Everyday lives of the Malaysian diaspora

The issue of Malaysia’s brain drain is not something new. Now and then, you hear of family, friends and acquaintances who choose to leave. Sometimes you read about government policies and programmes to attract overseas Malaysians to return. You also hear repeated stories of how the ‘Malaysian diaspora’ [see Note 1 below] struggled in their citizenship and emigration dilemmas; how those who returned choose to leave yet again; and how the rest contemplate leaving. It’s all very well to research broad trends, collate statistics and run regression analyses as ‘real’ proofs of social phenomena. Yet, what are the nuances and individual stories embedded behind that one statistical unit? How do we focus on twists and turns in the journeys of citizenship and migration decision-making, rather than assuming that leaving/returning is an end point? How do we capture and understand changing motivations and personal circumstances amidst uncertainties? More importantly, by standing in the shoes of the Malaysian diaspora, can we get closer to comprehending their considerations, so as to find real and sustainable solutions?