COMMENT | I have quite a number of friends who have migrated, seeking a better life elsewhere. They are doing very well now, with their children excelling in great education programmes, good career growth for themselves and a nice neighbourhood to settle down. And I am happy for them.

My friends visit Malaysia at least once a year, they go on a food hunt around the country, claiming how much they have missed Malaysian food, take gazillion photos of their food galore and post them up on social media. And then they’d sit down, stuff the nasi lemak, roti canai, pasembor and char koey teow down their throats while talking ill about the country.

“I just hate the haze here. Back in the UK, the air is so much fresher.”

“Still holding the same position? I’ve already been promoted twice. Back in the UK, career growth is so much easier.”

“Thank God I don’t have to send my kids to the local university here. Back in the UK, the education system is brilliant.”

“The public transportation here is such a pain. Back in the UK, I don’t even need a car to move around.”

“I no longer have faith in Malaysia and its politics. I don’t know how you people put up with it, but I am happy in the UK, I even volunteer for the election campaigns!”

“You should visit the UK, you can experience the good life even if it’s just for a couple of weeks.”

Listening to all their yapping, I always grit my teeth in anger, wishing I could scream at the top of my lungs and tell them to stay put in their new home and never to return to Malaysia, ever again.

I suppose that is why I got upset, angry and frustrated when Mahathir called for these people to return home.

Time to pay back

Last week, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed said it is time for Malaysians residing overseas to return home and assist the government to make the country strong again. He claimed that they owed it to the country, since Malaysia is their country of birth, which had provided them with the opportunity to study and grow.

“It’s time to pay back,” Mahathir said.

Mahathir’s statement reminded me of former law minister Zaid Ibrahim (photo), who once called Malaysia a “sick Muslim country” and urged the youths to embrace the Islamic concept of hijrah by moving to a foreign land to begin a new life in a place with knowledge and prosperity.

Zaid’s call for young Muslims to migrate to a better country may have come in when BN was still in power and to be fair, perhaps he would retract his ‘advice’ since Pakatan Harapan has now taken over. However, the issues highlighted by Zaid in support of the migration remain valid: Malaysia is still under the Islamo-fascists, personal freedom is still a challenge and our financial struggle has yet to set us free.

Quite honestly, between these two leaders, I find myself dumbfounded - one wants Malaysians to leave in order to seek a better future for themselves and their family, while the other wants Malaysians to come home to seek a better future for the country.

Grass greener

The truth is, people who had left Malaysia (and those advising others to do so) believe that the grass is greener on the other side. And truth be told, our nation is still a work in progress in many areas, as compared to many foreign countries around the world, hence the grass is indeed greener on the other side.

Frankly, nothing much has changed in Malaysia besides the change of government. Yes, promises, plenty of them were being thrown around but no big changes have materialised – after all, it has only been a bit more than 100 days. The struggle is still the same (though there are less leaders and politicians in power who irritate the hell out of the people).

What then makes Mahathir think that the people who left Malaysia for the betterment of their own lives would want to return, when there is nothing much to offer?

After all, people have their own right to leave a country that doesn’t fit their purpose.

But how about those who had stood by the country, putting the future of the country ahead of their own? How about the educated Malaysians who had the choice to abandon their country for a better career growth, yet stayed put in their nest? How about the struggling Malaysians who had to endure low pay, long working hours and crippled career growth, yet decided to bite their lips and continue working hard?

Why is Mahathir calling those who have left our country, yet forgetting about the loyal Malaysians in our neighbourhood whose talent can be tapped?

We are capable

Wasn’t it Mahathir who, not too long ago, said that it was an “embarrassment” to the nation that its graduates needed to resort to selling “nasi lemak” in order to make ends meet due to not having enough job opportunities?

Wasn’t it Mahathir who said that our universities are training the graduates to their full potential, and not to become an Uber driver or a nasi lemak seller?

Why then is Mahathir now urging the people who have abandoned the country for their own personal growth and personal gain to rebuild Malaysia instead of harvesting the potentials of the loyal Malaysians right here at home?

There are plenty of graduates in Malaysia with competency, capability, commitment and great potential. These are the people whom Malaysia should be depending on. These are the people whom Mahathir should be calling to join him and his comrades in rebuilding Malaysia.

We may be frogs cocooned under a coconut shell - but we know more about loyalty, sense of belonging and patriotism than the people who chose to leave.

Believe in us, invest in us and groom us to become the future leaders.

Let the true Malaysians help rebuild Malaysia.

And let the Malaysian-born tourists who come home once a year to stuff themselves remain just that.

FA ABDUL is a passionate storyteller, a growing media trainer, an aspiring playwright, a regular director, a struggling producer, a self-acclaimed photographer, an expert Facebooker, a lazy blogger, a part-time queen and a full-time vainpot.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.