Malaysia wants talent? Bollocks!
It riles me everytime when I read about the Government’s intention to attract Malaysian “talent” abroad into returning to the country. Reading the front page of today’s newspapers was no different. Except that this time, I’m riled enough to blog about it.
What a load of crock! What absolute bollocks!
I have so many bones to pick with the Government’s arguments, I don’t know where to start…
Firstly, while “incentives and remuneration packages” are important, money is not everything. Most Malaysians, particularly those living in the Klang Valley (much to the chagrin, and perhaps even disgust, of those living elsewhere) already live in relatively good material comfort. Malaysia as a whole has achieved quite a good, and even desirable, material standard of living. That, in my humble, and perhaps limited, view is not the issue. It is the non-material standard of living that is at issue, and this includes things that would be covered under social-cultural factors and that big no-no issue of human, personal and individual rights.
Secondly, while the speeches and the news headlines give the impression that the Government’s intention is very broad-based, in reality, they are only interested in attracting a particular sort of graduates/”talent”: the scientists, and to be specific the natural scientists. They are not interested in the accountants, the economists, the political scientists, the IT experts, the designers, the film-makers etc. They only want one type of Malaysians and that is the relatively less-politically-problematic, on the surface more-economically-value-added natural scientists. When they talk about R&D, they’re not talking about political R&D or social R&D, they’re talking about natural scientific R&D.
Finally, and personally, I find it very ironic, and disappointing, that the Government would raise this rallying cry when “talent”, perhaps not natural scientific talent, exists in the country already. They are living, walking and talking among us, but are not being offered the opportunity to contribute. By all means create “quality opportunities for Malaysians”, but create them for those who already reside in the country as well as those you would like to lure back home. It seems to me to be another case of, and perhaps this is stretching the analogy a bit too far, the “foreign” being better than the “local”. Buy anything but Malaysian. Quality is indicated by the provenance of the goods and/or services.
But you know, money aside, there are other, sometimes more compelling, reasons why Malaysians are not coming back in droves and why simultaneously Malaysians are choosing to leave. These are the social-cultural factors that the Government has not publicly acknowledged, nor seemed to have made much effort in addressing. These include:
- the “Malaysian” management culture, both in the private and public sector - the lack, if not absence, of understanding of “rational” processes, planning, work flow, timing, humane human resource management etc. etc. etc. I’m sure each of us can add our own gripes to it;
- the mentality and culture, as a whole, that is not synergistic with the modern (global capitalist) world in which we life - worldly, conscientious, thinking Malaysians with initiative and the drive to improve are few and far between. The “Protestant Ethic“, for lack of a better term, does not permeate society as a whole in this country;
- the absence of “equal opportunity” domestically, and we all know this is a bone of contention for many - contrast this with the argument put forth by Singapore PM-to be, Lee Hsien Loong, where he speaks of equal opportunity and not equal outcome (see for example this), but I don’t want to dwell or expand on this lest I am apprehended under the ISA, which brings me…
- for all the assertion otherwise, freedom of speech, opinion, and ideas are still severely curtailed. Only “acceptable” speech, opinion, and ideas would be granted freedom of expression, the rest are whispered within restricted circles of the already converted;
- for those of us practising “alternative” lifestyles, which in these days, for all intents and purposes, mean lifestyles that are antithesis to Islam, there is no hope ever of having our individual choices being socially tolerated, if not accepted, let alone recognised and granted legal status. Ours may be a multi-racial society, but we’re not really a tolerant one.
I could go on. But I’m sure you’ve got your own ideas to add to mine. Go on, you know you want to…
Posted on July 25th, 2004 by jl
Filed under: My Malaysia
Jikon: Sometimes you have to wonder what actually goes on in the minds of many of our leaders. One of the reasons why many of our overseas counterparts refuse to leave is because they are treated with respect and given due credit for their efforts both socially and in the workforce, despite being of different ethnicity and even gender/sexuality.
While I was working in The Body Shop in Australia, I was appreciated because I was hardworking and I was treated like a peer - no favouritism just because I was Asian or a woman. As a matter of fact, there was a manager who was gay and everyone loved him - even voted him to be the next state manager. Why? Not because he was gay but because he was a great leader and worker.
Working in Malaysia is depressing - especially when you are part of the minority (homosexual, woman and non-Muslim) - you watch your straight, male, Muslim peers get promoted faster, not because they can do work but because of their skin colour and who they know.
Merit, it would seem, does not exist here.
I have a lot of rants about the part regarding the kind of people the government are after. What about artists? Directors? Film producers? Aren’t they talented, creative and good people? I am from the industry and it’s disheartening to see it falling to pieces simply because the most talented of bunch are never appreciated for their creativity.
It would seem that the government is just interested in creating and building a robotic society but not a thinking or creative one. It would seem that they are failing to realize that a creative and thinking society is a society that designs, innovates and creates.
-.-
I think I better stop. Too tired. Will explain in my blog after a long shower.
Money Money Money
(Credits: Jikon Lai for blogging about this) Is it really just money? Would good remuneration and attractive perks and benefits be enough to lure Malaysians who are working abroad to return home? The government seems to think so; and as…
My own flow of thoughts:
1. A society chooses its own rules. Whatever rules or laws are in place are largely the result of its members through action and/or inaction.
ie I do believe whatever form of government is in place is largely the people’s responsibility (or fault!)
2. Morals or standards of behaviour are arbitrary. After all what is the definition of morality?
3. Tolerance… Hmm… Tricky.
What behaviour is tolerated in society again is totally arbitrary. Most societies today tolerate drugs like alcohol and nicotine but frown on cannabis or opium.
Think to yourself now, in your society, which poses a greater health problem (and hence burden on the health service) - cigarettes or heroin?
Why is one tolerated and not the other?
Why is the abuse of women tolerated (or even encouraged) in some societies and not others?
Why is homosexuality in some societies tolerated and not in others?
So there is intolerance… Is intolerance ‘bad’?
What do you mean by ‘bad’. That is a value judgement. Which would depend on what you believe morality to be. Which is, I believe, arbitrary.
So there is intolerance.
Think again.
If a society was tolerant to ALL forms of behaviour,
All forms….
you would have…
total freedom to do whatever you wish.
ANARCHY?
4. What am I advocating?
Absolutely nothing.
This is a mindf@ck.
Devil’s Advocate: I couldn’t agree with you more. Your arguments do not contradict mine but rather reinforce them. After all, this “brain drain” is partially the result of moral decisions that “we” made, either consciously or otherwise. To think that it can be resolved simply by throwing money at it is misdiagnosing the problem. It is a moral problem that requires moral redress, not materialistic adjustments.
i think about this constantly, and much as i love malaysia and all it’s idiosyncracies, to do what i do over here would not be profitable, and above all, not be enjoyable at all.
the entertainment industry in malaysia is beginning to flourish, i’ll give it that much. but when i was in it in malaysia, i always felt restricted. or that the sources to perform, to bring in art, to field ignorance from front back and center was just too much.
the general public doesn’t really appreciate it, and those that do, are sometimes just there to be there….you know what i mean? like charity galas that cost 1000 dollars a seat, over here there are independent groups, and free shows. available budgets and a government that is kind enough to not restrict “creativity”.
there’s the money, but then there is also the sense of pride. of accomplishment. of free speech and the resources and passion.
hm..i don’t know.
just ranting.
hugs
As a m’sian working abroad in sc & tech sector, I find it funny that the govt is interested in bringing home 30,000 professionals when unemployment rate is very high at home, 60% of local uni grads can’t find a job. I was unemployed for 6 months at home before an international tech company got my CV and flew me out here for the job. It pays better and going up the ladder isn’t dependant on who my father is .. or what my skin color is anymore.
Look at what Dr M said today. Hmm.
Dr M: “Developed countries should not be allowed to poach Malaysian talent for free.”
Oh, but they are paying. They are paying the salaries of these people, and they are giving them the quality of life (mostly in intangibles) that Malaysia doesn’t (not can’t) offer.
i think he forgets that not all of us were given gomen-scholarships. personally, i was funded by a british bank, an american bank and a british university. is the Malaysian government willing to pay them back for the “intellectual property” i gained as a result of my foreign-funded education?
actually jikon…i never understood why you never left malaysia
you’re asking the wrong question. it’s not why I never left the country, but why i chose to return and why i am still here.
so why did u return and stay?
Oh bollocks, indeed. Interstitial people like me who LOVE science but would LOVE to do something with the humanities as well are also on the receiving end of the ignorance schtick. Room for growth? Nada. Appreciation? Zip.
And they think money can buy our dreams and lost years back? Oh God.
The recent spate of headlines regarding ‘politik wang’ and prohibitions against it should underline how much politicians (and each of our leaders are) obsess about it. I’m not surprised they feel money is the answer to everything.
Hey Jikon: I agree with some of the things you say but if you are really not happy and not getting anywhere, why not just leave to another country and be happy. Why whinge about it? Just leave and be happy.
xyz & gezza: the answer is long, complicated, not obvious and the question unresolved. but you’ll find it within this blog, if not explicitly, then certainly implicitly.
that said, i want to make an observation that is incidental to the questions you raised. despite the globalised markets for goods, services and capital, the labour market is still very much a closed and protected one.
u can try our neighbour down south - if u are interested
So instead of commenting and trying to make things better, you’re all saying we should pack our bags and leave the country instead?
Oh goody.
That justifies my decision greatly when I get to it.
of course it is noble to stay in the country to change things..
but from a non bumi point of view it is easier said than done….take my case, i couldnt get into the course i wanted in a local university because of the quota system…a university in our neighbouring country offered me a place….should I have turned it down and stayed on in the country to change things? would you have done the same if you were in my predicament?
the scenario I described above is not an uncommon one…I would say hundreds of non bumi face this predicament every year.
idlan: real hard to argue that one isn’t it? I guess what are the priorities. If commenting will help, sure by all means, I feel everyone, whether at home or abroad should talk.
I personally think you don’t have to be back home to help. Each of us working/studying abroad are mini ambassadors, how we interact with non Malaysians, I feel inadvertantly guides their opinion of our country. I would like to believe that in the long run this help socially. I also would like to believe that most of us abroad will not hesitate to offer perspective and advice to those in similiar industries back home. Now i’m not saying that in the condescending manner, merely the more resources made available to those back home, the better “home” will be right?
Maybe it’s not such a bad thing to have us abroad.
“Maybe it’s not such a bad thing to have us abroad”
Bishop said it. It isn’t a bad thing to have Malaysians abroad (or would we rather have the Malaysians become Canadians - just to cite an example..)
There are many ways one can contribute to a country. Some do it by earning in a foreign currency and investing in property back home. Some do it by being the external link (mini-ambassadors) that provide that network node on another continent. Some do it by thriving in their chosen profession, gaining experience one could never get if one never left the Malaysian shores.
On incentives and remuneration packages, I beg to differ. Ask around, the average Joe’s annual increments barely covers for inflation, and most local companies expect that they’ve bought 24hours of a person’s time with the meagre salaries (and medical benefits) that they pay. Granted that there are some pretty (filthy) rich people in Malaysia, but for the most of us, home ownership (one of the first things most financial experts advise us to tie down) requires us to be in debt for life. (Jeff Ooi blogged about something along these lines recently).
What the government has to tackle when it looks at policies to retain talent / pull talent back in is to look at why the grass is ‘greener’ on the other side. It may not be cold hard cash, but cold hard cash does buy a lot of things…
Just to share an experience:
A female colleague of mine got an offer in the 5 digits from a foreign company (cross-border role). She had to turn it down at the time because it wasn’t quite right — but note the offer as a benchmark. She told me recently that her older brothers were already earning 5 figures when they were her age, and she wondered why she didn’t move as fast. I pointed out that had she moved to the foreign company, she would’ve exceed her brothers. Which led us to this point:
The glass ceiling is so low in Malaysia, it’s causing a greenhouse effect! I have girlfriends inching closer towards the border, and some have crossed it to the other side. We move up to a point where the ceiling hits, and then it’s lateral moves for a long time. What gives?
hmm.. i’m graduating this september and seriously thinking of staying here in the uk.. not because i don’t miss home, but because:
1. i seriously think i would not find work in my chosen field (despite being a bumi)
2. i need to earn a lot of money to pay back the loan for my education (i’m not gomen funded despite being a bumi and not well off)
3. and because msian employers have this knack of killing dreams.. and dreams is all i have
any ideas how i should go about it?
staying in the uk? very difficult because of work permit. and it is very hard to find a job there. you can try applying for a work permit or a holiday working visa. but that means you must leave the uk in one or two years time.
Sometimes as much as we want, we cannot change the system and processes. And most of all positive mentality of people which I think is lacking dearly in Malaysia.
It is sometimes ironic that we get more opportunities overseas than our own country. We get to be treated equal overseas than our own country. Isn’t that ironic?
But then again, I also feel that it is no point fighting the system - we must help ourselves to work around the system or move out of the system. Nothing will come out of it if we fight.
So, if one is not happy with how things are here, move on and get a peace of mind, why fight. But if your happy and willing to work aorund the system, so be it.
Of course, those who have studied or worked overseas would know the difference. Why do you think there are many Malaysian professionals with brains working in other countries contributing to their economy and not ours.
We speak about fairness, but is there fairness anywhere in the world? the answer is no. But some are fairer than others.
Why isn’t there any feedback from my last message?