Malaysian students bent on ‘turning tide’ on brain drain: MELBOURNE, Oct 3 — Listening to the student cohort in the common room of the mainly student-occupied Zen Apartments in Melbourne, the findings of the Commonwealth Youth Programme’s Youth Development Index seemed implausible. Malaysian youth ranked 47th among 51 Commonwealth nations surveyed on youth participation in politics. The index findings are at odds with the discussion at Zen. Organisers of the Malaysian Aspiration Summit were finalising details of their annual conference coming up on Sunday October 6. The theme: “Turning the Tide” on the brain drain from Malaysia. “Anti-tidak apa: Time to Care”, the group proclaims on its Facebook. Eight speakers — all paying their own way from Malaysia — have taken up the invitation of the group to speak about why Malaysians in Australia should think about bringing their skills, talent and experience home. And how best they might do it. The most high profile among them is Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, former minister in the Abdullah administration, a former lawyer who founded what grew to be the largest law firm in Malaysia—which he has since sold off—and a vocal proponent of democratic reform in Malaysia. Speaking in the same session as Zaid on upholding inclusivity and integrity in governance and political practice will be Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, PAS strategy director, on how to improve public debate and dialogue. MCA Central Committee member Datuk Ti Lian Ker will talk about advocating for the needs of the community, staying relevant in an evolving political landscape. Deputy Commissioner Han Chee Rull, senior deputy director of investigations at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), will be there to take questions on corruption face on. Corporate leaders will address issues such as ways to ensure that overseas talent will not go to waste; strategies to support growth and developing infrastructure; and how to nurture innovation and entrepreneurship. How might young people who have put together a programme such as the Malaysian Aspiration Summit square with the adverse findings of the Commonwealth Youth Programme’s Youth Development Index? “What is the sample size of the survey?” asks doctor-to-be Joanna Loh. “What is the methodology?” pipes in aspiring lawyer Ahmad Hamidi Abdul Rahim. The group, none of whom had been aware of the survey, had reckoned Malaysia might figure in the middling category. By their standards, even that would have been ordinary. As leaders of the Victoria branch of MASCA, the Malaysian Students’ Council of Australia, they were among the more engaged of Malaysian students in Australia. Through the Speakers’ Corner of MASCA-Vic’s intellectual arm, the Malaysian Aspiration Programme (MAP), students regularly grapple with public policy issues: affirmative action, education, elections, electoral boundaries and the like. Of recurring concern is brain drain, which struck MAP director Loh and deputy Louis Ting, as they went about planning for summit 2013. As the summit goes on at one end of Melbourne this weekend, MASCA-Vic’s annual careers fair will be held at another. Twenty-one companies have taken stands to scout talent from among graduating students. Notable among the companies this year is the Iskandar Regional Development Authority in Johore. Another is Teach for Malaysia, the start-up for under-privileged children founded by engineer Dzameer Dzulkifli and his Pricewaterhouse Coopers colleague, Keeran Sivarajah, who in three years built up their two-man operation to a movement that employs 140 people. From mechanical engineering, Dzameer turned to engineering social change, earning Esquire Malaysia’s award as “Brilliant Malaysian for Social Change”. A regular participant at the MASCA recruitment fair is TalentCorp Malaysia, which has again timed its drive to attract talent back to Malaysia with MASCA’s weekend of engagement. dlvr.it/44n9qg
Posted on: Fri, 04 Oct 2013 10:45:25 +0000
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