TALENT CORPORATION TO ATTRACT 700,000 SKILLED MALAYSIANS OVERSEAS

PETALING JAYA (Malaysia), June 15 (Bernama) -- Talent Corporation, to be
established next year under the Prime Minister's Department, will spearhead
initiatives to attract the estimated 700,000 skilled Malaysians currently
working abroad.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Nor Mohamed Yakcop,
said the entity, apart from its main objective to identify the nation's skill
shortages in key sectors as well as attract and retain required talents, could
also help Malaysia to become a developed country by 2020.

"It will be a very holistic corporation, under the Prime Minister's
Department, and it will look across agencies nationwide to identify the talents
and at the same time supplying them to the sectors in need," he told a press
conference here today.

"It will also become a one-stop centre to coordinate with relevant
government agencies, including on immigration matters for the entry of skilled
workers into the country," he said.

According to Nor Mohamed, some foreign investors are happy with the
country's environment and infrastructure but others are looking for more skilled
workers.

He said the vocational stream, currently treated as second class, will play
a key role in driving Malaysia to become a developed country within next few
years.

"It is very interesting to know that 60 per cent of the skilled workers in
Germany, who received very high salaries, came from the vocational stream, and
that is exactly what we are going to do," he added.
-- BERNAMA