Thứ Ba, 20/03/2018, 20:01 (GMT+7)

Brother Sau Khai, a constant heart for the nation and people

ABO/NDO - Brother Sau (the nickname of former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai) is an elite son of the nation. He was born in the district of Cu Chi, on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City and participated in revolutionary activities in Gia Dinh before moving to North Vietnam. After studying abroad, he returned to Vietnam and became the leader of Ho Chi Minh City in the first years of shaping the Doi moi (renewal) process, which helped to train and improve the skills and spirit of a cadre.

Former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai (photo: VNA).

At that time, as the leader of the municipal government, Brother Sau took the first important steps to towards developing Ho Chi Minh City and gradually integrating the city into the world. In those years, I had a period working with Brother Sau and we shared many unforgettable memories and I also learned a lot from him.

A leader with breakthrough thinking in international integration

From the beginning of the renewal process, as the head of the Ho Chi Minh City administration, Brother Sau demonstrated a very active and creative mind-set in economic management and international economic integration.

More than 30 years ago, in the initial phase of renewal, Vietnam still witnessed gunfire and was no longer given aid by the former Soviet Union, while also suffering an economic embargo and encirclement. In this context, Brother Sau, along with the authorities of Ho Chi Minh City, made every effort to study the first steps for renewal.

In particular, he was very interested in promoting a multi-sectorial economy under the market mechanism and accelerating international integration. One of the lasting memories of Brother Sau was that he led a delegation to visit four Southeast Asian countries to learn about their economies in order to mobilise investment and open up opportunities for international cooperation.

An important destination during the trip was Singapore, a country that boasted the most dynamic and strong economy in the region. At that time, Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam in general had yet to establish diplomatic relations with Singapore, so the delegation encountered many difficulties in contacting and meeting local agencies. Throughout the trip, Brother Sau always paid great attention to the experience and advice from the Singaporean side and discussed the issues with us concerning the real situation in Ho Chi Minh City.

Visiting any country, he also thoroughly introduced Vietnam's new policies on calling for foreign investment, including the 1987 Investment Law and 1988 Decree No.139-HĐBT. Brother Sau strongly affirmed that Vietnam wished to cooperate with countries across the world, particularly the Southeast Asian nations. Appealing for foreign investment is a very normal policy at present but 30 years ago, talking about calling for investment was unheard of. However, because of the development of the city and the concern to improve the lives of local people, Brother Sau sought to travel abroad as a businessman in order to find ways to call for investment in Ho Chi Minh City. At the time of embargo and encirclement, Brother Sau made such a breakthrough thought!

Once when I visited Sau's house, he said "If I can earn US$50 million, I'll make the city's economy grow faster and change the face of the city." His thoughts, coupled with the experience from his overseas trips, created considerable impacts on his decisions, the development of Ho Chi Minh City and national economic development in the following years.

Giving Ho Chi Minh City a "precious rod"

Ho Chi Minh City is currently implementing the National Assembly's Resolution on piloting special mechanisms and policies for the development of Ho Chi Minh City, including the decentralisation and empowerment to the Ho Chi Minh City authorities. With his breakthrough thinking, in the early 2000s, when comrade Phan Van Khai held the position as Prime Minister, he signed a Decree on delegating the management of a number of areas for Ho Chi Minh City.

In the 2000s, comrade Phan Van Khai was appointed as Prime Minister and he paid great attention to policy reform, economic renewal and the efficiency of the administrative apparatus, as well as Party building work. During that time, I was assigned as the Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee and gained a deep admiration for Brother Sau.

Brother Sau developed a mechanism for Ho Chi Minh City, not called a specific mechanism, but it helped to promote initiatives and creativity in the city. In 2001, Prime Minister Phan Van Khai signed Decree No.93 on the decentralisation of the management of some areas for Ho Chi Minh City, stating that: "Strengthening the decentralisation of management for Ho Chi Minh City aims to raise responsibility and create conditions for the city to promote its initiative in order to timely solve arising problems and effectively exploit the socio-economic potential and strength of the city to be commensurate with the position and role of the city."

I remembered very clearly that, thanks to this Decree, Ho Chi Minh City decentralised its planning management, investment, socio-economic development, apparatus organisation and personnel work.

In addition, the biggest value of the Decree was its spill-over effect and a practical premise for the Politburo to issue Resolution 20 and Resolution 16 on the orientation and tasks of developing Ho Chi Minh City until 2020, which "allows the city to experiment on new issues arising in the development process under which the current State regulations are no longer suitable".

The issuance of Decree 93 by the former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai reflected his attention to comprehensive reform and international integration, in addition to giving Ho Chi Minh City opportunities to experience new mechanisms and policies while creating conditions for the city to develop in accordance with its role in the country and the region.

A constant heart

After 59 years of joining the revolution and two terms of office as the head of the Government, Brother Sau left politics and returned to his hometown in Tan Thong Hoi commune, Cu Chi district. During his retirement, Brother Sau also participated in activities featuring the Vietnamese tradition of promoting education and 'when drinking water, remember its source".

In particular, with his enormous enthusiasm, Brother Sau proposed the idea and participated in the construction of Saigon - Cho Lon - Gia Dinh Revolutionary Memorial Complex. Despite his old age, he devoted himself to the implementation of the work from the design to the construction of the complex, the creating of landscapes and planting trees on the site, among others.

Moreover, Brother Sau also participated in directing the preservation of the resistance bases in the Southern battlefield during the two resistance wars, in addition to organising the compilation of anti-war memoirs and documentary films on the revolutionary years.

Most recently, with the approval of the Secretariat, Brother Sau assumed the chairmanship of the Advisory Council of the book on National Front for the Liberation of the South, the Union of National, Democratic and Peaceful Forces of Vietnam, and the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam. This is a large project, assigned by the Secretariat to the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, but unfortunately, he did not get to see the outcomes of his efforts.

I can only say in brief that Brother Sau was a talented leader with a thought process ahead of his time, who dared to think, dared to do, and dared to take responsibility. He was also a leader who wholeheartedly cared for the lives of the people and an elite son of the nation, of the South, and of Saigon - Gia Dinh - Ho Chi Minh City, who always showed his gratitude to the forefathers and educated the patriotic and revolutionary tradition among the younger generations.