Non-obvious Things You Should Know About Malaysia 

Like this video, if you like Malaysia

She is right. Lazy & complacent are 2 different things. Lazy means you don't want to work or if you work you put half hearted effort. Malaysians are not by any means lazy. I would say we are actually hardworking and certainly overworked compared to the west if we compare the working hours. However the difference is, countries like Singapore, Japan, Western countries. They are very determined to be successful. They chase promotions or when they do business, it's amazing how far they think. I am speaking based on my experience living abroad. They would go all out to achieve their true potential. Which is nothing wrong, in fact I am all for people making more money and achieving success and so on. At the same time, I don't think there is anything wrong with being complacent and just being content with what you have in life.

the way she answer shows that she understand Malaysia. calm, polite, just talk lightly about things. you can ask but malaysian or longer stay residents will always be careful and aware not to openly say any matter which is regarded as sensitive issues in Malaysia.

Her opinion is not bias and also express it in a polite manner. 100% agreed. I would say she's already a malaysian. 😁

awesome... Daria, you have done it again... it's true, if you like / love Malaysia, Malaysia will like and love you back... kudos to Max

I like this lady. She politely speaks truthfully and honestly without being offending to others (some people don’t know how) from her past experiences. I “Likes” this video and the other video she featured in. 👍😃

Singapore is a first world country with highest GDP per capital, Malaysia is far behind in many way, but that doesn't mean Malaysian's living quality is lower. In Malaysia, we enjoy more space, lots of highway, good food, modern infrastructure, and we drive our car without the need to take the train for more privacy, bigger house , etc. But we still love Singapore for sure, they are our friends and we have family and friends in Singapore too.

We love Malaysia! We know how to appreciate our lives .

woah,im malaysian,and i safely said,this lady is surely assimilated to malaysian cultural..i like how she keep having her russian cultural side also,the other blood if i might says..not your typical normal mixed blood race in malaysia..the fact she experienced both good & bad and able to differentiate the crime for me is is the highlight for me..yes crime/bad thing happend,but as to to go the word criminal/heavy duty in society arent here (malaysia) are truly right.. most malaysian crime are small-time,snatch & grab,break in or whatever..also,her word are genuine not biased,all based on experience.. seeing this vid,like watching the un-cut version of the 1st vid u on her.. really broaden my view on foreigner-married-malaysian couple..

No country is prefect….not even Singapore… but every country has its beauty…..🎉🎉

I am a Malaysian. I love and respect my neighbouring countries, culture and people whether it be Thailand, Indonesia or Singapore.

The notion of 'lazy Malayans' came from the British colonials who at the time tried to exploit the Malayans into working in British plantation farms and tin mines. However, the exploitation failed. Malayans weren't interested into British recruitment system. The frustated British later recruited tons of Indians (Tamil/Telugu/Malayalam) and Chinese (Southern China) into working in British labour. Then the term 'lazy Malays' was coined. The Malays however, continued to work in rural areas without keeping in touch with urbanisation of some areas of Malaya at the time. The British even educated some early Malay leaders the notion of 'lazy Malays'. These leaders continued to spread the notion among the people. It's just a matter of perspective whether you believe it or not. Hey, the idea of Malay nationalism is now gone and irrelevant. Being lazy or industrious has nothing to do with racial today.

Daria shows herself to be an astute observer of cultures and human behaviour, and has deep and honest insights. And conveys her views tactfully. She is really worth listening to.

Very sharp observation about Malaysia, not just for a foreigner but even better than a local. Daria has the best view because she can step back and look at Malaysia as an 'outsider' but also resided in Malaysia and literally married into the society long enough to get the nuances.

Another great discourse from both of you, bravo..

Congrats Max and team...11.3k subs & growing. Happy for you...hard work shall be rewarded

We are hard working but lazy when relaxing. Soo it is healthy to be lazy when necessary, but hard working when required. We enjoy life.

love your video. your video is getting better and better

I'm loving this series of interviews! Thank you for creating them!

Excellent interview, the questions were good and the answers are on point.

Visited KL on a work trip recently as a SGean. It's pretty much the same as SG, better food. My Malaysian colleagues are just as hardworking as my Singapore counterparts 👍

Max, you have done a great job and as to Daria, her honesty and open mind is just fantastic

Thanks for sharing this wonderful video. Daria is such a lovely person, speaks passionly, truthfully about Malaysia from her genuine perspective.

Malaysians are smart, innovative and hardworking and are not lazy like people who don't know and make up stories. That's why our country is developed and prosperous. Ignore what people who don't know say..... if you search and know about the country of Malaysia, you will definitely love and like .... because the country has a diversity of races, cultures and food .. greetings from Malaysia

Great to learn to improve ourselves from others' opinions ... Thank You So Much for the useful information that we normally wouldn't find in travelogues! 🙏🕯🌏🕊🇲🇾

Great video. Love it.

Good to watch this. I have been to some countries and have had mixed with the locals. Most of them will offer the best hospitality and kindness for the tourist. Approach the right person with the right attitude.

The lady's observation & insight on Malaysia/Malaysians are spot on. 2:10 - The 3 rules are actually good advice that applies to everyone anywhere. Overall a good interview 👍

❤ this one Max.. 🤠👍🏻

nice of you to be very frank about Malaysia :)

as person who born and live in johor, I agree with her statement. yes, johor has nothing much to see and places to go is far, except if you travel out from city center but mainly due to food. reason I staying here because of the food; there's variety here (probably because I am local here :P)

Awesome talk. I like how Daria talks about her perspective on Malaysia, on its people, culture and everything, it is spot on. Realy like to get her book, to know more about her views about us. But is it only in Russia language? I hope there is an English version.

I enjoy your videos with Daria. She has great insight.

Listened to what she answered n shared I get some points. People from the west coming to southeast Asian mostly for the tropical beaches and islands attractions. Other than businesses where it mostly goes to Singapore. Or Bangkok too. Eventually after tired of chaotic in Bangkok, Thailand and stressful high paying densely Singapore, they discovered beautiful KL in between. Same standard (or a bit higher) but more laid back, cheaper and easier to live in. No stress no obstacles. Suiter to stay as a family. If they need extra weekend funs, thailand n Singapore is just 1hour away flight.

My classmate who converted to SG citizenship has a biased opinion that SG is better in all aspects and KL is not safe. She recently visited and stayed at the more affluent area in KL, she was impressed and thought it’s better than SG. At least the condo she stayed is nicer, has a lot more square footage than her HDB.

It was a very enlightening and pleasant conversation. Sis Daria, may God shower you with blessings for the rest of your life. I wish you a healthy and happy life in the long - run. Have a great day today and every day!.. 🙏❤️

Max, great video. I like Daria's comment (even the first video few months back) because she lived long enough in Malaysia to be able to give it a fair comment and critic as an outsider/foreigner - therefore less biased but at the same time, still very respectful and tactful in how she put down her words. Max, would love to hear her or any other guest to comment on the religion and racial situation in Malaysia. Many Americans and Europeans have very negative view of a certain religion, some even preventing them from wearing certain attire (i.e France), associating them with fatal crime etc, so, how true or untrue is the west's media. I think South East Asian countries formed a pact called ZOPFAN - zone of peace, freedom and neutrality back in the 70s due to the Cold War. This is still being held fast although Philippines and Singapore do have closer relationship to one side than the other. That is why Malaysia in particular, have good relation with Russia (USSR back then) and the West (but we decided to look east to Japan in the 80s).

Very insightful.

Hey Max, just come over and stay here already 🤣 You seem quite interested on knowing what's it like living in Malaysia. Why not give it a go.

Agree with her about Johor being an uninteresting place compared with KL for holidaying.

This is very helpful, thank you

Beautifully done sharing sessions.

a simple comparison, Singapore cannot accommodate many people, because this country has very limited places to build homes, but Malaysia is a country that can accommodate millions of people..like a lot ❤❤ for this both countries, Malaysia 🇲🇾 and Singapore 🇸🇬 🎉🎉🎉

You are right, Daria. My gosh you are really right... i sometimes say the same thing as well the moment i cross the causeway as well step in the airport. Thanks for making the wake us Malaysians.

Depending on what you're looking for, Thailand could be able to provide you with a better entertainment experience. Even a lot of Malaysians visit Thailand for leisure. On the other side, if you're seeking for a decent standard of living, Malaysia might be more pleasant for you. As Malaysia produces oil, which lowers the price of fuel here and lowers the price of other products as a result, Malaysia may also be more economical than Thailand. Due to the fact that many international businesses choose Singapore over other Southeast Asian countries to establish their regional headquarters, Singapore may have a much higher expat population. However. Due to their strong currency, which is three times stronger than Ringgit, Singapore is more expensive. In terms of food, the only significant difference between Malaysia and Singapore is the cost. Yet, Malaysian food, such as Nasi Lemak or Roti Chanai, is hard to find in Thailand while Thai food, such as Tom Yam, Song Tam are easy to find here. Malaysia's diversity is more apparent due to the prevalence of English-speaking Malays, Chinese, Indians, and other ethnic groups here. Malaysians frequently use English when speaking with foreigners to ensure that they can understand us. It's possible that many foreigners don't bother learning Bahasa when they are in Malaysia because they can still communicate with us in English. Only those who are driven to integrate into the community will go above and beyond to become so fluent in Bahasa. In contrast to Thai people, we need to master their language if we want to understand them better. Despite having Chinese or Malay ancestry, most people in Thailand are difficult to distinguish because they all speak Thai and English is not commonly spoken in Thailand. Like their counterparts in other Southeast Asian countries, Malaysians appear to be friendly people in general. We are used to strangers visiting or living in our country. We often let people enjoy our country on their own unless they require our assistance. If such is the case, we would be happy to help them. As an alternative, we are concerned that we would be seen as violating their privacy or arousing unjustified apprehension on their part. Yet, we give both tourists and expats a warm welcome and encourage them to get to know us as civilised people who can become excellent friends with them, especially while they are in our country.

Great interview. Very friendly & likeable lady. Well done.

You are very kind.. Thank you 🙏

Brilliant!

love my country the way it is.. dun want to be like japanese & korea who work like no tomorrow.. get stress coz of workload.. then go jump over from a building!?? ..we like our balance live! ..not chasing money 24/7.. got drunk by night.. and repeat everything the next day!! ..after all its all up to you to choose how u want to run ur life!! ..may Allah guide us!! ..peace all!!

For me Malaysia is the heaven of earth...even we are not rich as Singapore but we are happy what we have...

Beautifully .. thank you!

You have a great attitude and 👍 feel of who to interview

She totally sounds local. Very educational interview. This lady has been around.

Thank you for your feedback Daria! Appreciate dat🎉

Good to hear Daria's perspective. Good , bad, we are just chilled 😁.. Although we sometimes can be quite protective , because only we can complain.. no lah 😂

The discourse surrounding the characterization of Malays as inherently lazy is a common one. However, a closer examination reveals that this perception is unfounded, for every race undoubtedly encompasses both industrious and indolent individuals. So, why is the Malay community, in particular, burdened with this label? The answer, I suggest, lies not in their innate disposition, but rather in their prioritization of religion. By placing spiritual fulfillment above other pursuits, Malays may appear to be less ambitious in the realm of material gain. Conversely, Chinese Malaysians, who exhibit an assiduous work ethic, prioritize the accumulation of wealth as a primary objective. Thus, it is not a matter of laziness, but rather a question of divergent value systems that gives rise to these different modes of behavior.

Daria is right about Johor, Genting and East Coast during monsoon season. I agree totally. I came from Johor and now live in KL (for non-gambler, Genting is not appealing). As to the East Coast during monsoon season, you may find yourself unable to enjoy the beautiful beaches because of the constant rain and big waves (which can be dangerous too). It is cold with strong wind. Even the fishermen stop fishing during the monsoon season.

good point of view

This is enjoyable to watch and listen

Good advice.. yes be ur self n get along that all

I remember last years Singaporean man with Samurai sword attack random people on the road and drunk gangster fighting in the club but world will forget and forgives because the name of Singapore.. If the samething happen in Malaysia the world will said Malasyia is the most dangerous country in the world and the world will not forget and forgive..

She’s very well spoken and seems to hv nice personality as well..

Great interview with a lovely woman.

Nice info..

Malaysia is like Asgard, it is not a place, but it is the people.

I agree with her about Genting.

GDP in Singapore is higher, but most of its people live in stress condition, since the cost of living is very expensive.

Her comment about the Langkawi rental car was spot on

Now u doing a good video showing different personality

I totally agree with her opinion on JB city and Genting Highlands

Goto Cameron Highlands and Fraser's Hill for family vibes...

Are you sure she is not Malaysian? Anyway I'm totally agree with what she said / explained... Very well said!

If I remember correctly, the saying that Malaysia has very bad crime rate started from during the time when Singapore PM was Lee Kuan Yew. Someone high ranking mentioned it and it was quoted in the news. There was a bit of a small hu-ha that happened because of that because that person specifically mentioned Johor in their assertion. So from then on, Singaporeans always repeat this statement as a cautionary tale. Something like, "look at that clerk, if you don't study hard u will grow up to be a clerk" type of thing. 🤷

Singaporean always say Malaysia is dangerous but will never say USA is dangerous when they visit USA.

Daria, I think I met her many years ago in Bangsar. If I can still recall, it was a dinner at home gig she was doing with her friends.

If Najib build MRT with less station(esp the one thats very far from city center - like sg buloh and kajang) and make sure the feeder bus is very good, i think public transport will be lot better(less time to travel). Maybe it will be on par with singapore. If i am not mistaken, the mrt in SG is financed with land that is sold to build shopping complex.

As a Malaysian myself, I agree about Johor.

Even me as johorean also think same as this lady. I dont think johor is fascinating enough to be visited. Nothing to offer except for the legoland, forest city, bla bla bla. I think johor has many attractive places to show to people outside there but sadly there were no effort to make it attractive. Many beautiful kampung and cultures but not enough effort to promote them.

nice & wise women👍👍👍

It is true that Malaysia has a policy known as the New Economic Policy (NEP) which was introduced in 1971 to address economic inequalities among the different ethnic groups in the country. The policy aims to increase the participation of the Malay community in the economy and reduce the wealth gap between the Malays and other ethnic groups. As part of the NEP, the government requires all companies operating in Malaysia to have a certain percentage of Malays in their workforce, including at the management and board levels. Specifically, for companies listed on the Malaysian stock exchange, the government requires that at least 30% of their board of directors be made up of Malays. This requirement is meant to ensure that the Malay community is represented in the decision-making process of these companies and has a stake in the country's economic growth. It is important to note that while the NEP is intended to promote Malay participation in the economy, it also aims to encourage the development of all communities in Malaysia. The policy has undergone several revisions over the years, and its implementation has been a subject of debate and criticism from some quarters. Overall, it is accurate to say that Malaysia has a policy that requires companies to have Malay representation at the non-executive director level in order to do business in the country. So the impact and effect of such policy is very obvious. 0:01

Quite honest,generally

3:49 "Cultural Appropriation" is a western (or US) thing. For us Malaysians, that term is just mind boggling and confusing..... to us it's "cultural appreciation"

"Genting is overrated". That so true and everything is just overpriced

She is an Extremely lucky person.I actually tried a few times to get foreigners to stay in Malaysia.

She is lovely.

Frankly speaking, Malaysia is a nation with no strong culture unlike other nations. Malaysian tend to accept any outside cultures which they percieved benefited to them and suite to thier preferance. Thus, thats why many foriegners will claim that they easily assimilate with local in Malaysia.

It depends on the country you are brought up. The standard of living plays a big part n whether you are driven or not. Or migrate to a country with lower living expenses and be laid back and enjoy life.

It is nice that thailand indonesia malaysia singapore philipines etc are closed to each other

I agree with her, Genting is overrated. Even the weather is usually bad.

Daria's so beautiful❤️

You survived 20 years here. You may not have survived that long in Chicago, LA, San Francisco, NYC....

the country is the reflection of its people...Malaysia wont be where it is if the people are lazy...as simple as that... when I was young i used to work more than 12 hours a day

You don't know how your country until foreigner give their opinion on your country... Is like reading people review about your shop on Google maps. She is very nice person BTW.

But cherating is always full during monsoon, full with the surfing crowd

❤

🙏 With great respect to All Sides , according to the Univesal Laws of Cause & Effect that Reign Supreme & governed All Birth , Ageing , Sickness & Death >>> If the Region populated by more Good Merit Cultivators like doing Good Deeds , that Region would enjoy Good Lifestyle & Less Natural Disasters ... So hope the residents of Malaysia , Singapore & Thailand would continue to cultivate Good Merits! 🙏🕯🌷🌿🌏💖🕊🇲🇾🇸🇬🇹🇭

I am a Singaporean who LOVE Malaysia so much. Food in Malaysia is SOooooooOOO much better and more variety. Although, if i want healthier option, i will get them in Singapore and I do appreciate that as well.

She's right. Cultural Appropriation is not a thing in Malaysia 😂 and I like this Daria. She's very tactful.

Johor is for fishing tourism

'never feel I'm taken advantage of, because I'm a foreigner'... Me, remembering how many times I was offered the 'non local rate' in Singapore or Malaysia, more than twenty years ago, when there were many shops, stalls, even large stores with no fixed prices, where you had to bargain...