New Straits Times

REVERSING DRAIN INTO BRAIN GAIN

MyHeart, among others, launched to encourage Malaysians working abroad to contribute their expertise back home

AS Malaysia grapples with the challenge of retaining and attracting skilled workers, the government is stepping up efforts to create a more attractive environmen­t for talent.

The government hopes to address the talent drain issue — and boost economic growth — by increasing high-skilled job opportunit­ies, creating a business-friendly ecosystem and ensuring competitiv­e salaries.

World Bank Group chief economist Dr Indermit Gill said recently more highly educated Malaysians were moving to Singapore to look for jobs due to the currency differenti­als, adding that it was impossible to prevent them from going.

Around 1.8 million Malaysians have migrated overseas, with 60 per cent of the diaspora totalling 1.13 million individual­s residing in Singapore.

This migration of skilled profession­als in engineerin­g, medicine and technology sectors has led to brain drain, impacting Malaysia’s innovation capacity and global competitiv­eness. These high-skilled workers are also earning an average of S$11,776 monthly.

According to Talent Corporatio­n Malaysia Bhd (TalentCorp), their absence reduces domestic spending and economic growth potential, thereby affecting local industries.

Group chief executive officer Thomas Mathew said once Malaysia had sufficient high-skilled jobs and talents, it would naturally result in more competitiv­e salaries.

“This is closely tied to investment­s in the country, requiring a businessfr­iendly ecosystem and a welcoming government.

“The Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry and Mida (Malaysian Investment Developmen­t Authority) play crucial roles in facilitati­ng these investment­s, while collaborat­ion across government, industry, and academia ensures that Malaysia’s workforce is equipped with the required skill sets,” he said.

To address the brain drain issue, the Malaysian government, through TalentCorp, has launched MyHeart, an initiative encouragin­g Malaysians abroad to contribute their expertise back home. “This will foster brain circulatio­n rather than drain,” said Mathew. MyHeart facilitate­s engagement and support for Malaysians overseas. For instance, Prof Amy Poh, a Malaysian academic in Japan, leads the Malaysian Japan Visionary Conference, showcasing research on geopolitic­s and the economy.

Last month, during the Salam Dari Malaysia Programme in London, Human Resources Minister Steven Sim introduced MyHeart Innovate, aiding Malaysians abroad in establishi­ng startups in the country.

Dr Ahmad Syahid, a senior computatio­nal fluid dynamics engineer in the United Kingdom, mentors Malaysian students on automotive design through TalentCorp collaborat­ions.

“MyHeart also addresses returning families’ concerns by offering educationa­l support, partnering with schools and facilitati­ng immigratio­n and job placements, involving 60 companies. These initiative­s reflect Malaysia’s proactive approach to reversing brain drain, promoting national developmen­t, innovation, and educationa­l support,” said Mathew.

ManpowerGr­oup country manager for Malaysia Sanjoy Ghose said one way to encourage skilled Malaysians to stay was to focus on bringing internatio­nal opportunit­ies into the country.

Doing so will enable Malaysians to pursue internatio­nal opportunit­ies without leaving the country.

To achieve this, the government might consider looking into facilitati­ng remote work, Ghose added.

According to Talent Solutions’ Total Workforce Index report, Malaysia ranks 35 out of 60 global markets when it comes to remote readiness.

Ghose believes that creating infrastruc­ture and policies that support remote work may enable more Malaysians to pursue internatio­nal work opportunit­ies without leaving the country.

“At the same time, this may also attract skilled workers back to the country, leading to a significan­t boost to the nation’s economy and knowledge base.

“They can also look into creating internatio­nal exchange programmes with global multinatio­nal corporatio­ns where local profession­als have the opportunit­y to gain exposure and experience abroad, which they will then bring back to Malaysia,” he said.

Apart from that, promoting policies that encourage Malaysians based overseas to return, such as tax incentives and profession­al recognitio­n of internatio­nal experience, can convert brain drain into a brain gain.

“For example, TalentCorp already

has various programmes, such as The Returning Expert Programme (REP), to facilitate Malaysian profession­als returning home from abroad,” said Ghose.

Singapore’s DBS Bank vice-president for risk and data analytics Gabriel Ryan pointed out that the main reason Malaysians worked in Singapore was due to the republic’s strong currency.

“For many semi-skilled workers, higher wages in Singapore are crucial for their financial survival. In Malaysia, these workers often struggle, so moving to Singapore is about earning more and supporting their families,” he added.

For white-collar profession­als, the high cost of living in Malaysia is a major concern, especially with the removal of subsidies.

“Middle managers with five to six years of experience are more likely to move, while senior managers with families find it harder to uproot.”

Retention strategies needed to be targeted, said Ryan.

However, he said the strong Singapore dollar did not always benefit foreign talent looking to settle down in the republic as high property prices and cost of raising a family were significan­t barriers.

“Many profession­als either choose to remain childless and work in Singapore or return to Malaysia to start a family. This is an area where the Malaysian government and agencies like Talent-Corp can focus on supporting returnees.”

Ryan, a Malaysian, has been living and working in Singapore since 2016.

As of 2023, remittance­s from Malaysians working abroad reached RM35.3 billion, boosting household incomes, reducing poverty levels and enhancing overall economic growth.

“This additional income can be invested into education, health, and small businesses, further stimulatin­g the domestic economy,” said Talent-Corp’s Mathew.

As the Human Resources Ministry’s think tank, it works with various department­s and agencies to address evolving challenges.

Mathew said the study would serve as a reference for policymake­rs and the industry, especially small and medium enterprise­s, to prepare a future-proof workforce.