PETALING JAYA: There were 39,882 Malaysian students studying abroad in 2020. The number rose to 56,253 in 2021 and while it declined to 54,440 last year, an educationist said it is still an issue of concern.
Human Resources Minister V. Sivakumar said as of March, 1,815,000 (5.5%) of the country’s 33 million population has migrated abroad.
He said this is much higher than the global average of 3.3%.
“This brain drain – highly educated Malaysians migrating abroad – is bad for the country as they are competent people and a major loss of human capital for Malaysia,” he said.
National Association of Private Educational Institutions secretary-general Dr Teh Choon Jin said many parents encourage their children not to return to Malaysia.
“These parents would rather have their children remain in the host countries where they studied due to better career and promotional prospects than return to Malaysia to work.
“There are also students who choose to study abroad in reputable universities with better rankings. This again translates to better career prospects upon graduation.”
He said among the reasons that influence students to study abroad is the availability of the post-graduation visa, that gives graduates the opportunity to work overseas upon completion of their studies.
Teh stressed that the question of whether studying overseas is better than studying in Malaysia depends on various factors.
“Remember that even overseas, the quality of education can differ significantly between countries, universities and individual programmes.
“Malaysia has many universities that are ranked in the top 200 in the world, such as Universiti Malaya, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.
“These are options for those who cannot afford an overseas education,” he added.
Teh said the key thing is to pick out universities with a stupendous track record for being industry relevant and thus producing employable graduates.
“Some overseas universities are known for their innovative teaching methods, which may include experiential learning, research-based coursework and cutting-edge technology, which may not be available in Malaysia.
“They invest heavily in these areas to provide students with access to advanced research facilities and opportunities to work on groundbreaking projects, which we may not have in Malaysia.”
He said the Higher Education Ministry and the education sector should introduce comparable teaching methods and initiatives to make the Malaysian education system more competitive and appealing to attract a higher number of students to study locally.
He suggested that the education system focus more on problem-based learning and providing assignments that are more industry-relevant.
Teh said there should be less focus on examinations that tend to stress rote learning. Instead, the education system should emphasise raising the learning outcomes and competency skills.
He added that universities should also emphasise developing soft skills such as critical thinking, communication, problem-solving and teamwork.
“By having these skills, students would be highly valued by employers,” he said.
Puvithra Selvaraj, a 22-year-old Malaysian student who is studying fashion technology at the University of Manchester in the UK, said overseas education sectors emphasise practical and vocational training.
“Many overseas universities integrate extensive hands-on experience and internships into their academic programmes. This ensures students gain practical skills and industry exposure.”
Puvithra said overseas universities are also flexible in their programme offerings and allow students to tailor their courses to their specific interests and career goals.
“This is one major area that the education sector in Malaysia is lacking. Malaysia is behind the times in its education system and programmes. This causes students to ultimately suffer.
“This is also why many of us who studied abroad prefer to live in our host countries rather than return home. There is greater meritocracy and we have better promotion prospects and career advancement compared with working in Malaysia,” she said.
