MORE than 10,000 Malaysians abroad have applied to return to work here, says Human Resources Minister Steven Sim (pic).
He said that, as of December last year, TalentCorp had received 11,402 applications for its Returning Expert Programme from Malaysian professionals abroad.
A total of 4,730 individuals returned to Malaysia, while the applications of 7,241 others have been approved.
He said 80 applications for educators were received, 63 approved and 33 returned, representing a 52% return rate.
“The average annual applications ranged from 400 to 500,” he said in a written reply to Datuk Mohd Isam Mohd Isa (BN-Tampin) who asked about the number of Malaysians coming back after working abroad in educational institutions.
Sim said the return of Malaysians abroad is also made through the Malaysia@Heart (MyHeart) initiative, which has attracted 1,499 Malaysians for employment at 59 Malaysia-based companies.
In addition, 19 educational institutions have registered with MyHeart to facilitate the educational needs of returning diaspora children, he added.
He said according to a World Bank study from 2021 to 2022, an estimated 281,429 Malaysians are working abroad, with Australia recording the highest number at 138,363, followed by the United States (79,827), Britain (37,549) and Canada (25,690).
Referring to a study in 2021, he said that 92% of Malaysians abroad are willing to contribute to the country in various ways, and 85% are interested in returning home.
It was reported in January that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim reminded Malaysians abroad that they should not underestimate the technological advancement, expertise and talent available back home.
