Some 630 Malaysians leave the country every day


A total of 304,358 Malaysians left the country between March last year and August this year for better education, career and business prospects, Deputy Foreign Minister A Kohilan Pillay told Parliament yesterday. This is a big leap from 139,696 Malaysians who migrated to other countries in 2007.

This works out to some 630 Malaysians leaving the country every day.

Can Malaysia afford such a continuing brain drain?

This is a big vote of no confidence not only in the Abdullah premiership but also in the present Najib administration.

In Singapore last month, the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the Malaysian Government is reaching out to Malaysians abroad to help promote the country.

It is a most extraordinary way of reaching out to Malaysians abroad by persisting with political, economic, educational and nation-building policies which strengthen the push-factors and expedite the brain drain from Malaysia.

  1. #1 by Dap man on Tuesday, 1 December 2009 - 3:34 pm

    Najib wants non- Bumi Malaysians to return so that they can pay taxes to finance his pro-Bumi policies.
    So that the Bumi’s can purchase houses at 15% discount which will be paid by the non-Bumi buyers when they return home.
    So Non-Bumis please return home and allow your children to be third class citizens.

  2. #2 by Bigjoe on Tuesday, 1 December 2009 - 3:40 pm

    Look further into the numbers. Of the 630, how many are Malays? Keep in mind this. There is only a handful of Malays who go overseas to study whereas, a huge number from Chinese and Indians do so. In percentage terms, the Malays that migrate from those with the opportunity to do so, it should be BIGGER…

    I have alwasys said, the biggest threat is NOT the migration of non-bumis from this country although its a complete waste. BUT its the migration of the very thin layer of skilled bumis. That is destroying the very core of the foundation of the true so-called ‘Malay Agenda’..

  3. #3 by Godfather on Tuesday, 1 December 2009 - 3:47 pm

    There is no chance. None of my friends’ children are coming back, and whenever I meet young students studying overseas, my recommendation to them is not to come back. Come back to what ? So that these young folks can work their tails off, pay taxes, and see the government squander billions and billions of public funds ?

    The government doesn’t care about the brain drain because I can bet that more than 90 pct are of the wrong race and who would vote opposition anyway. That makes it easier for them to continue the plunder.

  4. #4 by trublumsian on Tuesday, 1 December 2009 - 4:00 pm

    dear jibby, bad boy. think we’re stupid? your speach in singapore, yeah, the one with no substance, is not going to con us. why should we 3rd class citizen work our back-ends off to pay for every penny of our kids’ college so we can come back to malaise-sure to feed your lazy-axx kampung constituents, who by the way, have boatloads of university diplomas mandated by you, paid by you, but can’t do simple math or fill out a stupid form??

  5. #5 by taiking on Tuesday, 1 December 2009 - 4:13 pm

    Useless raising this issue. That is precisely their agenda. To get non-malays (the economic pie makers) out of the country. They believe that somehow the economic pie could bake itself. So no worries there. They could just simply carry on after us and in our absence, enjoy a larger slice of that pie. Makes perfect sense. Well to them, at least.

    Fat hope bozos.

  6. #6 by trublumsian on Tuesday, 1 December 2009 - 4:21 pm

    brilliant idea, this jibjib guy has! get all these chinese and indian brains from abroad without having to pay a dime.

  7. #7 by Godfather on Tuesday, 1 December 2009 - 4:57 pm

    Come back so that Kasim Amat and Cintanegara can get houses at 85 pct of what “other” people pay for them ? So that Kasim Amat and cintanegara can get allocated APs and “other” people pay RM 25,000 for each AP ? So that all these goons can get contracts without open tender because it is their “right” ? So that Kasim Amat and Cintanegara can teach at BTN courses that the Chinese are the real enemies and cannot be trusted ?

    So that these goons can point their fingers at us and say “Don’t think you are great simply because China is great” ?

  8. #8 by taiking on Tuesday, 1 December 2009 - 5:45 pm

    Shadow boxing with an imaginary enemy is not a very productive or meaningful thing to do at all. If they must insist, well by all means, let them. Stupidity has no known cure. And I am no miracle man. My only gripe is the cost factor, which really is unnecessary. Actually it is sinful, if you must ask.

  9. #9 by boh-liao on Tuesday, 1 December 2009 - 6:41 pm

    Some 630 Malaysians leaving the country every day
    Sup sup sway lah, 2 Umno/BN, it’s just garbage out
    U ah must cek lah birth rate here – Malays very productif, surely >630 newborns evr’day
    U ah must also cek how many pendatang fr Toyol’s motherland evr’day, must b >630
    Garbage out, good loyal Umno Malays in, still net positive number, no sweat
    Bad 4 PR, good for Umno/BN
    Those who think d grass is greener n d moon rounder n bigger elsewhere
    Want 2 leave, go lah, just leave paspot behind, no sweat
    1M’sia moving towards 60 million population, as MMK championed years ago

  10. #10 by yhsiew on Tuesday, 1 December 2009 - 7:26 pm

    I was told recently that the person who invented the thumbdrive was a Malaysian. He tried very hard to find a place in local universities but to no avail. However, a university in Taiwan recognized his works and qualifications and invited him to come over to Taiwan. The guy then left Malaysia to join the university in Taiwan.

    This is the problem in this country – if you have the talent but of the “wrong color” you are disqualified! So let Malaysia continue to be a training ground and feeder of specialists and professionals for other countries.

  11. #11 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Tuesday, 1 December 2009 - 7:30 pm

    Hello Najib, it isn’t a mere brain-drain now, it’s a deluge. The drain is just too small….it’s simply overflowing and people r just fed up & bailing out! It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see this. It doesn’t even take an econs grad like yrself to see that the best r leaving & this is hurting the economy. Once UMNO used to say: peduli-lah, just let them go. Now u know that this world is too small, this country is too small. U need every able-bodied, smart & resourceful person to take the nation to great heights; not Indonesians nor Bangladeshis who come to fill low-paying jobs & all of them remit money to their homelands, not invest in properties or businesses in Malaysia.

    Now if that is not Economics 101, I dont know what is unless of course, u have forgotten d basics.

  12. #12 by yhsiew on Tuesday, 1 December 2009 - 7:33 pm

    Oops!

    but of the “wrong color”

    should be amended to

    but ARE of the “wrong color”.

  13. #13 by StraightTalking on Tuesday, 1 December 2009 - 7:47 pm

    Dear Uncle Lim,
    Actually the number given by the BN government is very misleading. Speaking for myself, I think it is only the tip of the iceberg. Look, the statistics compiled are only for those who have given up Malaysian citizenship. What about those who are still Malaysian citizen who are still in Malaysia, working here, or doing business here BUT already hold Permanent Resident status elsewhere?

    I, too, will becomeone soon and the government would not know, would they?

    And who are these people who hold PR status? These are most probably people who are professionals (of course with degrees recognized by the respective countries), or have the means, meaning they bought their PR papers by either investing in the country of their choice. These people are still in Malaysia because they either are still working, or running a profitable business. They will continue to live their lives this way until the day comes when they HAVE to leave.

    Their PR is like a life-boat. Use it only when the boat sinks.

    And, to all those, so-called patriotic Malaysians, out there…before you say “good riddance..we don’t need unpatriotic people like you..etc, etc..let me tell you this..

    “If you are a wife, a good wife, who works and shares your income (which is much more than your husband) with your husband, and your husband uses your hard-earned money to keep a nonproductive mistress, while at the same time tells you ALL THE TIME that he hates you, tells you that you are his enemy, would you leave him?”

  14. #14 by tenaciousB on Tuesday, 1 December 2009 - 7:48 pm

    Many well qualified professional people have left malaysia since last year. It is a big loss to Malaysia.

    Only thing is we can’t blame them for their decision as it’s something everyone thinks about, what can this country do for you when you have given the best you can?

    Mahathir openly condemned UMNO in his blog yesterday. This marks the impending doom for UMNO with all the latest unravellings like the BTN which was proven to be a racist indoctrination and contradicts Jibby’s 1Malaysia concept.

    We can be certain many many more government blunders and scandals will be revealed in the coming weeks. Jibby’s arch nemesis Bala will certainly give UMNO the ultimatum. It’s a fairy tale after all, all evil comes to and end till the next evil? who knows.

  15. #15 by jeffo on Tuesday, 1 December 2009 - 7:57 pm

    Looks like Malaysia is the only country in the world that does not value human capital. Other countries are trying their best to attract the best brains from any where regardless of race and religion and constantly adding value to the diversity in their lives. Malaysia is doing just the opposite. Very sad indeed. Perhaps somebody’s garbage is someone’s gain; at an expensive level. How silly!!!! Malaysia has a long way to go to achieve it’s goal. If she is not careful, she will definitely lag far behind countries which have been trying to catch up with the rest of the world. It’s a scary thought for those who understand this but unfortunately, leaders in Malaysia have not been able to comprehend this at all. How sad and selfish! The future generations will be made to pay for the mistakes committed by the current leaders.

  16. #16 by tenaciousB on Tuesday, 1 December 2009 - 8:00 pm

    boh-liao :
    Some 630 Malaysians leaving the country every day
    Sup sup sway lah, 2 Umno/BN, it’s just garbage out
    U ah must cek lah birth rate here – Malays very productif, surely >630 newborns evr’day
    U ah must also cek how many pendatang fr Toyol’s motherland evr’day, must b >630

    LOL, good one boh liao! Yep eventually the country will have Banglas, Indons, Myanmarese!
    I’m sure by then the Malays will be self contented cause they will continue to have ‘ketuanan melayu’ with an easily oppressed second and third most populous migrants. LOL

    Only thing is whether these migrants would be loyal to the country? productive? hard working? What happens when the major population is well known to be lazy and unenterprising combine that with a migrant population as above…….afghanistan?

  17. #17 by tenaciousB on Tuesday, 1 December 2009 - 8:12 pm

    Uncle Lim can you please reveal footages of BN UMNO youth being despicable and vulgar in their protests because Doink head Muhddin yssin states that what DAP did over the weekend stepping on those 3 traitors was unethical and he claims that UMNO has never done it themselves before.

    Just like what he stated before that BTN is not racist and should continue and then suddenly nazri revamps it? Talk about credibility, why ask this clown to give comments in the first place? can we just sack those reporters that interview such clowns and make malaysians dumber by the day! LOL

    Uncle Lim get some of those footages during the UMNO protest during the bar council meeting filled with racial slurs from the umnoputras and also hisapmudins keris wielding ceremony!

  18. #18 by cintanegara on Tuesday, 1 December 2009 - 8:54 pm

    Bigjoe…try not to make a mountain out of a molehill worrying about it too much.

    Despite all the good things about that TINY country, propagated by DAP ….wonder why more and more of its citizens migrate to other countries (Canada. Britain, USA, Australia, etc) every year….at the same time many are coming from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan to overcome the serious decline in its population….

  19. #19 by Comrade on Tuesday, 1 December 2009 - 9:00 pm

    Why are so many Malaysians leaving for greener pasture?
    They do it to give themselves a better future.
    Why can’t the gov’t minimise this exodus culture?
    Because it is unfair and politically immature.

  20. #20 by tenaciousB on Tuesday, 1 December 2009 - 10:05 pm

    He called for sweeping measures including an emphasis on meritocracy and ensuring all Malaysians are given “equal opportunity to participate in the economy”.

    Malaysia has for decades practiced a system of positive discrimination for Muslim Malays who dominate the population, but critics say the policy is fuelling corruption and is hurting the nation’s competitiveness.

    Excerpt taken from:
    http://www.malaysia-today.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=28797:malaysias-economy-at-the-second-bottom-rung&catid=19:newscommentaries&Itemid=100131

  21. #21 by tenaciousB on Tuesday, 1 December 2009 - 10:10 pm

    Oi ‘cintanegara’, why u worry about singapore? whatever it is, they’re still billions of miles ahead of this country thanks to umnoputra politics and their successful dummification of its own race.

    ‘jangan jaga tepi kain orang.’

  22. #22 by chiakchua on Tuesday, 1 December 2009 - 10:16 pm

    Having traveled to quite many countries on business, our is still the best! It is a ‘heaven on earth’ if not because the UMNOputras suck up the national wealth under the pretext of helping our Malay countrymen. With our wealth and good management, all Malaysian including our Malay countrymen could be at least 5 times better than what they are today! Yet the UMNOputras are still trumpeting how much they have helped the Malays. Its real sad. The bloody UMNOputras had intoxicated our Malay friends until they are real fearful of their future without UMNO!

  23. #23 by OrangRojak on Tuesday, 1 December 2009 - 10:39 pm

    From The Malaysian Insider’s article:

    Kohilan said that there was no breakdown by race for Malaysians

    is at odds with what I understand about your Identity documents. Is it credible that there is no breakdown by race? I was under the impression that you were not free to withhold your race from the government, and not free to choose it. So how could the government not know the breakdown? Can Uncle Lim enquire once again?

  24. #24 by undertaker888 on Tuesday, 1 December 2009 - 10:44 pm

    ei.. kasim amat cintanegara, kalau hang cinta sangat negara, apa pasal duk bising-bising kat singapura?

    betul kata hang ada yang meninggalkan singapura, tapi apa sebabnya berbanding dengan malaysia? adakah rakyat singapura ditindas kerajaan semacam sini? adakah kerana rasuah seluas samudera seperti ibu pertiwi ini?

    tak malukah kamu panggil tanah ini tanah melayu dengan sampah-sarap semacam ini? sanggupkah anda taburkan maruah anda diatas pusara?

    janganlah kamu terjerat oleh daya ketidak-upayaan kamu sendiri.

  25. #25 by tenaciousB on Tuesday, 1 December 2009 - 10:57 pm

    another thing about mydin yassin’s statement on DAP publicly humiliating those 3 traitors:

    Lest not forget UMNO water hosing and tear gasing those peaceful indian protesters and even putting a child under ISA. How can one compare all these injustices and unethical conduct to what DAP did to a deserving bunch of money leeching scumbags like Hee Yit Foong.

    UMNO the greatest hypocrites in the world. Don’t think for a second malaysians will forget all the injustices fool!

  26. #26 by katdog on Tuesday, 1 December 2009 - 11:38 pm

    Yes, hundreds of thousands of Malaysians leave every year.

    Is it any wonder why Penang govt today cannot guarantee 1000 EE Engineers? Those idiots who had to question why DAP had to turn down the USD 3 billion investment are fools who know nothing about the working middle class in Malaysia.

    Malaysia cannot retain its middle class professionals because it is unable to meet the demands of the working middle class: good educational facilities for their children, safe and healthy environment to raise families, strong purchasing power to support a comfortable lifestyle (such as quality middle class homes).

    Malaysia is only attractive to low income group such as labourers and maids, due to its low cost of living propped up by huge subsidies. Or to the ultra rich who has the money to afford to send their children overseas and afford the best medical treatment in Singapore etc.

    Many in the middle class are forced to migrate. Its not just about money. Its also about the well being of their families as well.

    Malaysia today is practically like the communist countries of the old. And like them, thousands of educated middle class are ‘escaping’ from it.

  27. #27 by katdog on Tuesday, 1 December 2009 - 11:50 pm

    And the incompetent BN government is unable to do anything except some ‘wayang kulit’.

    Instead of spending millions on programs trying too woo Malaysians back why not in first place make it so that people don’t want to leave Malaysia in the first place? Then no need to waste money wooing Malaysians back as they would want to come back on their own accord.

  28. #28 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Wednesday, 2 December 2009 - 12:10 am

    It’s finally pay-day. We reap what we sow over the last 2 decades or more – the positive discrimination and culture of fear since Tun M’s Ops lallang etc. Now we have to be content with the “low-value-added, low-wage and low-productivity structure”.

    Imagine if the more than 1 million emigrants had remained in Malaysia (& these were highly productive professionals. I know some of them are multimillionaires in their newfound homeland in the short space of 10 to 20 years!) – And if each had to pay just RM10,000 income tax p.a. to the malaysian government, that wud have been an additional RM10billion to the national coffers, enuf to buy some more Scorpenes every year. Now we are beginning to see only the coattails of indonesians, Taiwanese etc. And soon we will be exporting maids – and u can b sure these wont be the Chinese who will be leaving as maids.

    The simple truth is, meritocracy, if practised then during smart alec Tun M’s days wud have averted the disaster we inherited today.

    I’m not sure if it is already too late to change gear but it is better late than never, otherwise just watch the next 2 million of the brightest and the best sell thier skills abroad in a globalised world.

  29. #29 by pwcheng on Wednesday, 2 December 2009 - 12:55 am

    This brain drain phenomenon has been going on for donkey years for for obvious reasons. The call for them to return had been heard also for donkey years, but the status quo remains the same. There is simply no sincerity on the part of UMNO to prevent brain drain let alone getting them back. This is clearly demonstrated by their actions on the home front where they are putting all type of brakes and absurd policies to frustrate the non-Bumis.
    You cannot expect your crop to give you good yields when you treat them like weeds.
    Just forget about any sweet nothing that UMNO can tell the non Bumis. They are not going to change. It can only get worse with the onset of our “great” Moo hi deen. When you talk to a cow the most you can get in response is a Moo. And worst of all he is tasked with getting MCA united. He is more of a specialist in disunity than unity.
    These jokers will only accelerate the demise of MCA.

  30. #30 by ablastine on Wednesday, 2 December 2009 - 1:07 am

    Entire township like Ipoh is being hollowed out by migration. Just ask the seniors around and see how many of their children or relatives are seeking fortune in a foreign land, never to return. There are no compelling reasons to return. Those of the wrong race will always be considered 2nd or 3rd class citizen in their own country and they will be glass ceiling at every level. The situation can only get worse. In fact I am not even sure Malaysia can be saved even if Pakatan were to take over in the next election. The systemic corruption is so endemic and blatant. When the oil taps run dry in a few years time the country will collapse. There is nothing to support the ringgit because all the wealth in the country is being siphoned off by UMNO and their cronies. Financial scandals keep getting bigger and nobody is ever caught or prosecuted. The is so because this web of deceit or corruption involves almost everyone in power. The MACC is powerless. The billions that are being siphoned away will never be found just like Marcos millions. I really admired the ingenious ways UMNO and cronies perfect their act of money siphoning. Financial scandals involving Bank Bumiputra is so regular that we may as well have budget allocation of its losses y early . Common sense tell us that is we cannot even operate a bank without suffering such gigantic losses may as well let foreign banks run it for Malaysia. But no and I know why. The reason is if some UMNO cronies or katak wants money, all they need to do is get an unsecured loan from Bank Bumiputra under a nickname and after getting the money just disappear. 45,000 accounts without security. I mean why need to work at all when you can get money so easy from Bank Bumiputra. In the end it is the fat towkay who will pick up the tap because those stupid 2nd and 3rd class citizen will be the ones paying taxes.

  31. #31 by dawsheng on Wednesday, 2 December 2009 - 1:23 am

    Despite all the good things about that TINY country, propagated by DAP ….wonder why more and more of its citizens migrate to other countries (Canada. Britain, USA, Australia, etc) every year….at the same time many are coming from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan to overcome the serious decline in its population…. – cintanegara

    Serious decline in population is not the same as low fertility rate, as in the case of Singapore.

  32. #32 by flim1961 on Wednesday, 2 December 2009 - 1:46 am

    This topic is obviously a hot one. I, for one, have migrated to the USA many years ago. My story is not unlike those that have made a similar decision. It is not for lack of love for country or countrymen, but one of survival and equality.

    To put it in context, I passed the HSC examination but could not get into a local unversity even though some of my classmates with not-so-good grades were awarded scholarships to local universities. It was a slap in my face as I had represented the country in a sport and had sacrificed a significant amount of time away from school to do so. Yet all I got was a pink postcard stating that I was rejected which tells me that my sacrifices were in vain. At the same time, 6 universities from the USA had offered me acadedmic (not sports) scholarships, ranging from 70% to 100% of tuition, room and board. What am I supposed to do? Torn between love for country and countrymen and the need for survival and opportunities, what would you do?

  33. #33 by pwcheng on Wednesday, 2 December 2009 - 1:49 am

    Muhddin yssin states that what DAP did over the weekend stepping on those 3 traitors was unethical and he claims that UMNO has never done it themselves before. I am not sure how accurate is this statement, but if it is true please ask him whether it is also unethical to tear up somebody’s photo (Soo Koon can testify on that)

  34. #34 by sightseeing on Wednesday, 2 December 2009 - 2:04 am

    630 Malaysians leave the country but thousands of maids and laborers from Indonesia, Bangladesh and Cambodia are coming in every day. To UMNO, there is a net brain gain because they see all brains are of same quality.

  35. #35 by flim1961 on Wednesday, 2 December 2009 - 2:05 am

    Rather than discuss the brain drain topic, is there a list of Malaysians that have left the country and that have made a name for themselves in their fields of expertise? We would then know how much the brain drain has affected Malaysia. I for one know of two that have left and are pioneers in their respective medical technology fields. I would not be surprised if someday, an ex-Malaysian ends up winning a world prestigious award like the Nobel price for science and technology or other field. Would Malaysia then claim them as one of their own?

  36. #36 by frankyapp on Wednesday, 2 December 2009 - 2:55 am

    Well 630 malaysians are leaving the country everyday and I ‘m pretty sure the vast majority are non malays.It proved Umno’s dirty work works,they definately want more non malays especially those registered voters to leave or migrate ,hence reducing the non malays population and Umno at the same time increasing the muslim/malays population by purposely open the floodgate to muslim Indos,muslim Philipinos,the Muslim bangadishs and the Parkis.Most of these immigrants legal or illegal,would through dubious means one day be given permanent stay or citizenship hence would increase the muslim/malays population to 75 %,thus would simply control the political system without the non-malays.Hence this migration ultimaely would destroy especially the chinese and indians of political sharing power or may even lose complete power.I think the non malays need to be careful,not to fall easily into Umno’s trap and ended up being a tiny minority race and lose most of what we have now.

  37. #37 by tsuchong on Wednesday, 2 December 2009 - 3:05 am

    YB,

    Received this forwarded email regarding kwsp. Not sure on its validity, but worth your attention.

    ——
    Shocking!!!

    Remember during Budget 2008 announcement last yr, our Finance Minister cum PM announced that in order to assist KWSP members to reduce the burden in housing load repayment, KWSP will allow monthly withdrawal from members’ A/C II for the purpose?

    Sounds like a nice goodies!

    When you apply for the monthly withdrawal, you only need to provide KWSP yr housing loan & installment details from yr bank and the bank a/c # you like KWSP to bank the monthly withdrawal into it.

    KWSP will approve yr application based on the available amt in yr A/C II and compute the withdrawal period by dividing the approved amt with the monthly installment amt.

    Application process takes about a month and you will receive the month payout promptly into yr bank a/c!

    Well everything appear to be nice and good. It was indeed a noble plan until you take to close look at yr KWSP.

    Statement!

    This is how the so-called KWSP SCAM works…….

    Assuming you have RM100,000 in yr A/C II and yr housing loan’s monthly installment is RM2000/mth.

    KWSP will approve yr application of withdrawal from yr A/C II of RM100,000 and pay you RM 2000/mth for the next 50mths.

    Everything appears to be in order BUT…….

    What KWSP didn’t highlight to you is that when the application was approved, the TOTAL AMT (RM100,000) is removed from A/C II! It appears to be transferred to an unknown a/c to effect the monthly payment from therein.

    The impact to the member are as follows :-

    1. You just lost RM100,000 from yr A/C II. Assuming the KWSP Dividend is 5%, you will lose RM4,000 in dividend during the 1st year. Based on the above example you will lose RM10,000 over the 50 mths period!

    2. There is no statement to account for the amt approved vs. amt paid, hence you would need to keep the monthly payment voucher to reconcile against the approved amt over the 50mths period to ensure there is no missing amt!

    Assuming there are 100,000 members who innocently fell prey to this SCAM, based on the above example, KWSP would have cheated the members of 100,000 X RM10,000 = RM1,000,000,000 (that’s RM1 BILLION) over the period!

    Furthermore, if you discovered this SCAM early and intend to stop the plan, KWSP would not allow any cancellation of the plan until at least 1 year. That would mean, once the application is approved, based on the above example, you would have lost RM4,000.

    100,000 members would have lost 100,000 X RM4,000 = RM400,000,000 (RM400 MILLION) in One Year!!!

    If you’re a victim of this KWSP SCAM, would suggest you call yr MP to raise it up in Parliament!

    For others who have not fallen into this SCAM, pls continue to watch out and alert yr family & friends about this.

    HOW COULD THE GOVERNMENT ALLOW ITS AGENCY TASKED WITH SAFEGUARIDNG ITS CITIZEN’S HARD EARNED MONEY TO CHEAT ITS MEMBERS IN THIS MANNER???

  38. #38 by ringthetill on Wednesday, 2 December 2009 - 5:58 am

    Never mind about the migration lah. We can increase the intake from our neighbouring countries to make up for the loss.
    In fact the trend has already start – like Indonesia and Philipines our young and able people are going off-shore to make a living and in turn are remiting money back to their folks in Malaysia. We haven’t loss it all. That is enough lah for a low income economy. Sorry, no punt intended.

  39. #39 by tenaciousB on Wednesday, 2 December 2009 - 7:58 am

    flim1961 :
    Rather than discuss the brain drain topic, is there a list of Malaysians that have left the country and that have made a name for themselves in their fields of expertise? We would then know how much the brain drain has affected Malaysia. I for one know of two that have left and are pioneers in their respective medical technology fields. I would not be surprised if someday, an ex-Malaysian ends up winning a world prestigious award like the Nobel price for science and technology or other field. Would Malaysia then claim them as one of their own?

    yep flim1961, i know for a fact there are plenty of well known malaysian doctors in australia, some are world authorities in specialty fields.

  40. #40 by Jeffrey on Wednesday, 2 December 2009 - 9:03 am

    Deputy Foreign Minister A Kohilan Pillay told Parliament yesterday. This is a big leap from 139,696 Malaysians who migrated to other countries in 2007.

    If 630 Malaysians with (I assume) talent skills and qualifications leave this country every day, does A Kohilan Pillay have the statistics of the other side of the equation of how many and what’s the level of skill or qualifications of people “gained” by the country every day?

    I mean if one loses 630 smart people and gain (say) an influx of 630 stupid or unskilled or semi skilled people a day, isn’t that a double whammy loss and adulkteration/deterioration of national pool of talent/brains?

    What about the talent or brains that remain behind? Would not those of talent qualification and brains who choose to stay behind do even “better” in sense of less men more share in an environment of less competition from those similarly skilled talented or educated who have left or leaving? Does it work that way? Want to be a big fish in small pond or small fish in big ocean?

  41. #41 by taiking on Wednesday, 2 December 2009 - 9:27 am

    Yes Jeffrey. That is so true.

    Daily loss of brains cannot be replaced by a daily gain of idiots of equal or even greater number. For one thing, brains build resources and idiots (like kassim and friends) suck resources. A net gain in this regard is akin to acquiring fatty cells. Which also means, it kills.

    Oh dear. Wot depressing situation we have here.

  42. #42 by yhsiew on Wednesday, 2 December 2009 - 9:31 am

    I am doubtful whether the government is sincere in wooing Malaysians living in other countries back to their homeland. We noted that since the nation’s independence, the government has been fanatically pursuing a MONORACIALISM policy in all its administration and national development. An exodus of non-Bumis to other countries will certainly help boost such policy.

    The call for Malaysians living abroad to return home is probably an attempt by the government to calm foreign investors who are facing skilled labor shortage in Malaysia.

  43. #43 by OrangRojak on Wednesday, 2 December 2009 - 9:46 am

    more share in an environment of less competition
    I don’t think it works quite like that. If the ‘environment’ was a tree on a beach that occasionally dropped delicious fruits, then a greater ability to swoop on the freshly dropped fruit would be an advantage in the face of the incomers whose fruit-swooping skills were not so highly developed.

    Our environment is largely constructed by the people in it, so if the brains are leaving, so are the opportunities (they take their fruit with them) for those left behind. For example, if a world-famous fashion designer quits Malaysia, so do the attendant opportunities for fabricators, models, set constructors, gallery owners, photographers, magazine publishers, editors and journalists. What we’re left with is less able competitors, but there’s also less to compete for.

    Heh. Captcha ‘British hopeful’

  44. #44 by i_love_malaysia on Wednesday, 2 December 2009 - 10:18 am

    Wah! Habislah Malaysia!!!

  45. #45 by alikim on Wednesday, 2 December 2009 - 10:19 am

    “So let Malaysia continue to be a training ground and feeder of specialists and professionals for other countries ”

    I am doubtful if Malaysia is still a training ground!

  46. #46 by i_love_malaysia on Wednesday, 2 December 2009 - 10:30 am

    As the Chinese saying goes, the last resort (idea no. 36) for any man is to run away!!! Emigration is one of them!!!
    People are feedup with the BN govt policies where mouse are empowered to catch cat and using tails instead of heads and insisted that gravity does not exist in this land for half a century because the NAZI party and their cronies are having the same tails!!!

  47. #47 by johnnypok on Wednesday, 2 December 2009 - 10:36 am

    By 2020 we will become ‘MALAYSIA-BODOH’

    By 2030 ….. ‘The Land of Idiots’

  48. #48 by passerby on Wednesday, 2 December 2009 - 12:21 pm

    cintanegara,

    Tiny Singapore is not losing anything since they are only exchanging a good brain for another good brain. It is the same as changing a dollar for 100 cents and they are not stupid to change their Singapore dollar for the worthless Malaysian Ringgit. Can you say the same for Malaysia?

  49. #49 by Kasim Amat on Wednesday, 2 December 2009 - 1:35 pm

    I think Lim Kit Siang is trying to provoke a race senstive issue here by, first, saying that the country is purposedly driving away good brains and second, he referred these good brains to Chinese and Indians. What he was implying is that all the people left behind in this country, mainly Malays are not as good and the country is going to collapse if this continue to happen. Lim Kit Siang, by implying this, is saying that the Malays are all mediocre people and only Chinese and Indians are good. This is a very serious insult to the Malays and I want you to retract what you said and make a public apology to our people, especially UMNO.

    Malaysia is not in short of talents. Even a lot of people left the countries, they left because they want to leave and it is not because the country make them leave. In exchange, we have also attracted many talents from all over the world such as the Arab countries, UK, US, Indonesia and the Philippines. Please stop the thinking that all those leaving the countries are talents and all those that remain are stupid. This is a very wrong and vicious thinking. DAP should go for training and upgrade their level.

  50. #50 by undertaker888 on Wednesday, 2 December 2009 - 1:57 pm

    //I think Lim Kit Siang is trying to provoke a race senstive issue ..

    Aduhai, kasim amat kangkung. I think years of NEP really drain your brain. LKS wrote “Malaysian”. Does not that include you?

    //Malaysia is not in short of talents…

    The last time I checked, we have;
    1) C4 experts
    2) Racial Divide Experts
    3) Making rakyat’s $$ vanish experts
    4) and tongkoi like you experts

    wonder why these experts don’t migrate?

  51. #51 by passerby on Wednesday, 2 December 2009 - 2:09 pm

    Kasim Amat,

    We know why they left the country and what type of brains Malaysia got in return. Didn’t you read in the news about all those robbing and killing committed by your so-called new immigrants? You even have terrorists coming to the country and you called them talents? Don’t confuse those garbage immigrants with the expatriates.

  52. #52 by cintanegara on Wednesday, 2 December 2009 - 2:25 pm

    In that tiny country, there’s no NEP BUT 14% of its population is systematically marginalized…… They are prohibited from holding high positions in military/top government agencies bla bla bla…..they can’t even fly the fighter jet though they are qualified….given a clerical post in the cabinet… Meritocracy does not exist in that country

  53. #53 by artemisios on Wednesday, 2 December 2009 - 2:28 pm

    kasim,

    your comment made me re-read the post of LKS.
    & i really can’t find any part of the writing that implies, whether directly or indirectly of whatever you are saying: chinese & indians are smart, malays are not, those who left are good, those who don’t are mediocre… bla bla bla…. where did you come up with all of that???

    or are you really THAT dumb?

    look. nobody is insulting the malays, except you & all your umno boys. You boys are insulting their intelligence by thinking you can still get their support by continuing to play dirty race tactics and attacking their insecurities.

    here’s a heads up. MANY of them are not insecure & they are not easily scared or mislead.

    & your second paragraph is like an exact copy of the kind of generic dumber-than-a-14-year-old answer a really dumb umno politician would give everytime a reporter ask them a question of moderate difficulty.

  54. #54 by johnnypok on Wednesday, 2 December 2009 - 2:33 pm

    I think he is suffering a very serious form of “inferioty comlex”

  55. #55 by taiking on Wednesday, 2 December 2009 - 2:40 pm

    Hey isnt it a compliment? Yeah. It must be if you look at the matter in positive light – to be described as jews of malaysia. But seriously, I dont know it was more apt to label the jews as chinese of middle-east. Well that is another issue. I shant deal with it here. Anyway, wtf, its just a thought, alright.

    The point is chinese in malaysia must be really smart. Well, smarter than the malays. I am not so sure about this but that is wot they chose to believe in. Anyhow, the chinese must smart enough to be feared officially by umno. Hence the call by umno to defend the malays against the chinese (wot? the jews?).

    In the highly globalised environment of today, national boundaries are no longer impermeable or impenetrable to foreign influence and competitions. This fact needs no specific mention really. And Malaysia is no different!

    And when push turns to shove and competitions grew both in severity and intensity, who should we rely on to defend the country’s economy? I would unhesitatingly send smart malays and yes the jews of malaysia to the frontline. The “crippled” will not be good enough for the purpose.

    So arent you guys (kassim and friends) glad to have jews in malaysia? You people deserve to parish if you could not appreciate this point.

  56. #56 by cintanegara on Wednesday, 2 December 2009 - 2:46 pm

    artemisios can’t even sense,,,,, that kind of article is full of hidden agenda…nicely written and presented ….with a specific intention….This is what we called ‘Yang Tersirat dan Tersurat’…..Wonder when LKS will create a blog in BM…..

  57. #57 by OrangRojak on Wednesday, 2 December 2009 - 3:31 pm

    Taiking – ‘parish’ … in such a parochial comment too. =p

    LKS wrote a non-racist article, can we keep the comments on the same footing? I think it’s sufficient to point out to kasim amat and cintanegara that the brain drain is not a racial issue – until that breakdown is released. I still cannot believe they do not know it. A more likely explanation, in my mind, is that the breakdown does not show that the migrants are all ‘balik cina’, as many here seem to be assuming.

  58. #58 by ekompute on Wednesday, 2 December 2009 - 3:33 pm

    “In Singapore last month, the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the Malaysian Government is reaching out to Malaysians abroad to help promote the country.”

    I was chatting with a chatter on Yahoo Messenger and the guy says, “Malaysia? Oh now I remember. That bloody racist country.”

    The government is reaching out to Malaysians abroad to help promote the country? Well, clean the house first, otherwsie what is there to promote other than racism.

  59. #59 by tenaciousB on Wednesday, 2 December 2009 - 4:09 pm

    Kassim Amat is a sad loyal UMNO supporter. The smarter malays will disagree with his statements.

  60. #60 by boh-liao on Wednesday, 2 December 2009 - 6:56 pm

    ~630 M’sians leaving d country everyday
    No issue 4 Umno Baru, MCA, MIC, Gerakan, etc
    In fact, between now n d next GE
    Umno n BN want more ppl, esp those who favor PR, 2 leave d country
    D more d better, d faster vamoose d better
    Good riddance, bye-bye
    While more Umno/BN supporters r entering d country n they become BN voters cepat
    Sabah is d model state, good 4 BN

  61. #61 by tenaciousB on Wednesday, 2 December 2009 - 7:18 pm

    UMNO had a good run thanks to the other races, but it’s all gonna be over soon. i think if they retain their foothold in the government in the next elections, it will be a 10 fold efflux of malaysians overseas. Then it will truly be Malaysia = UMNO malays, Indonesians, bangladeshis, myanmarese, vietnamese and orang aslis.

  62. #62 by StraightTalking on Wednesday, 2 December 2009 - 8:02 pm

    Cintanegara, the moral of LKS’s article is not about race, or who is smarter. It is simply about “survival first, everything else comes second”.

    Go back and read Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs”. During the early post merdeka years, all Malaysians, regardless of race or religion, had an equal chance of attaining self-actualization. But, through Mahathir’s intervention, with his racist so-called positive discrimination policy, two generations of non-Malays had to endure life as a Malaysian with little or no opportunity whatever to even attain Level 3 in the hierarchy, while Malays were encouraged to “reach for the sky”.

    To this day, Bn has not shown any sign of changing their discriminatory policies, and you are telling us that those who leave are bastards.

    I repeat, in case you have forgotten. People leave not because they are unpatriotic. They leave because they know they will ultimately not survive or they’re thinking for their children, and their children’s children. Most Malays do not have this problem. Don’t you know this?

    It is all about survival. I say this without any disrespect, but if you cannot understand the heartbreak among the non-Malays, then you are not a sensible person.

    Warmest regards.

  63. #63 by tenaciousB on Wednesday, 2 December 2009 - 11:18 pm

    pointless talking to ningkapoops, a fools a fool, the truth hurts but here goes all BN has done despite the fancy pansy skyscrapers and infrastructure……sadly produced a dependent, unproductive, incapable of critical thinking population that would be perish on the international stage. :(

  64. #64 by tenaciousB on Wednesday, 2 December 2009 - 11:29 pm

    and to top it, with the governance of corrupt, overpaid, underworked, poorly qualified individuals who also are the product of the aforementioned party are ingredients for an earthquake with zero survival rate. Good luck!

  65. #65 by trublumsian on Thursday, 3 December 2009 - 1:06 pm

    cintanegara kiss-my-axx-mat

    what, got your little flea size ego hurt? oh, boy, i’m sooo sorry….. not! no way to sugar coat it, so i’ll just be blunt with some fact checks for you (i’ll say it in simple language, so please try to catch up).

    the tiny country does hv some emmigrants, yearly, but exit interviews will tell u they do so because
    1. the country is cramped
    2. the draw of other countries, i.e. environment, open space, culture, liberal lifestyle, etc.
    3. they can’t compete because the tiny country is packed with BRAINS!
    in any case, the percentage is so minimal, i think it comes close to mental capacity.

    and the thing w/ 14% minorities of the tiny country not attaining high posts or fly a fighter jet even qualified, well, that’s exactly the C grade minds ur kind have. C grade is a pass, arguably that’s qualification. but my sorry-axx friend, the tiny country requires As. THAT’s WHY the 14% don’t get to fly and THAT’S a FACT.

    kit’s article in no way suggests malays hv no brains, but readers can’t help but unanimously gravitate towards the obvious in their responses, can’t they? here’s a staight forward question for u in ur ACCUSATION the forum here is suggesting malays r stupid – 50 years of nep for two thirds of the population, and what do u have to account for? nuf said. guilty as charge ;)

  66. #66 by trublumsian on Thursday, 3 December 2009 - 1:08 pm

    correction, “the percentage is so minimal, i think it comes close to your mental capacity.”

  67. #67 by ktteokt on Thursday, 3 December 2009 - 2:31 pm

    Between quality and quantity, I think UMNO only cares about quantity! This is in line with TDM’s 70 million population target!!! But what will Malaysia become if we have nothing but “garbage” with all the smart ones leaving the country to serve other nations?

    The problem in Malaysia is that UMNO is stressing too much on Ketuanan Melayu and the policies implemented are so biased against other races. For one thing, all heads of government departments are MALAYS!!! This is obviously very biased and smart non-Malays who have been deprived of opportunities would definitely feel hurt!!

    In a quest to justify their qualifications, these brainy ones would surely consider migration to a nation which appreciates their brains, not their skin colour!!!!!!

  68. #68 by sstee on Thursday, 3 December 2009 - 2:42 pm

    well, i will be one of them in future.. at here, our knowledge and skills are not appreciated as our government, who are suppose to look after their citizen, is fighting over to get their own pocket full of $$…

    tired of all this.. political stabilization is one of the most important factor if u want to attract more professional ppl to Malaysia, or keeping ur own professional from going out !

  69. #69 by boh-liao on Thursday, 3 December 2009 - 4:20 pm

    This is a democratic country, feel free 2 stay or leave
    Leave like others b4 you 2 find a better future n dignity (that’s why ppl migrate)
    Some go 2 Ozland, USA, others may go 2 China n India (reverse migration)
    Stay n accept your status as 2nd, 3rd class nobodies
    Stay n remain d punching bag n boogey monsters of Umno B/BN
    Stay n pay taxes 4 others, like MBs, 2 channel millions 2 London, Zurich
    Stay n pray hard that you r not victims of snatch thieves or robbers
    Stay n accept that your children may have to work as maids n laborers overseas
    Stay n watch RM becomes once again banana currency
    Stay n b prepared 2 b detained by polis, MACC n you may fly
    Stay n watch d opera staged by MCA, Gerakan, MIC, PAS, DAP, PKR etc
    Pls Stay as there r many fantastic reasons 4 u 2 do so

  70. #70 by sstee on Thursday, 3 December 2009 - 4:40 pm

    @boh-liao

    actually i dun see migrate to China or India is a “reserve-migration”, these country have better brighter future compare to Malaysia, and even better if u migrate as professionals.

  71. #71 by sstee on Thursday, 3 December 2009 - 4:42 pm

    *refering to my previous post

    typo-“reserve-migration”

    corrected – “reverse-migration”

  72. #72 by boh-liao on Thursday, 3 December 2009 - 6:23 pm

    Some Malaysians’ ancestors came fr China n India 2 cari makan n then settled down here
    After a few generations here, now d descendants r going back 2 China n India
    2 cari makan – make full use of their language n professional skills there
    Reverse migration lah 2 lands of better opportunities, amenities, n facilities

  73. #73 by ablastine on Thursday, 3 December 2009 - 9:00 pm

    Kasim Amat, you and cintanegara are probably the only racists here. Mr Lim said Malaysian and you want to brand him a racist. If you want to believe that Malay are mediocre people and Chinese and Indians are better, be my guest but don’t put words into somebody’s mouth and make wild accusations. If anybody is to apologise it is you. For some reason you do not even understand or know what state the country is in now and you want to shoot your stupid mouth off. You think Malaysia is getting on fine, dream on. Blessed are those who are ignorant. The best favour you can do for the country is to keep your stupid comments to yourself.

  74. #74 by ablastine on Thursday, 3 December 2009 - 9:18 pm

    Cintanegara, please do not insult the Malays in Singapore. They are anything but marginalised. The Malays in Singapore are proud that they are citizen of Singapore and their per capital income is more than five times that of Malaysian Malays. They hold their own in their robust society and stand tall without having to feel inferior because they knew their success is due to their own effort and not handouts like in Malaysia. Please stop this cock and bull story are you telling to the people of Malaysia about Malays in Singapore. As far as I know the Malays in Singapore really despise racist specimen like yourself. If you want to rot go ahead yourself but don’t pull our good Malay friends in Singapore with you. To them you are just a bigoted ignoramus.

  75. #75 by ablastine on Friday, 4 December 2009 - 12:15 am

    find it hard to believe that what we see in UMNO is a complete representation of the Malay race. It seems so different from the nice, gentle and unassuming Malay people I interact daily in the course of my work and play in Malaysia. Then it occurs to me that these racists, bigots, corrupted, uncouth, greedy and ignorant UMNO warlords and cronies are the result of decades old distillation of the worst kind amongst the Malay people. Worse still,that Mamak king saw to it that UMNO is completely infiltrated and colored by other mamaks whose agenda is to capitalise fully the NEP for self gain. In short UMNO is a highly selected group of obnoxious individuals whose mission and purpose in office is anything but nation building and racial unity. Their greatest bequeathment to a dying State is the perfected and refined method of plunder equal to no other. Do not think that the exodus is not of the brightest and the best in the country. This is the classical symptom of a dying State and the most mobile are making their move before the eminent collapse of the nation. The end is near. This time capital control will not work.

  76. #76 by johnnypok on Saturday, 5 December 2009 - 4:21 am

    Mr. Ka Sim is a product of NEP, and a very stupid one indeed!

  77. #77 by tenaciousB on Saturday, 5 December 2009 - 10:08 am

    Can’t blame Kassim amat, blame the government that created him.

  78. #78 by son of perpaduan on Saturday, 5 December 2009 - 7:49 pm

    630 malaysian leaving the country? Do you know how many illegals coming through KLIA, LCCT and illegal bordr crossing per day? Possibly the figure of these will shock the nation, haha ha.

  79. #79 by boh-liao on Sunday, 6 December 2009 - 10:09 pm

    D little red dot’s PM may not say it loudly
    But he is truly glad M’sia is driving its professionals away, esp Chinese MBBS to Sg
    Our doctors r more talented than Sg’s Chinese MBBS
    Cos almost all of our doctors can speak three languages n a couple of Chinese dialects
    Very useful in looking after multiracial senior Singaporeans, no language barrier

  80. #80 by gnustiy on Tuesday, 8 December 2009 - 11:17 pm

    I am studying in Singapore and unsurprisingly again, I am receiving financial aid from Singapore to further my studies, which is a sad case for me as a Malaysian. I intend to return to Malaysia to contribute in R&D but I doubt that the government is willing to accept me openly and give fair treatment. These are the worries of many of my Malaysian mates here as well. Our confidence to return to our homeland fades by the day with so many scandals, injustices, and disheartening policies unfolding everyday.

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