KUALA LUMPUR: As Malaysia celebrates her 65th birthday today, the issue of brain drain or flight of highly trained professionals leaving the country remains a hot topic.
A recent report highlighted that an estimated 500,000 highly skilled Malaysians were dispersed worldwide, opting to work overseas after graduation instead of returning to serve the country.
That was exactly what one such individual had imagined he would do when he left Alor Star to study medicine in Ireland in the 1980s before moving on to the United States where he had been offered a high paying, top notch job at a hospital in San Diego.
However, instead of grabbing the offer, Datuk Dr Ryan Ponnudurai decided that he wanted to experience serving in his birthplace, or "third world country" as it was described by some back then.
"So I packed my bags and flew home..I thought I would work here for one or two years before going back to the US.
"However, that did not happen...I loved Selayang Hospital so much that I never went back.
"I gave up San Diego for Selayang, and I have never regretted it."
The gastroenterologist, who is now based at the Prince Court Medical Centre, recounted his journey having to deal with bureaucracy upon returning home.
Despite all his qualifications, including having been trained in Germany at one of the best centres in the world for endoscopic ultrasound procedures, he was only offered a medical officer's position.
"The Health Ministry then delayed confirming my position as they were not sure on how to recognise my qualifications.
"I showed them the letter of offer from San Diego which was a US$350,000 a year salary and the Nobel Visa (which is given to individuals who possess extraordinary ability in the sciences) that had been given to me by the Americans...despite all this they were just going to make me a medical officer here.
"They said, oh, just for one year because we can't understand this gastro training..."
However. instead of being disheartened, he set up the gastroenterology unit at the hospital and continued to train others.
"I said okay, I will continue training other doctors for one year...I literally worked for free but I did not complain because I thought I was going back to America anyway."
His fortune turned when a cardiologist who was treating the then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad found out about how he was being treated by the Health Ministry.
"The cardiologist got my CV and went to Dr Mahathir and told him about what is happening to our people who have returned but are not being recognised.
"Dr Mahathir immediately called up the health minister and asked why this was happening...within two days everything, including my pay was backdated, and I was given a consultancy position."
Since then, Dr Ryan went on to develop endoscopy ultrasound services at the hospital before starting live endoscopy workshops for international audiences.
"We were doing all sorts of endoscopy procedures which they wanted to see. We became world renowned...we even did live transmissions to Harvard University.
"People were flying in to watch us conduct the procedures. At the same time the Americans started calling me, asking when I planned to go back.
"However, I had come to really love working at Selayang Hospital and in the middle of my second year I told them that I was giving up my San Diego position."
After six years at Selayang Hospital, Dr Ryan again crossed paths with Dr Mahathir when the latter roped him in to set up a premier hospital in the country, Prince Court Medical Centre, which is now regarded as one of the top 10 hospitals in the world.
The 56-year old said he had also been offered various positions at world renowned hospitals such as the Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic.
However, he turned down all the offers to serve in Malaysia.
"I kept saying no because I am very idealistic about this country.
"My wife was very keen to go back to San Diego... we would have had a great life, absolutely great life there.
"However, there is something about Malaysia... I always say I would have thought a lot more about coming back to Malaysia than the reverse if I had stayed elsewhere."