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December 04, 2005
Brain drain and brain gain in Malaysia
The New Sunday Times today laments that Malaysian students overseas stay overseas after their studies. But actually, what is the matter with it? Isn't it natural that someone wants to stay where they like to stay?
Look at me, as a foreigner in Malaysia. I came to Asia 12 years back. It was suppose to be a 2 years contract with the United Nations. After the contract expired, I intended to stay - first, I worked in Indonesia, then in Singapore, followed by Malaysia again.
I never looked back to Germany and cannot foresee myself going back for the next couple of years or even decades. Why? Because I love this place. I am living here, have my own condominium, send my kid to school, am married to a Malaysian, enjoy my work, have friends here, blog about the country - for better or worse, speak better English than German (despite mistakes here and there), go for training in Singapore and Malaysia, buy local products (hey, I drive a Proton and love the car!) and foreign products and so on.
Am I a brain gain for Malaysia? I sure hope so. I know that those that work and worked with me benefit from my knowledge. Am I a brain drain for Germany? I don't know. Seriously. I think, I found my "mission and vision" in Malaysia. I am really uncertain how much I could have contributed to Germany.
May be there is also a need for Malaysia to look at their foreigners. Those like me - and I really don't want to blow my trumpet but I really want to stay here, despite our "troubles" with renewal of work permits, spouse passes and so on. May be it is time to go the Singaporean way, if I may call it like this, and ease the procedures to get a PR. In Singapore, it is fast and efficient to get a PR. In fact, foreigners in Singapore are invited to become permanent citizens. Here, it takes years and years and years and .... to even be considered to become a permanent citizen. I heard of foreigners whose application was lost and had to be resubmitted. How is that? My application is running for about 4 years now. A former colleague of mine submitted hers about six or seven years back. Years! How serious is that? When people ask me, why I do it, I say, that I love the country, its people, my work, the weather (yeah, I do!) and the food.
So, Malaysia, look at your foreigners, and check what they contribute. Because, believe it or not - there is brain gain on that side of the world as well!
Posted by Andreas at December 4, 2005 10:57 AM
Comments
I'm not taking any side but I think the government is more concerned about the students who study oversea on loans or schorlarships. They should give back something to the country, at least until they finish the number of years they have to serve b4 they can take their own ways.
Posted by: Nizar at December 12, 2005 08:24 AM
Wow... never knew you had this kind of feeling about Malaysia. All this while I think many of us are dying to go to Europe (Germany, France), the US, Australia for 'a better job/future'... I like to watch Made in Germany or Tomorrow Today.. Beyond 2000. I thought things are better oversea until I read your thought about Malaysia... P/s: would like to have a German-English dictionary with pictures. :P
Posted by: Niza at December 6, 2005 01:08 PM
My sentiments exactly. Have you applied for the PR yet? If not you better do so asap. Am going to blog about the PR issue soon.
Posted by: Adam at December 5, 2005 09:58 AM
You seem to love Malaysia much more than I, a (legal, but second-class) citizen of Malaysia! Ahahahahahahah!
We get stiffed on everything from housing (7 to FIFTEEN percent), education (you have 15 A's! oh, you're not Malay? then piss off), security (oh, our police is shorthanded. we're too catching people making U-turns and taking bribeds. go hire security guards for your housing area.), governance (we're politicians. we're untouchable. the economy, the weather, the heavens might be wrong, but we are NEVER wrong. fuck you.)
Fuck Malaysian politicians.
Posted by: aw at December 4, 2005 12:41 PM
I guess the government is worried that there will be a shortage of qualified leaders to spearhead the country's growth and development in the foreseeable future. It's something like a long-term goal, I guess.
But yes, if the government relaxes the red-tape for foreigners to live in the country, there may well be a 'brain gain' instead. How about having foreign lecturers teaching local student? If they decide to teach at all, that is.
Posted by: narrowband at December 4, 2005 12:23 PM