Malaysia is exporting talent because It refuses to fix the system

 

MALAYSIAN Employers Federation (MEF) president Datuk Dr Syed Hussain Syed Husman has issued a stark warning.

He says Malaysia needs to fix some core workplace issues—like unfair pay gaps, few opportunities for advancement, rigid job structures, and workers’ skills not matching what employers need.

If these problems aren’t solved, he argues, the country will struggle to keep its top talent. This could make Malaysia’s job market less attractive, both for locals and for Malaysians living abroad.

Dr Syed Hussain pointed to a worrying trend: Malaysians are increasingly giving up their citizenship to work overseas. If this continues, he fears the country will keep losing its skilled and semi-skilled workers.

This “brain drain” would hit crucial industries the hardest, including high-tech manufacturing, engineering, information technology, and healthcare.

Malaysia isn’t losing talent by accident. It’s losing talent because the system makes leaving the obvious choice.

When tens of thousands give up their citizenship, you can’t just blame “personal decisions”. It points to a deeper failure in how we value work, build careers, and reward skills. Until we admit that, the exodus won’t stop.

Lets talk about pay. In too many fields, salaries don’t match skills, hard work, or the cost of living. Young professionals quickly learn that getting better at their job doesn’t mean better pay.

Experienced workers hit a salary ceiling far too soon. When neighboring countries offer more money and better conditions for the same work, leaving isn’t disloyalty—it’s just common sense.

But it’s not only about money. It’s also about hitting a wall in your career. Many workplaces here are still stuck with old-fashioned hierarchies, unclear promotion paths, and a culture that sees changing jobs as a negative, rather than a step up.

Modern things like flexible work, specialized career tracks, and rewarding merit are still patchy at best. When ambition has no room to grow, people look elsewhere.

Then there’s the gap between education and employment. We have graduates who can’t find jobs that use their skills, and employers who say they can’t find the right people.

This isn’t a lack of talent—it’s a massive failure to connect the two. The result? Locals leave to use their skills abroad, and we bring in foreign workers to fill the gaps.

It’s easy to blame small businesses for low wages, but many are stuck too. In a system that often rewards cheap labor over productivity, and without real government help—like tax breaks or shared training programs—they simply cannot afford to compete for skilled workers. The cycle just continues.

Perhaps the most telling sign is how hard it is to come back. Malaysians who gain experience overseas often find it’s not valued here. The process to return is a headache, and top jobs, especially in government-linked roles, feel out of reach.

The unintended message is loud and clear: leaving is straightforward, but returning isn’t worth the trouble.

The problem isn’t migration itself. The problem is our complacency. If we don’t face the real issues—unfair wages, dead-end careers, and mismatched skills—Malaysia will keep acting as a training ground for other countries.

If a nation undervalues its own people, it shouldn’t be surprised when they take their talents where they’re appreciated.

Malaysia does not have a talent shortage; it has a valuation problem. As long as skills are underpaid, careers are constrained and reform is postponed, Malaysians will continue to vote with their feet.

Talent does not leave because it wants to—it leaves because staying makes less sense. 

KT Maran
Seremban, Negri Sembilan

The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of  MMKtT.

- Focus Malaysia.