Govt told to address brain drain, over reliance on foreign workers
SANDAKAN: The Federation of Chinese Associations Malaysia (Huazong) has urged the government to strive to address the longstanding issues of brain drain and overdependence on foreign workers, which have been besieging the country for a long time.
Its president, Tan Sri T.C Goh opined that the government should quickly formulate a comprehensive and effective long-term plan to address such a pressing issue.
This includes improving the existing national economic policy to boost our productivity and competitive edge, and raising the people’s standard of living and purchasing power.
He underscored that it is absolutely crucial for the government to strive to retain our youths and talents, as they are the nation’s future.
Goh who is also president of The Federation of Chinese Associations Sabah (FCAS) made the call at the awards presentation ceremony of the second Outstanding Youth Awards organized by the youth wing of The United Chinese Communities Association Sandakan (UCCAS), at the Sabah Hotel ballroom here, on Thursday.
Goh acknowledged that he was moved and at the same time heartbroken to read about news reports on the return of Malaysians working in Singapore, Sabahans included, to reunite with their family and loved ones when Malaysia fully reopened its borders on April 1, after more than two years of closure due to Covid-19 pandemic.
He said such an emotion-charged scene of Malaysians finally returning home essentially revealed the ‘sad reality’ of young Malaysians who had to leave their family and loved ones to seek greener abroad, in order to provide for themselves and their family.
He noted that prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, there was an estimated of 300,000 Malaysians crossing the Straits of Johor to work in Singapore, everyday, and a vast majority of them were young Malaysians who were obviously eager to earn better pay, due to the attractive exchange rate of 1SGD = RM3.
He also believed that the persisting unfavourable economic and employment situation in the country would inevitably encourage more Malaysians to seek greener pastures abroad.
Goh who is also president of The Federation of Sabah and Labuan Hokkien Associations (FSLHA) also expressed concern that the above mentioned situation might push east Malaysians to seek employment in Peninsular Malaysia.
He reiterated his grave concern over the worrying trend of continue exodus of young Malaysians to seek greener pastures abroad, which inevitably contributed to the country facing acute shortage of manpower, both skilled and unskilled, and this in return compelled the government to continue to allow for the import of foreign workers, in order to fill the void.
He thus urged the federal and state governments to pay serious attention to such an unhealthy trend which may have negative impact on the nation in the long run, and to take effective measures to nib it in the bud.
He proposed the government to engage with all the stakeholders in the country, in order to formulate an effective-and-comprehensive strategy to better address this pressing issue.