THE government’s renewed pitch to lure talented Malaysians back from abroad with high-skilled jobs and competitive remuneration is timely and welcome.
Putrajaya‘s aim is to reduce the nation’s brain drain and increase its competitiveness by building high-value industries supported by quality talent. Competitive pay is a good start, but it is not the only item in the brain drain equation.
Experience from past talent-attraction efforts suggests that salary alone isn’t enough to reverse decades of outward migration.
For sure, pay is important, if we consider the list of countries where Malaysians prefer to work — the United Kingdom, Australia and Singapore.
All of them offer higher salaries with the added bonus of a high exchange rate. The weak ringgit is of no help either.
Be that as it may, policymakers need to look beyond competitive pay to address this issue successfully.
Even TalentCorp data point that way. From 2011, 11,124 applications were received but only 4,763 applicants returned home, according to local media reports.
This is despite 15 per cent income tax exemption rate, tax exemption on personal goods, vehicle excise duty exemption up to RM100k and facility to obtain permanent residency for spouse and children.
They can start by strengthening the broader talent ecosystem. Many Malaysians leave not just for higher pay, but clear career progression, stimulating work environments and culture of innovation often lacking at home.
The onus is on our employers to raise standards of workplace culture, offer meaningful career paths and adopt work practices that reflect global standards. Offering competitive jobs also means ensuring that our local workforce is prepared for them.
Malaysia must accelerate efforts to upskill and reskill its labour force — from university curriculum alignment with industry needs to lifelong learning opportunities — so that returning talents find a fertile environment to thrive, lead and innovate.
This can only succeed if the government-industry partnership is robust. Admittedly, such partnerships aren’t new. Several have been tried such as centres of excellence between public universities and industry players.
Economic corridors, too, have tried to entice such partnerships, with the East Coast Economic Region encompassing Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, and districts of Mersing and Segamat in Johor, being a primary example.
But they were sporadic and didn’t involve major employers. And even among those who signed up, their efforts came in spurts. Such stop-and-go partnerships signal, not a serious commitment to keep our talent at home but a push factor contributing to the brain drain.
Employers often rely on government incentives but there is a limit. The industry players must complement them with their own willingness to innovate and invest in people. Malaysian diaspora aren’t school leavers; they are professionals.
Every move by the industry would be watched for employer commitment. Investing in people doesn’t mean merely feel-good social responsibility statements but funding growth of talent.
Our takeaway is this: only a concerted public-private push will turn the aspirations of repatriating skilled Malaysians into a sustainable success.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
