Ivan Teh Interviewed by The Star on Opportunity in Malaysia

Ivan Teh was interviewed by The Star on the subject of Malaysians working abroad, and on his argument that opportunity in technology is available in more places than is commonly assumed, Malaysia included.

The talent question

Malaysia, like much of the region, sends a significant number of skilled technology workers to larger markets. The individual logic is usually sound: higher compensation, larger organisations, denser professional networks and more visible career paths.

The aggregate effect is harder on the origin market. Each departure removes not only an engineer but the training capacity that engineer would have represented, which compounds. A market that loses its senior technical people loses the ability to develop the next cohort.

The counter argument

Ivan Teh's position was not that individuals should decline opportunities abroad. It was that the comparison is often made against an outdated picture of what is available domestically.

The specific point was that building a technology company in a developing market carries a different opportunity profile. The problems are less well served, which means less competition for the solution. Organisational structures are less entrenched, which means change is possible faster. And the capability gap that makes the market look unattractive is itself the commercial opportunity.

Building the case in practice

The argument carried weight because of what sat behind it. Fusionex was built from Malaysia and grew into regional and international markets, which made the position a demonstrated proposition rather than an assertion.

The broader theme in his public commentary has been consistent: that regional capability is built by people who choose to build it locally, and that the decision becomes easier as each successive company demonstrates the path is available.