PETALING JAYA: A total of 5,234 highly skilled Malaysians who were previously working abroad have returned to the country under the government's Returning Expert Programme, or REP, since 2011.
Human resources minister R Ramanan said the programme was launched by Talent Corporation Malaysia Bhd (TalentCorp) in 2011 with the goal of luring highly skilled Malaysians back to the country to contribute to its economy.
"Between 2011 and August 2026, the REP received 12,850 applications, with 8,093 applications approved while 5,234 experts have returned to work in Malaysia," he said in a written parliamentary reply.
To facilitate the return of more Malaysians living abroad, Ramanan said the government had prepared clear guidelines for REP participants to apply for their dependents' entry permits.
He was responding to Shaharizukirnain Abdul Kadir (PN-Setiu) who asked about the effectiveness of the REP and the number of applications, approvals and participants.
Two months ago, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim ordered the human resources ministry to review TalentCorp’s handling of REP applications, including those from doctors seeking to return to Malaysia to work.
The review would look at the status of applications received, the processing time, and the number approved or rejected.
Health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad had said the programme had attracted Malaysian medical and healthcare professionals to return home.
He said the highest number of applications for the REP in the healthcare sector were from the UK, Singapore and Australia, while medical specialists and doctors made up the largest professional groups applying for the programme.