Sarawak can ease brain drain by engaging with local talent

New Straits Times

a day ago

SARAWAK will roll out universal free education for Sarawakians starting next year and while this is a laudable initiative of the state government, it has not come without some disquiet.
The latest comes from Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian, who expressed concern that other countries would benefit from Sarawak students enjoying the free education but later opting to work abroad.
It has to be stressed that such a phenomenon is already happening. Bright students who graduated from scholarships funded by state and federal governments or their agencies, and even by private entities, have been headhunted by other countries with prospects of highly competitive remunerations, either after serving whatever bonds were tied to their scholarships or even paying the penalties for release from such bonds.
It is all very well for leaders such as Dr Sim to preach instilling values of love and patriotism to state and country as a way to retain top talent but decision-makers in government will do well to ponder as well the push factors that propel such talent to greener pastures.
Be it the low starting pay, lack of career advancement prospects or limited room to innovate and excel, it is the responsibility of government leaders to come up with solutions to the brain drain.
While an attractive and competitive pay package is the most fundamental prerequisite to retain talented Sarawakians, they will also want their expertise to be put to the best use by their employers, including having the opportunity to continue research and development in whatever fields they are hired for.
Great universities are great because they are generously funded either by governments or private endowments to focus on advanced studies and research in selected fields.
The interactions between such institutions and the private sector or even public institutions will generate a mutually reinforcing ecosystem that promotes the recruitment and retention of top brains.
It is such a culture of excellence in education that governments need to promote and inculcate. To be sure, it calls for heavy investments by proactive governments, not just a generalised investment in universal free education up to the tertiary level.
The Sarawak government needs to seriously ponder if it is being sufficiently proactive to seek out local-born talent who have done well abroad and hear from them what needs to be done to bring them home.
I know one graduate from a top foreign university who has done well enough to now take a career sabbatical to be with their ageing parents. However, this individual has not found anything locally that will merit any consideration to stay for the long term.
Is that because of a dearth of suitable openings? I do not think so. Local employers should perhaps actively seek out such talent "hidden" in their midst.