Response To "Time For A New Game Plan"

We refer to the article “Time for a new game plan” (The Star, 30 December 2022) and would like to address a few points raised.

In 2011, TalentCorp was created to drive the country's talent development strategies for becoming a high-income economy. In achieving this objective, TalentCorp works with all talent segments that include school students, university and TVET students, fresh graduates, professionals, women, seniors, the Malaysian diaspora and high-skilled expatriates.

Understanding that jobs are created by industries, TalentCorp acts as the focal point between the government, industry and academia to advocate policies, introduce best practices, drive effective partnerships, and deliver intervention programmes.

The Returning Expert Programme (REP) is one of the many initiatives mandated to TalentCorp in achieving the objectives stated above. The REP is a programme to incentivize skilled Malaysian diaspora who wish to return to work in Malaysia. The incentive is provided to the Malaysian diaspora that meets the skillsets and requirements under the programme.

Recognising that migration is a global phenomenon and not unique to Malaysia, TalentCorp believes that it is important to focus on brain gain in addition to brain drain, by tapping into the best brains regardless of where they are. In 2022, TalentCorp introduced the Malaysia@Heart, or MyHeart initiative to support the government’s call under the Twelfth Malaysian Plan (12MP) to improve the facilitation and engagement with the Malaysian diaspora.

MyHeart will be a seamless and integrated end-to-end process to facilitate Malaysians abroad who are not heavily dependent on the REP incentives. It includes building a diaspora network platform, facilitating family, education, and employment opportunities, and potentially collaborating on initiatives and programmes to benefit Malaysia and its talents at home.

In addition, with the understanding that the grass is greener where we water it – and hopefully that is our own garden - TalentCorp renders various initiatives to optimise the Malaysian talent ecosystem, to which we welcome engagements and collaboration from the industries and members of the public.

Issued by Talent Corporation Malaysia Berhad

30 December 2022