Despite leaving behind the comforts of family, friends and his favourite Malaysian cuisine, Edward Leong believes his decision to uproot his family to New Zealand 12 years ago was one of the best he has ever made. "If initially, we had doubts, once we actually settled down here, we've never looked back," said Leong, 54, who works as a property consultant in Auckland.
Citing a "higher quality of life, better opportunities and top notch education" for their children, his sentiments echo those of an increasing number of Malaysians who are either already working in other countries, or in the process of applying to do so. South-East Asia's third-largest economy with a population of 28 million has ambitions to transform itself into a developed nation by 2020, but a lack of human capital is a barrier to reaching that goal.
A National Economic Advisory Council report released last year estimated that 350,000 Malaysians were working abroad, more than half of them university graduates. Some labour groups believe the actual number could easily be more than 1 million people, as thousands more seek to leave the country every year.
Government statistics break down the destinations of emigrants to nearly 40 percent in neighbouring Singapore, 30 percent in Australia, the United States and New Zealand, and the rest in other parts of the world. To address the brain drain, Prime Minister Najib Razak has set up a "talent corporation" to woo back highly skilled workers, as well as foreign professionals, to live and work in the multi-ethnic nation.
The incentives for overseas Malaysians include a maximum income tax rate of 15 per cent, and a "resident pass" for those who have given up their citizenship. The pass will also be available for eligible skilled foreign workers to work in Malaysia. "All of our efforts to attract investors will come to nothing unless we can also deliver the highly skilled, expert workforces they need to flourish," Najib told an investors' conference in Kuala Lumpur recently.
"I certainly hope these changes will encourage more Malaysians working abroad, with their varied experience and expertise, to return and play an active part in our country's economic transformation." But some analysts are sceptical over whether the government's latest effort to reverse the tide will be successful.
The typical reasons for emigrating Malaysians are well-documented: improved employment and business prospects, better working environments and a superior quality of life. But while the search for greener pastures is evident in most countries, an alarming rise in the number of Malaysians leaving is a telling sign of discontentment, especially among the minority ethnicities. "Money isn't everything, and I'm afraid lowering income tax is just not going to be good enough to attract Malaysians back," Leong said.
Daniel Ang, an ethnic Chinese Malaysian currently residing in Melbourne, Australia, said the feeling of being "second-class" in his home country was one reason he left more than three years ago. "Aside from a better quality of life, I feel like I'm being treated fairly here," said Ang, who currently works as a designer. While exact figures for racial breakdown of emigrants is not released to the public, it is widely accepted that most of those who leave are ethnic Chinese and Indians, who make up slightly more than 35 per cent of the population and have long complained of being sidelined by policies of the predominantly Malay government.
A decades-old affirmative action policy, which benefits Malays and the indigenous groups in housing, education and business, has also been blamed for creating an uncompetitive economy and improperly benefiting the elite. The result has left an increasing number of people, including Malays, disenchanted and unable to identify with the country of their birth, said political analyst Farish Noor.
Farish concluded that so many citizens were leaving because they had lost faith in the country, and urged the government to address the reasons for it, rather than offer incentives. "The mass exodus of millions of Malaysians who pack up and go to become citizens of another country is an indication that many born and bred in this country have felt excluded from the mainstream way of life," he wrote recently.
Joanne Yeow, a Malaysian residing in Australia, said renewing her faith in her country would only happen if the government is serious in ensuring that each of its citizens enjoys a better quality of life. "Unless there's an overhaul of policies that will ensure everybody benefits, and not just a select few, there will be no reason for us to even consider going home."