For Malaysian tourists: all looks nice and quite in Malaysia. And so it is

Behind the scenes politics continues, and Anwar Ibrahim is re-appearing, despite a ban on taking any political post in Malaysia until 2008.

Yet abiding the law to the letter, all so far is legal:

• Anwar Ibrahim will run for president of the party PKR, formally run by Anwar’s wife
• The party has nominated him to contest for the next president’s post.
• Anwar Ibrahim has accepted that he will run

And strictly speaking:
being nominated doesn’t mean you are holding a political post.

Politics of course are played by all politicians: the ruling government can still pull of early elections (general election must be held before early 2009):

anytime Anwar Ibrahim has no political post, he cannot participate in general elections…

For those just strolling around in Malaysia as a tourist: don’t forget to put sunbathing cream…

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Bukit Bintang not Patpong Bangkok

The Star Malaysia Newspaper 26th November 2006

Adapted-commented by Malaysia My Second Home November 30, 2006

Datuk Mohd Said seems to be on a personal marketing campaign with the idea that
"any news is good news"…  :

• A few months ago this MP of Jasin Malaysia told Customs officials to overlook a consignment belonging to his company’s Malaysian business client that was seized for exceeding the size limit.
• Now he is quoted to have said by his Middle-Eastern friends that Malaysia sex activities are better than in Thailand… Also makes you wonder what kind of "friends" this MP is dealing with

This is really causing the hard working Malaysian women amongst us a really bad name as if we can be bought easily for money: how a Male Chauvenist Pig can do more harm in 1 sentence than what 1 country builds up in 50 years!

Reaction of Malaysia Tourism Minister in Malaysia Newspaper The Star 26th November:

KOTA BARU: Malaysians and not foreigners are confused as to how Malaysia is being promoted overseas, said Tourism Minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor.

"Our marketing and promotion campaigns overseas depict Malaysia as a family-orientated tourism destination." However, we do offer clean and moderate forms of entertainment such as karaoke or nightclubs, he said after attending the annual tourism industry awards night here. He said that most foreigners knew what to expect and explore in Malaysia, but Malaysians were the ones who were confused.

Tengku Adnan was commenting on a statement by Jasin MP Datuk Mohd Said Yusof who likened Bukit Bintang to sex areas such as Patpong in Bangkok.  Mohd Said was quoted as saying that the Middle-Eastern friends he met recently told him that the sex activities made Malaysia better than Thailand.

Tengku Adnan said Malaysians must understand the country’s tourism and not misinterpret activities regarded as clean entertainment. He said that along Bukit Bintang there were Kuala Lumpur massage parlours, eateries, nightclubs, restaurants and foot reflexology services, all of which were clean and legal. Nevertheless, he noted that vice activities did exist in isolated areas, but it was the job of the local authorities and police to combat such social ills.

He said the ministry’s main role was to promote and generate growth in tourism. He also said that retailing was a strong component of the tourism industry and it was unfair to brand Bukit Bintang as another Patpong. He said it was important Malaysians understand the need to support clean entertainment for tourists to enjoy their evenings during the Visit Malaysia Year 2007 campaign. We cannot go around branding everything which resemble entertainment as sinful or illicit. Many Arab tourists also want to find a place to relax and chat. We need to provide such facilities for them.

Tengku Adnan also announced that a premier astronaut exhibition would be held at the Subang airport next year.

Bukit Bintang

Most tourists that are on a Malayasia vacation in Kuala Lumpur, will surely visit Bukit Bintang. Bukit Bintang is one of the most famous high quality, high prized and branded streets in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia money rolls in Bukit Bintang. Tourism in Malaysia’s Bukit Bintang focuses on tourists with a big wallet providing goods that are world-renowned. This is not a street to find Malaysia sex workers in bikinis like you can find them in the erotic areas from Thailand like Phuket or Patpong Bangkok. This is a street that offer your Malaysia vacation the highest density of extremely good shopping malls (old but thriving Sungei Wang Plaza is a must: an immense amount of shopping lots in 1 building) next to each other in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. Also it lies in the center of well known Malaysia hotels like Prince Hotel Kuala Lumpur and The Regent Hotel Kuala Lumpur.

Kuala Lumpur Massage

It would be hypocritical to say that there are no Kuala Lumpur Massage centers, yet they are controlled by the police and again give what the Tourism Malaysia Minister calls "clean entertainment". Bukit Bintang is a place where you will see high fashioned dressed Malaysian men and Malaysian women sipping a coffee in Starbucks Coffee.. Malaysian clothing here as far from skimpy! I said Malaysian woman sipping, not Malaysian girls stripping! No flickering red lights, no bikinis and no Gogo bars. At most a grumpy looking man handing out Malaysia business cards to foreign tourists for one of the Kuala Lumpur massage outlets.

And the food massage outlets in Bukit Bintang are exactly what they say: massage of the tired feet that have been walking with shopping bags in the warm streets of Kuala Lumpur.

Mohd Said vision is not 2020

Mohd Said should go and see an eye doctor to get a 20/20 vision again: so he can see that oversized goods should be declared by customs. So he can visit Kuala Lumpur Bukit Bintang and see for himself what is happening there and what is not. No Malaysian girls here in bikini’s, it’s already hard to find Malaysian girls in bikinis on the Malaysian beaches.

And when you are in Kota Baru: how can you comment on Kuala Lumpur based "on what you hear from your friends"? Wouldn’t you see first in stead of speaking out blindly? What excuse do you have by saying: "but it is not me who says that, they are my friends who said so…".

And if paid Malaysia sex is more plentiful and better than in Thailand, wouldn’t the first thing to do is making sure it doesn’t happen anymore? In stead of starting to promote it ???

Visit Malaysia 2007

Tourism in Malaysia is one of the big Malaysia money makers. Malaysia Tourism is now in the midst of a world wide campaign to promote Malaysia as THE country to visit. In 2007 Malaysia will be 50 years independent and with Malaysia’s 3 different cultures in 1 country, Malaysia truly is Asia.

So what is this Mohd Said trying to do with his personal Malaysia sex campaign? How will the country Malaysia benefit from this? Selling sex is illegal in Malaysia, so whenever you manage to have sex for money, that money will go in the pockets of crime, not in the pocket of Malaysia as a country so it wont be Malaysia money. This is attracting the wrong people spending in the wrong places!

On top of that: how many wives will feel happy if their hubby goes on a business trip to Malaysia, if Kuala Lumpur will be named in 1 sentence like Patpong Bangkok? How would they feel if their hubbies stay in the renowned Kuala Lumpur Hotels nearby Bukit Bintang?

Malaysia is a young democracy ruled by 1 strong hand for almost half of its independent years. Now with the new Malaysian Prime Minister : people start slowly but surely to speak their mind. But please: if you have something to say: back it up with facts and as we say in Malaysia: "don’t simply say say".

Technorati Tags: Malaysia | Kuala Lumpur | Malaysia newspaper | Patpong Bangkok | Malaysia sex | Bangkok | Bangkok nightlife | Malaysia Today

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By Michael Backman (http://www.michaelbackman.com)
November 15, 2006

Adapted-commented by Malaysia My Second Home November 23, 2006

Malaysia: peace and harmony at the outside

MALAYSIA’S been at it again, arguing about what proportion of the economy each of its two main races — the Malays and the Chinese — owns. It’s an argument that’s been running for 40 years. That wealth and race are not synonymous is important for national cohesion, but really it’s time Malaysia grew up.

It’s a tough world out there and there can be little sympathy for a country that prefers to argue about how to divide wealth rather than get on with the job of creating it.

And the more time and energy we spend on re-dividing the wealth, the less energy remains for creating more wealth. And with less wealth to go around, sooner or later somebody is going to get very angry: and we all have the racial riots at the back of our head seen in Indonesia not even 10 years ago…

Malaysia: positive discrimination for the Malays

The long-held aim is for 30 per cent of corporate equity to be in Malay hands, but the figure that the Government uses to justify handing over huge swathes of public companies to Malays but not to other races is absurd. It bases its figure on equity valued, not at market value, but at par value.

Many shares have a par value of say $1 but a market value of $12. And so the Government figure (18.9 per cent is the most recent figure) is a gross underestimate. Last month a paper by a researcher at a local think-tank came up with a figure of 45 per cent based on actual stock prices. All hell broke loose. The paper was withdrawn and the researcher resigned in protest. Part of the problem is that he is Chinese.

Another problem is lack of transparency: an issue promised to be tackled by the new PM.

We can be proud to be an example to the outside world that Malaysia is a country with different races and different religions, yet politically pretty stable and having a democracy. But if the majority starts implying that it is their right to re-distribute the wealth of Malaysia in favor of the majority, then where is the interest of ALL Malaysians? All Malaysians know the importance of "sharing", yet sharing doesn’t mean that all must be shared with the majority only.

Malaysia tourism slogan: Malaysia Boleh

"Malaysia boleh!" is Malaysia’s national catch cry. It translates to "Malaysia can!" and Malaysia certainly can. Few countries are as good at wasting money. It is richly endowed with natural resources and the national obsession seems to be to extract these, sell them off and then collectively spray the proceeds up against the wall.

It is a pain in the eye to see neighbour Signapore economically reaching a "developed" stage without natural resources, where Malaysia with natural resources only aims at 2020 to reach a similar status.

Where is Malaysia?

This all happens in the context of Malaysia’s grossly inflated sense of its place in the world.

Most Malaysians are convinced that the eyes of the world are on their country and that their leaders are world figures. This is thanks to Malaysia’s tame media and the bravado of former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad. The truth is, few people on the streets of London or New York could point to Malaysia on a map much less name its prime minister or capital city.

As if to make this point, a recent episode of The Simpsons features a newsreader trying to announce that a tidal wave had hit some place called Kuala Lumpur. He couldn’t pronounce the city’s name and so made up one, as if no-one cared anyway. But the joke was on the script writers — Kuala Lumpur is inland.

Malaysian oil

Petronas, the national oil company is well run, particularly when compared to the disaster that passes for a national oil company in neighbouring Indonesia. But in some respects, this is Malaysia’s problem. The very success of Petronas means that it is used to underwrite all manner of excess.

Yet is all this a success-story? To answer that, you should compare the figures of efficiency of treating oil by Petronas compared to other companies. It is said that Petronas is far less efficient in the cost of producing oil compared to other companies. Yet again a lack of transparency will make this just another rumour, probably said by somebody of the minority, so obvious…

Bank bale outs, a formula one racing track, an entire new capital city — Petronas has paid for them all. It’s been an orgy of nonsense that Malaysia can ill afford.

Why? Because Malaysia’s oil will run out in about 19 years. As it is, Malaysia will become a net oil importer in 2011 — that’s just five years away.

Kuala Lumpur

The KLCC development in central Kuala Lumpur is an example. It includes the Twin Towers, the tallest buildings in the world when they were built, which was their point. (The building at the left of the Twin tower is the Maxis building: Malaysia’s first mobile phone operator)

It certainly wasn’t that there was an office shortage in Kuala Lumpur — there wasn’t.

Malaysians are very proud of these towers. Goodness knows why. They had little to do with them. The money for them came out of the ground and the engineering was contracted out to South Korean companies.

They don’t even run the shopping centre that’s beneath them. That’s handled by Australia’s Westfield.

Malaysians in space

Next year, a Malaysian astronaut will go into space aboard a Russian rocket — the first Malay in space. And the cost? $RM95 million ($A34.3 million), to be footed by Malaysian taxpayers. The Science and Technology Minister has said that a moon landing in 2020 is the next target, aboard a US flight. There’s no indication of what the Americans will charge for this, assuming there’s even a chance that they will consider it. But what is Malaysia getting by using the space programs of others as a taxi service? There are no obvious technical benefits, but no doubt Malaysians will be told once again, that they are "boleh". The trouble is, they’re not. It’s not their space program.

Especially when the space experiment of the Malaysian astronaut will be to see if they can make our national Malaysian drink Teh Tarik in space… Please, how stupid must Malaysia look saying things like this? Yet, thanks to our new Prime Minister, so people do start opening their mouth and advising about other things to do than the things that are done now. But our newborn Malaysian freedom of speech is still a newborn. And lots of times this new criticism is not taken for what it is: trying to make a better Malaysia for all Malaysians.

Malaysians in England

Back in July, the Government announced that it would spend $RM490 million on a sports complex near the London Olympics site so that Malaysian athletes can train there and "get used to cold weather".

But the summer Olympics are held in the summer.

So what is the complex’s real purpose? The dozens of goodwill missions by ministers and bureaucrats to London to check on the centre’s construction and then on the athletes while they train might provide a clue.

Malaysia conclusion

So it’s in this context that the latest debate about race and wealth is so sad.

It is time to move on, time to prepare the economy for life after oil. But, like Nero fiddling while Rome burned, the Malaysian Government is more interested in stunts like sending a Malaysian into space when Malaysia’s inadequate schools could have done with the cash, and arguing about wealth distribution using transparently ridiculous statistics.

That’s not Malaysia "boleh", that’s Malaysia "bodoh" (stupid).

Like it was Malaysia Boleh to have our national Proton car produced… yet Malaysia Bodoh to sign an agreement with Mitsubishi to help manufacturing the cars yet not to do any knowledge transfer from Mitsubishi to Proton.
Or as we would say: NO BRAIN, NO GAIN (for a long term policy)

Technorati Tags: Malaysia | Kuala Lumpur | Malaysia newspaper | Twin Towers Pictures | Twin Towers Photos | Petronas Tower

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