Brain drain in Sarawak?

More and more Sarawakians are leaving the state for greener pastures and the government seems least concerned, claim the opposition.

KUCHING: Why isn’t the Sarawak government doing anything to stop the brain drain and emigration of its populace?

Posing the question, Opposition Leader Wong Ho Leng said statistics showed that some 157, 395 Sarawakians had left Sarawak because they no longer had confidence in the state government’s promises and projects.

“But why the people are leaving Sarawak? The answer is simple. Jobs are scarce in Sarawak. There is poverty in all races, especially among the natives.

“Corruption continues. The rich becomes richer, and the poor becomes poorer,” said Wong.

Bukit Assek assemblyman Wong, while debating the Governor’s address, also touched on Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (Score) which he claimed was being touted by the state government  “as if the state’s success depended entirely on Score’.

Recalling his speech he made in the state assembly in November 2011, Wong said that ‘close to 100,000 Dayaks and anak anak Sarawak (had) lost faith in Sarawak” and had sought employment in Singapore, Johor and the Klang Valley.

‘If development distribution is equitable, the children of Sarawak will not have to leave their homeland.

“Many Sarawakians who have better brains have also lose faith in the state. They have left to find greener pastures elsewhere,” he said.

Wong said that he was being conservative when he said that ‘close to 100,000 Dayaks and anak anak Sarawak’ have left the state.

“These are our children. They should be asked to return home to provide the necessary human resources to develop our state.

“No matter how rosy the BN paints the picture in Sarawak; our state won’t grow if we have to depend on foreign labour,” he said.

Stats prove reducing populace

Wong also alluded to Chief Minister Taib Mahmud’s winding up speech in which he had pointedly asked Wong to substantiate his claims of a brain drain, Wong said he had the statistic obtained during the March 16, 2011 parliament sitting.

Reading out the statistic Wong said: “In 1970, Sarawak had a population of 976,269. That represents 9.35% of the nation’s population of 10,439,430.

“In 1980, Sarawak’s population was 1.2 million. That represents 9.16% of the nation’s population of 13.1 million.

“In 1991, Sarawak population was 1.6 million, representing 9.09% of the total population of 17.6 million. In 2000, Sarawak’s population of 2,012,616 was 9.06% of the nation’s total of 22,202,614.

“In 2010, Sarawak has a population of 2,420,009. That represents a mere 8.78% of the nation’s total of 27,565,821.

“The important question we must ask is: Why has the percentage of population growth in Sarawak decreased, whereas it increases in Malaysia over the past 40 years?

“If we should maintain Sarawak’s population growth at 9.35%, then Sarawak should have a population of 2,577,404 in 2010.

“There ought to be some explanation to the difference of 157,395. These Sarawakians have left the state,” he added.