremendous project, there seems to be very little traffic going to and from that place. I think that is proof enough of what we are lacking in her. It is already the year 2010 and still the development is going at a snail's pace.

I do not deny that former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had a great idea. After all, who can say that he was not a man of vision? The man was obviously not planning on building and developing Cyberjaya for aesthetic purposes only. The plan was for the development of Malaysia and to benefit the economy.

However, such a great undertaking would require vast amounts of input to begin with. That is to say, money is required to stimulate growth before the tree can yield good fruit. Without money, Cyberjaya will remain a desolate and relatively boring place to be.

From this particular situation we can make several observations. First, there is obviously room for improvement in Cyberjaya. After all, it was supposed to benefit the country in the long run.

And being the brainchild of Mahathir, it's no wonder it seems like he took a huge low-blow when his successor, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi decided that it was a heck of a great idea to commit less-than-adequate resources to its development. It is already known that more development is needed over there, but just how much is the government willing to spend on it?

This brings me to the next observation and this question; shouldn't the government be a little more prudent in their commitment of resources? I mean, Visit Malaysia Year 2007 was great for our tourism and what-not, but tourism should not be the main priority for development. I think that most of you will agree that when it comes to tourism, Malaysia has it pretty decent.

And I am sure that tens of millions of dollars spent on a single Ferris wheel isn’t exactly a beneficial move. Neither is moving it to Melaka an economically-stimulating venture, as Melaka’s tourism is based on historical sites, not so much on bright attractions.

Finally, the word ‘corruption’ comes to mind when we consider the low rate of development anywhere in the country. We know for sure that if there was more money being released into Malaysia’s development and less than ridiculous amounts going into the pockets of the power elite, there would be less frustration and delays.

Many people who are living in rural and undeveloped areas without even the comfort of electric lighting are suffering the most, though they do not feel it so much yet as they still have faith in the government which has promised to provide for them what they need. The number of Malaysians who have awakened from their dream of a ‘perfect’ Malaysia and opened their eyes to see a drearily slow growth is increasing.

How long more should we expect to labour for Malaysia’s development if the elite in power do not contribute their share? How long more will we have to wait before we can step into the future with the pride that comes with being strong and united? What good is the opportunity given - the wide road to Malaysia’s future - if there is no destiny to reach?