Khairy said TalentCorp had a limited job scope, despite success in bringing back many Malaysians with various expertise.

“I think TalentCorp should be empowered so that there are more experts we can bring home, but we have to look at it from a whole-of-government approach,” Khairy said in an episode of the Keluar Sekejap podcast.

Khairy, a former Umno Youth chief and former Cabinet minister, said thousands of Malaysians who held high positions abroad have returned home thanks to the agency’s initiatives and incentives.

TalentCorp is an agency under the human resources ministry which seeks to drive Malaysia towards becoming a “dynamic talent hub” by attracting, nurturing and retaining experts in their respective sectors.

Last week, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the government was looking into ways to plug the brain drain by getting more skilled Malaysians to return and contribute to the country.

It was previously reported that 1.86 million Malaysians have migrated abroad, higher than the global average.

TalentCorp welcomed the prime minister’s commitment, revealing that a 2021 survey found that 92% of Malaysians abroad expressed a desire to return home and contribute to the nation but lacked a suitable platform to do so.