MY Opinion: My trip to Kuala Lumpur
It has been a long while since I set foot onto Malaysia, my neighbouring
country.
News of Singaporeans being robbed in Johor Bahru and other parts are
hardly rare. They send shivers down the spine of those who rarely go to
Malaysia.
This, of course, includes my family.
This, of course, includes my family.
The last round I went to Malaysia (Penang, KL, etc) for a short stopover, I wasn't particularly impressed. What shocked me then was how terrible a state the toilets were there. It was, literally, a hole in the ground. (A black hole of nothingness and the potential exit for a kingdom of centipedes.) I would have expected at the very least some sort of squat toilet feature but no(!), there was just simply a black hole for you ladies to squat over and pee.
But now, it's quite different. I do notice that Kuala Lumpur is
certainly becoming very modern. In fact, I think it will catch up with
Singapore soon and become a formidable competitor. And here's why:
Random photo of the city skyline. |
The food is cheap and good.
I could get a good meal at a restaurant for more than half the price in
Singapore. With an attractive exchange rate of SGD 1: 2.45RM, this means that
everything eaten here is really affordable and of good quality. For example, my
family spent RM 18.80 per pax at a Chinese restaurant at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur
which gave us a plate of chicken meat, a generous portion of crunchy
beansprouts, fragrant chicken rice, a honey lemon drink and guiling gao for
dessert. I’m sure the same equivalent would cost SGD 18.80 or more. So, you get
good quality food at a really cheap price. A total steal, in my opinion.
"orange chicken" RM6.90 (before tax) at KLCC foodcourt. |
Food prices at a family cafe in KL |
The toilets have now improved greatly.
No longer do I see holes in the ground which function as a squat toilet
of “upmarket” malls in Kuala Lumpur like I used to a couple of years ago. In
place of them are gorgeously clean toilet seats and a ready supply of toilet
paper. Like most Asian women, we seem obsessed with the quality of our toilet
experience. I’m a rather snobby Singaporean when it comes to toilet, and, the
toilets have my approval! You don’t need to hold in your pee the next time you
hang out downtown in Kuala Lumpur!
You can buy many things found in Singapore,
but at a lower rate
Are you a fan of brands like Skinfood, Naruko, Topman and others?
Chances are, they can be bought cheaper in Malaysia! Yes, you heard me, cheaper!
This is despite the fact that both countries have to import these products. (I
think it is due to the cheaper rental cost in Malaysia.) This is a dream
come true for Singaporean and international shoppers alike! Skinfood is around
30% cheaper in Malaysia. A side note: Skinfood products are not organic or 100%
natural as what many believe. But, it’s so hard to resist the cutesy packaging!
I got this original Rilakkuma hanger-thing for RM40! = SGD 16! You can't get this at such a price in Singapore. |
The locals are friendly and many can speak
English
Yeah, we all heard about how Malaysians can’t speak English well. Fret
not when you’re in the town areas. The staff is usually able to converse in
English. While not everyone can speak fluently, I’m sure it wouldn’t be that
difficult to communicate with the locals. In fact, it seems like they do enjoy
speaking English, as it reflects an “upper class” image. (That is, of course,
merely a hypothesis. Do not quote me on this.) This is in contrast to
Singaporeans whom I feel are far more snobby and reserved as sales staff. This
means that if you don’t dress well, chances are you’ll get a blatantly
different treatment than those who walk in sashaying their branded totes. (This
is not because I’m a tourist as I think many of their staff mistook me for
being a Malaysian as I could utter a few words in Melayu; often, they would
reply in elaborate conversational Melayu which I could not grasp).
Also, knowing that Chinese people aren't particularly liked, I was expecting Malays to outwardly dislike me. My last trip to KL did indeed made me experience plenty of 'eye-rolling' from some Malay salesgirls who realised I couldn't speak Melayu. But this time, I didn't face anything of that sorts. All were really friendly people, which is awesome.
The train service is cheap and good
We all know how many taxis in Malaysia refused to use the meter system
for charging their rides. Fortunately, the train service is a good substitute
for the taxis. They are rather new and each train comes around 4-5 minutes
during the time I was there. In doubt, approach the ticketing master and he’ll
help you with your queries.
Of course, nothing’s 100% good in Malaysia. I’d
like to point out a few areas that made my stay less satisfactory
Safety
still isn’t very good
I see tons of security guards patrolling buildings of importance during
my stay. Also, if you walked into departmental stores, there’ll always be
guards around. And, in Watsons, the security guard would sometimes tail you. I
hate being followed. It’s one of my pet peeves especially when shopping in
Singapore.
Stop tailing me, you horrible sales people. I’m not a thief!
Moreover, when night falls, it does feel very different and threatening.
On our first night there, there was a man on a motorcycle stalking us right
outside the KLCC. It was a very scary experience, to say the least. So, unless
you’re a hulking man (probably of Caucasian descent), nighttime is not good for
tourists to venture out. Oh, and it is even more dangerous if you’re Chinese
since it is well-known that Chinese are somewhat targeted by the robbers in
Malaysia.
Security in Singapore obviously reigns supreme.
The rice
quality is quite bad
In Singapore, the rice that comes with even “cheaper” hawker food is
alright. Once in a while you will get some that seems to have worms in them (it’s
called unethical hawkers!) But in Malaysia poor quality rice seems common. The
hawker food serve rice that are badly polished and the taste is inferior. There’s
some sort of strange taste to them. Only when you dine at restaurants do you
get decent quality rice and fabulous food. So, if you eat a lot of rice, this is something that
is pretty unsatisfactory.
Locals
still get discriminated based on their ethnicity
We were shopping at a departmental store one day when this wonderful Indian
staff aided my dad in his purchases. She was fluent in English, Melayu and even
Mandarin! According to my dad, she was extremely helpful and pointed out good
promotions and tips when shopping in Malaysia. So impressed by her service was
my dad that he decided to write a commendation feedback to the departmental
store. She sadly told him that it was of no use, as her superior would tear the
feedback once he/she realized it commended this Indian lady. In her words, she
said, “How can an Indian ever get promoted? Impossible.”
I’m rather shocked by the blatant discrimination she received. Certainly this
wouldn’t happen in my country, Singapore.
Furthermore, although the Chinese community is sizeable in Malaysia, I
have not seen a single Chinese salesman during my trip. Even the Chinese food
sold in stores were served by Malays or Indians. That’s really strange. Of
course I’m not trying to imply anything but overall my stay made me feel that
there is a certain undercurrent of discrimination in Malaysia that did not
settle well with me.
Prices advertised may often be before tax
This does not refer to restaurants, which charge a 10% service charge and a 6% tax, which is equally common in Singapore. Rather, even hawkers at regular food stalls will add on a 6% charge on top of their food prices. So, while this isn’t really a turn off, it didn’t make me feel too happy about it.
This does not refer to restaurants, which charge a 10% service charge and a 6% tax, which is equally common in Singapore. Rather, even hawkers at regular food stalls will add on a 6% charge on top of their food prices. So, while this isn’t really a turn off, it didn’t make me feel too happy about it.
Well, that is all for my experience in Kuala Lumpur! I’m likely to visit
KL again as it wasn’t all that bad! In fact it was pretty awesome if not for that scary dude stalking us. Bring lots of money though if you’re
intending to go shopping(things can be pricey in KL!)
Thanks for reading!
XOXO
That
Whimsical Blogger!
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