Bigger job market lures back workers

 

As optimism drives the domestic economy, more young Myanmar professionals are being drawn to the prospects of a growing economy at home. 

Born in Switzerland, Aung Thura returned to Myanmar in 2012 with the aim of participating in the economic development of his parents' homeland.

After many years working with major banks in Switzerland and gaining expertise in business development, financial markets, derivatives and structured-products trading, Aung Thura decided to settle down in Myanmar and operate research firm Thura Swiss in Yangon.

Likewise, Myanmar national Aung Kyaw, having been working as an IT analyst at multinational companies in Singapore for seven years, has returned to his country. He decided to return home to focus on his trade and human resources company in Yangon, which he opened in December 2011.

"Business is booming in Myanmar, and I want to build up my own company rather than have to renew my pass every year," the 32-year-old father of two told the Straits Times. 

William Shwe, 65, who was president of the Myanmar Club here from 2008 to 2012, estimates that 25 people go back now for every 75 who come to Singapore. 

Five years ago, the ratio was only around five returnees to every 95 new entrants. He said there are more than 150,000 Myanmar citizens in Singapore, according to official estimates. Of those who return, "some have lived in Singapore for a while and are reassigned by their companies, while some want to try their hand in Myanmar.".

These younger professionals "are ambitious, and have a long climb up the corporate ladder in Singapore," said Institute of Southeast Asian Studies senior research fellow, Tin Maung Maung Than.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) estimated that around five million migrant workers from Myanmar are now working in many countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and South Korea. Thailand has estimated that some 3 million of them are working in the Kingdom.

Many of those in Singapore may want to go home due to the apparent tightening in the immigration rules. Others are unable to get work passes renewed. Aung Kyaw himself had his application for permanent residency rejected six times.

Not all of them want to return home, though. 

Thein Than Win, 38, who has lived in Singapore for nearly six years and is a director of a migrant worker group, said he is considering going back, but only in a few years' time. 

"I don't think I am ready yet. I still need to get more experience working outside Myanmar," he said. 

According to Thailand-based Migrant Worker Rights Network (MWRN), most Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand have not returned home, considering that the domestic business and employment opportunities are still poor.

Kyaw Zaw Lynn, MWRN secretary and planning manager for the Network’s Yangon branch office, said migrant workers can’t support their families on the very low salaries. These people say they will come back only if salaries in Myanmar become nearly equal to what they earn in other countries, such as Thailand. 

This is despite complaints that jobs in Thailand don’t offer much in the way of security. 

For now, they prefer to work in Thailand and return home for a visit, which has been more convenient after 2009. From that year onward, they have been issued temporary passports and visas to legally work in Thailand, according to Kyaw Zaw Lynn. 

This explains why the Myanmar government has recently focused on providing better protection for its workers overseas.