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I hope that one day I can return

John Malachi
The Malaysian Insider
May 25, 2011

MAY 25 — I am a Malaysian living abroad. I graduated as a doctor in Australia and went back to Malaysia in the early 1990s. From the first day I started working in Malaysia until the day I left, I have worked all the 15 and a half years of my time in Malaysia in public hospitals, not a single day in private practice.

In the mean time I got married and have two beautiful children. I went through the system, however unfair it was, being posted to hospitals that no one wanted to go to, and being sent on a merry-go-round around the country with two kids and a wife in tow.

I have had many opportunities to leave the public health sector to go into private practice – I was even offered a consultant specialist job in Singapore, but I hung on to the government hospitals, willingly foregoing better opportunity and financial rewards. Continue reading “I hope that one day I can return”

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Why I left for our ‘poorer’ neighbour

E
The Malaysian Insider
May 25, 2011

MAY 25 — Contrary to most Malaysians who work overseas, I chose a less popular destination. I have been based in Jakarta for the past year and a bit. Most people look down on Indonesia as the poorer neighbour, much like the way Singapore looks at us. However, after living here, there is much to like, and below are some of the reasons why I prefer life here and do not plan to return anytime soon:

1. Indonesia is the most populous Muslim country in the world. However, you will find that most Indonesians are very open about their religion and respectful of the rights of others. Muslims here have no problem with patronising outlets that sell alcohol or non-halal food, even if they choose not to have any. In Malaysia, the Muslims make a big fuss over small things which they claim are not halal. You may argue that there are fanatics here, but the number is small relative to the population. Just look around Malaysia. Everywhere you look, you get fanatics.

2. The work ethic and culture here is better than in KL. People here are less racist. In Malaysia, you identify companies as Bumi companies, Chinamen companies, Indian companies and so on. Here, it is easy to work with people no matter what ethnic group. Again, you may mention the race riots during Suharto’s era, but the problem is practically non-existent in everyday life nowadays. People here respect talent and ability no matter your background, religion and skin colour. Continue reading “Why I left for our ‘poorer’ neighbour”

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Why I work and stay overseas

— Alex Yap
The Malaysian Insider
May 24, 2011

MAY 24 — Rather than harping on race issue, I am writing as a Malaysian not as a Chinese Malaysian. My point is to get the new graduates in Malaysia to see the bigger picture, and hopefully my article can help them get a direction in their career.

I am now working overseas in China (not because I am Chinese but because China has lots of jobs now due to the booming market). Continue reading “Why I work and stay overseas”

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First love, long lost

by AC
The Malaysian Insider
May 24, 2011

MAY 24 — I have long stopped feeling any loyalty or affection to Malaysia, my old homeland that I left some 15 years ago for the United States. Like anyone’s first love, I do feel some affection and nostalgia towards my old homeland but like any old flame, what little affection or loyalty I have has long faded.

I came to the US like so many others via a twinning programme with a US university.

I meandered along in secondary school, earning decent but never outstanding scores. This I mostly blame on my utter apathy and lack of interest in learning Bahasa Malaysia (or is it Bahasa Melayu again?). As a teen I found absolutely no use for the language beyond using it to communicate with some of my neighbours and friends.

It was impractical and its terrible mess of borrowed words for science subjects was a constant joke. My English was also pretty bad. I used a whole host of bad grammar and local Manglish terms. When I got into a private twinning programme, I finally got to learn in English, the language of trade, finance and science. Continue reading “First love, long lost”

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Top 7 Reasons NOT To Vote BN Come GE13

by Damien Murphy Denis
May 24, 2011

Reading the latest happenings about our country is a pain for many of us. Seeing the kind of filth BN politicians churning day in and day out makes you think that Malaysia is in a state of anarchy.

Would anyone disagree? Politically, economically and socially our nation is sinking lower and it seems we are reaching the point of no return.

We were considered to be a model country at one time but today we are on the way to become the “Next Sick Man of Asia” or the next Somalia.

Can we re-claim our country from these corrupt and good for nothing BN politicians? I say we have too. And we need too. Continue reading “Top 7 Reasons NOT To Vote BN Come GE13”

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Change has to come from us

A True Blue Malaysian
The Malaysian Insider
May 24, 2011

MAY 24 — I am a Malaysian through and through. I am 45 years old and from a minority group. I work overseas for an MNC which has a hub in KL. I have been posted in the UK for the last three years with a year more to go.

I love Malaysia because it is my homeland no matter what the likes of Ibrahim Ali and Utusan Malaysia say. I guess I am a nostalgic person, too deeply-rooted. I have travelled a bit for my work in the last five years — Singapore, Indonesia, Italy, Dubai and the UK — but when the plane touches down at KLIA, I feel a sense of relief at being back home.

Believe me, some of my Malay colleagues even told me straight to the face that they would rather stay in the UK permanently if the opportunity arose. Most of them have families and their children go to school here.

I admit the education system and almost everything here is better but things will get better at home, I hope! One thing I have always admired about the Malays is their proverb: “Anak dirumah ditinggal, kera dihutan disusu.” For me, the “anak” is Malaysia; the “kera” is the foreign country. It’s we as citizens who have the “susu” and must nurture our country! Continue reading “Change has to come from us”

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Why I chose Australia

By Alan Roy | May 24, 2011
The Malaysian Insider

MAY 24 — Twenty-two years ago, I set out for Australia with my wife and three young kids in tow, braving an unknown future but confident that life would be fine in my adopted country.

Equal opportunity and anti-discrimination laws protect every new immigrant. Social security and educational benefits help the disadvantaged. You turn on the tap, the water runs. You flip the switch, the power comes on. Above all, good governance, honesty, courtesy and civic-mindedness are striking qualities that contribute to the enviable Australian quality of life.
Continue reading “Why I chose Australia”

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Talent Corp or Talent Corpse?

Letter
by Gemilang
24.5.11

Dear Fellow Malaysians:

I am compelled to write to you regarding Talent Corp. road tour in the U.S. I have just attended one of their events at Marriott, Santa Clara. Let me tell you, the turn out was good. I believe there about 200 Malaysians living in the Bay Area attended this event hoping to hear what they have to offer.

It is not surprising that the event was such a let down. Talent Corp. sent amateurs to speak on behalf of Johan Merican where no where to be found. The speaker was a young kid, Hidayat who was very proud to tell the audience that there is nothing wrong with Malaysian education, because he graduated from MIT. Let me share with you that this kid was so naive, speaks poor English, have no business acumen, lack of respects for Malaysian professionals, and lack of understanding of American business etiquette.

For someone who claimed to be MIT graduate and used to work overseas as consultants — he definitely did not have the MIT qualities. He forgot that he just spent his few years completing his undergraduate degree here in the US, but have never been living and working for many years in America. The reason I pointed out this, is that it makes huge differences in life experiences. As an alumni of MIT does not mean that he is fits to talk down on professionals like us here in the Bay Area. Continue reading “Talent Corp or Talent Corpse?”

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‘Let Talent Corp choose scholars’

By Joseph Sipalan | May 23, 11
Malaysiakini

The task of handing out scholarships should be re-assigned to the newly set-up Talent Corp as this falls in line with its job of retaining talent, said the DAP.

National publicity chief Tony Pua said the Public Services Department (PSD) has proven time and time again that it is incapable of fairly distributing scholarships to the country’s top-scorers.
Continue reading “‘Let Talent Corp choose scholars’”

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S’pore gains from M’sia’s brain drain

Patrick Lee | May 21, 2011
Free Malaysia Today

Malaysia’s brain drain is both heavily Chinese and concentrated just below the border, says a report by the World Bank.

PETALING JAYA: A large portion of the best and the brightest Malaysia has to offer have taken root in Singapore.

According to a 2011 World Bank report entitled “Malaysia Economic Monitor: Brain Drain”, 121, 662 highly-skilled Malaysians migrated to the island nation by 2010.

This accounted for nearly half of the 276, 558 Malaysians registered as “brain drain” individuals by 2010.

Additionally, the report said a total of 385, 979 Malaysians were residents of Singapore in 2010.

“Singapore alone absorbs 57% of the entire (Malaysian) diaspora, with most of the remainder residing in Australia, Brunei, United Kingdom and the United States,” the report added.

On top of that, it said that 88% of Malaysians residing in Singapore were ethnic Chinese, with Malays and Indians accounting for 6% and 5% respectively.

It has been estimated that there are more than one million Malaysians residing overseas. Continue reading “S’pore gains from M’sia’s brain drain”

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Where is home?

GLB
The Malaysian Insider
May 20, 2011

MAY 20 — I am an east Malaysian living abroad. Some 25 years ago, I left for my studies but not on any funding or scholarship. I remember it well… I was young and ambitious but somehow it was a tough financial situation for my parents.

To cut a long story short, with a bit of luck and contributions from farsighted individuals I landed in San Francisco with US$4,000 to my name. Big money back then.

But the 4K was barely enough for a semester’s tuition fee, room and board in a university in a major American city. Foolishly — yes, that’s the word — with a feeling of desperation and uncertainty plus a whole big unknown future in front of me I went ahead to try my best with what I had. A university admission letter.

Today, I say “wow” — how did I do that? I recall working three jobs in between classes to make ends meet; get home from night shifts after midnight every day and very often hungry. I asked myself — am I here to work to pay rent or to get that degree? Continue reading “Where is home?”

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Tired of the racism

By B. Venugopal | May 20, 2011
The Malaysian Insider

MAY 20 — I would like to provide some feedback on the reasons I left the motherland and headed for greener pastures here in Australia. First and foremost is the biased and preferential treatment given to Malays ahead of other races in the country.

As a country that has been independent for 50 years and more, it is disgraceful that the government condones open racist practices through the lack of meritocracy in the universities, the lack of opportunities for non-Malays working in government agencies and if they do work in the government there is a quota system used for promotion to the highest level.
Continue reading “Tired of the racism”

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I am an unwanted step-child

By Henry T. | May 20, 2011
The Malaysian Insider

MAY 20 — I am a Malaysian Chinese and please notice that I did not mention Chinese Malaysian as I feel that one should be a Malaysian first and a Chinese second. I love Malaysia and as a kid I had wonderful memories growing up in Penang. When I was 19, I went to Singapore for my university education as my Bahasa grade was not good enough to qualify for local university entrance.
Continue reading “I am an unwanted step-child”

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Why I work and stay overseas

By A Bumi | May 19, 2011
The Malaysian Insider

MAY 19 — I am a Malay working overseas. I find working in Malaysia unattractive due to the following reasons. I don’t want to belabour the points, so I list them down in point form:

Chinese chauvinism/racism

• Most private organisations including TMI are dominated by the Chinese and/or their political agenda.

• Chinese people have a tendency to assign negative stereotypes on other races (especially the Bumiputera races).
Continue reading “Why I work and stay overseas”

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Living in my kind of country

By Kaycee | May 19, 2011
The Malaysian Insider

MAY 19 — In 1962 I left for Sydney to further my studies and returned in 1968 where I obtained my first middle management position as night manager of the Hotel Merlin Kuala Lumpur until the political turmoil in 1969 which I witnessed with much sadness.

After the riots, I left for Herefordshire in the UK and attended a hotel catering management course there and returned to a position at the Kartika Plaza Hotel, Jakarta in 1972. Subsequently after my sojourn in Jakarta I returned to Batu Ferringhi, Penang and was a pioneer management staff of the Casuarina Beach Hotel, running its entire food/beverage operations there.
Continue reading “Living in my kind of country”

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Why I am thinking of leaving

The Malaysian Insider | We asked readers to tell us why they migrated… or are even thinking of migrating. This is one of the stories.

MAY 19 — I would like to tell you first-hand why I am thinking of migrating in the future:

The salary base of Malaysian employees are low.

I am a trainee for a foreign bank and urban poor as I earn less than RM3,000 a month; compared to my counterparts who are currently working overseas (merely as a waiter/ barista), their weekly salary is equivalent to what I earn in a month.

The living cost is getting higher.
Continue reading “Why I am thinking of leaving”

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A desire for better quality of life

Setec
The Malaysian Insider
May 18, 2011

MAY 18 — My primary reasons are different from that of most migrants from Malaysia:

1) English as the first language — I believe English is the language for all; I do not believe in multi-lingualism, e.g. learning Chinese, Tamil, etc.

I think this idea is not anti-nationalistic. For example, English is the first language in non Caucasian-majority countries like Singapore, Zimbabwe, etc.

2) One schooling system — a good majority of people in Malaysia are racists by supporting vernacular and religious schools. Chinese go to Chinese schools, Indians attend Tamil schools, Malays get education at religious schools, and the rest end up in government national schools.

I’m a product of government national schools; however, I’d only support government national schools if all lessons are in English (pre 1971). Continue reading “A desire for better quality of life”

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Giving my family a better chance

By Narayan
May 18, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

MAY 18 — I am Narayan, aged 44, and an Australian today. I was Malaysian till last year. I moved to Australia in February, 2007. My family joined me in Australia in July, 2007.

My children are Australian and my wife is Malaysian… still holding on to a string of hope to maybe retire in Malaysia.

Why did I leave? Am I a “pengkhianat” (traitor)?

Let us examine it from my family’s eyes.

Economy of the middle-class: In Malaysia as a senior manager in various private sector companies and even in a GLC at one time, I would be paying 30 per cent tax. In return, I could keep a reasonable home 45km out of the city, travel by public transport, have a maid, kids in suburban Sekolah Kebangsaan, need insurance to top up for medical costs, and go to a private hospital each time. Continue reading “Giving my family a better chance”

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Why I left Malaysia

By ES
May 18, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

MAY 18 — I’ve left Malaysia for about nine years now, and lived and worked in several countries such as Singapore, China and, now, Hong Kong.

The past and recent news reports on brain drain have pretty much summarised the reasons for leaving Malaysia except they were not accepted by our leaders. I’ll just echo some of the findings by relating my personal experience.

Social injustice

Unable to get into local universities even with good academic results. Mine was a working-class family and my dad had to work extremely hard to save (barely) enough money to put me through a private college (whose quality could be questioned).

It was a twinning program with an American university. A large portion of our class (100 per cent non-Bumiputera) didn’t end up going to the America for their final year to “twin” with the university because of financial difficulties. Those who did, like me, mostly have remained overseas. Continue reading “Why I left Malaysia”

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Get real, Talent Corp

By Brandon Chan | May 16, 2011
The Malaysian Insider

MAY 16 — Johan Mahmood Merican must be breathing something different from the rest of us. In an interview with the Singapore Straits Times, he said that rhetoric over race will not impact the efforts of his organisation, Talent Corp, to lure Malaysians back home.

In essence, he said Malaysians living abroad will look at the policies of the Najib administration rather than be influenced by the chatter over race which has dominated the national discourse.

I suppose he has to say positive things but without realism this Talent Corp venture is doomed for failure. And the signs are that Johan is in la-la land.
Continue reading “Get real, Talent Corp”