Appear on The New Straits Time Online today title: Are foreign graduates better than locals?Firstly I don't think it is purely a perception issue where Malaysia companies or general public view anything foreign is better than Malaysians'. In my line of business, I have interviewed numerals number of local and foreign graduates and also in the capacity to work with them.
My experience told me that the local graduate are a few notches down from their foreign counterpart. Sadly I think this is due to our education and social economical systems where competition is not based on leveled playing field, and you don't have to be the based to be there.
For example, if in the Local Universities the majority of the students are below par hence the Universities will have to reduce or lower their standard in order to have certain percentage of students passing the exam. For those who are bright will find it too easy and lack the stimulation to develop critical thinking and analysis skill. Like the saying said: -
近珠者赤，近墨者黑
"When you are near a Pearl, you turn white"
"When you are near an ink, you will turn black"
However, a similar study of 20,000 JobStreet.com members in Singapore found there was no significant difference between the salaries of graduates from Singapore universities and overseas universities.
Why Singapore is different? Let look at the Universiti Sains Malaysia vice-chancellor Professor Datuk Dzulkifli Abdul Razak responses: -
- Malaysian mentality as the main reason for the salary gap (Foreign is better).
- The problem was one of perception.
- Local graduates have been getting bad publicity (Command of English)
- Cultural implications (Cannot talk and express well)
- Challenges them intellectually and not have them do menial jobs (part time work)
I am totally surprised and disgusted by his view, no wonder our education system is going down the drain if we have an educator like that. By the way, is he a qualified educator or researcher in the field of education?
If our system of education, social, economic and politic system is based on getting the best to do the job, the best going to the best University and then may be we can compete in the future.
We also need the students in the universities to actively participate in social and political movement, this will help the student to be out spoken and more articulate in expressing themselves. If we have law to prevent student to participate in social, political and economic activities. The outcome are what we are getting now.
The damage started in 1970 when the best is not doing the best, when the best is not getting the best treatment, when the best is not rewarded and when the best have to lower their standard to carter for leveled playing field. That is about 40 years ago and spend about 2 generations of Malaysian, we need another 40 years to reverse the damage. Start now before Malaysia disappears in the world map (become part of Singapore or Thailand or Indonesia)
My 2 cents worth and hope this will help move us forward. Stop blaming others, perception and cultural differences. Look at ourself in the mirror and wake up, enough damage has been done in last 40 years, its time for healing for a better Malaysia.
If our system of education, social, economic and politic system is based on getting the best to do the job, the best going to the best University and then may be we can compete in the future.
We also need the students in the universities to actively participate in social and political movement, this will help the student to be out spoken and more articulate in expressing themselves. If we have law to prevent student to participate in social, political and economic activities. The outcome are what we are getting now.
My 2 cents worth and hope this will help move us forward. Stop blaming others, perception and cultural differences. Look at ourself in the mirror and wake up, enough damage has been done in last 40 years, its time for healing for a better Malaysia.
May 25, 2008 at 2:08 PM
100% agree with you! meritocracy above hypocrisy....from bombay duck
May 26, 2008 at 9:23 PM
Interesting note abt educations. However, let me add a bit on the last bit:
Since 1970s and since the best is not rewarded with the best, they got into ASEAN Scholars and when over to Singapore. Since then Singapore has Malaysian's best. RIGHT BEFORE THEIR EYES and they are are still clueless till today.
It is not that Foreign graduates are better, what they have is only a piece of paper. It is what they experience that made them worth thinking about.
True fact.
May 26, 2008 at 9:33 PM
I worked in Singapore after I graduated and work in NZ for 2 years.
I worked in Singapore for 4 years, and almost all middle and upper management are Malaysian.
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