Media Statement: Talent Corp needs 300 years to reverse brain drain (EN/CN)

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar should do his mathematics before saying that the Talent Corp Program has been effective in reversing brain drain. In fact, at its current efficiency, it will take at least 300 years to reverse Malaysian brain drain. 

It is impossible for Malaysia to become a high-income nation without good quality of human capital. Malaysia needs talent, but talent seems to be leaving. According to the World Bank Report in 2011, 2 out of 10 tertiary-educated Malaysians opting to leave Malaysia for greener pasture.

In his reply to Liew Chin Tong’s question in the parliament, Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar said that the Talent Corp program has been effective in reversing brain drain and the RM 65 million operating cost since 2011 was worth spent.

We would like to remind Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar that according to the World Bank report brain drain represents one third of the strong one million Malaysian diaspora, i.e there are more than 300,000 Malaysian professionals settled down outside of Malaysia. The Talent Corp program however, has only succeeded in bringing back 680 Malaysians professionals in 2011, 923 in 2012 and 502 up to June this year. Even at 1,000 professionals returning every year, at this ‘reverse’ rate, it will take 300 years for Talent Corp to reverse Malaysia brain drain. This is also the most optimistic estimation based on the assumption that there is no further brain drain.

约300年来缓和马来西亚人才外流现象算有效？(Talent Corp)

首相署部长拿督斯里阿都瓦希上议员在发表“专才机构(Talent Corp) 成功缓和人才外流现象”前，应当重新估算其数据。事实上，以目前的回流进度，我们须要约300年来达到缓和马来西亚人才外流现象。

若缺乏高素质专才，我国是不可能达致高收入国目标。我们须要人才，但人才却一直外流。根据世界银行的报告，每十名马来西亚专才中，就有两名选择离开，以寻找跟好的发展机会。

首相署部长拿督斯里阿都瓦希在国会回答居銮国会议员刘镇东提问指出，专才机构自2011年以来共耗资了6500万令吉，成功缓和了人才流失，因此这项开销是值得的。

我们要提醒拿督斯里阿都瓦希，在100万旅居国外马来西亚人当中有三分一 是有专业资格的人才。马来西亚足足的流失了30万人才。反之，专才机构仅成功在2011年召回680海外专才，以及2012年923名，同时今年截至六月为止仅成功召回502名。按照此回流进度，以最乐观的假设没有任何人才继续外流，即使该机构一年成功召回高达1000名专才回国，我们须要长达300年来达到缓和马来西亚人才外流现象。

Media Statement: Ridiculous to restrict PJ auxiliary police unit ops

We welcome Inspector General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar’s historic approval of auxiliary police forces to Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya (MBPJ). However the restriction imposed on the auxiliary police to only the MBPJ building and the court complex is completely nonsensical and unbelievably ridiculous.

First of all, we would like to congratulate Inspector General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar for being the first IGP to have approved auxiliary police force application from Pakatan Rakyat local council as he confirmed the approval of MBPJ application for auxiliary police force as reported by The Star today.

Looking at the rampant crime situation in Petaling Jaya, MBPJ has been proactively applying for auxiliary police since 2009 and the most recent application dated Jun 2012 was the third attempt and has finally been approved. We welcome the decision with open arms. However, we are surprised by the restrictions imposed on the auxiliary police to only MBPJ buildings and the court complex. We are further perplexed by his recommendation that MBPJ can hire enforcement officers as a replacement for auxiliary police to help with neighborhood security.

We cannot find the logic of IGP as such that the armed auxiliary police are to carry out their duties at MBPJ buildings and the Courts but the unarmed enforcement officers are to patrol on the street in the face of potential criminals who are often armed and ferocious.