MALAYSIA SUFFERS a voluntary emigration of people of different races and religions who possess talent, skills and knowledge. Their decision to settle in other countries brings high economic costs to Malaysia.
There is a paucity of statistical data available, yet anecdotal evidence suggests that the flight of human capital from Malaysia is serious and widespread. This was acknowledged in the New Economic Model (NEM) recently launched by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. Some aggregate and crude numbers have been bandied around to back the common perception that the outflow is serious. But quantity is one thing. Equally of concern is the quality inherent in those who leave. Even when the numbers are not large, the problem of brain drain can still be serious, especially if those who leave possess skills, knowledge, creativeness, innovativeness and enterprise that could have contributed towards Malaysia's economy.
