The Malaysian Insider
May 31, 2011

MELBOURNE, May 31 — Thousands of Malays have migrated to Australia, citing career and business opportunities as reasons for their decision, said a Malaysian academic.
Universiti Utara Malaysia’s Dr Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani said in the in the state of Victoria alone there were about 5,000 Malays, three-fourths of them either permanent residents or Australian citizens, according to a Bernama Online report today.

He said they were both professionals — doctors and engineers — and support staff.

The fellow at University of Melbourne’s Asia Institute said most of them arrived after 1981 under family, skilled workers or business provisions for migration.

The increase coincided with Australian policy changes allowing overseas students to apply for stay extensions. Ahmad Zaharuddin explained this led to many students staying on indefinitely.

His research resulted in the book “Malays in Victoria”, which was the idea of Victorian Malay Organisation president Zulkifli Ahmad. The Australian Multicultural Foundation released it last week.

Ahmad Zaharuddin said further that educational opportunities for their children also encouraged the migration, together with better work benefits, healthcare and Australia’s multiculturalism.

The academic however was unhappy with Malays abroad who dissociate themselves from their ethnicity. He feels Malays should be proud although he admitted the term “Malay” was difficult for people abroad to understand.

Ahmad Zaharuddin gained his PhD from Universiti Malaya and has a Master of Theology degree from University of Nottingham.