SWB: We need good people. Many are leaving. What do we need to do?
Johan: If enough people play their part, hopefully we will get our country back. The Prime Minister has a vision, but are there enough people around to implement it? Are there enough of us to jump on the bandwagon? How do you mobilise the silent majority?
Education is important. So is English. Would you like to comment on the teaching of maths and science in English?
There are two parts to this (using the English language as a medium of instruction to teach maths and science). Most technical terms are in English. Most of the reference books are in English. If we are a country trying to do healthcare, communications, electrical and electronics, we need people to learn them in English. It is quite a task to learn these two subjects in one language and to switch to another language later on. I found it quite a task and it took me some time to get used to the various terms in English.
The other issue is, English as a language of communication. It needs to be enhanced. So there are two separate issues here. Both of them are important to Malaysia.
What are your comments about the World Bank report?
Having the World Bank to produce a report like this is credible. It is not something new, but it is a credible and independent third party looking at the issue. To some extent, it is consistent and lends support to what the PM is trying to do today. When we look at the New Economic Model (NEM), the efforts of Performance Management and Delivery Unit or Pemandu, the Economic Transformation Programme and 1Malaysia what are these initiatives telling us? They are telling us that we cannot be complacent. The world around us is highly competitive and if we aspire to become a high income economy, we need to change.
What is important is there is an urgency to change the business model to advance. It is not a case of whether we stand still or we advance. If we stand still, we are effectively regressing. Vietnam and Indonesia are getting their acts together and recording high growth. In that sense, it is consistent.
What is useful about a report like this is, it puts brain drain into a certain context. First, it is a global phenomeneon that immigration is high among middle-income countries. While it is potentially negative, it can also be positive. Malaysia has been spared from the detrimental part of it in the sense that our industries have not come to a halt as in some other countries.
At the same time, it has not been as beneficial to us as a country, as it has been to other countries. So at this point in time, it is neutral. The question is, how do we make it net positive? We are working with the Government and the private sector to make the most of the global environment. There is a lot of work-in-progress.
We have already embarked on an ambitious economic transformation programme (ETP) and the various projects. The Government is trying to create new opportunities to attract and retain top talent. There was a time when the Securities Commission was issuing stock broking licences. This was good from a talent perspective. If they did not have the international opportunities in Kuala Lumpur, they would have gone overseas to get that experience. Today, we are seeing more Malaysian companies going regional AirAsia, CIMB, Axiata. Sime Darby group has always been international. We need more international people.
While we are trying to attract foreign talent, there is also a need for policies that foster the right skills. Which takes us to our education system. Are our graduates industry ready?
There was and may still be a time when Malaysians immigrating were viewed negatively by certain people ...
There was a time when there was this thinking that if a Malaysian were to leave the country, he was defined as not loyal. That is not true. When I meet Malaysians overseas, some are even more loyal than those who are here. They exhibit that connectedness (which those who remain do not). They are helpful and they ask, “What can I do for Malaysia?” One of the challenges for Talent Corp is to start that engagement with Malaysians abroad.
The World Bank report highlights issues with regards to policies of inclusiveness ...
The Government recognises and is aware of the issues in terms of inclusiveness.
There are a lot of initiatives by the different ministries to improve the industry, our graduates and productivity.
While the Government has made a lot of economic initatives, like the mass rapid transit, it is possible that investors, analysts, investment and commercial bankers are not yet really pricing in the New Economic Model (NEM) into their medium-term forecasts for Malaysia because they are skeptical ...
The Government is sincere about these initiatives. Unfortunately, skepticism is a national sport for Malaysia.
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