I refer to Selangor Menteri Besar Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo's explanation responding to on-going concerns relating to declaring Selangor a developed state.

Foremost, the menteri besar deserves commendation for taking much initiative in giving his perspective for the appreciation of all concerned citizens. He is spot on in clarifying that declaring Selangor as a developed state does not tantamount to claiming that the state has achieved 'perfection'.

Developed status is not the be-all and end-all for therein lies new challenges. Have we qualified and quantified these future challenges and what are the action plans? In fact, there are several of the menteri besar's clarifications that demand a reciprocal favour:

Firstly, no progressive and well-intended citizen is against the idea of wanting to bring the country to a developed status. But to have such an agenda at the state level raises concerns.

The tricky part is this - when the country has yet to attain a fully developed status consistent with the objectives of our Vision 2020, how do we relate when a particular state stakes out as having out-run the country?

There can only be one goal and that is the national goal in so far as attaining a meaningful developed status is concerned. Our national aspirations are all well spelt-out and endorsed in our Wawasan 2020. The spirit is for all to play a collaborative and cooperative role at all levels in bringing the country to its full realisation of its national goals.

True, we do not have to measure our cup of success with the standards of the Western world. But what is progress and development if we do not communicate with the same universally accepted references?

And we cannot compare our experience with illegal squatters with that of the 'homeless people in their parks' of the Western world. There is a marked difference which we must acknowledge. The homeless in foreign lands are living so by personal choice. Here in our homeland, it is more to do with economic circumstances.

And our infamous 'low-cost' housing is no accolade in itself as we are already beginning to see the ugly social rot in existing low-cost settlements.

Being able to attract growing foreign investments from the standpoint of total ringgit invested is not absolute. We have to decipher how much of that ringgit pouring in is truly beneficial in aiding our run for attaining the all nine challenges as contained in Wawasan 2020. And let us not forget our past experience with foreign investors leaving our shores for seemingly 'greener' pastures at the slightest test.

The statistics of increasing job opportunities in Selangor as disclosed by the MB are excellent. But then again, what kind of jobs are we creating for our young population? We all know that the semi-conductor businesses that came here helped address our unemployment problem once.

But after decades of experience we also acknowledge that the hundreds of thousands of factory hands have learnt nothing much that can help us in a significant manner in our journey towards attaining our National Vision. What we have are residues of toxins, a host of medical complications related to workers' exposure to these chemicals and an aging workforce who are only eventually ready to sell 'goreng pisang'.

The menteri besar's endeavours to 'want to create an environment in Selangor where each citizen will be able to optimise his potential to the fullest, where we can raise our families peacefully and where hard work, initiative, playing by the rules and being creative will have their own reward' is indeed most inspiring and magnanimous.

But the question at the end of the day is: Will declaring Selangor as a developed state help re-engineer our past faults and set us on the right path to realising all of these ideals that every right minded citizen yearns to see in their lifetime? Do we have to declare ourselves as a developed state before we can become 'more efficient, more effective'?

And do we have to do things 'differently' to attain and enjoy this so-called developed state status?

In the final analysis, it is better for Selangor to re-visit our noble aspirations as a nation as enshrined in Wawasan 2020. Let us aim to achieve the developed status collectively as a nation and not independently at state levels.

All states have a common turf and a common goal. The turf is Malaysia. The goal is national success. Let us not think and act in fragments.

And as shared by many, it is wiser of us to spend all that money allocated for the developed status jubilation celebrations, to fund and improve the educational, medical, and social services in the state especially in areas outside of Shah Alam.