Brain drain
'Million Chinese left'
Talented Chinese driven to Singapore where they can compete with and whack Malaysia. YW Yeoh. Malaysiakini letter.
May 1, 2004

When it comes to the matter of the dwindling number of Chinese Malaysians, we should talk about quality, not quantity.

We should resolve why the Chinese-Malaysian population is reducing. Official figures have more than one million Chinese Malaysians emigrating over the past 25 years.

Why did they emigrate? I'm sure the government knows.

Straight 'A' students can't get scholarships and/or university places. Nothing new, it's been that way for the past 35 years.

Nowadays, even enlightened Malay Malaysians are speaking up on this injustice. The MCA and Gerakan? Busy making money from private colleges.

What's so great about having TAR (Tunku Abadul Rahman) College or Utar (Niversiti Tunku Abdul Rahman), which took more than 35 years of begging?

Why should it be so difficult to set up an independent university when we have scores of public ones?

While we push young talented people away, other countries notably Singapore, the US and Australia welcome them with open arms.

Singapore's success in particular owes much to these ex-Malaysians or their descendants including Goh Keng Swee, Hon Sui Sen, Richard Hu, Goh Chok Tong, just to name a few.

About 30 percent of top management in both Singapore's government and corporate sector are ex-Malaysians. We export them so that Singapore can compete with, and then whack, us.

Is it logical that we drive away our young talented ones and then invite retired Mat Sallehs to live here and exploit our low-cost of living?

And while we drive talented young brilliant minds away, we allow illegals of all nationalities to come here to hawk on the streets to the detriment of our own traders?

But foreign hypermarts that bring in real capital, provide jobs, pay taxes, generate local demand and boost our economy are now banned?

Where is the economic leadership of Pak Lah's (Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi's) government?

To quote a cyber-pal, the whole nation and government could gain so much by doing so little, i.e. by just giving out scholarships to all who excel irrespective of race and especially if they are needy.

We don't do these basics yet we can commit billions to fiascos like Perwaja, the first Malaysian astronaut project, and European submarines.

In the 1960s, I could perhaps understand the insecurity on the part of some quarters considering the delicate population balance then.

But now, when Malay Malaysians are 54% - and with other bumiputras 65% - of the national population, shouldn't the government and ruling party be more magnanimous in allowing others to progress?

It's even in the national interest!

It's nauseating, this culture of bikin tak serupa cakap that will be the downfall of this nation that could have been great.

Korea and Taiwan, both way behind us in the 70s and 80s are now way ahead. Thailand is breathing down our necks. Are we fiddling like Nero?

Sadly, there is just no integrity in the nation's leadership.

(Original headline of Mr. YW Yeoh's letter was: "Don't drive away our local talent".)