How the Flight of Local Engineers Is Affecting Malaysia

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Malaysia risks facing a declining pool of local engineers as low wages continue to deter young talent and push graduates to seek better opportunities abroad, says Perak Real Estate and Housing Developers’ Association (Rehda).

Its chairman, Loh Ban Ho, said the trend mirrors what has already happened in sectors such as construction, plantations and manufacturing, where Malaysians have moved on to higher-paying jobs while foreign workers increasingly fill lower-paying roles.

“This is what we fear most, fewer Malaysian engineers and the field being taken over by foreigners.

“Engineers are the backbone of a country’s economic growth. It is not suitable to leave this in the hands of foreigners,” he said.

Loh, a former Perak Institution of Engineers chairman, was commenting on a statement by Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, who had said in Parliament that Malaysia was facing a shortage of high-level specialist engineers despite having a large number of factories and design centres.

Tengku Zafrul had said that the government was also studying whether international students who graduate from Malaysian institutions should be allowed to remain and work in the country.

He had said the government was discussing with the Higher Education Ministry to give opportunity to international students studying at public and private universities to work in Malaysia.

Loh said the root cause was clear, as engineering salaries in Malaysia were too low compared with other professions, forcing graduates to migrate to neighbouring countries that offer better pay and recognise their skills.

“Neighbouring countries appreciate talents, thus the brain drain to everywhere else but Malaysia.

“The ministry should raise the minimum salary of graduate engineers to attract talent back into the industry.

“These are proven in the low enrolment of students in any local universities for engineering degrees,” he said. – TS/ERMD

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