Malaysia is facing a critical brain drain problem with 1.86 million Malaysians having left the country over the past 50 years, said digital minister Gobind Singh Deo.
Gobind said the 1.86 million Malaysians represented 5.6 per cent of the population, which is higher than the global average of 3.6 per cent.
“As such, the Madani government has developed several strategies to not only strengthen the nation’s talent ecosystem, but to retain them,” he said during his keynote address at the launch of 42 Penang Campus here today.
Source : Malay Mail
Khairy Admits Brain Drain Due To Racist Policy, But The Chinese Top Brain In “Tongsan” Won’t Come Back
Khairy Jamaluddin, supposedly the top brain of UMNO before he was sacked, has finally admitted that the brain drain in Malaysia is a serious problem. It’s both entertaining and flabbergasting that the Oxford educated genius suddenly realizes that a mother is actually female (who can produce offspring). He talked as if the issue of brain drain began yesterday.
Mr Khairy said top brains have left not only due to higher salaries being offered abroad, but also because of other factors. He mentioned bureaucracy for local talents to kick-start their business or outdated local market in supporting sophisticated products. He acknowledged the 500-pound gorilla in the room – “second-class citizens” treatment of non-Bumiputeras.
He was probably referring to Grab, originally known as “My Teksi”, which was first started by Harvard graduate Anthony Tan in Malaysia in 2012. Thanks to bureaucracy and regulatory issues in doing business in the country, Anthony and his co-founder Malaysian internet entrepreneur, Tan Hooi Ling, another Harvard graduate, moved the company headquarters from Malaysia to Singapore.
Grab had tried to apply for financial grants from Khazanah Nasional, the sovereign wealth fund of the Government of Malaysia. But the long process and Khazanah’s disagreement to the deal saw Singapore investment fund Temasek quickly grabbed the opportunity and pumped US$10 million into Grab in 2014 – an example of how businesses and Malaysian talents are lost to foreign countries.
Not only the racist policy caused the brain drain at an industrial scale, but it also spooks both foreign and domestic investors. Years before Malaysian internet entrepreneur Anthony Tan and Tan Hooi Ling founded Grab and migrated to Singapore, “Sugar King” Robert Kuok and gaming giant Genting Berhad had already moved their business head office to Hong Kong and Singapore respectively.
Source : Finance Twitter
Malaysia losing talent it needs to climb world ladder
Stalled reforms and perceived discrimination will keep up the chronic brain drain that has hampered Malaysia’s economic development at a time regional rivals are catching up to or surpassing the country, said Fitch Solutions Country Risk & Industry Research.
In a research note today, Fitch Solutions highlighted the continuation of race-based affirmative action as a major cause of local talent choosing to head abroad for better opportunities.
The firm also said the needed reforms — planned or promised — were unlikely to take place now as the country has been plunged into political instability, which in turn has prompted politicians to return to peddling populist measures.
“A chief example would be affirmative action policies favouring the ethnic Malay population (Bumiputra), which is likely to continue to cause a ‘brain drain’ where talented non-Malay members of the population seek opportunities overseas.
“Talent is key to the country being able to move up the value chain and escape the middle income trap and the brain drain, if left unaddressed, would impede any such drive to upgrade the economy,” the research house said.
Such policies have also contributed to corruption — perceived or real — in Malaysia due, among others, to the preferential procurement policies the government practised in favour of some communities, it added.
While the term “brain drain” is nebulous, the effects of the phenomenon can be demonstrated via employers’ perennial complaints about their difficulty in securing the talent critically needed for their operations.
Source : Malay Mail
Racial policies enforced Malaysia’s brain drain
Senior Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders admitted today that race-based policies had contributed to Malaysia’s brain drain problem, which the country needs to plug if it is to join the ranks of high-income nations by 2020.
They were responding to former Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew’s remarks in his new book that Malaysia’s acute loss of talent was due to Putrajaya’s insistence on promoting “one race” above all others.
Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said that the rise of “Ketuanan Melayu” or Malay supremacy had previously caused local talents to quit the country.
“I will say in the past the issue of Ketuanan Melayu in fact caused some migration of people from the country but we want to emphasise that Malaysia is a multiracial country and we preserve harmony and unity in this country.
Source : Malay Mail
Can Malaysia’s public universities move away from racial quotas?
In 2023, a video of a Malaysian graduate giving a powerful speech at his convocation ceremony went viral and touched the hearts of many Malaysians.
He spoke out against the discriminatory racial quotas at Malaysian public universities, recounting a story about how his deceased friend failed to secure a spot in matriculation despite good academic results. The graduate stressed how the government and public universities should practise meritocracy over divisive quotas.
It is believed the narrative surrounding Malaysia’s racial quotas in education, introduced as part of the broader New Economic Policy (NEP) in the early 1970s, was aimed at promoting economic equality among races. Yet, preferential practices of selecting Malays for elite administrative roles date back to the colonial period.
These practices were formally recognised in the 1948 Federation of Malaya Agreement and enshrined in Article 153 of the Malaysian Constitution. The shift in 1971 was significant, marking the creation and systematic implementation of a wide-ranging ethnic preferential policy.
This policy was manifested in higher education through quota systems for public university admissions to ensure substantial representation of Bumiputera (ethnic Malays and other indigenous ethnic groups in Peninsular and East Malaysia) and the establishment of higher education institutions primarily serving Bumiputera students.
In 1971, Malay enrolment in tertiary education stood at 54.1 per cent, which increased to 72.8 per cent by 1980. After more than four decades, the implementation of these preferential admissions practices for Bumiputera students has resulted in a significant percentage of enrolment (81.9 per cent) in public sector institutions, highlighting the policy’s lasting impact and scale in shaping educational opportunities and demographic representation within Malaysia’s higher education landscape.
While these measures have had successes, they also face criticism for perpetuating racial divisions and overlooking meritocracy. Critics argue that such policies have contributed to a ‘brain drain,’ with talented non-Bumiputera students and graduates seeking education and employment opportunities abroad.
This outflow of talent significantly challenges Malaysia’s economic and technological advancement aspirations. Attempts to implement merit-based admission have not seen much success as the pathways into public higher education are either through nationally standardised or institutional-based assessments.
The racial quotas, part of the broader NEP, aimed at economic parity now translate into a segmented higher education system. This has been successful in increasing Bumiputera representation in higher education but criticised for fostering racial divisions and overlooking meritocracy and eroding the quality of public-funded higher education in Malaysia.
The effects of this policy extend beyond the confines of university campuses. Non-Bumiputera students, compelled to enrol in the private and more expensive higher education sector, find themselves saddled with a substantially heavier and longer student loan repayment. This financial strain persists deep into their careers and family lives, impacting their economic well-being, and resulting in further brain drain.
Proponents of the quota system emphasise its role in ensuring educational opportunities for Bumiputera communities, who have historically been economically and educationally marginalised. They argue that these policies are essential for maintaining social harmony and national cohesion by levelling the playing field.
Conversely, opponents of racial quotas call for a more merit-based system, arguing that talent and hard work should be the primary criteria for educational advancement and promotion. They highlight the importance of creating a competitive yet fair environment that rewards excellence, irrespective of racial background, to drive the country forward.
For a constructive discussion on racial quotas, acknowledging the shared objectives of educational equity and national unity is crucial. The dialogue should evolve from a zero-sum perspective to one embracing the diverse needs and potentials of all Malaysians.
Given Malaysia’s unique topography, history, and trajectory, policy reforms for an inclusive future are necessary. These include embracing meritocracy with sensitivity, offering targeted scholarships and support programmes, and promoting a multicultural educational ethos to combat brain drain.
Implementing a merit-based admissions system that also considers socioeconomic status could ensure that disadvantaged students from all ethnic backgrounds have access to higher education opportunities. This approach can help balance the need for competitiveness and quality with the imperative of inclusivity and diversity.
Expanding scholarship programmes and support services for underprivileged students, irrespective of their racial background, could mitigate the need for racial quotas. Such initiatives could focus on rural and economically disadvantaged urban areas, providing a ladder for talented individuals to climb. Developing a curriculum that mirrors Malaysia’s multicultural fabric will foster mutual respect and a unified national identity.
Addressing the brain drain requires creating a conducive environment for career growth and innovation, ensuring equitable employment opportunities, and cultivating a meritocracy culture in both public and private sectors.
The debate over racial quotas in Malaysian education reflects deeper issues related to national identity, equity, and the vision for Malaysia’s future.
By engaging in a constructive dialogue that seeks to understand and address the concerns of all stakeholders, Malaysia can chart a path towards an educational system that truly reflects the richness of its diversity.
The goal should be to create policies that address historical injustices and adapt to the evolving needs of a dynamic and diverse society. In doing so, Malaysia can harness the full potential of its people, ensuring that the nation thrives as a beacon of unity and progress while simultaneously achieving the economic progress it desires.
Source : Malay Mail
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