LETTERS: Few would disagree that talent is critical to nation-building. Countries that attract and retain the best talent prosper more.
Lately, there has been much public discussion on the country's talent dilemma. As businesses digitalise their operations, there is concern about talent to drive this effort.
Talent leaving the country is another worrying trend. This phenomenon has not slowed down.
Not to mention the growing disinterest among high school students in pursuing higher education, especially in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines.
It is not that the government has not taken notice. Going by the many blueprints launched, matters of talent have always been a priority. This is because no blueprints can be executed without talent.
Talent has always been at the forefront of such plans, as evidenced by the 12th Malaysia Plan, New Industrial Master Plan, National Energy Transition Roadmap and more.
Only recently, the government launched an ambitious National Human Resource Development Plan. But already, we hear murmurs of the challenges of executing such a plan.
A recent announcement by the Higher Education Ministry to work with the Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry to address the country's talent challenges is a positive signal.
Many cite poor career opportunities in STEM as a prime demotivator. Many STEM graduates end up working in our closest neighbour, Singapore, because of the attractive work environment.
The Middle East countries also attract many of our trained talent as well. This increasing brain drain is not good for the country and we need to get to the root cause to stop it.
The relevant ministries must come together and work with business and industry to introduce new measures to arrest the decline. In the case of STEM, the critical sector is research and development (R&D).
Despite all the pronouncements of increasing R&D funding from the current one per cent of gross domestic product to 2.5 per cent, progress has been dismal. Many of our R&D laboratories in universities and research institutes are ill-equipped.
We should move away from overemphasising physical infrastructure and instead allocate more resources to R&D talent welfare and the funding of research, including having the right facilities.
The Performance Management and Delivery Unit-style of organising idea laboratories is worth adopting. Many are also hoping for change in the way we implement blueprints and achieve their goals.
DR AHMAD IBRAHIM
Tan Sri Omar Centre for STI Policy, UCSI University
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times