KUALA LUMPUR: It is crucial for Malaysia to reach out to its diaspora across the world as some of them are attached to the greatest international scientific institutions.
The move, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said would allow Malaysia to position itself, as well as to allow these specialists, scientists and researchers working overseas to continue to support the nation building.
"I am not a believer in the concept of brain drain when our specialists, scientists and researchers go abroad to further their careers.
"Rather, I am a big proponent of harnessing our diaspora and working together with them to further the nation's interest.
"A lot of people might see this (the brain drain) as negative.
"I see, for instance, Associate Professor Dr Masliza Mahmud, who is an associate professor for cardiovascular medicine from Radcliffe Department of Medicine of Oxford University, I don't see her as a brain drain.
"(But) I see her collaboration with the Clinical Research Malaysia (CRM) and the Health Ministry, as a reverse of that.
"Therefore, I believe that it is important for us to reach out to our diaspora across the world and see how we can position Malaysia and for them to be able to continue to support nation-building," he said in his keynote address at the CRM Trial Connect 2022 held here.
Present was Japanese ambassador Takahashi Katsuhiko, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, Sarawak deputy premier Dr Sim Kui Hian and CRM chief executive officer Dr Akhmal Yusof.
Dr Masliza was among the speakers at the two-day event CRM Trial Connect.
Meanwhile, in his speech, Khairy said Malaysia is now in the second position within Southeast Asia for the number of global industry-sponsored studies conducted.
"It is my vision to aim to be on top of the charts within Southeast Asia and I hope CRM together with all the stakeholders present here today would stand together to ensure this becomes a reality."
Khairy said CRM was established in 2012, and to date, a total of 1,900 sponsored research has been approved by its ethics committee, subsequently generating a cumulative contract clinical research value of about RM 900 million.
"These trials not only created approximately 2,200 skilled jobs in the clinical research world but also promoted the growth of sponsored research over the years."
Later at the event, Khairy and Takahashi witnessed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signing ceremony between CRM, the National Centre for Global Health and Medicine (NCGM), Japan and Remedy and Company Corporation.
Through various collaborations with Japan, Malaysia hopes to grow the clinical research activity in the country and contribute to new drug development with partners in Japan to address the current state of the disease burden in Asia.
CRM is also currently collaborating closely with the National Cancer Centre (NCC) Japan, with the MoU formalised on Oct 30, 2020.