Dismantle institutionalised racism and Malaysians will return

 

From Chew Kok Liang

My school cohort was the first to have Malay as its medium of instruction. However, we were lucky as our teachers were still fluent in English. We became effectively bilingual in Malay and English, unlike many Malaysian students today.

By then, our parents already saw the writing on the wall. Many of us were sent overseas for our education in the late 1970s and early 1980s. And many stayed on as they were not happy with the discrimination against non-Malays in Malaysia.

Among my schoolmates, I count such talent as an Oxford professor, London Harley Street specialist, Canadian aviator, American submariner, Boeing engineer, tech entrepreneurs, and doctors galore. They would have benefited Malaysia immeasurably if they had returned home.

For myself, despite returning home to Malaysia after years abroad as a British permanent resident, and even becoming a Malaysian Territorial Army officer, I emigrated again. Why? To put it bluntly, I had taken an oath to protect King and country for all Malaysians, and not just for one race.

If TalentCorp is serious about attracting Malaysian talents to come back, it must look at dismantling the institutionalised discrimination that exists in Malaysia now.

Further, it must stop whittling down and significantly increase the benefits available under the Returning Experts Programme (REP) for returning Malaysians.

Many successful Malaysian talents are in demand by both developed and developing countries. They command a premium no matter where they go. Current REP benefits do not sufficiently make up for the loss in income, benefits, and prestige for those who choose to return to Malaysia.

Offer permanent resident status to returning REP Malaysians who have taken up foreign citizenship. If they burn their bridges to return to Malaysia but are then played out by Malaysia’s institutionalised discriminatory and racist system, they will certainly want the assurance to be able to return to their new homeland.

Remember, at the measly rate of 0.33% of Malaysian returnees under the REP against emigrated Malaysians, it is crystal clear that Malaysia needs them, and not the other way around.

I end by saying that in the 1980s when I was studying and then working in the UK, I supported the anti-apartheid movement to protest apartheid and to free Nelson Mandela.

When asked why, I replied that I knew only too well what it felt like to be discriminated against and be a second-class citizen in my own country. - FMT

Chew Kok Liang is an FMT reader.

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