Jan 1 start for Talent Corp

Tuesday December 7, 2010
Jan 1 start for Talent Corp
By MAZWIN NIK ANIS
mazwin@thestar.com.my

PUTRAJAYA: Talent Corporation Malaysia Bhd – a government agency to attract local and foreign talents to work in Malaysia – takes off on Jan 1.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak will serve as chairman of the corporation’s board of trustees, which includes Ministers in the Prime Minister’s Depart­ment Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop and Datuk Seri Idris Jala and Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Sidek Mohd Hassan.

It will be led by chief executive officer Johan Mahmood Merican.

“This is just the beginning, With the establishment of Talent Corporation, we will be able to step up efforts to strengthen Malaysia’s talent pool as required for our economic transformation,” Najib said when launching the corporation yesterday.

“However, Talent Corporation will not act alone. Talent issues are broad and complex. These goals cannot be achieved by a single agency. Therefore, the Government will continue to engage both industry and talent to ensure our efforts are aligned as we work to achieve our economic goals for 2020,” he said.

At a press conference later, the Prime Minister stressed the agency’s role was not just about recruiting Malaysians from abroad, adding that it would also look at how to retain talents in the country.

Najib also called on Muslims, in the spirit of Hijrah, to strive for success and innovations that could bring blessings to the community.

In his message on his 1Malaysia website, in conjunction with Maal Hijrah 1432H (the new Muslim lunar calendar which begins today), the prime minister said Malaysia had given a strong commitment to bring the meaning of Hijrah into the nation’s transformation agenda.

“Believe it, Malaysia has always been consistent in promoting the concept of moderation and universal peace in the past five decades. All this while, the country’s economic and development transformation has demonstrated a philosophy of moderation and balance, which is an awesome achievement and a huge Islamic message at the global level.

“The development achieved has not only been propelled by its economic, social and political sectors but Malaysia’s profile at the world stage has also been given a transformation injection that exemplifies moderation.”

He said if these could be emulated by mankind, there would be blessings for all.