MORE than 15% of the Malaysian diaspora or 281,429 individuals, comprising trained professionals or degree holders, are living in Australia, the United States, Britain and Canada, says the Human Resources Ministry.
According to 2022 data from TalentCorp and the World Bank, the majority of these Malaysians are those involved in key fields such as science, medicine and other technical fields, said the ministry.
They consist of 138,363 Malaysians living in Australia, the United States (79,827), Britain (37,459), and Canada (25,690).
“A large portion of those living in all four countries consist of degree holders, with most in Australia involved in the professional services sector.
“Those living in the US are mostly serving in the management sector, professional services, business, science and the arts, while those living in Britain are involved in management, professional services, medicine and hospitality.
“Many living in Canada are involved in management, professional services, science, medicine and technical services,” the ministry said in a written reply in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
It added that Malaysia currently has a migration rate of 5.6%, which consists of 1.86 million Malaysians who have migrated overseas.
“Detailed information about migration statistics by racial breakdown, country of destination, age and reasons for migration from 2018 to 2024 are being collected through additional studies as well as various relevant data sources,” it added.
The ministry said over 4,000 Malaysians living overseas returned to the country under the Returning Expert Programme (REP) from 2011 to June 2024.
The MyHeart Career and Facilitation Fest, which provides a platform for the Malaysian diaspora to connect with employers here, managed to draw back 1,499 overseas Malaysians for its 1,981 jobs offered since 2022.
“To strengthen support for REP applicants, networking sessions have also been held to help them connect and possibly find work with major companies like Shell, Maybank and Maxis.
“The ministry is also paying close attention to children of the diaspora who wish to return to Malaysia by providing them with information on local educational institutions and opportunities such as the Young Global Leader and Summer Break programmes.”
The ministry was responding to a question from Chow Yu Hui (PH-Raub), who had asked about Malaysian migration statistics from 2018 to 2024 and the ministry’s plans to woo local talent to return and contribute to the country’s development.
