Dr Mahathir Mohamad does not expect Malaysia to achieve the goals of Vision 2020 in time.

Speaking at a dinner organised by the Foreign Correspondents' Club Malaysia (FCCM) today, Mahathir said the persuit of per capita income targets alone were insufficient and "totally artificial".

He said the current administration's policies do not address other aspects of Malaysia's progress that would define her as a developed nation.

"I have my doubts that we can achieve this developed nation status by 2020... all the talk is about (obtaining) high income, (there is) no talk about productivity," he said in his speech.

Mahathir said that this involved educating the population properly in order to create a sophisticated society, all within the next five years.

Wanted: A good press

The results, he said, would produce Malaysians who are well versed in literature, appreciative of performing arts and demanding of a healthy media industry.

"A good press which does investigative reporting (and) strives to educate people rather than titilate people.

"That would be good contribution towards a developed country," he said.

Mahathir's speech to the FCCM was titled "Leadership in the final push towards Vision 2020".

Vision 2020 was a key component of the 6th Malaysia Plan, which Mahathir tabled to Parliament in 1991.

Final lap

It described an aspiration for Malaysia to be an industrialised nation by the year 2020, driven by private investments rather than government spending.

Apart from economic goals, Mahathir outlined nine "strategic challenges" for the country, which includes the establishment of a " Bangsa Malaysia (Malaysian race)" and a mature democratic society.

After Mahathir retired in 2003, his successor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi ( photo ) paid little attention to Vision 2020.

In August 2009, four months after Najib Abdul Razak took helm of the country, he set the target of 9 percent GDP growth per annum in order to achieve Vision 2020.

Najib tabled the 11th Malaysia Plan last week, which he described as the " final lap " towards Vision 2020.