Brain drain keeps crucial positions in high-tech firms vacant

 

Positions in ICT, electronics and research areas have been listed as ‘hard to fill’ since 2015.

PETALING JAYA: High-tech companies are finding it increasingly difficult to fill crucial roles in their ranks as the impact of the brain drain worsens.

These companies are already having trouble hiring civil, electrical and mechanical engineers for various projects.

Association of Consulting Engineers Malaysia (ACEM) president Chong Chew Fan has attributed the setback to the fact that many have flocked abroad to countries such as Singapore.

“With recent developments in the energy industry there has been a resurgence of significant infrastructure projects such as data centres, highways and railways,” he told FMT Business.

“(As a result) there is a pressing need (now) for engineers to ensure the smooth implementation of these projects,” he said.

“Their competence is crucial to ensure that projects are implemented smoothly, on time, within budget and, most importantly, in the interest of public safety,” he added.

FMT had previously reported that Malaysian engineers who graduated from countries like the UK and Australia made up the bulk of those who were seeking greener pastures abroad after having invested significantly in their education.

In addition to engineering, TalentCorp’s critical occupation list has consistently identified information and communications technology (ICT), electronics and research positions as “hard to fill” since 2015.

National Tech Association of Malaysia (Pikom) chairman Ong Chin Seong said there has always been a shortage (of talent) in highly technical roles, such as software engineers, but the brain drain has made it worse.

Lower salaries in Malaysia compared to Singapore and Thailand, worsened by the weakening ringgit, play a significant role in driving the talent migration, he said.

With the decline in the number of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) students in upper secondary school, Ong said, the shortage is bound to worsen.

He said the decline in the enrolment for STEM courses from 48% in 2012 to 45.7% in 2023 will affect the supply of such talent.

This is despite the marginal improvement from 44% in 2018.

On the economic front, a diminishing pool of skilled professionals poses a risk to Malaysia’s ability to sustain the necessary growth trajectory to close the income gap with advanced economies, Yeah Kim Leng of Sunway University said.

Yeah, who sits on a board that advises the finance minister, said Malaysia’s managerial and professional talents have dispersed globally, especially to Singapore, driven by factors such as brain drain and recruitment by multinational companies (MNCs).

“Malaysia has a rich talent pool that is highly sought after by MNCs due to (our) English language competency and ease with which Malaysian talents thrive in cross-cultural settings,” he said.

“As skilled professionals become scarce, companies will inevitably suffer a loss of competitiveness as human capital is critical for corporate success,” he added. - FMT