Will you leave Malaysia if everything is good here?

 

This week, I met with a young man who wanted my opinion as to whether he should take up a job offer in Europe. He is a 38-year-old erudite Malaysian. I’ve known him for a long time, and I know he’s very capable professionally.

Of course, he must be good if he was head-hunted for a bigger role overseas.

Aside from his work competence, I also know him to be a fiercely patriotic Malaysian. He is in the prime of his life, and is a magnificent asset to our nation.

I’d rather he stays in Malaysia, but what would be the right advice for someone who will definitely be more respected professionally elsewhere, who will enjoy a better quality of life, and be less subjected to parochial attitudes, and most all, will see his own growth fuelled by merit, only?

It is reported that more than one million Malaysians work in Singapore.

Malaysians overall, constitute the largest foreign community in that country. The latest statistics indicate that we form 44% of Singapore’s foreign-born population. And to add to this, an estimated 350,000 Malaysians make the trek across the causeway daily for work and school.

While it is hard to resist the allure of the Singapore dollar, what does it say about our country?

If there was an abundance of opportunities in Malaysia that pay well; if our ringgit is strong and formidable; if our education system is comparable to the best in the world; if we live in an inclusive society where minorities do not get treated like junior-partner citizens; if privileges are offered to those in need, rather than simply because you were born into one community, why would Malaysians even think about going to work, study, and live in Singapore or anywhere else?

So, do you reckon Malaysia needs proper and inspired leadership to right all the current wrongs?

Or, do we continue to be led by career politicians who can hardly string two coherent sentences together, and spend their entire time lining their own pockets and their cronies’, while playing up the differences between communities, and simply commenting on every trivial matter?

Our neighbours, Indonesia and Singapore, seem to have sterling leadership. They are making amazing strides offering vision and foresight to their people, while we are lumbering along with our politicians playing musical chairs, and putting on a charade.

There is simply no shortage of information or access for learning how to become a skilled leader.

But in our country, our choices are so limited to a motley crew of self-serving career politicians. We just see our leaders making numerous nonsensical statements and not doing much to ensure prosperity and inclusiveness for all.

For example, yesterday, it was announced that Malaysia has slipped seven notches to 32nd place in the 2022 International Institute for Management Development (IMD) World Competitiveness Ranking.

So, as things get worse for normal folks, our politicians ask us to make sacrifices for the well-being of the nation, but they continue to lead the high-life.

We need leaders who will navigate us out of the labyrinth of the complex issues Malaysia faces.

When you have your back against the wall and your family is struggling to make ends meet or when your business is teetering on the brink of collapse and your job is on the line, you need beacons of hope. Great leaders are like lighthouses who help us circumnavigate through treacherous waters.

But in Malaysia, the lack of integrity in our leaders is dumbfounding.

Yet, we seem to fall for the same players with the same narrative, and ultimately, we become prey to the same insecurities.

Over the decades, Malaysians have been fed a steady diet of corrosive views by charismatic leaders, and made to fear specific or imagined consequences. Systematically over time, we have been indoctrinated to take on the warped views of some politicians, as central to our own belief structure.

A few days ago, the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin had to remind everyone that Malaysia must continue to champion multiculturalism. He said Malaysia must aim to maintain the values that have brought post-independence prosperity to all its communities despite the challenges it faces.

But the recent brouhaha and debate over celebrating the Bon Odori  festival is an example of some Malaysians falling for the destructive brainwashing of narrow minded politicians.

Here’s another instance.

Our transportation situation needs immediate attention. Malaysians can see the worsening traffic woes. If it normally took 20-minutes to get to work, now it takes an hour because of the congestion.

And in Kuala Lumpur, our supposed ‘gleaming and shining’ LRT system is shambolic, at best. All you have to do is follow the social media posts of regular commuters. Our transport minister is ‘public enemy no. 1’ for LRT users. Their rants about him are quite hilarious.

Actually, it is not only his fault. We have a collective government in Malaysia.

But when a discussion started about whether we should have more highways or focus on public transport, the transport minister said that the planning of highways is not within his ambit. Of course, it is the job of the works ministry.

But don’t these fellas talk to each other and figure out a plan together for the benefit of the citizens?

Most Malaysians don’t know whether to laugh or cry as things continue to slide.

So once again, the question is, what kind of leaders do we want? Opportunistic self-servers, or those who work for the betterment of everyone?

If we think about the people we truly admire, you will see that they will have traits like integrity, trustworthiness, fairness, honesty, positivity, a winning attitude, and are able to cope with setbacks.

A management expert once wrote that leadership has less to do with position than it does with disposition. Politicians’ actions speak louder than their words.

For Malaysia, we need leadership that combines strategy and strength of character. Our leaders cannot demand reverence or allegiance. They have to earn it through a proven track record.

Exceptional leaders have integrity, and put their people front and centre.

When Malaysia finally has these types of leaders, Malaysians will not leave this beautiful country. - FMT

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