This time I lectured in Malaysia, at Universiti Malaya in Kuala Lumpur. My open lecture on local government and state authorities in Poland was supposed to last an hour and a half, but it ran for three hours, because there were so many questions and so much discussion with the students. And it all stemmed from the major differences between our system and the Malaysian one.

Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy and at the same time a federation of 13 states and 3 federal territories. The head of state is a king elected on a rotating basis for a five-year term from among the hereditary rulers of 9 of those states. This arrangement is unique on a global scale. There are no municipalities in the sense we understand them in Poland. There are municipal/city councils, but councillors are not elected by residents. They are appointed by state governments. Their responsibilities focus primarily on spatial planning and the development of technical infrastructure. Other local and regional matters are handled by the states, which have citizen-elected parliaments, governments, and the above-mentioned rulers. The federal parliament, also elected by citizens, as well as the federal government and the king, deal with national-level affairs. Does this system work well? Malaysia is growing rapidly as an export-oriented economy, but its growth rate fluctuates with global trade. Many investments are being implemented, and quality of life is improving quickly, although there are still challenges, such as public debt.

I am glad that I could represent my Wroclaw University of Economics and Business here and many thanks to Prof. Dr. Sharifah Muhairah Shahabudin, Head of the Department of Political Science, Public Administration and Development Studies, for the invitation, excellent organisation, and warm hospitality. I also thank Dr. Mohd Fazli Bin Abdul Aziz and Dr. Muhamad Hilmi Bin Abdul Rahman for their daily support and the fascinating conversations! It was a great time!