Achieving The "Australian Dream": A Malaysian Shares What It Was Like Migrating, Twice
He got a taste of the "Australian Dream" but it wasn't enough to keep him there until recently.
By Tang Ruxyn — 05 Jul 2017, 11:55 AM
Many people often dream of emigrating, thinking that the other side offers a better quality of life. However, it takes an immense amount of courage and perseverance to fulfil one's desire for change.
While people emigrate for different reasons, sometimes they are accused of being "cowards" or "weaklings" who chose to run away rather than stay in their respective countries to fight for a better tomorrow.
They are labelled as privileged, selfish individuals who can afford to escape the harsh realities at home, and it is definitely not unusual to hear people calling those living abroad as "unpatriotic".
But, what exactly is driving people away from their home countries?
While the number of Malaysians living abroad has been increasing in the last few decades, we came across this man who could not achieve his "Australian Dream" on his first attempt.
This is the story of a Malaysian who left the country, then returned — only to leave again.
It was 2001. Peter Ling, emigrated to Melbourne, Australia with wife and three children aged 13, 11 and three. He went to Monash University in Melbourne and had worked in Kuching, Sarawak for 20 years in the financial sector before the move.
Like many Malaysians today, Peter had hoped to seek for greener pastures there then, but things somehow didn't work out as he had planned.
"l was not fully equipped with the technical skills the job required, and I didn't have the local network and client base. I was still having the 'employee mindset' and was not ready to run my own business," he said.
Most people would look forward to spend the rest of their lives in a new place after they emigrate, but not Peter's family who made a U-turn about a year later
His plans to settle down permanently with his family in Australia actually took the joy out of his life, and even the prospect of throwing away such a "good opportunity" (of staying overseas) was not enough to make him want to stay.
"My working life was just miserable for me."
"After almost a year, I returned with my family to Malaysia because I was ill-adjusted to the working environment there. I basically ran away from my job. Sad and depressed, I packed and returned."
What Peter did — to bring his whole family to Australia — was considered to be an "achievement" that many people envied. So, when he decided to come back, people can't stop wondering why.
In his own words, Peter said that it was an "extremely difficult decision to return to Malaysia with unfulfilled ambition".
His calculated decision to come back to his home country invited not just curiosity, but also ridicule and criticism.
"Many people said that I'm 'gila' (crazy). My family members and friends back home were curious to know why I returned. I shared with some close friends but not all."
"One of the 'friends' whom I've helped before got so frustrated that he could get no answer from me, insulted me in public that I 'wanted to become a Mat Salleh' but was not successful."
But that wasn't the end of Peter's connection with the Land Down Under as his family was presented with yet another opportunity — a second chance to live in Australia
A few years later, Peter sent his two eldest children to Perth, Australia, for their studies at the end of 2005.
"After a few months of staying with my children who were studying there, my wife and three children loved it there."
But Peter couldn't find that kind of love for Australia, like his family did. Instead, he did something that perhaps not many could comprehend and understand - he bought a ticket back to Malaysia, alone.
"I returned to Malaysia to continue working as a real estate agent and flew there monthly to see my family."
Eventually, Peter's wife also decided to stay back. The family spent the coming years staying there without Peter.
One year came after another and soon, Peter's two children graduated. They have been working in Australia for many years now.
"I continue to fly in and out as usual but the greatest thing is I started marketing Australian properties in Asia with significant success. I think my children will love to be there but I will continue what I am doing."
"In my case, without migrating to Australia, my career is stalled. I am lucky I made that move, failed badly and now triumphant."
Peter's work and experience have enabled him to help some Malaysians achieve their "Australian Dream" along the years, but he was not interested in that life for himself until recently
One would wonder how he maintained such a lifestyle without his family near him, but Peter did it anyway and it took a lot of courage and patience to find the kind of satisfaction and happiness that he was seeking for.
Today, Peter is based in both Kuching and Perth. Every month, he flies from one place to another for his family and his business. His son, Clarence, who graduated with a law degree from Murdoch University, Western Australia, now helps Peter with his business.
"It was hard initially having to leave my wife and young children in Australia and only visited them once in every month. I missed the family a lot, especially during the meal times."
"Luckily my wife is supportive and she is able to take care of the family, and the children adapted well. They love being in Australia now."
Now, Peter said that he has the opportunity to enjoy the best of both worlds by living in both Malaysia and Australia.
He helps other people achieve their "Australian Dream" through property investment and get good returns. He also assists migrants, including students, with accommodation through property purchases.
"Being able to market Australian property overseas gives me a good niche because of my unique experience and circumstances," he said.
Peter's story may sound quite bizarre to some people, especially when Malaysians are known to be drawn to Australia and they would probably never want to leave
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) that was published in March 2017, more than 28% of Australian residents are born overseas with Malaysians making up 7% (or 166,200 persons) of the population in Australia.
There have been reports that people from Malaysia topped the list of people in a group to overstay their visit, with about 9,440 Malaysians living there illegally.
Even the number of Malaysians leaving the country to seek asylum in Australia have doubled that of the previous year's — 2,006 out of 4,622 applications for protection visas lodged between 2015 and 2016 with the Migration Review Tribunal were from Malaysians.
It's true that some people are trying all sorts of ways to get out of the country, for a better life. However, at the same time, there are also those who decided to come back after migrating overseas.
Although his initial plans in Australia were not what he wanted, Peter said that he went through it and he did in fact, gain something from the experience. He could also understand why other Malaysians chose to return, just like he did after the first attempt.
At the same time, he also understands the sentiments of those who wish to make a brave leap and move overseas.
"Malaysians generally migrate because they are disappointed by the political and racial discrimination system. They mostly leave because the meritocracy policy is not in place and the education system is getting worse. Corruption and economic conditions are now their major concern," he said.
Like it or not, people have very different reasons for why they want to stay or leave, and at the end of the day, they look for different things in life and they should not be demonised for their personal decisions and choices they make.
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