MALAYSIA TO ATTRACT GLOBAL TALENTS, CITIZENS ABROAD HOME

By Zakaria Abdul Wahab

SINGAPORE, Nov 14 (Bernama) -- Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said the
government would make Malaysia a better place to live and work in to bring back
its citizens who are residing overseas as well as attract global talents to the
country.

"We will create more opportunities, more excitement and more buzz in
Malaysia to attract the Malaysian diaspora and expatriates to the country,"
Najib said last night.

Speaking at a dinner he hosted for the Malaysian community here, the prime
minister said that in the current challenging world, Malaysia needed the best
talents and brains to develop and prosper the country.

However, he said, it would not be easy to get them because competition was
stiff as other countries were looking for global talents too, adding that
without good brains Malaysia could not be considered a knowledge-based or
innovation economy.

Najib said Malaysians of all races with good talent and brains had high
mobility today and were always moving from place to place looking for better
prospects in terms of career opportunities, good companies and conducive living
conditions.

He said the government would make the country a better prospect for them and
also other global talents by creating more iconic companies and investing in
cutting-edge research and development.

The prime minister said such Malaysians looking for greener pastures
overseas had become global citizens and not that they were not loyal to the
country or deemed unpatriotic.

He said it could not be assumed that because they were Malaysians, they must
work in Malaysia, but not denying that the country's 20-year investment in them
in terms of education was not giving dividends.

However, Najib said, the country had not lost them for good as the
government was taking a new dimension in its approach to connecting with
Malaysians residing abroad by reaching out to them and leveraging their presence
in the host countries.

He said the government would seek their help in marketing or promoting the
country's interests through their local network, or at the least help to paint
a positive or correct picture of Malaysia abroad.

He also said that they could help the government in luring foreigners to
consider working in Malaysia and making the country their second home.

The prime minister also said that the country was still grappling with its
economy and the government would be making an adjustment on the economic and
growth model soon, taking into account the changing world environment.

Najib said one of the models was to collaborate with as many countries as
possible in order to integrate Malaysia into the world economy, which he added
was taking a new shape in the post-economic crisis.

He said his new administration should be judged by its deeds and not by
promises as he was determined to make Malaysia a worthy place to live in, and
provide prosperity and stability to all Malaysians.
-- BERNAMA