Malaysia and Malaysians

Talk to random Malaysians and chances are a majority of them has something to complain about their home countries.

Rather inefficient public transport, controversial entry procedures to public educational institutions, unstable internet connection, incompetent public workers, compromised safety and extremely hot weather are just a handful of the usual public comments.

Some of the issues are so well known that they're actually famous on international levels.

For example, anybody who follows international news know how dramatic Malaysian politics are. I spent nine months in UK and I swear, I've never read papers as boring as theirs. Notable headlines talk about Wayne Rooney's new baby and the story of how a public servant used government money to get a cup of coffee. Even the aftermath of the recently concluded general elections died down quite quickly.

Luckily, I got newspapers for free while I was in England, or I would've wanted my money back.

Online gamers, on the other hand, especially those in Singapore, sympathise Malaysian gamers. One second we were all playing happily, and the next, the Malaysians got disconnected like meat on a butcher's blade. Our weather-affected DSL connection is so notorious that it is often possible to tell weather in Malaysia just by observing Malaysian players. The more often they disconnect, the heavier the rain is.

It's also common sense that most parts of Malaysia are not half as safe as Nottingham, the so called "crime capital of England". Ask around -- every one out of few Malaysians have been crime victims before, including yours truly. It's amazing why haven't anyone taken advantage of the drunkenness of young Englishmen stumbling from pubs before. After all, they're bound to forget the events of the night the next day and just thought they misplaced their purses or wallets.

That, and all the brain drain! The smartest in the country are planning to leave, are leaving, or has left Malaysia to "better places" like Australia and Singapore. Why those places? They don't have newspaper more interesting than your regular Dan Brown thrillers.

But just when you think all hope is gone...

It's 2010 and Malaysia is changing. For one, TMnet has come up with Unifi, a fibre-optic based digital connection. Although this service is still relatively new, it's bound to catch up with and replace the current copper-based weather-vulnerable connection. And it's faster too! The Public Works Department have been rather generous in giving away scholarships to the top scorers of SPM, and that will surely slow down, if not stem, the talent outflow from this country. More policemen have been spotted too, especially around this Raya season.

And the fact that there are people who complain means that there are people who want change and improvement in this country. These are the people who care about the future of Malaysia and these are the people who want to see Malaysia becoming a developed nation one day. With them, who knows, one day, the general Malaysians may have a lot of nice things to say about their country.

So no, Malaysia is not hopeless. It's the entire opposite.

Happy 53rd, Malaysia, and all the best.

Oh wait, except the weather thing. No one can change that.