Post-GE14: A TalentCorp Returnee Speaks

“Why did you come back la?”

“Living in the UK was better right?”

“Cannot get a job there is it?”

There have been various permutations, but the commonest question I have been asked since returning to Malaysia after more than a decade abroad is ‘why?’ (the second commonest question is whether I’m related to the owner of a famous local retail store. I’m not).

The longer answer is that there is so much that one can be involved in. One can choose to focus solely on one’s career, but there is ample space to dip your toes into policy-development, nation building, crafting the course for the fourth industrial revolution and contributing to the socioeconomic narrative, amongst others. But all that is only worth your while if you care deeply about the nation in the first place and by and large, most of us do.

The turnout for the recent GE14 was more than 80%. This is an amazingly high number, all the more so when one considers the fact that polling was on a Wednesday. It also shows that many Malaysians do care deeply about the trajectory that the country was on and felt compelled to make their voices heard.

Malaysians abroad also paid close attention to GE14. A fair number were incensed because their ballot papers did not arrive in time. Many stayed glued to their smartphones and laptops, just as those of us on home soil were. Many more were rocked by the 24 hours that saw a change in government for the first time since 1957, just as those of us on home soil were.

The seismic political change in Malaysia is arguably one of the few pieces of good global geopolitical news this year. It is an affirmation of the democratic process, one in which the rakyat had swapped economic certainty for having a say in the development of the nation. As The Atlantic recently published, ‘democracy is about giving citizens at least the option of replacing their representatives and experimenting with different candidates, parties, and even ideologies. It’s also about that feeling that you, as a citizen, can actually alter the course of your own country, and that your nation, at least in theory, believes that you matter enough to have that power.’

It is far too early to say if the new government will deliver on all its promises. But in some ways, things have already started changing for the better.

The trust and optimism deficit of the previous government has narrowed. The nation’s fundamentals remain strong enough for us to weather the short-term oscillations of market forces. The economy should become more bullish as greater transparency, the rooting out of corrupt practices and the right fiscal policies work together to solidify the current uncertainty.

However, we need to be realistic. Many of us want changes, and we want to see them yesterday. The challenges from the quagmire that is our education system, increasing healthcare costs, the thorny issues of inter-ethnic relationships, the list goes on - none will disappear overnight. Once the euphoria has died down, the aftermath will be even more difficult to navigate.

I personally hope that the change in government will encourage people to be more involved in the running of the country. It might even encourage those overseas to take a tentative step homeward. Economic migration is a global phenomenon and not all will want to return for a myriad of reasons. For others, this is a time to participate in the social change that we are experiencing. The biggest investment we can make in Malaysia is not with money, but with our time and skills. For those abroad, it is time to contemplate returning home, even if you have sworn off doing so. As Emerson said, ‘a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds’.

Return, and be part of history.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Dr Helmy Haja Mydin is a consultant respiratory physician at Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur and co-founder of Asthma Malaysia (www.asthmamalaysia.org).