Low starting pay for graduates is one of the reasons for the brain drain in Malaysia, according to an executive of employment website Jobstreet.

Jobstreet Malaysia and Singapore country manager Chook Yuh Yng said graduates in Malaysia had expectations of starting salaries that went beyond what local employers could offer, resulting in more than 20,000 unemployed graduates in the current market.

The average salary offered to fresh graduates was RM2,200 but many were asking for more than RM3,000, Chook told reporters after a forum on graduate employability at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia today.

This prompted graduates to set their sights overseas, where remuneration was higher, she said.

"Private sector companies need to benchmark themselves against other players not only in Malaysia but elsewhere, it's a global market at the moment," Chook said...