It was heartening to
read
what the Malaysian Prime Minister said in London that "There is
room under the Malaysian sun for all our countrymen and women,
whoever they are and however they choose to contribute. Everyone has
a part to play; everyone can make a difference and everyone can grow
and prosper."
He also said that "The
most important job of government today is not just to listen, but to
truly hear the people's voice... and that means yours as well."
He also acknowledged the
sad truth that Malaysians overseas had felt ignored for far too long.
The speech must have been
well accepted by every Malaysian who long to contribute to the
nation's success in whatever way they can especially those who are
abroad. Unfortunately sometimes the good intentions may not translate
into reality. We do have the current incentives to lure Malaysians
abroad to come back home. I doubt there would be droves of them
coming back immediately as the reasons for leaving the country are
varied and not necessarily because of the higher standard of living
in their new homes.
Each person has his own
dreams and ambitions which may not find space and encouragement in
this country. The push and pull factor might be of equal weight but
quite often we hear that the main reason for leaving is for the
children's future. Opportunities to grow and realising your true
potential is abundant abroad despite the many obstacles one may face.
They leave knowing that
there is a window of opportunity available in their new destination.
That opportunity combined with hard work and diligence will get them
somewhere. We have not reached that stage yet and until we face the
facts that some fundamentals in our governance and policy
implementation needs to be changed, Malaysians abroad who will
embrace the call to home would remain a trickle.
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