I think this platform should not be used to wage personal vendetta, and instead should be a common platform for intelligent Malaysian to conduct intellectual communication, don’t you all agree?

I used to be extremely enthusiastic about DAP, feel that the world would be MUCH better without BN, extremely annoyed by certain unconsiderate comments, depressed due to certain ‘unfair’ treatment, tremendously pissed by how my tax money are been ‘utilized’, and the list goes on and on forever.

That was Me back in 3 years ago.

After that, I was fortunate enough to join a company that has provided me opportunities to be stationed oversea. As a person who had never went oversea for education, that really opened my eyes after experiencing the world outside of Malaysia.

Although I’d received many comments about Malaysia from all the people I’d met in different countries throughout my oversea assignments(UK, Holland, Germany, France, India, China, Indonesia, Philippines, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Bangladesh, Most of SEA Countries), the following are the Top-10 common comments that I’d gathered from them:

1. Malaysia is a wonderful country, Truely Asian, alot of natural places to visit and at the same time provide a reasonable shopping experience.
2. Malaysia KLCC is a magnificent building, a MUST visit.
3. Dr. Mahathir ‘is’ Malaysia PM (though Abdullah had already become PM for quite sometime)
4. Cost of living in Malaysia is damn cheap (food, petrol, transport).
5. Cost of owning a house in Malaysia is dirt cheap!
6. Malaysia is a safe haven (no Tsunami, no earthquake, no volcano, no coup, no terrorist, no bombs)
7. Malaysia has alot of greenery, particularly great view travelling from KLIA to KL City
8. Taxi or rent a car is the best mode of transport to travel within Malaysia, public transport system are too complicated and complex
9. Malaysia is a haven for DVDs, 2nd to China (up until the government crack down those shops in Low Yatt and brought in the 2 famous “puppies”)
10.Cars in Malaysia are expensive (What? a 18k USD car without ABS and dual airbag??, simply unbelievable.. Which beemer did you buy for 21k pound? You had bought a Toyota/Honda Japanese car for 21k pound? you must be crazy… You bought a beemer at 500k RMB? ok, quite a bargain for a E60 there for 500k RMB.. wtf.. a E90 3 series without i-drive, sharkfin and chrome tailpipe for 500k RMB??)

If Malaysia is really that bad, I certainly don’t think that we will still received so many ‘compliments’ from people around the world. Among the people that I’d spoken to, alot of them actually wanted to retire in Malaysia or migrate to Malaysia and obtain Malaysia citizenship (not just Bangla and Indonesia as in our prejudices).

While I’m not Pro-BN, I also think that we can’t deny a certain facts of this country.

1. Malaysia Petrol is cheap thanks to subsidies
2. Malaysia cost of living and cost of owning a house is cheap
3. Crime rate are on the rise because alot of Vice Activities which is the main source of income for a certain group of people had been cracked down hard (human trafficking, pirated DVDs, etc)
4. Malaysia is still safe from terrorism and extremist activites (not sure whether this is related to Malaysia been self proclaimed as an Islamic country)
5. The main GLCs in Malaysia are reforming and transforming and are more efficient now(Tenaga, TM, Sime Darby, MAS, etc)

To an average Joe living in Malaysia, a rise of petrol from RM 1.92 to RM 2.3, or a rise in Teh Tarik from RM 1.2 to RM 1.5 is totally unacceptable, and it’s completely the government’s fault. However, people need to realise, Malaysia is also part of a global economy body, anything happening outside of Malaysia will affect Malaysian as well. The longed subsidies system had turned Malaysian into unsensitive creatures towards world events and the consequences of these events.

One might argue, Malaysia is different, we have plenty of natural resources, we have OIL!!! Why should we pay so high, so much for something which we ourself produce? Why can’t Petronas return those enormous profits that they had reaped in for such a long time and help us joe public?

Bear in mind, OIL is a resource that would eventually depleted, and Malaysia OIL reserved won’t be able to sustain generations after generation of subsidy. The money is better off to fund for other things such as buying into foreign asset that has potential to grow (What Singapore Temasek has been doing but are increasingly difficult to be done), or to fund better infrastructure building, fund for development of the country, etc)

However, whether the money saved from the subsidy are spent wisely or not, is of course another story.

I would say that the opposition idea of creating an subsidized world of living is like an Utopia to me. It might woes some votes initially, but in the long term, it’ll damage the country competitiveness on a global basis and eventually this will prove what BN claims on the oppositions are true, that they are only season votes wooer with exciting but impractical ideas.

When people quote Obama for ‘Change’, people have to realise, In order to have a Change, there must be a sufficient force ready to make the ‘Change’ and ready to replace. Is the opposition ready as Obama? I certainly hope so….

Mr. limkamput,

1. Please check petrol price (Current) in Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, China, India and not just Australia. Also, I’m unfortunate to not been able to travel to Australia like you do, so won’t know what’s going on there.

2. No, I’m not bragging about the number of countries that I’d travel as that was obviously not the point, if you had interpreted it from that direction, then I would like to appologize for misleading you to think so.

3. Regardless of Mahathir’s reputation, he seems to be the only PM that most foreigners remembered, coincident?

4. Regarding the starting pay of Australia, could you please minus income tax, state tax, community tax and their EPF similar fund deduction and let me know what is their NETT pay? What about the starting pay of a fresh grad in Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, China and India? Are all those countries having a starting pay as High as Australia? Since McD is available in all those countries, do you know how much is a McD value meal cost you in all those countries?

5. Cars aren’t that expensive in Msia if you don’t aim on luxurious brand (of course, by promoting the 2 P, government had been supressing the people’s right for a better car all these years). One should buy car based on his own financial capacity. Why don’t you compare the Housing Price Index within the Capital vacinity of all those countries that you are familiar against Klang Valley area prices? Of course, in my original posting, I’d stated quite clearly that almost all foreigner commented that Msia cars are expensive, yet you are talking here as if I’m claiming otherwise, thus making me in a state of confusion.

6. As for GLC been more efficient, try using 1 of their services against other service provider of similar developing countries. You think they aren’t performing better? Check out their share price, P/L statement, P/E Ratio, EPS against Bursa latest update. You think you know the world of business well enough? Had you did any business in countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, India, China and not just your precious Australia? Oh yes, then you would argue that we can’t compare ourself with countries such as India, Phillipines, Indonesia because we are ‘better’ than them. Is that really so?

7. Regardless of countries of having high Per Capita or low Per Capita, do you think that petrol price in each of these countries would be different if the government had not subsidize it? Do you think that the petrol price there could be constant throughout the year if the government had not make neccessary effort to control and subsidize it?

8. On the contrary to your statement and claim, I think that it’s the government’s controlled pricing mechanism that is actually reducing the cost of living in Malaysia. Did I hear someone saying about Steel, Sugar, floor, cement, etc? Also, how much is the current KLIA Taxi fare now? What about the fare price structure of local taxi rather than KLIA taxi?

9. I’d never illustrated Obama’s task was relatively easier or more difficult. My point is that until there is 2 similar powerful political force present like in Obama’s case, then we would have the political platform readily available for the people to make a ‘Change’.

10. I would really appreciate if you could be less personal in your arguement and act as if you know everything and that all other people out there are just simply dumb or plain idiot that can’t match your knowledge, experience, and expertise during an intellectual communication. At least that’s what your tone in all your message projects. Personally, I’d rejected 3 promotion opportunities to be based in developed countries and returning back to Malaysia to pay Msia taxes and contribute to my home country, what about you? Where are you currently residing?

Just a few quick note:

1. I’d mentioned “UK, Holland, Germany, France, India, China, Indonesia, Philippines, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Bangladesh, Most of SEA Countries” as my base of information collection, since when did all those countries especially Bangladesh turned into ‘Developed’ country? Seems to me that Mr. Limkamput has a tendency to read between the lines or simply read what his mind wants him to see.

2. As for car, I still can’t understand how the cost of a car would overweight the cost of a house in one’s life, especially the part about the cost of a car would ‘negate’ lots of advantages. but since you won’t be replying anymore, I hope someone from this forum would be able to enlighten me.

3. I agree to your competition market theory, an example would be DIGI driving down the cost of Malaysian mobile phone bill. We certainly need more Telenor similar guys here to help us tear down the corporate dominance barrier.

4. Are you sure you are comparing ‘Sime Darby’? lol I thought it’s Synergy Drive that you are refering to? Nothing to say about MAS, TM, Tenaga?

5. Humility are used with courtesy against people with similar characteristic. People with attitude are best served with similar response. I’d already appologized to you if my ORIGINAL message had made you think that I was boasting/bragging about the oversea assignments, which is not my original intention, yet you still wish to quote and requote.

Btw, why are you avoiding the question on where are you residing now? I’m simply curious, for someone that has such ‘in-depth’ understanding of Malaysia ‘current’ event, I certainly hope that you aren’t sitting in the cozy beach of gold coast enjoying your sea breeze while commenting heaps of ‘current’ event with some ‘up-to-date’ information. For someone who can mistake Synergy Drive with Sime Darby, know how to comparing the price of a car but not the price of a house(perhaps someone never owned a house before), can’t provide the tax range of ‘one of the state in US’ in his arguments, it reallys doesn’t make much sense as the ‘great’ Mr. Limkamput.

Of course, I do acknowledge that I’m not the only one that is paying Malaysia taxes. The reason I’d raised the issue whereby I’d rejected 3 offers to be based in oversea was not to be arrogant or show off. Too many times I’d seen Malaysian with arrogant attitute that went to Australia/US for education for few years, then pretend as if they know everything inside out about their new land of opportunity and decided to shoot all kinds of comments from across the border stating how good is their new land, how bad is Malaysia, how this and how that without even sharing any of those pains that the general public in Malaysia are facing. I certainly hope you are not one of them as it would be pointless to have any intellectual exchange with such people as their ultimate goal is just to Show Off and seek attention rather than to contribute.

ps: I wasn’t aware that Malaysia is already having state-of-the-art professional forumer to reply and dress-up/cover-up corruption and rent-seeking issues, but since that you had already experienced it before, I take it that this type of consultancy job does exist in Malaysia. Hopefully it’s a lucrative business and some recruiter would eventually comes and recruit me, then I won’t need to work my ass off so hard anymore.. LOL

ps2: It’s Morgan, not MORGON.

ps3: I do agree with the great limkamput, Oxford grads aren’t really that great once you get to them more…

ps4: The more that one pretend to be an expert and talk about something that he/she are not familiar with or some ‘school bus textbook experience’ that aren’t their own, the more mistakes he/she will make and it’s best that such person rest their case as soon as possible before someone blow their cover.

You arguement sound like a boy losing a game when you said “But if think i am lying about my US experience, then I too can say that you are bs-ing.”.

Talking about house price vs per-capita income. What is an average 100 Square metre apartment cost in Shanghai, Beijing or even Shenzhen? What about Jakarta, Bangkok or even Manila? Any of those country Per-capita income is HIGHER than Malaysia?

As for where you are residing, I’d already stated the reason why I think it matters, you can choose to ignore it as usual.

Dear kanthanboy,

You had asked some open ended questions, yet you expect to receive closed ended responses? It’s not like you are asking questions such as ‘Is your name Lim Ah Kao?’ and the process of clarification is to ask further questions to find out the true meaning behind those questions that had been posted, yet you labelled the process of clarification itself as ‘avoiding question’.

Secondly, let’s clarify your objective of asking those 12 questions. You asked:
” If a foreigner asked you the following questions about Malaysia, what would your answers be?”

I’m answering it on the assumption that the foreigner that you had mentioned would like to know more about Malaysia for certain purpose such as relocations, 2nd Home policy, buying properties, investing in Malaysia, etc. However, you are judging my response purely from a deeply suppressed Malaysian point of view.

Question 1: Read my answer again without prejudices and you shall have your answer.

Question 2: By reading your response, you are implying that an opportunity that cost more is not equal to an opportunity that cost less, is that understanding correct? In that case, all fresh graduates from any university should have same pay regardless of which company that they had joined, as all the companies in Malaysia are govern by labour law of Malaysia and all University in Malaysia are ‘equal’ in standard?

Question 3: That’s why I asked the question of whether you are a civil servant yourself. If everyone is questioning the same question as you are asking without joining the public service workforce themself, how can a certain group of ethic improve their status in the public service workforce? The reason I’d also asked you about doctors and teachers is that these 2 public service sectors are relatively populated with a well diversified different ethic groups and are all Head of dept been restricted to a certain group of ethics only?

Question 4: On the contradictory to your belief, foreigners are picking up local assets especially in Klang Valley areas like hot cakes as an investment instrument simply because the housing prices to them are relatively cheap. As your original question to me was that ‘When a foreigner asked me this question’, that’s why I’d answered why do they bothered? 10 out of 10 foreigners that asked me a question regarding house price in Malaysia never asked this question that you had posted. All they had asked was, ‘How Much for a house this big at this location’.

Question 5: I’m sorry for your losses if you are the DAP MP involved or the voters in BB area. Again, back to the original concept of your question, “When a foreigner asked me this question”, that’s why I’m asking you back a question, would this be a key element in your consideration should you decide to migrate to or invest in another country?

Question 6: Please read my answer again. Your so called “Mainstream Media” are only limited to Malaysia, and I’m well aware of what you are refering to as Malaysia “Mainstream Media”. Why would you want to constraint yourself in “Mainstream Media” within Malaysia as your ONLY source of information/news when other globally recognized Mainstream Media are available as an alternative to you? Do you watch your latest football match ‘Live!’ on “Mainstream Media” in Malaysia? My answer to the question is that there are other source of news/information available to you without restriction unlike certain country (such as during the military coup in thailand). When something was blackout in your ‘local Mainstream Media’ such as certain Bersih/Hindraf news, does that means you are unable to obtain those news from alternative source? I’m not trying to avoid the question here, just merely suggesting that “Local Mainstream Media” aren’t the only source of information, so you can spin, control the local Mainstream Media however you like, but I’ll refer to my ‘prefered’ channel of news for reliable news update.

Question 7: As I’d mentioned earlier, there will always be a certain rule of game impose to us regardless of which country we are residing, it is how well we know those rules and play the game that matters. Ultimately, only the fittest survive. Again, I’m not going to touch on why foreigner won’t bother about this as their children will all go to International school. Since you think NEP is unfair/unjust, how did NEP got implemented in the first place and what had you done to mitigate this rule of game that you dislike?

Question 8: You had asked for “freedom of worship and every religion is free to build places of worship” and you had just answered the question yourself.

Question 9: I’m not changing the subject, you had asked “treat every community equally in development of public funded projects?” without refering to any specific projects. Thus, I’m asking back if Cyberjaya development and promotion, LRT/KTM developement are not public funded projects? IF you want to talk specifically about a particular issue, you should raise that issue directly instead of expecting everyone else to be able to guess “oh, Mr. kanthanboy is refering to the MOE budget for school building when he raised this question’. Anyway, to answer your question, it’s a simple maths game, how many NEW non-National school had been build every year? the more Non-National school that are build and granted full sponsored status, the more budget will be allocated. :)

Question 10: Again, back to the original “When a foreigner asked me this question”, thus my response, why would foreigner care about this question? If you had asked me the question as a Malaysian, whether I care or not, I can tell you that during Bersih and Hindraf case, I rushed back to my hotel in Bangladesh during a pre-Cyclone period just to obtain latest update from Al-Jazeera channel and Jeff-ooi website.

Question 11: Refer to answer to Question 10.

Question 12: Your question is equivalent to “Is everyone with the Surname Lee an Honest person” and yet you expect a close ended answer. Again IF you want to talk specifically about a particular issue, you should raise that issue directly instead of leaving other people guessing and then label them as ‘avoiding the question’ when they can’t guess what’s in your mind. When you propose to your gf, do you ask “Does all marriages life ended happily” and expect your gf to answer “Yes” to marry you or “No” to reject you?

For the NEP termination, I’m not very good in History but is the NEP termination clause only limited to 20 years or there are other clauses such as bumi controlled share should be equivalent to a certain value?

I think that you are refering to Millionaires instead of Billionaires as the number of official Bumi Billionaires are numbered. So since you think that the government is lying, can you proof it out with statistic? Again, there will always be a certain rule of game impose to us regardless of which country we are residing, it is how well we know those rules and play the game that matters. what had you done to mitigate this game of statistic that you dislike?

Finally, just a summary and conclusion, most of your expected answer comes from a perspective of someone who is deeply concerned and affected by the various policies or shall I say rule of game within Malaysia, so by asking ” If a foreigner asked you the following questions about Malaysia, what would your answers be?” of course you won’t be getting the answers that you are expecting.

I don’t think you need to be emotional in this exchange of ideas and constantly exclaiming ‘Don’t avoid my question!’. Less hostility and demand would ensure the channel of intellectual exchange are been kept opened.