PKR communications director Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad told a press conference that the non-Malays, who make up a bulk of the Malaysian diaspora, often face a “glass ceiling” in the civil service due to political interference.
At the same time, he added, genuine Malay entrepreneurs “without the right political connections” also suffer from discrimination in the private and public sectors.
He said this fuelled their desire to leave the country in search of greener pastures abroad and to prove that they can succeed without government assistance.
“Unfortunately, (Prime Minister Datuk Seri) Najib’s (Razak) administration seems to be only capable of spin without substance, in this issue and everything else.
“It has betrayed a total lack of political will to push through direly-need reforms when it runs against the interests of Umno.
“In the meantime, the Umno-owned media and allied NGOs, as well as the government institutions which the party has compromised, continue to exacerbate tensions that threaten to destroy the nation and cause regional instability,” the Seri Setia assemblyman said.
He added that the administration was centering its approach on tackling the brain drain by adopting policies that prioritise “quick-wins” and “low-hanging fruits”, which were mainly populist and short-term measures.
“These measures do not make the more difficult, long-term fundamental reforms that are required to solve the root causes of the problem,” he complained.
As an example, Nik Nazmi claimed that the administration’s establishment of Talent Corp Bhd would not tackle the brain drain issue at its source and would instead send the wrong message to Malaysians who have returned to the country voluntarily.
“Najib seems to think that forming Talent Corp Bhd and proposing a 15 per cent flat income tax for five years for returning Malaysians will bring our diaspora back in droves.
“With all due respect, this approach is wrong-headed.
“You are not going to stop the brain drain by forming yet another government corporation. Conversely, it sends a wrong message to Malaysians who have voluntarily returned, by selectively rewarding certain individuals or nakedly attempting to lure expatriates to our shores with goodies,” he said.
Nik Nazmi was referring to the recent World Bank report that estimated the Malaysian diaspora to be about one million-strong with most living in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries and Singapore.
The “Malaysia Economic Monitor: Brain Drain” report also said that 54 per cent of the Malaysian diaspora resided in Singapore while 15 per cent were in Australia, 10 per cent the US and five per cent the UK.
Nik Nazmi pointed out that one of the root causes of the brain drain was “social injustice” with 60 per cent of respondents in the World Bank survey listing the issue as one of their main reasons for migrating.
“Discrimination both in public and private sectors, as well as the socio-economic inequality that plagues the country are robbing us of our best minds,” he said.
Nik Nazmi suggested a complete overhaul of the country’s education system as one of the more effective “quick-win” solutions to solve the brain drain.
Parents, he said, should be allowed to choose the school of their choice for their children.
“The rigid, non-inclusive one-size-fits-all education system both deters many Malaysians from returning and pushes skilled Malaysians in the country to migrate.
“Most Malaysians can only afford government schools and only by making our national schools more inclusive while improving their quality can we make national schools the school of choice for all Malaysians again,” he said.
Nik Nazmi also urged the government to focus on talent-retention as a method to fight the brain drain, reiterating that expecting successful Malaysians living abroad to return as a result of Talent Corp’s offer of low tax rates was “silly”.
“Neither is the obsession with attracting foreign knowledge workers enough. While they should be welcomed, they only come at the right price and most do not intend to stay permanently in the country,” he said.
Nik Nazmi added that the government should seriously consider adopting the approaches drafted in Pakatan Rakyat’s “Buku Jingga”, which he said focuses on meritocracy and needs-based affirmative action.
“The present approach that provides choice and quality only for the rich, which will exacerbate racial differences down the line, will not work in 21st century Malaysia,” he said.
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