To Live or To Leave

 

Bunga Raya

(Pic from Garden)

I was reading an article written by Amarjeet Singh@AJ which was being circulated in the social media, entitled, “Malaysia: Country That Exports Its Best Minds…For Free”.  Amarjeet Singh’s words cut sharply at the truth of Malaysia’s predicament, yet I find myself pausing at his conclusion of “who stays behind.” The reality, I believe, is more textured. Beyond the categories of those too poor to leave and those too indoctrinated to question, there exists another generation, “my generation”,  who remain not out of helplessness nor blindness, but out of rootedness.

We are tied to this land not merely by circumstance, but by the invisible threads of memory, relationships, and belonging. I have walked these roads, raised a family here, shared laughter with friends under these skies. Why should I trade that for an alien soil, where even in my old age I might mow my own lawn in solitude, or stand at a checkout counter under the gaze of strangers wondering why I am in “their” country? Here, even if tormented at times, I stand with dignity, because this is the place where my footsteps mean something, and where the soil remembers who I am.

For us, pride is not only in national achievements but in the quiet knowledge that we have contributed, as carpenters, doctors, lawyers, labourers, or teachers, to the fabric of this society. That lived journey cannot be erased, nor can its worth be denied.

To the younger ones, I say, “go forth if you must”. The world is now borderless, and your stage is global. Relationships are no longer bound by proximity, they live on through digital threads and evolving norms of connection. Build your lives where you find meaning and carry your roots lightly yet proudly.

But let us also question whether the term “brain drain” still holds its old weight. In today’s multipolar, hyperconnected world, human talent is no longer confined to national ownership. Skills and intellect flow like rivers, crossing borders, reshaping economies, creating value wherever they are welcomed. What nations lose in exclusivity, they may still gain in networks, remittances, and global reach.

Thus, I see Malaysia’s tragedy not as one of “loss,” but of missed opportunity, of failing to create a home vast enough in spirit to hold its brightest minds while also embracing their outward journeys. For love of country, like love itself, cannot be commanded, it must be reciprocated.

Perhaps then, the true challenge is not to lament those who leave, nor to judge those who stay, but to ask, “how do we become a place where staying is not resignation, and leaving is not escape, but both are simply different expressions of the same love for home?”

Cheers.

ravivarmmankkanniappan@1029140920253.0567° N, 101.5851° E