Global Knowledge Management and Economy - Nik Zafri

BRAIN DRAIN, SKILLS, COMPETENCY, ACADEMIC?? WHAT? - by Nik Zafri

Brain Drain seems to be a hot topic in Malaysia. I'm not going into politics or some racial matters but facts and figures.

The Economic Transformation Programme came into the picture with Talent Corp formation to focus on facilitating initiatives to attract, nurture, engage and retain talent to support the human capital.

Disclaimer : I have no qualms against whatever is right for Malaysia to move towards 2020 and I write this article with FULL understanding of Talent Corp. and the need to call for Malaysian talents from outside to return.

However, the questions lingering in my mind have never been properly answered by anyone in charge but whenever I ask the "silent majority"* which being "sampled" from the group of 40 years old and above, ranging from local young CEOs, MDs, Directors to scholars, freelance professionals etc.


*Surprisingly, some are working together in this program and have received 'instructions from above' to participate.

Here are their questions :

a) What about local talents that have nostalgically returned to this country a long time ago? What will happen to them? Are they not good enough to compete with the newbies? (this is not MY question, this is THEIR question)

b) Will there be salary scale difference for the local talents (also with accredited foreign qualifications) who have been working so hard developing the country in their very own way IF the "Malaysian talents outside" are to return to the country to respond to this call?

c) Does this mean that the local talents with local accredited (MQA) universities/institution of higher learning qualifications including local competency training institution (MLVK) and workshops/trainings that have been accredited outside Malaysia are more inferior? That we have to get Malaysians from outside that have "better" qualifications, skills and knowledge?

I sometimes wonder the need for "ranking the local universities to others" (except for acquiring grants for R & D that I do not know about*) when MQA's assessment is more than enough and equivalent to British Accreditation Council.

* Universities set 'mechanisms' via these R & D Grants and NOT 'innovations' according to one dean of a faculty.


d) Has anyone been asking some of the so-called talents outside that the countries that they are so proud residing are also having major problems to even maintain their very own economy?* Do a poll and find out! No names and personal details should be given. Otherwise they won't be telling the truth!

*Quoting General (Retired) Bill Creech in his book "The Five Pillars of Total Quality Management" which goes something like this :

"If the US universities are so good, why is the US economy doing so bad?"


e) Has anyone been asking some of the so-called talents outside what do they REALLY feel about returning to Malaysia - now that they have a GOOD remuneration and unmatchable to what the Government is offering? Do a poll and find out! No names and personal details should be given. Otherwise, they won't be telling the truth!

f) Has anyone been asking some of the so-called talents outside what do they REALLY say about Malaysia to foreigners, how they talk proudly about other nation and not being ungrateful or not even "recalling" where they come from?

Some are even "having amnesia" pathetically attempting their level best NOT to tell where they come from - even using foreign slangs to avoid detection. What a joke! Even worse, some of them are requesting to become foreign citizen.

Then another question should be posed...What about EX-MALAYSIANS who are now official foreign citizens?

These are only some of the questions go unanswered till now.

Before you start to say anything, please be reminded that I am NOT against everyone outside as many of us here now are foreign graduates as well.

And I did saw MANY GOOD Malaysians outside saying this to me :

"Give the local talents another chance, we are fine over here and we will come back eventually"

I've noticed over the years the growing trend of staff especially from the civil service chasing for better qualifications by studying up to MBA and PhD. But again, do qualifications really help nowadays when there is no control imposed over it?

(so many private and government institutions of higher learning are being established with so many academic programmes being offered and with so many people are now madly chasing for higher qualifications thinking of future promotion? Some even dare to "bypass" JPA and using their own expenses to gain a higher qualification. I once asked them (when I was lecturing for a UK-Based program in 1997) :


Q : "Why do you come here?"

A : "This program is accredited by JPA"

Q : "Yes I know, that's the reason why I am standing in front of you now, this program is also accredited by LAN (now MQA)" Forgive me for asking - I like to know if you have been permitted by JPA or your superiors to participate in this course?"

A : "No, but I will give them a copy of the qualification and hope to be promoted - either salary wise or designation wise"

Q : "I'm curious...what if they say this to you "I didn't ask you to do this?"

A : (pause for a while...) "What should I do?"

Q : "Either you ask for their permission now, or your answer should be "I'm looking for another job". And most importantly, I don't want you to start blaming me or this company or this course for not getting you a promotion!

(followed by laughter and the guy nodded his head in agreement...anyway, I followed up with him after he graduated with Honours, he told me that whatever I've predicted DID happened and he's now working as a General Manager for a private company (retired early)

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1) When people come and tell me that we are lacking of English Language Teachers, I noticed that it is the 'senior generation of the English Medium or of Foreign Educated' stood up to answer the call but nobody seems to bother.

2) When people come and tell me "What kind of right approach to teach English for working people" I answered : "Teach them according to their expertise, so you need people from the field itself coupled with adequate fluency in English to teach working people...

for example, Civil Engineers, what do they need really? Take checklist or report writing for example, you need to teach them to understand how to describe words like "workmanship", "supervision" etc. Or you need to ask them question of what do they need from this course and you should be answering "in their lingo" by giving them samples of report which they can immediately use after taking the course. So, killing two birds with one stone - you teach them English and you teach them civil engineering "Report Writing"

3) When people come to me and start underestimating "SKM Level 3 to 5 (MLVK)" (thinking that it is only a 'cert') and started comparing with their Degree.

I told them this :

"Did you know that the "SKM Level 5" is a lot better than your Engineering Degree?

Quoting OSH regulations - phrase "a competent person" let's say "Welding and Fitting" - you should counter refer to any "Welding Codes of Practice" and you will find that he is much more AUTHORIZED to attend to "Welding and Fitting" rather than you M & E Degree.

The M & E graduate got more interested and finally I told him this :

"Bitter it may sound but we have different too many ministries to handle different trades. Academic is MOE's and MHL's turfs but SKILL and COMPETENCY are MHR's "babies"!


Learning to pass exam is DIFFERENT than learning how to work! But passing exam is the foundation and learning how to work is the next level which have not been properly introduced in our country. That's why employers keep giving you excuses "You don't have working experience - so you don't get the job"

I'm telling the universities or any other institution of higher learning be it private or government "Don't give guarantee to students or parents that they will get a good job once they have graduated"

There are few universities been integrating both academic and skills/competencies, take for example Defence University of Malaysia, I've visited them, talked to the ex-deputy vice chancellor and very impressed with the results!"

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I'm also really shocked to learn ISO 9000 has been "legalized" (or rather "politicized") when it is only an international standard (a guide NOT gospel) And every other party started to emerge in the "power play"...I can name few "training authorities" that have proudly instructing me that "you consultants must be registered"

They said to me : "You don't register with us, you will not be recognized"

I asked them back : "Can you give me a project if I am to be registered with you?"

They replied : "No, No, No, we cannot give you warranty that we will award you with any project"

I replied : "So you want my money but you don't want to give yours"

They vetoed : "This is regulations"

I said in my heart : "yeah..you're HIDING behind regulations" and you're telling me that my "foreign chartered membership" is now invalid?

So I took a peek into "their system" that was displayed by a dismayed client and I quickly asked the client :

"Where's the method statement (according to the trades)...say "earthworks, or "piling" etc" These are SOPs and WIs, these are meant for factories and manufacturing, boss - NOT CONSTRUCTION"

"Where's the inspection and test plan, how do customize the manual for construction industry according to the contract mode - "Design & Build, Turnkey etc."? (Permissible Exclusion on Design & Development responsibilities)

"Where's your PQP?" and showed them clauses from the Main Contract (also CLIENT's requirements) requiring sample submission as well.

Where's your sample schedule (they did show but I told them "This is MSP not Primavera..have you been meeting the "construction PMC" lately? or just simply 'copy and paste?'

OHSAS 18000 (Standard for Occupational Safety and Health) has a disclaimer : "Compliance to this standard shall not provide immunity to the law"

Hahaha - and there is not even the word "ISO" in front OHSAS 18000 unlike EMS ISO 14000 and ISO 9000. (Bureaucracy is in progress)

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I also noticed ICT companies with "M*C status" are "closing shop" one after another. Many of them told me that the grant is too low, we have no capital and GOD - we have to through so much levels in order to get "more money".

But ironically, those without the "status" are really "prosperous" (We don't need any status or certifications to be rich)

What's the point of having "pre-seed grants" or "level by level grants" or asking ex-participants to participate in any of related programs or having "incubation" courses in hotels with so many batches around and so-called "consultants" and only 1 - 2 will successfully get the "grant" after going into a 'reality show' kind of "pitching contest"?

I recalled seeing one of the participants who talks SO PROUDLY as if he is "Mr. Know Everything" but his business is doing SO BADLY...hmmm "typical"
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I like to close this article by quoting a Chinese CEO of a 'very large company' saying this to me:

"How many people with "good qualifications" are known being involved in white or blue collar crimes? I think Nik, it's not so much about qualifications...it's the attitude, experience, competency and most important HONESTY"

I would rather look for honest people (I know when I see one) to take care of my money and organization and I'm willing to train such people to understand what I need, I don't like people who are too "smart" as they are the ones who tend to play tricks with figures. Don't quote me for that"

:-) Nik Zafri: Sorry, I have to quote your very good statement but I won't mention your name