Brain drain and its danger to the nation

MALAYSIA needs to raise wages and invest more in high-end sectors to attract talent back to its shores and prevent a further brain drain.

According to The Human Flight and Brain Drain Index, incidences of such cases have increased from 4.4 in 2022 to 7.5 in 2023, which is a cause for concern.

However and unfortunately, not enough is being done to further prevent our talents from seeking greener pastures.

Undoubtedly, the brain drain problem is a longstanding one, initially involving students from minority communities, such as Chinese and Indians.

The main issue for this would be the difficulty getting into public tertiary institutions due to the current quota system.

A recent report revealed that nearly two million of our skilled workforce reside overseas, most of them in Singapore.

A Feb 19 report by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) showed that more than 80 percent of Malaysians working in Brunei and Singapore were in the skilled and semi-skilled categories.

Malaysians working in Singapore and Brunei are mainly attracted by good job prospects, favourable working conditions, attractive salaries and an advantageous exchange rate.

Top jobs for Malaysians working in Singapore include clerical support workers (24%), professionals (20%), and plant and machine operators and assemblers (15%).

Following the global Covid-19 pandemic, a majority of Malaysians are finding it hard to get back on their feet and most employees cannot manage their expenses with shrinking disposable incomes.

Apart from increasing wages, companies also need to look into other options to prevent employees from leaving.

One of these measures includes the push for companies to introduce flexible work options – targeting female employees in particular. 

Studies have shown that Malaysian women tend to leave the workforce and never return once they have started their families.

The government on its part needs to provide greater economic opportunities as one of the primary reasons Malaysians seek opportunities abroad is the promise of higher salaries and better job prospects. 

Developed countries offer more lucrative positions, which can be especially enticing for highly skilled individuals.

These days ensuring a good quality of life must be part and parcel of all employment packages. Many Malaysians are attracted to the higher quality of life available in countries with advanced infrastructure, better healthcare, and improved public services. 

The allure of a comfortable and secure life abroad often motivates the emigration of talented individuals.

While talent cannot be stopped from looking for better pay and opportunities abroad, we can do our part and focus on strengthening our workforce with better career prospects and benefits.

Although the brain drain is a global phenomenon, the government of the day is responsible for finding out why exactly the labour force is draining out and tackling the reasons.

Labour economists stress that to address the pull factors causing the brain drain, there needs to be accelerated economic growth and industrial upgrading, an increase in employment and entrepreneurship opportunities as well as raised incomes and living standards.

While Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's recent move to increase civil servants' salaries is certainly one in the right direction, it should not stop at that.

The private sector must follow suit and create better wages and packages to maintain their staff.

If the problem of brain drain is not nipped now, the future of our nation is in great peril. - The Vibes, May 30, 2024

Prof Dr Roselina Ahmad Saufi, Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute (FCMI)