Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin went to London to urge the “best brains” working abroad to return home and
drive the country’s new economic model, but he had been thunderously silent in the past five days at the news from across the causeway that two Malaysians topped the 2009 Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate of Education (Ordinary Level) Examination.

On Monday, it was reported in Singapore that Lai Kai Rou, 16, from Selangor, emerged tops in the island republic, scoring 10A1s. She studied at CHIJ St. Nicholas Girls’ School (SNGS) which also topped Singapore schools with 14 of the 42 island-republic’s best scorers being its students, scoring 9 A1s.

Lai’s success is all the more remarkable given that she was struggling with her studies just four years ago, when she first arrived in Singapore.

Her primary school was a Chinese school so she used to do maths and science in Chinese when she first arrived in Singapore. She admitted having a hard time adapting to the English standard.

Last year’s top 0-level student in Singapore, Haw Sue Hern, who scored 10 A1s, is also from Selangor.

Lai is a Singapore Education Ministry scholar. The question Muhyiddin, who is also Chairman of the Cabinet Committee on Human Resources, should address is why Malaysia continues to be helpless, unconcerned and even insensitive to the brain drain of the best and most talented young Malaysians to Singapore, right from the start of secondary education.

Is he aware that increasing incidents like the “Allah” controversy will only drive more Malaysian talents to other shores instead of returning or remaining home to drive the new economic model?

Can the Cabinet Committee on Human Resources headed by Muhyiddin come out with a masterplan to stop such a brain drain by not only ensuring that there is a quality education system in the country but that all talented Malaysians, regardless of race or religion, would be assured of equal opportunities both in education and employment as well as full respect of the constitutional right of all Malaysians?

Otherwise, the KPI and NKRA for education can only be one of failure.

Dare the KPI Minister, Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon fail the Deputy Education Minister-cum-Education Minister in his first KPI/NKRA for education? This will be Tsu Koon’s own KPI and NKRA.