DAP condemns Umno supreme council member and Deputy Minister Datuk Tajuddin Abdul Rahman for criticising Malaysians who live overseas as “unpatriotic”. If that is the case why not abolish Talent Corp., that was established to attract back talented Malaysians home?
It is corruption and those who defend corruption, not those living overseas, that is unpatriotic. Malaysia has suffered from corruption as shown by the RM42 billion 1MDB scandal, RM2.6 billion donation scandal, the cows and condos scandal, the RM107 million corruption scam in the Youth & Sports Ministry and the shocking RM52 billion missing bumis shares scandal. These financial scandals have caused huge losses to the country losses resulting in the imposition of the GST and the 30% depreciation in the ringgit.
BN’s mindset of blaming those who left the country because of better employment and pay opportunities overseas will only encourage more talented Malaysians to leave. Economic hardship is not the only reason. Instead the BN government should address other root problems that forced many to take the heart-breaking decision to live overseas such as decline in the rule of law, oppression of basic freedoms, discrimination, environmental degradation and no respect for human dignity in Malaysia.
The Malaysian government wanted to be a member and signed onto the TPPA to gain better market access and exposure for Malaysians in global trade as well as to be an active participant in economic integration internationally. That would include working and living overseas. If that is unpatriotic, then why should Malaysia sign on to the TPPA?
A recent independent study by independent global property consultancy Knight Frank revealed that 26% of Malaysia’s ultra-high-net-worth-individuals (UHNWIs) are considering migrating in the next decade, in comparison to the regional average of 16 per cent. The real loss is the 2 million ordinary and talented Malaysians who have left for overseas since Merdeka in 1957. If the Federal government is serious about encouraging talented Malaysians to return home, Tajudin must withdraw and apologise for his irresponsible and extremist remarks that is completely unbecoming of a Deputy Minister.