Younger respondents also cited prevailing conditions in the country as another factor prompting their search for career options overseas.

Dewan Rakyat Speaker Johari Abdul had set netizens abuzz on a trip to China last month during which he urged Malaysian students there to return home upon graduation to help lead the nation’s development.

On social media, some said it would be pointless if wages were still low and there was no opportunity for growth in certain careers.

A molecular biologist who wished to be identified only as Naeva told FMT she had been working in Singapore since October last year.

Naeva had worked at a local laboratory during the Covid-19 pandemic, where her research focused on detecting and tracking the prevalence of variant virus strains.

“But when Covid-19 was no longer seen as a priority after Omicron, funding for the lab was taken off,” she said, adding that it impacted her earnings significantly.

“Perhaps if I were in business or finance, I may feel differently,” she said.

A 25-year-old business analyst who wished to remain anonymous said her primary reason for staying in London after graduation was due to a better work-life balance.

“Other reasons include better pay, a slightly better focus on gender and racial equality, and more opportunities for my career development,” she said.

Asked if they would return to Malaysia one day, she said it was unlikely. She said feeling like a second-class citizen in her home country felt discouraging.

“Knowing that I didn’t have the same educational opportunities for entering public university as members of the majority race makes you question if you even belong in this country.

“When some of the laws or policies are written against you, you grow up knowing you only have so many rights and opportunities,” she said.

Meanwhile, Naeva said she would “keep her options open”, but her identification as part of the queer community adds an extra layer of complexity and requires her to consider her personal safety and well-being.

Jaspreet Singh, who has spent the past nine years working as a finance manager in Qatar, said he went abroad as he wanted the “overseas experience”, but plans to return to Malaysia eventually.

His hope is that when he does, employers would treat him on par with European and American expatriates.

He said Caucasian expatriates almost always draw better salaries than returning Malaysians with the same or similar experience.

“We have international experience, but we are not adequately rewarded,” he said, adding that some of his friends have suffered from unfair treatment.