Ex-MB’s 7 ways to end brain drain to Singapore

 

Former Johor menteri besar Hasni Mohammad said new policies were needed to keep Malaysians from seeking jobs in the republic.

JOHOR BAHRU: Former Johor menteri besar Hasni Mohammad has set out seven policies by which to reverse the brain drain of Malaysians to Singapore.

Hasni said in a posting yesterday that these policies would raise wages and employment opportunities for Malaysians, which is crucial in reversing the migration trend.

He said the number of Malaysian migrants in Singapore had gone up from 195,072 in 1990 to 952,261 in 2019.

He suggested that Malaysia implement policies that would attract high-quality investment, which in return would create a lot of high-skilled job opportunities.

Hasni, who is Benut assemblyman, also suggested that Malaysia reduce its heavy reliance on low-skilled foreign labour, which distorts overall wages, and improve infrastructure such as the public transport systems.

He also proposed four other policies, calling for

• speedy political and institutional reforms to ensure political and economic stability, as well as policy sustainability;
• making it easier to do business in the country and boosting business competitiveness;
• improve workers’ productivity by offering them reskilling and upskilling opportunities; and
• better cooperation between economic corridors in Johor such as Iskandar Malaysia, East Coast Economic Region, and the Pagoh Special Economic Zone.

Hasni’s proposals come in the wake of a suggestion by state opposition leader Liew Chin Tong that businesses in Johor pay salaries of at least two-thirds of what Singapore employers pay.

Liew said that the state government should consider this policy proposal should it intend to draft long-term strategies that would prevent Johoreans from preferring to work in the city-state because of the high value of the Singapore dollar.

He added that poor wages in Johor and other parts of Malaysia make them want to work there. - FMT