SEBERANG PERAI, March 25 -- Penang must find multipronged solutions, including housing and salary adjustments, to retain local talent, said Deputy Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Liew Chin Tong.

Liew noted that Singapore's higher salaries attract local talents, making it difficult for Penang industries to compete.

"We have to consider other factors that can compel them to stay... if the industry can pay 50 per cent of what Singapore offers, they will want to work here," he said after an event at Greatech Batu Kawan here.

Liew said many of Penang's Universiti Sains Malaysia graduates begin their careers in Singapore, with others following suit after a few years.

"If we can retain them for 10 years, it's easier to keep them than...