Malaysian Oxymoron
What has become oxymoron in Malaysia?
Malaysian standard: That is so unfortunate. If you want to get quality products, you need to get export quality products. That's because products made in Malaysia for the local market isn't good enough anymore. Why? Because Malaysians will not complain if they get substandard quality. I shop regularly in Giant for my groceries when I do not have time to go to the wet market. I get very upset when I have to buy vegetable at the supermarket. Price is always higher than at a wet market and quality is bad. Yes, I'm guilty of being apathetic as well. Alright, I will write a letter to the Giant head office to lodge a complaint.
Furniture available in the "kedai perabut" are quite apalling. Definitely furniture which will not withstand the test of time and use. These furniture are not cheap too.
Even our made-in-Malaysia car, Proton. About a month after the Gen2 was launched (the first time), I visited a showroom in PJ to look at the car. The power window on the showroom model was not working properly and the handle was loose! The excuse the sales rep gave was that lots of people have been looking at the car and been testing out the door and windows. What does that mean? If I buy the car, I should expect it to start falling apart after a year? Perhaps it is an isolated case with that particular car. Then I hear of another showroom model in Penang which was falling apart as well.
Then, there are the houses made for Malaysian families. Are they really designed for an average Malaysian family? The average Malaysian families I know are made up of husband and wife, 2 kids (more if you're Malay) and a maid. They own 2 cars. The average Malaysian link house measures 20ft x 70ft (24ft x 75ft I'm told is a super link!). The house will have on average 2 + 1 bedrooms, 3 baths and enough space to park 1 car. Let's see... Mom and dad in master bedroom, kids in another room, a tiny room downstairs for the maid. One car parked inside, and another parked outside. Most of these houses are built so close to each other and the road so narrow, that by the time everyone parks their 2nd car outside, there is only enough space for 1 car to squeeze through at a time. Alternatively, tile up your postage size garden so you can park the other car inside if you own 2 Kancil. Where are the children supposed to play? My brother's living room is so small, there is only enough space to put a 2-seater sofa and a TV cabinet. Not exactly a place to socialise, is it?
Other oxymoron is Poslaju. I was going to send a parcel to Singapore for my nephew who was turning 1. I assumed the parcel will arrive the next day. Silly me to assume something like that. I was told to expect the parcel to arrive in 2 - 3 days! That's Pos-not-so-laju, isn't it?
To be continued....
Malaysian standard: That is so unfortunate. If you want to get quality products, you need to get export quality products. That's because products made in Malaysia for the local market isn't good enough anymore. Why? Because Malaysians will not complain if they get substandard quality. I shop regularly in Giant for my groceries when I do not have time to go to the wet market. I get very upset when I have to buy vegetable at the supermarket. Price is always higher than at a wet market and quality is bad. Yes, I'm guilty of being apathetic as well. Alright, I will write a letter to the Giant head office to lodge a complaint.
Furniture available in the "kedai perabut" are quite apalling. Definitely furniture which will not withstand the test of time and use. These furniture are not cheap too.
Even our made-in-Malaysia car, Proton. About a month after the Gen2 was launched (the first time), I visited a showroom in PJ to look at the car. The power window on the showroom model was not working properly and the handle was loose! The excuse the sales rep gave was that lots of people have been looking at the car and been testing out the door and windows. What does that mean? If I buy the car, I should expect it to start falling apart after a year? Perhaps it is an isolated case with that particular car. Then I hear of another showroom model in Penang which was falling apart as well.
Then, there are the houses made for Malaysian families. Are they really designed for an average Malaysian family? The average Malaysian families I know are made up of husband and wife, 2 kids (more if you're Malay) and a maid. They own 2 cars. The average Malaysian link house measures 20ft x 70ft (24ft x 75ft I'm told is a super link!). The house will have on average 2 + 1 bedrooms, 3 baths and enough space to park 1 car. Let's see... Mom and dad in master bedroom, kids in another room, a tiny room downstairs for the maid. One car parked inside, and another parked outside. Most of these houses are built so close to each other and the road so narrow, that by the time everyone parks their 2nd car outside, there is only enough space for 1 car to squeeze through at a time. Alternatively, tile up your postage size garden so you can park the other car inside if you own 2 Kancil. Where are the children supposed to play? My brother's living room is so small, there is only enough space to put a 2-seater sofa and a TV cabinet. Not exactly a place to socialise, is it?
Other oxymoron is Poslaju. I was going to send a parcel to Singapore for my nephew who was turning 1. I assumed the parcel will arrive the next day. Silly me to assume something like that. I was told to expect the parcel to arrive in 2 - 3 days! That's Pos-not-so-laju, isn't it?
To be continued....
posted by Min Chan at
6:30 am
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