Petaling Jaya MP Tony Pua has renewed the call for the reinstatement of the Equal Opportunities Commission, which was proposed in the first part of the New Economic Model.

In a statement today, Pua said the commission, which was canned in the final version of the NEM amid protests , is not just an obvious way to address the crippling brain drain but a fitting way to honour late economist Zainal Aznam Yusuf.

NONE Zainal ( right ), who passed away suddenly last week, was part of the National Economic Advisory Council, which drafted the NEM and advocated the formation of the commission.

A few months prior to his death, Zainal  had revealed that the commission had become a victim of stiff resistance from right wing groups such as the Malay rights NGO, Perkasa.

"As a tribute most befitting Zainal, (Prime Minister) Najib (Abdul Razak) should immediately announce the reinstatement of the proposed EOC, and introduce the necessary legislation at the coming parliamentary sitting commencing on June 13," he said.

Recalling Zainal's statement at a forum earlier this year, Pua said  the accomplished economist, who was part of the Economic Planning Unit for 20 years, had expressed frustration that the commission never went ahead.

At the forum, Zainal had said that the scrapping of the commission showed the BN government's lack of political will to address issues of increased racial polarisation and outrage over unequal economic opportunities.

High income status possible with EOC

NONE Pua, ( left ) who is also DAP publicity chief, said that an "overwhelming" 87 percent of respondents surveyed for a recently-released World Bank report on brain drain in Malaysia pointed to the same reason for the haemorrhage.

"(The respondents) suggested that a paradigm shift away from race-based towards needs-based affirmative action may entice migrants to return to Malaysia.

"What's more, the survey has indicated that 60 percent of respondents cited ‘social injustice' as a key reason for their leaving the country," he said.

The World Bank report found that an average of two of every 10 tertiary-educated Malaysians leave its shores for greener pastures, with most of them found in Singapore.

By reinstating the EOC, Pua said, Malaysia would be closer to reaching the "lofty goal" of turning the counry into a high income nation earning US$15,000 (RM44,800) per capita.

"The EOC was proposed in the original NEM to ‘cover discriminatory and unfair practices' in both the public and private sectors, not only to promote ‘economic efficiency through competition', but more critically, to ensure ‘inclusive growth'.

"The measure will contribute positively toward helping Najib's Talent Corporation succeeding in convincing migrants to return, and curb excessive drain on the country's talent, so critical in achieving Malaysia's high income target," Pua added.