The signs are grim and gloomy for a country run (riot) by politicians:
The nation’s mismanagement of talent could have serious repercussions not only on its ambitions to become a high income economy on par with that of developed nations but could also lead it to fall further behind even its counterparts in the region.
Head of research at Corston-Smith Asset Management, Lim Tze Cheng, recently did a tour of South East Asian countries and came away sufficiently impressed that he feels Malaysia may soon be found lagging behind its neighbours that it was once ahead of.
He cited a recent visit to the Philippines, a current major supplier of maids, where he visited a company, International Container Terminal Services Inc (ICTSI) and he drew comparisons to local port champions Westport and Port of Tanjung Pelepas.
He said that ICTS now draws 50 per cent of its revenue from eight profitable ports outside the Philippines, and noted that no Malaysian port company can boast of similar achievements.
“I give it a 70 per cent chance that Malaysia will be exporting maids in 20 years. I wouldn’t be surprised if that happens unless we get our act together,” he said.
Lim says that the issues plaguing Malaysia includes its “problematic” education system and distressingly low ability to retain talent.
The nation’s mismanagement of talent could have serious repercussions not only on its ambitions to become a high income economy on par with that of developed nations but could also lead it to fall further behind even its counterparts in the region.
Head of research at Corston-Smith Asset Management, Lim Tze Cheng, recently did a tour of South East Asian countries and came away sufficiently impressed that he feels Malaysia may soon be found lagging behind its neighbours that it was once ahead of.
He cited a recent visit to the Philippines, a current major supplier of maids, where he visited a company, International Container Terminal Services Inc (ICTSI) and he drew comparisons to local port champions Westport and Port of Tanjung Pelepas.
He said that ICTS now draws 50 per cent of its revenue from eight profitable ports outside the Philippines, and noted that no Malaysian port company can boast of similar achievements.
“I give it a 70 per cent chance that Malaysia will be exporting maids in 20 years. I wouldn’t be surprised if that happens unless we get our act together,” he said.
Lim says that the issues plaguing Malaysia includes its “problematic” education system and distressingly low ability to retain talent.
What are the distressing trends?
1) We are hosting more than 3 million unskilled labour. Less than 40k are skilled foreign labour. Expatriates are finding it very difficult to get a working visa to work in Malaysia. Most of them were given 6 months to 1 year visas which are cumbersome. How many expatriates are still working in KL? Most of Mont Kiara high end condominiums are half empty. KL is NOT a regional city, not even close to Singapore, Jakarta and Bangkok.
2) Malaysia is one of the prime targets for human trafficking. But skilled foreign spouses find it so difficult to obtain a permanent residency in Malaysia which allows them to work.
3) Malaysia's brain drain has accelerated in the last decade since the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Malaysia has exported more than 1 million talents in the last decades. The emergence of dynamic regional economies such as China, Vietnam, India, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and soon Indonesia are going to attract more talents away especially in construction, telecommunications, ICT, medicine, health care, finance and accounting.
4) Other countries are busy attracting young, dynamic and skilled foreign talents but Malaysia's MM2H programme is attracting the retirees. This speaks volume of our knowledge economy direction.
5) Other non-English speaking countries are spending billions to pick up proficiency in English, our deputy minister of education finds it weird to use the language in the private sector.
6) Other countries promote efficiency, innovation and creativity, we are promoting and condoning a "I don't care" (tidak apa) attitude.
Malaysia continues to depend on oil revenue. DAP Tony Pua highlighted that crony privatisation is on the prowl again. We should be thankful to have a sharp member of parliament like him.
Yes, these people/politicians are not stupid. They should be the ones to sense a sinking ship. Just like in the 2012 movie, this government has its fingers on the pulse and almost all documents in the administration. The public do not get an access to them because of the silly and undemocratic OSA.
Maybe they think its time to rape the country's resources - for whatever that are left - and abort this sinking ship when the time comes.
Malaysians, we were warned - 2030, or maybe earlier.
The future of this country depends on the majority. Yes, the Malay Malaysians. This ship is under your stewardship. It is time to show some leadership. No point blaming the minorities. We are not a threat but are willing partners to help steer this ship away from the dangerous glacier in front of us.
For goodness sake, wake up and do something.
24 comments:
Malaysia will never learn.Instead of opting for skill and talent workers,they want 'cow dung' ones.It doesn't need a genius to figure out the reason why.Malaysia is hopeless.
The indons and banglas are snatching away contracting local jobs.Please highlight this,Mr.Khoo
Brother Khoo,
I am thinking to comeback to Malaysia upon completion of contract this December. Are you telling me to rethink/?
Sansiro,
The message is come back and fight. Change the course of this ship
Sansiro,
Yes, but be prepared to fight with your arms tight around your back. Nothing is equal here. The Muslims here can demonstrate in front of the Catholic Church and get away with it. They can even make monkey out of our sacred host (holy communion) and nothing happens to them.
The Judiciary and Police work to dismantle the law and protect criminals and law breakers.
So come back.
TAKE SUCK DIG AS MUCH AS THEY CAN....AND LEAVE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE...THAT IS THE ORDER OF THE DAY.....WHY BOTHER SO MUCH..MALAYSIA OR BECOME MALAY SIA!
dear anon 3.17pm,
well thats makes it a heck of a fight isnt it? will you face them or will you run and hide in another country?
oedipus
I am feeling Malaysia is doomed. How can you save a rotten stinking meat? I wish I am good enough to contribute to speed up the rotting process.
Final action to save malaysia: kick out BN in GE13. If not, we will be sunk wiht this damaging ship while the BN cronies still can take the safety boat (as they took away our wealth) to other country.
Dear Khoo,
You seem to have much hope that the captain and his crew can stop this ship from sinking. Good for you. Sadly, I do not have such strong faith. Word on the street is that the specter of another riot looms heavier as we approach GE13. Who controls the army, police, judiciary, legislative, authorities, and other departments in need in case of an emergency?
Are we not witnessing the premonition already? Can you or any other so-called independent fellows guarantee that it will never happen? The answer that we both know is 'NO'. It did not have to come to this. The rakyat slept thru 22 years of Mahathirism, do you think they will voice out today?
The writing is already on the wall. If it is not GE13 it will be the day our petrol-money addiction runs out. Sooner or later the chaos and hooliganism will lead to a state of piracy, rape, murder and anarchy. Look around. Every rich man has his ticket overseas, be it Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, UK and some even Indonesia! But what about the poor? Leave them to rot and suffer.
While it is good to have hope. We should all be cautioned that after hope there can only be despair.
Sansiro,stay where you are.Don't ever cross your mind to came back.If you come back,you will regret for the rest of your life.
I would say let the ship sink and we'll see how to overcome later. As a matter of fact, it is already sinking. You never learn things when you are in confortable state. Let the majority rots and we will vote out out BN
Khoo:
Malaysia oh Malaysia!
The signs of Malaysia exporting maids are already there. Pardon me for being crude, recently I asked one of the student nurses of the job opportunity in this country soon after she finishes. My question was premised on what I had noticed - the many colleges that have sprung-up offering courses in nursing. She replied that her interest is not to work in the country but to go to Dubai or one of the middle-eastern countries to work as a nurse-maid, whatever that means.
Do we still need a crystal ball?
2 decades ago, Singapore have the foresight to introduce draconian laws to restrict unskilled foreign workers into the city state.It was very painful then for the industries who have to scale down or pack up to neighboring countries like Malaysia.It was then a mini-boom for Malaysia!
please don't come back, you will DIE for nothing. don't bother wasting your life away here.even the pm sends his children to study overseas. that tells you lots of things.
My 2 children are graduates. One of the reasons why they can graduate is the doctrine I imposed upon them i.e. Malaysia is gone unless it turn herself around. There may be some hope for you but your children will surely suffer. Work on getting out of this country. This was like 8 years ago.
They experienced racial polarization when they were in school and told me so. I told them to shrug it off and instead concentrate on their studies so that there's a future for them. Now, there is.
I am no rocket scientist to look ahead that there's no future for all M'sians unless they are politically connected. Even so, when the oil well dries up, there won't be enough to "share". This is when trouble starts. And, it does not take a rocket scientist to figure out what kind of "trouble" will befall upon M'sians when that time comes. God bless M'sia. Sigh...
The only remedy is change the present govt in GE13.
Wong, you speak for yourself....
When you leave make sure you don't come back, begging to be buried in your hometown.
By than "Tiada Maaf Bagimu"
I have no issue to comeback and fight. I too believe change is possible. We need change agents. I am happy and well in here but I can just dump my country. I am not nationalist but at the same time I am now a coward as well.
Khoo,
I hope you are able to perceive the general negative mood here. Do you realize that there is complete lawlessness in this country?
The police can walk into your house today and take you away and you can do nothing about it.
They might even kill you and you can do nothing about it.
They can kidnap you and pack you off to China (as they did to Bala) and you can do nothing about it.
And neither can all we Malaysians can do anything about it.
BECAUSE THE LAW IS UMNO.
UMNO IS THE LAW.
The police, MACC, EC and the Judiciary are there to make sure that the law is trampled upon with impunity to keep UMNO and the Malays in power.
And MCA and MIC will make sure that we Chinese and Indians retain our 'immigrants' status and oppressed into submission.
Yes, this ship WILL sink but the leaders (including the Malay leaders) have their life boats ready to take them to Australia, NZ, China, India, Britain and even Brazil.
Do you think kicking out BN in the next GE ballots is the solution? The aftermath consequences can be very castatrophic if one is not prepared for it.We will be dealing with desperadoes who will not blink an eye to commit crimes including murder with the arms of the law on their side!
Khoo,
Your article is spot on! But of course the BN fellows will not listen, as it only benefits the ruling elite and those highly connected. The brain drain in Malaysia has gone beyond its infancy and is now really threatening to make this country go backwards. I for one as a parent, have urged my children to study hard, get a foreign scholarship and go abroad to study. I am prepared to sell everything I own for the sake of my next generation. I do not want my children to suffer and even my grandchildren.
We are Malaysians only in name, but truly we have no benefits or priveleges other than the chance to vote. Even scoring 7A's in SPM is no guarantee of a scholarship. Anyway, our local uni's are hopeless, the best is UM which is rated at 180 in the world. Imagine NUS and NTU in Singapore which are ranked in the top 20, Chulalongkorn in Bangkok in the top 60. We are a shame and it is all because of Ketuanan Melayu and their special priveleges.
It is time all other races leave this country and let's see how well these pendatang can cope with management and administration of the country and its economy.
Sad but this is reality, Malaysia...I cry for you! You will always have a special place in my heart, but there is nothing much we can do to save you from Ketuanan Melayu.
We have been warned!
We have been warned!
We know what's coming!
... for the country.
As an ordinary citizen, we can rise up.
To right the wrong,
To realise our hopes
of a better nation.
The BN is loaded with its internal problems.
The PR is not free from them either.
We need a new awakening!
A new mind-set!
A new leader of the people!
It is not an American Idol!
Nor a Grammy award.
A leader who can be as small as a sangkancil,
or as big as an elephant from Kelantan, or
as swift as an eagle of Langkawi, As heady as a hornbill from Sarawak and
as nimble as the Duyung from Sabah.
A true son of the Malaysian soil.
Can't wait to see it happen ... I am observing from a nearby foreign country
I am a Malaysian working & residing overseas, I left Malaysia in 1987 but came back in 1997, thinking I will go home with all the training and expertise I learnt. I was pretty successful but for one thing which I couldn't take, it was the racial polarisation/ discrimination, the racist and fascist policies of our Immigration Dept. Indons are given PR status in 3-4 years- this was shown when they arrested those terrorist of Jemaah Islamia, they were indons with Pr status after being in Malaysia for 3-4 years, whereas Me a Malaysian with a foreign spouse(professional) and two Children all EU passport holders, after 91/2 years, (Pr application submitted in year 1)still waiting for an answer, don't forget the visa payments, Security bond RM 1,500 + 750 + 750*- *THIS INCREASED TO 1,500 NOW). Take a look see at any immigration dept any morning at the visa application section, you will find Malaysians with foreign wives, sitting like fools and beggers applying for visas.
On my 10th year, I saw there was no future for my children, so we emigrated back to Europe, I got my PR- Scandinavia, back in 2 years, working permit in 2 days from the day I landed. Come next election I will defiantly come back to cast my vote and I will make sure its not for BN- Enough of this GARBAGE POLITICAL PARTY. I may have emigrated but Malaysia is still home and when my kids grow up and graduate,I intend to spend my winters in Malaysia, I still have family & property in Malaysia- SO I HAVE NOT GIVEN UP ON MALAYSIA, I may be far away but I walk the talk, I will return to cast my votes against these racist buggers so that one day there is equality for all Malaysians. Malaysia may have a garbage govt. in BN, but the people are different- 2008 gave rise to HOPE, so NO I have not given up on Malaysia- meanwhile all those whiners here, how many of you have registered to vote?- don't whine that you cannot do or change anything, have you bothered to vote? If you haven't than STFU- GO REGISTER- CONVERT EVERYONE TO VOTE AGAINST BN- PR maybe a fledging coalition with a lot of teething problems but one thing we all have to understand, they are trying to do their level best- THEY NEED OUR SUPPORT, will they make mistakes? OF COURSE THEY WILL, HOW WILL THEY LEARN WHAT NOT TO DO- AT LEAST THEY ARE WILLING TO CHANGE FOR THE BETTER.
WILL BN CHANGE? I SAY NOT WITH UMNO AT ITS PRESENT STATE- TOO MANY PIRATES. Now with the GST they want to take out more money out of your pockets- ENOUGH IS ENOUGH LAH- Stand up and fight back against these corrupt Pirates.
Malaysia in my heart.
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