It's Bodoh not Boleh.

[Klose]

While Malaysia fiddles, its opportunities are running dry
By Michael Backman
The Age
November 15, 2006

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.

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The paper was withdrawn and the researcher resigned in protest.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.

"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.

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

http://www.michaelbackman.com/LatestAgeColumn2.html

Click on the link to read the rest of the article. Very interesting facts and figures on our neighbour.

 

[Caspere]

If a Malaysia Malay local writes, gets excommunicated (no more virgins). If its a Chinese who wrote it, lagi worst, castrated and given virgins.

If a Singaporean Malay writer wrote it, kenna sent to jail under ISD. If its Chinese, the kenna ISD and Religious Harmony Act.

What to do? Probably white skin can do more things....

 

[AReality]

Hey!
We're on the world map too.. remember?

Fastest Time to Squeeze Orange Juice -- 11m 56.88s to manually squeeze 150L

Largest Mass Yoga Display -- 1799 people

Most Number of Paper Cranes Made in One Hour -- 9037 cranes

Longest Musical Concert -- 90 hrs

Longest Satay -- 111m

Longest Bra Chain -- 60.015km

Most Number of Elderly People Doing an Indian Dance -- 400 people

Longest Centipede to be Devoured in a Lion Dance -- 118m

Largest Shopping Bag -- 7.5m x 4.6m x 2.3m

Tallest Ice-Kachang -- 3m



And the funniest of all:

Largest Laughing Session -- Over 20,000 people.


A lot more over at http://www.singaporebookofrecords.com


.

 

[yanyewkay]

Hey!
We're on the world map too.. remember?

Fastest Time to Squeeze Orange Juice -- 11m 56.88s to manually squeeze 150L

Largest Mass Yoga Display -- 1799 people

Most Number of Paper Cranes Made in One Hour -- 9037 cranes

Longest Musical Concert -- 90 hrs

Longest Satay -- 111m

Longest Bra Chain -- 60.015km

Most Number of Elderly People Doing an Indian Dance -- 400 people

Longest Centipede to be Devoured in a Lion Dance -- 118m

Largest Shopping Bag -- 7.5m x 4.6m x 2.3m

Tallest Ice-Kachang -- 3m



And the funniest of all:

Largest Laughing Session -- Over 20,000 people.


A lot more over at http://www.singaporebookofrecords.com


.

Longest Bra Chain -- 60.015km???
when did that happen?

 

[LENS]

Longest Bra Chain -- 60.015km???
when did that happen?

No wonder my grandma can't find her bra!

 

[LENS]

but i had do a quick read on that backman article.. well, as a malaysian i just give it a pass..

I don't know that Backman, but how serious u will treat for example an NBA fan who write an article of how to make xxx team to be a champion..

it mentions like Petronas twin towers empty office and even the shopping mall inside is managed by Australian?mm.. Petronas is a good or bad project..?it is already there.. but so what is the problem the shopping mall is by Australian company?

so shall sepang get malaysians only for F1 racing?

 

[gooseberry]

I'd have to agree with his assessment of Malaysia (even though I've previously only lived in Malaysia for a short period - a little over a year).

You should also read his followup article on his site, regarding the response he has received after his article was published.

http://www.michaelbackman.com/Malaysia.html

I'd like to emphasise (and as many of you realise already), that I wrote the column as constructive criticism. I like
Malaysia very much. I visit often and have many Malaysian friends of all races. I've also written a lot that is positive
about Malaysia in the past, most notably in a previous book of mine - The Asian Insider: Unconventional Wisdom for
Asian Business, which has no less than five chapters to explain to people outside Malaysia why I feel that Malaysia
should be given more credit than it gets.

There have been many achievements. There is much about which Malaysians can be proud. Malaysia, for example,
is far more politically mature and developed than is Singapore. The media is more open too (but of course not as
open as it could or should be.) Malaysians are more entrepreneurial too. AirAsia started in Malaysia and has
revolutionised air travel across Asia. In Singapore, there is very much a sense that the government has to do
everything.

......


However, the problem as I said in my column, is waste. And also the use of statistics that are blatantly wrong.
Malaysia also has a big problem with transparency. Too little account is made of how other people's money is spent.
The police too are way too corrupt for a country as developed as Malaysia. The rote learning that is practiced in the
schools also needs to be done away with. Generations of Malaysian children are missing out on an education that
should teach them how to be creative and critical - this is what a truly modern, boleh country needs. Again, my
comments are meant to be constructive. And I make them as a non-Malaysian largely because many Malaysians
feel rightly or wrongly that they cannot say these things themselves in their own country.

 

[Sion]

Hey!
We're on the world map too.. remember?

Fastest Time to Squeeze Orange Juice -- 11m 56.88s to manually squeeze 150L

Largest Mass Yoga Display -- 1799 people

Most Number of Paper Cranes Made in One Hour -- 9037 cranes

Longest Musical Concert -- 90 hrs

Longest Satay -- 111m

Longest Bra Chain -- 60.015km

Most Number of Elderly People Doing an Indian Dance -- 400 people

Longest Centipede to be Devoured in a Lion Dance -- 118m

Largest Shopping Bag -- 7.5m x 4.6m x 2.3m

Tallest Ice-Kachang -- 3m



And the funniest of all:

Largest Laughing Session -- Over 20,000 people.


A lot more over at http://www.singaporebookofrecords.com


.

What about the largest number of amateur photographers turned up in a motor show? :bsmilie:

 

[AReality]

What about the largest number of amateur photographers turned up in a motor show? :bsmilie:

No one informed the officials.
Should've been in the record book also..

Ah, if I remember correctly... Annabel Chong was supposed to be in it too rite? But somehow the record was rejected.


.

 

[Sion]

No one informed the officials.
Should've been in the record book also..

Ah, if I remember correctly... Annabel Chong was supposed to be in it too rite? But somehow the record was rejected.

.

Not forgetting the longest Canon camera strap?

:bsmilie:

 

[azul123]

What about the first Singapore Expedition to Mount Everest, reached the summit by a Malaysian. :bsmilie: :bsmilie:

We shouldn't poke fun at our neighbours as they can do the same, I am first of all a Singaporean just that it is not funny when the joke is on us, we have our gaffes too.

../azul123

 

[Klose]

This article was forwarded to me by my former Malaysian housemate.

I think most of you have yet to grasp the underlying meaning of this article. It's not making fun of their achievements. It's more of the case of misuse of public funding, oil money and so on. It's about corruption.

 

[azul123]

This article was forwarded to me by my former Malaysian housemate.

I think most of you have yet to grasp the underlying meaning of this article. It's not making fun of their achievements. It's more of the case of misuse of public funding, oil money and so on. It's about corruption.

The title is inappropriate don't you think so?

../azul123

 

[hwchoy]

Hey!
We're on the world map too.. remember?

Fastest Time to Squeeze Orange Juice -- 11m 56.88s to manually squeeze 150L

Largest Mass Yoga Display -- 1799 people

Most Number of Paper Cranes Made in One Hour -- 9037 cranes

Longest Musical Concert -- 90 hrs

Longest Satay -- 111m

Longest Bra Chain -- 60.015km

Most Number of Elderly People Doing an Indian Dance -- 400 people

Longest Centipede to be Devoured in a Lion Dance -- 118m

Largest Shopping Bag -- 7.5m x 4.6m x 2.3m

Tallest Ice-Kachang -- 3m



And the funniest of all:

Largest Laughing Session -- Over 20,000 people.


A lot more over at http://www.singaporebookofrecords.com


.

I wish some foreigner would write a stinging article on the front page and ridicule some sense into our stupid blockheads.

 

[Ballack]

Sigh. The level of intellect not of the article but from this place is sorely lacking.

 

[yanyewkay]

I wish some foreigner would write a stinging article on the front page and ridicule some sense into our stupid blockheads.

already hapened.. but don't expect it to be published on 146th.. ou got to search elsewhere.. heeheh

 

[hongsien]

This article was forwarded to me by my former Malaysian housemate.

I think most of you have yet to grasp the underlying meaning of this article. It's not making fun of their achievements. It's more of the case of misuse of public funding, oil money and so on. It's about corruption.

It is about using tax-money (un)wisely.......

Hong Sien