Image credit: aboodi vesakaran, efired (for illustration purposes only)
The Home Ministry told Parliament today that 97,318 Malaysians have renounced their citizenship to become Singaporeans between 2015 and June 2025.
As of June 2025, over 6,000 have already renounced their Malaysian citizenship to be Singaporean
According to The Star, the ministry said in a written reply to Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan (PN–Kota Bharu) that annual figures were 7,394 in 2015, 8,654 in 2016, 7,583 in 2017, and 7,665 in 2018, before surging to 13,362 in 2019. The number fell to 5,591 in 2020, rose to 7,956 in 2021, dipped to 5,623 in 2022, then climbed to 11,500 in 2023. It peaked at 16,930 in 2024, while as of June 30, 2025, there have been 6,060 renunciations.
Brain drain in Malaysia
The figures underline Malaysia’s ongoing brain drain, with an estimated 1.86 million Malaysians relocating abroad over the past five decades. In response, the government established Talent Corporation Malaysia Berhad (TalentCorp) in 2011 under the Ministry of Human Resources as part of the National Transformation Policy.
TalentCorp to overcome brain drain in Malaysia
TalentCorp is tasked with strengthening the nation’s talent ecosystem by attracting, nurturing, and retaining the skills and expertise vital for economic progress. Working closely with the government, industry, and academia, TalentCorp addresses current and future talent gaps through initiatives that enhance the talent pipeline, promote diversity for the Future of Work, and facilitate both domestic and international talent mobility–acting as the central bridge between the public and private sectors on talent matters.
Source: The Star, Malay Mail
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