Our Talent Abroad Can Return And Introduce Sophisticated Ideas
WE are approaching 2020, a year expected to bring about changes, driving positive socioeconomic growth.
However, our national landscape is burdened by identity politics, distrust towards the government and uncertainty in ensuring economic growth.
Take the announcement on projected gross domestic product growth for next year, for instance.
While the projected rate of 4.8 per cent showed an upward trend, the underlying factors outlined by the economic affairs minister — including economic and export structure, supportive labour market and healthy current account surplus — seem to undermine the real employment and income-based issues gripping people in the Bottom 40 and Middle 40 groups.
Improving public confidence in the socioeconomic structure requires gradual transition of policy focus, wide-ranging implementation and stakeholder management.
It would not hurt to call on our diaspora to help Malaysia’s nation-building process, particularly to help the economy.
With tremendous expertise and international exposure across traditional as well as modern sectors, the group of trailblazers could chart a new path by introducing sophisticated ideas and advanced methods.
It is also crucial for Malaysians returning from overseas to be placed in relevant positions to capitalise on their abilities.
Attracting them with competitive salaries and benefits is just one part. The other pull factor is to provide them with up-to-date platforms for them to contribute to their fields.
I know people working at corporations, such as Apple, Google, Microsoft and Amazon wanting to return, yet postponed their plans as they believe that Malaysia’s ecosystem does not allow them to thrive. This situation should be reversed to motivate them to return home.
Additionally, they can be appointed as industry advisors-cum-consultants, using their skill sets to boost Malaysian participation in high-value industries, such as aerospace, defence, maritime, IT and creative design or entertainment.
We have to go beyond the thinking that only Malaysian-trained individuals can hold leadership positions, as global and regional trends develop day by day.
Statistics produced by TalentCorp indicated 5,024 returnees from 2011 to last year, still a small number out of our workforce abroad.
Efforts need to be executed to increase the figure, eventually harnessing exceptional figures to drive the economy.
There are also more than 47,000 Malaysian students studying overseas, including postgraduate and prospective scholars.
Their academic focus, practical ambition, industrial match and goals must be monitored and guided to facilitate their career growth once home.
Cases of delayed scholarship provision, inadequate information on academic institutions and misinformation facing Malaysian students, which were reported in the United States and Taiwan, should be resolved as these issues distract our talent.
Looking forward, it is time for us to look beyond local economic drivers and start pulling our creme-de-la-creme back home.
We need thinkers, doers, goal-getters and innovation-oriented individuals with visions and long-term targets that are not bound to political motives.
We need to generate a sustainable wave of economic growth demands for us to create our own pool of talent complemented by the rightful experts and aided by the exchange of thoughts and direct links to industrial practices.
2020 presents the perfect platform for us to reinvigorate our efforts and practices, preserving the blueprint but with a fresh outlook.
News from NewStraitsTimes
