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Muhyiddin calls on public sector to play vital role for nation branding campaign success

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday called on the public sector to play a vital role, on par with the private sector, to ensure the success of the nation branding campaign.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday called on the public sector to play a vital role, on par with the private sector, to ensure the success of the nation branding campaign.

He said the public sector has to evolve with the flow of time and the demands of today.

In order for the public sector to strive towards excellence and execute its plans effectively, it had to be based on the foundation of knowledge and wisdom, he added.

"It is important for all of us to realise that a country brand is a proclamation of our existing strengths, not a statement of desire.

"It has to be rooted in reality and connected to the people, encompassing not just products, but governance, social and human capital as well as sustainable growth," he said in his closing address at the Razak Roundtable on "Creating Brand Power for Countries and Companies" in Kuala Lumpur.

Muhyiddin, who is also the education minister, noted that in today's world, globalisation meant that countries competed with each other for the attention, respect and trust of potential consumers, investors, tourists and talent.

"A positive and strong nation brand will ultimately provide a leading competitive advantage," he said.

The deputy prime minister said the measurement of a country's performance might
require more than its gross national income and, more importantly, the quality of governance it provides to its citizens.

Good governance that cuts across these dimensions would be critical for not only investment, export and tourism but, more importantly, in the battle for talent, he said.

Furthermore, he said a country's brand is closely tied to the full spectrum of key recurring factors that vary from values and quality of life to the economy and culture.

Muhyiddin went on to say that the experiences of some South East Asian peers clearly showed that the reputational outcomes were unparalleled if brand building was focused and well- managed.- Bernama