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Contextualising Geographies of Education-Induced Skilled Migration: How Mobile Malaysians End up in Singapore, London, and Kuala Lumpur

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International Migration in Southeast Asia

Part of the book series: Asia in Transition ((AT,volume 2))

Abstract

Migration literature has not considered international students as migrants proper until arguably the 2000s. Using the cases of mobile Malaysians (i.e. tertiary-educated Malaysian-born professionals who are transnationally mobile) in Singapore , London, and Kuala Lumpur, this chapter shows how their skilled migration geographies are inherently education-induced. This chapter further argues that Malaysia’s ethnic- and language-stratified education systems–a colonial legacy–play a significant role in initiating and circumscribing mobile Malaysians’ education-induced skilled migration geographies. This approach contributes towards a holistic and historically grounded conceptualisation of how international student migration (ISM) and skilled migration are intertwined. In addition to advocating for an expanded and integrated understanding of ISM and skilled migration, this chapter also highlights the need for migration scholarship to pay attention to the historical legacies of ethnic stratification and the domestic education system of sending societies.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Respondents in Kuala Lumpur would typically be analysed as ‘returnees’ who ‘return’ to Malaysia after their earlier transnational migration. However, I chose not to refer to them as returnees, as their ‘return’ may be temporary, and part of a circular transnational migration trajectory.

  2. 2.

    See She and Wotherspoon (2013) for a comparison of such policies in Canada, the USA and the UK.

  3. 3.

    I use ‘post-colonial’ to indicate the temporal period after colonial rule.

  4. 4.

    The three major ethnic groups are Malay, Chinese, and Indian.

  5. 5.

    Includes Penang, Dindings, Malacca, and Singapore.

  6. 6.

    Includes the states of Perak, Pahang, Negeri Sembilan, and Pahang.

  7. 7.

    See Sua (2013) for an analysis of a dual approach towards the Malay aristocracy and the Malay peasantry.

  8. 8.

    Students may choose alternative pre-university studies such as matriculation, foundation year, or ‘A’ Levels outside of the public education system.

  9. 9.

    Malaysia’s second largest city at the Malaysia–Singapore border.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Asian Studies, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Gadong, Brunei Darussalam

    Sin Yee Koh

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  1. Institute of Asian Studies, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Bandar Seri Begawan, Gadong,, Brunei Darussalam

    Kwen Fee Lian

  2. Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

    Md Mizanur Rahman

  3. Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Continuing Education Centre, Bandar Seri Begawan, Gadong, Brunei Darussalam

    Yabit bin Alas

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Koh, S.Y. (2016). Contextualising Geographies of Education-Induced Skilled Migration: How Mobile Malaysians End up in Singapore, London, and Kuala Lumpur. In: Lian, K., Rahman, M., Alas, Y. (eds) International Migration in Southeast Asia. Asia in Transition, vol 2. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-712-3_5

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