Labour issues must be resolved to stem brain drain

Malaysian Employers Federation president Datuk Dr Syed Hussain Syed Husman has warned that the country risks losing skilled workers if labour issues, such as unfair pay gaps, few opportunities for advancement, rigid job structures and skills mismatch, persist.

A few days earlier, National Registration Department director-general Datuk Badrul Hisham Alias was quoted in a news report by a local Malay daily as saying that over 60,000 Malaysians had given up their citizenship over the past five years due to economic factors and family considerations.

If this brain drain continues, it will hit crucial industries the hardest, including high-tech manufacturing, engineering, information technology and healthcare, Syed Hussain said.

Malaysia isn’t losing talent by accident; it’s doing so because the system makes leaving the obvious choice.

Let’s talk about pay.

In too many fields, salaries don’t match skills, hard work or the cost of living.

Young professionals quickly learn that getting better at their job doesn’t mean better pay.

Experienced workers hit a salary ceiling far too soon.

When neighbouring countries offer more money and better conditions for the same work, leaving isn’t disloyalty; it’s common sense.

But it’s not only about money; it’s also about hitting a wall in your career. Many workplaces are still stuck with old-fashioned hierarchies, unclear promotion paths and a culture that sees changing jobs as a negative move rather than a step up.

In the current job landscape, incentives like hybrid work options, specialised career tracks and rewarding merit are still patchy at best. When ambition has no room to grow, people will look elsewhere.

Then there’s the gap between education and employment.

We have a situation where graduates can’t find jobs that use their skills and employers who can’t find the right people.

This isn’t a lack of talent – it’s a massive failure to connect the two. The result? Locals leave to use their skills abroad and we bring in foreign workers to fill the gap.

It’s easy to blame small businesses for low wages, but many are stuck, too.

In a system that often rewards cheap labour over productivity, and without real government help in the form of incentives like tax breaks or shared training programmes, they simply cannot afford to compete for skilled workers.

Perhaps the most telling sign is how hard it is to come back.

Malaysians who gain experience overseas often find that their skills are not valued here.

The process to return is a headache, and top jobs, especially in government-linked roles, feel out of reach.

The unintended message is loud and clear: leaving is straightforward, but returning isn’t worth the trouble.

If we don’t resolve the real issues, Malaysia will keep acting as a training ground for other countries. If a nation undervalues its own people, it shouldn’t be surprised when its talents migrate to countries where they’re appreciated.

As long as skills are underpaid, careers are constrained and reform is postponed, Malaysians will continue to vote with their feet.

Talent does not leave because it wants to; it leaves because staying makes less sense.

K. TAMIL MARAN

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