Sharing thoughts: Sim (second from right) with TalentCorp chairman Wong Shu Qi (right) and TalentCorp chief executive officer Thomas Mathew (third from right) chatting with Malaysian students during the Salam Dari Malaysia event held in Singapore. — THOMAS YONG/The Star
SINGAPORE: Malaysians living and working abroad are an asset to the country and can contribute to Malaysia’s development no matter where they are located, says Human Resources Minister Steven Sim.
He said the ministry, through TalentCorp, wants to reach out to the Malaysian diaspora scattered around the world.
“Under TalentCorp, we have the Malaysia @ Heart, or MyHeart programme, a dedicated platform for global Malaysians to connect, collaborate and be part of the Malaysian community worldwide.
“With MyHeart, the government via TalentCorp offers initiatives like the Returning Expert Programme, employment facilitation, education facilitation, MyHeart Career and Facilitation Fest (MyHeart CaFe), and MyHeart Innovate to encourage skilled Malaysians abroad to return and strengthen the nation’s workforce.
“MyHeart also promotes ‘brain circulation’, allowing the Malaysian diaspora to contribute to national growth even while abroad. This way, the diaspora’s expertise can drive economic growth, productivity and innovation in Malaysia from anywhere in the world,” he added.
Sim said this in his speech during the Salam Dari Malaysia @ Singapore event organised by TalentCorp at a hotel here earlier this week.
At the function, he met with about 220 Malaysians living in Singapore, including professionals, students and government officials.
Sim, who was here to attend the 28th Asean Labour Ministers’ Meeting, also took part in a fireside chat, a casual session to share updates back home with the audience.
He encouraged Malaysians attending the event to register through the MyHeart portal which, he said, allows them to actively engage and foster collaborations with the ministry, its agencies and corporations.
“The Malaysian diaspora should not be viewed as a problem that we have to solve, but really as an asset to the country, and we want to develop this asset wherever you are,” he said.
Since its launch last year, the MyHeart portal has connected Malaysians from 60 countries with over 40 associations globally.
Sim said there are successful projects implemented by Malaysians abroad through MyHeart, where they have received assistance from the ministry, and these have benefited the country.
He cited the Malaysia-Japan Visionary Conference 2024, which was organised by a team of 45 Malaysian and Japanese researchers and led by Tokyo-based Malaysian Dr Amy Poh Ai Ling, in September as an example.
Sim noted that TalentCorp had provided RM30,000 for the event, which drew 525 attendees, 36 poster presenters and 74 oral presenters.
Another success story through MyHeart is the collaboration with the non-governmental organisation, Social Value Malaysia, co-founded by two Malaysians based in the United Kingdom, Dr Jane Chang and Prof Dr Ainurul Rosli.
“Their Invest4Good project aims to tackle gaps in robotics and AI education for primary school pupils in Malaysia.
“The pilot project was conducted in Kota Kinabalu with 30 teachers and 120 students.
“TalentCorp has provided RM60,000 for their next project in Lahad Datu (Sabah) that will help equip 46 teachers to train over 83 students on AI,” he said.
Malaysians abroad should view the MyHeart portal as a way for them to reach out for assistance to kick-start projects that would benefit Malaysia or for those longing to return home, Sim said.
On another matter, he expressed his commitment to addressing the concerns of Malaysians working in Singapore to have a form of social security insurance.
The ministry, he said, will discuss the matter with the Social Security Organisation (Socso) to conduct a study on a suitable scheme for Malaysians working in Singapore, particularly those commuting daily between Johor and the island republic.
“But there are challenges as the employment pass for these workers is issued by the Singapore government,” he added.
Currently, it is estimated that over 1.18 million Malaysians work in Singapore, with about 300,000 to 400,000 commuting daily across the Causeway.
