KUALA LUMPUR: Many Malaysians, especially professionals, are migrating abroad for jobs due to being frustrated by the culture of using "connections" to move up the corporate ladder.

Deputy Human Resources Minister Mustapha Sakmud said the ministry had identified three main reasons why Malaysians were going abroad to seek work.

He said apart from perceived "social injustice" at the workplace, the two other main reasons were better career prospects and better remuneration.

"Developed countries have better laws that protect their workers' rights from any discrimination, and also provide better salaries.

"They are based on meritocracy, unlike in our ecosystem, which is sometimes based on connections or who you know," he told the New Straits Times.

Mustapha said he had also experienced social injustice during his career.

He said the low salary rate in Malaysia had exacerbated the situation.

"When I first started working as an engineer in 1993, my salary was RM1,800. My son graduated in 2019 and joined a private company as an engineer too. His salary is RM2,300.

"Can you imagine, in the span of almost 30 years, the increment has been so minimal. How can we expect to retain our professionals?"

Mustapha said based on the ministry's data, Singapore had the highest number of Malaysian workers, with almost a million, followed by Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada.

Most of them, he said, were in professional sectors, such as the oil and gas, power, financial services and sales industries.

Mustapha said the departure of these professionals will hinder economic development, exacerbate the issue of shortages of experts, reduce the nation's ability to compete with others and slow down development and industrialisation.

"When experts with intellectual potential leave the country in large numbers, it will make it difficult for the country to maintain high intellectual and academic standards because these individuals are the driving force behind creating a more educated and professional society, nurturing and developing other talents.

"This dynamic will lead to the issue of shortages of experts and reduce the nation's ability to compete with other developed countries and slow down development and industrialisation."

He said data also showed that the majority of those who chose to emigrate did so because they had trouble finding work.

He added that the new technical and vocational education and training policy, which will be industry-driven, will hopefully address the problem.

"The ministry believes that by making the available workforce ready and relevant to industry needs, it will increase demand in the country's industry, which will then serve as a driver for industry growth and attract more foreign direct investments," he said, adding that there were also programmes to educate students on their future career paths.

He said the "Malaysia Madani" concept, which Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had mooted, would ideally result in a more balanced ecosystem and prevent social inequality.

"After years of lagging behind, it will take time for us to restore our economy. Nevertheles, I believe if we can apply the 'Malaysia Madani' concept in our policies and the way we run the nation, it will hopefully encourage the professionals abroad to return."

Mustapha said although the trend of Malaysians moving abroad was declining, he believed that the rate of Malaysians returning home was almost non-existent.

He said the current aim was to entice at least those in their 50s to return and help the country by contributing their expertise and talents.

"Obviously, we can't match their current income. But we do know that people in this age range typically would want to come back and contribute their expertise.

"We are far behind, even at the Asean level. I am asking professionals, who are currently living abroad, to come back and assist us in regaining our status as an 'Asian Tiger'," he added.

Mustapha said the ministry's agency TalentCorp had pushed for a "diversity and inclusivity" agenda at the workplace through programmes such as the Women Career Comeback and Flexible Work Arrangements to increase awareness of the importance of diversity and inclusion among employees and employers.

"With this initiative, returning Malaysians will find that their return would be appreciated and this can attract other top global talents to Malaysia."

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2023/02/881981/top-three-reasons-why-malaysians-are-leaving