I'm a Dutchman and just returned from another long trip to Malaysia. Great video, I have experienced every irritant Taylor talked about, he is telling the truth. I once sat in a taxi in KL, and in front of us, a pedestrian started crossing the street. The taxi driver then floored the gas pedal, making the person run for his life. That national attitude could be improved a bit I guess.
Hence why when i was in london. Being a typical Malaysian, i dare not to cross the road eventho the cars were all stopped.. I was hesitated. We need traffic light 😅🚦
Thank you for this video and for citing your experience living in Malaysia. The safety and health issues you raised are important, noise and air pollutions just cannot be ignored.
The haze doesn't just come from Sumatra But from Malaysia's charcoal power plants, cars and factories. 2015 - 2022 no haze. Since February 2023, El Nino has not rained for 8 months. So, no rain, no clean air to reduce the smog The governments of Malaysia and Singapore are ridiculously blaming us for causing the haze from Sumatra to head north Jakarta has also been hit by haze since August 2023. Is the cause of the haze also directed towards southeast Sumatra? 😃😃😃
I'm afraid the Haze is getting many people in a cranky mood tbh. East coast is amazing..Kota Bharu lovely authentic Malay town..the Laksa there is amazing ... I think Malaysia have a lot of cars since the petrol is cheap there. Sure don't have that luxury problem here in Europe...but yes it can be annoying and have environmental consequences..
Been to quite a number of countries...generally first world or advanced developing....and these irrants in Malaysia, which i agree exists, is much better than other countries. In regards to securities in condo, there's SOP and they will get sc..w.d if they do not follow them.
I'm delighted you brought up all the things that aggravate you as an expat since they aggravate me as a Malaysian who has lived my entire life as well. The only benefit I enjoyed of having a Malaysian passport is that we can utilise the automatic gate rather than waiting in queue at the immigration desk. The rest of your objections are legitimate, as they are shared by most of us Malaysians.
Thank you Taylor for bringing up those matters that irritate you - thanks for the honest & sincere "feedback". Every matter you raised (except for the alcohol, since I don't drink & would encourage others not to drink "TOO" - oops...make that "ALSO" 😅 - resonates not only with me, but I am with many others too. I hope your message gets to as many people here as possible especially the ones whom are related to the matters you've raised, so that we can improve things for the benefit of everyone here. Please do continue to raise these kinds of concerns so that it may open our eyes and make us realize what needs to change and thus makes life much more pleasing for everyone. Thank you Taylor - keep it coming...
I live here and love it, but i totally agree, one more thing i would add is the prevalent Laziness in service jobs, on countless occassions i have asked for specific products in stores and been told they did not carry those, only to find them myself on the shelves, they were just too lazy to check. Or just one example of many in restaurants, i came back from Singapore and didn't have any cash, so i specifically looked for a place that would accept e-wallets. They prepared the food and once i scanned my e-wallet, the price was 3000rm instead of 30rm, instead of asking a manager for help or doing it manually, they just told me it is not possible to pay, leaving me and my wife hungry and frustrated. The fact they are leaving you hanging because they just don't want to bother can be extremely irritating. That said, the positives far outweigh these negative things about living here!
@@andrewtaylor4558 True :D I live in Kuantan btw, the experience in KL might be different, i personally feel like i have had better service in KL. :) Thanks for all your videos, makes me want to explore and they are very informative!
Very similar to Bangkok. The park is lovely, also similar to Bangkok. I like Kuala Lumpur very much as it is noticeably less polluted and the streets and buildings are kept at a higher standard.
Welcome to Malaysia Taylor!! Actually you are more local than us locals! You know so much about us already! More than we want to think about! We're irritated too, we just don't think about it. About the ovens and dishwashers, we're not rich people. I read a local news report that the average wage level is below the urban poverty line. We mostly can't afford ovens and dishwashers. I really hope that the authorities will take note of your public service to Malaysia by bringing us together and pointing out the wonderful as well as irritating things about our lovely country. And broadcasting your experiences here throughout the world, attracting foreign visitors, digital capitalists ... You are doing us such a service!
I mean the authorities should take note of your video programs, see that you are an unofficial ambassador, and renew your MM2H visa as quickly as possible.
Actually dishwashers long term saves LOTS of water and electricity. Definitely good appliance to have. Virtually every house in US does including apartments
The humble wok can do all our cooking. We stirfry and make delicious curries just using the wok. Easy to clean, just light brush and dishwashing liquid. Don't use ovens too. Once in a while we buy cakes and scones.
@@lilingloh8061You cook curry in the wok?! I’m from Singapore and we cook our curry in stainless steel pots, big Corning ware pots or ceramic cookware pots.
Irritating for sure, but look at all the other outweighing positives. I love Malaysia and if it weren't for my 5 grandkids here in the states, I would certainly give it very serious consideration Penang is my favorite, I was in Penang last October and didn't notice a haze. Actually the city is beautiful from the rooftop at night.
wow. The haze does sound pretty scary. Have you ever wondered if it could affect your health long term especially your lungs? I've heard Beijing and parts of China have high levels of air pollution (almost like smoking cigarettes if you live in those cities) so residents tend to wear masks regularly. Anyway, hopefully Indonesia stops with the forest burnings. I would say it's quite insensitive of them to do something like that.
The problem of haze due to burning in Indonesia has been going on for more than the last two decades. In fact, it has become an added part to our hot and wet seasons nnually. The Government of Malaysia has had talks with Indonesia over the years including sending our firemen to put out fires in Indonesia at our expense. The local regulations on burning is very tight and the fines for open burning is very hefty. There is not much the country can do when neighbours continue to be lethargic on the issue of open burning.
The haze doesn't just come from Sumatra But from Malaysia's charcoal power plants, cars and factories. 2015 - 2022 no haze. Since February 2023, El Nino has not rained for 8 months. So, no rain, no clean air to reduce the haze The governments of Malaysia and Singapore are ridiculously blaming us for causing the haze from Sumatra to head north Jakarta has also been hit by haze since August 2023. Is the cause of the haze also directed towards southeast Sumatra? 😃😃😃
@@Do2mifasol-nh3lq FYI. Singapore has sued Indonesia for the haze issue in 2017 after regular talks failed. So where did you pull out the 2015 - 2022 era of no haze?
1st comment of the video (yeay!): Andrew... many foreigners (confession from hundreds of youtubers) marvel at how Malaysians are taking things easy, relaxed and chilled most of the time. That's what got us by. Irritation is normal but being grateful is a gem, the key to happiness. Just let go all the petty things.. we should be ok. Being old and wise, you know that already for sure. I know.. it's just a content for content sake.
One that gets me the most is the lack of respect for non-smoking areas. It's far worse in Indonesia. Even hotels which claim to be non-smoking reek of cigarettes smoke. It's discusting and even if you spray the smell lingers. In Indonesia smoking is very much a cultural thing. I've seen young kids under age of 18 smoking. Parents, shop keepers don't care who they sell to. Many Muslims drink alcohol, they just do it in their own home.
Indonesia is a secular country.. Islamic law is not strict.. Jakarta is the most polluted city in the world and also their water quality is one of the worst in SEA Asia..not a clean country literally..
Jakarta traffic is terrible and public transport is poor. Traffic and smoking everwhere has completely put me off from returning or recommending Jakarta.
Our transport minister is talking about cars every time he open his mouth. He forgets that people have legs for walking. The bicycle lane is just to show off that we are a progressive country. The rich do not care because they live in gated communities that could be in Melbourne. Lastly Malaysia need to get rid of trash that is everywhere and improve the hygiene of eating places.
I always like to hear the little things about a place, especially the irritations, to see if there is anything that would drive me crazy. Still hoping the government will reduce the M2L requirements! 😫
Agreed with the traffic,not stop and the signage hidden by trees,seems that they have not pruned them..We can missed our turning becos of the blockage..Also in housing estates,they have bicycles lane but not pedestrians,just becos politician enjoy cycling ,they do for their own hobby..sucks..
Tayler~ Actually, the reason I subscribe to your channel is, of course, because it's entertaining, but it also serves my purpose of improving English. Your words are really sophisticated and classy. The English sentence I learned today is.."I hope you took that in the sprit it was intended". Thank you !!!
I believe it is the duty of the Malaysian Minister of Transport and Safety to take stricter action against antisocial traffic behavior towards pedestrians. There should be higher fines for this. Driving training must also be better and stricter in order to obtain your driver's license. For pedestrians, all drivers of a pedestrian vehicle are potentially murderers.
I very much enjoyed this one Taylor and yes, it's fun to watch you whine ;) ;) ;) Oh please do an update on the ever-changing Visa requirements. I believe you may have mentioned that Malaysia might be relaxing the rather strict requirement they implemented last year. It would be good to know if they may reverse some of these changes.
Taylor knows so much. You’re like a true Malaysian. I think your condo doesn’t use property management app e.g. Jagaapp, I-neighbour, MyTaman or customised app. Usually if you purchase simple household appliances or electrical goods that need to be delivered to your condo, delivery van driver will whatsapp to you his particulars and vehicle plate number. You can key-in the particulars directly into the property management app. I also thought your management office (MO) was very strict about depositing RM300 for a delivery. Usually MO will want deposit if contractor comes into condo to do renovation work. But, for a simple delivery most MO will waive the deposit. Changing of security guards are quite regular especially when residents complain of non-performing guards or guards who can’t communicate either in English or Malay.
Lovely commentary, Andrew! I’m also an American living in Malaysia. So happy to be here! No guns, no war, great health care, friendly people, vibrant middle class, etc, Since I spend a lot of time outdoors, my only irritants are sweat and mosquitoes. Other than that I couldn’t be happier!
Hi Taylor. It has been awhile since I commented on your video. I totally agree with you abt d deplorable attitude of M’sians towards pedestrians. I even hav to 'educate' my family members on it! They in turn scold me for giving way to d pedestrians cos d pedestrians many a time can't believe I'm giving them opportunity to cross politely, and so wld b busy looking elsewhere or at their hand phones!! Mind u dis even happens at pedestrian crossings!! As for d other 'irritating things' abt Msia, I've done quite a bit of travelling and staying overseas b4 retirement. My philosophy abt life is, adapt yourself to any given situation. If u do dis, u'll feel less if not no stress at all those irritating things! Eg, I used to fret and fume abt d delivery boy delivering my food late. But then wen I saw a video abt dis Australian couple marvelling at how good and prompt d delivery service is in Msia compared to Australia (like it takes hours to b delivered, or more than a day!!), I realised I've to appreciate more their services and d human being behind it. I became more tolerant and accepting of those times wen d food/things were delivered late.. After all, d service saves me alot of hassle having to go out to d eating places, and face d parking problems, hot sun, d horrendous traffic..!! Of course, falling short of being able to adapt yourself to d place u r in, and expect them to b exactly like 'home', u know wat to do...!!!
Taylor just needing to vent a bit, as we all do from time to time, but Taylor doing so in the most polite, and funniest, of ways. I love your channel, by the way, and I'm happy I just stumbled upon it this morning, as I am considering a move from the Philippines to Malaysia very soon! 🙂
I used to live in Europe for 15 years and never had bad experience crossing the road and walking in pedestrian lane, all was very pleasant, but when I was back in Malaysia, all changes..motorcycles not really respect the rules and pedestrians are horrified to cross the road, and many traffic lights not really work, uneven pedestrian, broken tiles, unexpected holes, etc. Here in Malaysia even at the traffic light or zebra crossing you still need to use 'power of hands' to stop the motorists and begging them from hitting or crashing on you..
Thanks Andrew Taylor, yes Malaysia does have it's quaky inconveniences. This will help us realize that we do have room for improvements. Malaysia is generally laid back in nature, creating awareness as you are doing can only help make us Malaysians much better. TQVM.😅
I’ll take those irrigations with extreme pleasure ! Arriving next week from the remnants of the Rotten Big Apple - be happy in Malaysia my friends it’s the country where your treated best ! 👍
Speaking about condo management and security, I think it is case by case. Some condos have very strict management and security, unfriendly as well. Some condos management and security are flexible and accommodating. For that reason, sometimes I will just move away from one condo just because they have terrible management and security.
😅 same thing as a local. i even moved to rural Village because my heart literally couldn't take it anymore. 😅 but the modern utilities goes with it too. living simple near the forest really something else. u got to see tiger footprints on occasion.😅
Andrew, having lived almost 80% of my life abroad, I can relate to your pet peeves about Malaysia. They're all true. I think you left out one MEGA irritant - how most private and public places would have multiple service counters but only one, at most two, would be serving long queues of customers when they could just easily open more or all the counters to ease the queues. This one gets me blowing off my roof all the time....in silence.
At one point i was finding our how many ways to migrate with US being my top choice. But as i grew older, that desire throughly dissipates and the love of my beautiful country, Malaysia, deepens. The hospitality and warmth of Malaysians is unmatched. Im glad i didn't migrate ❤❤❤❤🇲🇾🇲🇾🇲🇾
Indeed . I just posted a reply to ngpb17 about why I regret not staying in Malaysia after living there, and returning to the U.S. I had dear sweet lady friend when I lived in Penang who dreamed of immigrating to the U.S. She could not understand why I Preferred living in Penang over America until she visited me in the U.S., and was then content with her life in Malaysia.
Don’t believe these lao Ang Moh lah. They’re either retired or looking for retire and stop working early.. that’s why they move to cheap Asian destinations to fulfill this goal. It’s totally not the same as if you’re at the start of your life, your career and have your whole life ahead of you. And if you have offsprings, Even more so you would be concerned about giving them the options of being able to work and live in a high income country with greater opportunities than the third world.
Haha.. Nice one Taylor. Somehow i felt relieved of my own irritation listening to all irritants that irritate you 😁. I guess it is true what they say that... We should laugh at life sometimes.
I never travel on weekends or holidays if at all possible. If I am already somewhere I just stay longer if possible and wait it out. The cars starting soaring in Thailand since about 2012 now there are millions more deadly drivers on the road and police rarely do anything. From what I remember in Malay was they seemed much less reckless than the Thais. I bet they don,t park their car in the middle of the road on a curve so the wife can have lunch do they? My hunch is over 90% of Thai drivers would never be allowed on the roads in the states and most would have their cars towed off. But my #1 moan is the air pollution sorry no excuses for any of it.
Hey Taylor....thanks for making such good videos as always ..one question I have relates to the yearly haze this time of year and if it has also applied to Penang in the past as looking at the air quality apps on my phone it's currently saying Pending has mostly good air quality...however KL currently and seems to suffer with poor air quality especially during the Indonesian crop burning season please?
Well Andrew - Think you need to come to Sri Petaling straight down the E20 15mins and free parking at Pinnacle with a quality large western supermarket Urban. Next the staff and security work by rule for the simple reason if anything ever happens they don't want to lose their jobs this I know.
In roman do what the romans do! you need to adjust and assimulate. In US the crime rate is higher which you never complaint. You enjoy savings too, not found in your homeland too.
Another irritating thing in Malaysia is when you visit a restaurant their drinks are so expensive relative to the food. They put so much pressure on patrons to buy a drink with their meal. When you politely say you don’t want any drinks, they often become rude and nasty!
Have lived in north Thailand for 16 years. In that time, and for many years previously have travelled all over SE Asia. Am very fond of Malaysia too and would probably move to KL if they would liberalise the MM2ndHome rules a bit. However, when I am back in Australia am often asked to compare Thailand and Vietnam. Obviously there is too much to make real sense of, so I just say: 'In Thailand you have to be very careful when you cross the road because they will not stop for you. However, in Vietnam you feel they are actively trying to get you!' I like all 3 countries, they all have their strengths and weaknesses. The oddest aspect is the misconceptions they have about each other.
I can relate to your irritations. I live in Selangor but close to KL. I always plan my trips. I never go on a long trip on weekends because thats when people drive back to their hometowns. Lots of traffic and even congestions. I dont even go to KL on Saturday because thats when locals go out doing their shoppings or takings families out and folks from outside of state come to KL.
You are right....coming back to kl on monday night is a nightmare...trust me...the jam can last to 3/4 in the morning....plase avoid this route....i am talking about journey from penang to KL....
I can relate to everything on your list, not only in Malaysia but lots of other countries also. We're pretty spoiled in America that way, what with our dishwashers, ovens, A/C, store returns, freestanding supermarkets, quick service and a willingness to bend the rules when needed. I'll miss all the modern conveniences but I'm still planning to leave the USA soon, even if I have to be a little irritated elsewhere...
Yes we are malaysians too n we get aggravated by these issues too..!! Irritating too..! Unfortunately nothing seems to change these attitudes..I wish these highlighted concerns change forever in Malaysia so everyone would have a swell time
Does a condo have a dryer besides a washer? Can I flush toilet paper or have to use a bum gun? I hate both bidet and bum gun. All the things you mentioned in the vlogs are okay with me.
@@louis20122 Additional info on toilet paper in Malaysia, toilet papers in Malaysia can be easily torn apart after it absorbed water, so it will break into many pieces when flushed down the toilet and they won't block the pipes. And I think the standard diameter for toilet's pipe in Malaysia is larger than Thailand, so it won't be easily clogged up by the toilet paper or other foreign objects.
It seems like these are things that irritate you about KL, not necessarily Malaysia. Half of those points (e.g., traffic, alcohol tax, etc.) don't apply to Langkawi Island, which I believe is in Malaysia? 🤣
It's not a about Muslims. It's because the government took advice from ministry of health and other agencies not promote boozes & cigarettes. However visitors can get em cheaper at duty free areas.
I’ve been to KL 4 times and I still don’t know my way around there. I just use the Twin Towers as a reference and hope for the best 😂. I never drive there. It’s too crazy & disorientating. I was sitting in the back of a Grab car once and I was amused by a man & woman with a tiny baby on a small motorbike really close to my window and I watched them fearlessly zig zag between speeding peak hour traffic. I initially found it odd to haggle over prices in some stores where it’s done. But got use to it really fast when I realised that they were charging me “Western Rates”😂 Now I haggle lower and sometimes I remind myself that I’m haggling over a few $ compared to back in my own country where it’s expensive. The security guard uniform is smart. Very official. Which brings me to the airport customs & security @ KLIA 1 & 2. I have a nice time entering and departing KL. The customs security agents always say hi 👋 Mr Loki 😂. Apparently I look like the villain character from The Thor movies. You know, the god,..Loki😂. I’m returning briefly to KL. I always like going back there and I think the Malay do a good job of speaking English because I don’t speak Malaysian. Perhaps I should try to learn some. I’d like to stay there maybe for longer & really see the rest of Malaysia. But I’m always on schedule there and it’s always busy every where I go. Oh & I love love Malaysian food. Generally people are okay too. Like everywhere else. Thanks for the video.
I concur on most of your points. Maybe the worst, and definitely one easily fixable, is the queue at Immigration. Malaysian IO look like a different breed from “regular” Malaysians. They are suspicious and pompous, and they seem to enjoy whatever little fraction of power they have on people (foreigners at that). Being able to use electronic gates is a huge bonus. When I was working in Malaysia, under a Work Permit, I was able to register for those e-gates, which at the time were separate from those for Malaysian citizen, so that I usually was at the luggage delivery area faster than my Malaysian colleagues, who had to queue a bit to use their dedicated e-gates. I understand that by now all e-gates have been merged into just one area for all people enabled to use them. A limited trial was introduced recently that allows visitors who are passport holders of a selected number of countries to use the e-gates. Unfortunately, my passport is not one of them ☹.
When I first moved to Australia, I also found the lack of street signs a surprise. Sometimes you have to go a few blocks before you see a sign of the street you're on. In the USA, there are street signs for every street at every corner or intersection. You get used to it but wish for more signage. Also as far as different food plates being deliverd to the table at different times, Australia also does this. I found that odd too...but you get used to it lol.
Thanks for good video and content. Agree with you 100% that every country will have it's quirks and with them, I would also still choose Malaysia. We had our MM2H Visas transferred last year to new passports and Alter Domus is our agent as well - love TG and the team, they are great. Hope yours go smooth as well. All the best.
I'm Malaysian & I agree with some things, some other things are Americanisms I shan't comment on. But what's this about the TV delivery nightmare you went through. Maybe that's purely based on your building management rules. I've never heard anything like that in the last 41 years of living here and everybody gets stuff delivered to them all the time. Frequently changing security guards is to do with making sure the guards aren't influenced by any "friendly" con men around your area. As guards, they're within the lower income bracket. Con men use that to their advantage to get robbery jobs done with the help of an inside man. About paying for parking, #1. if you're only going in to pick up a stick of butter, then the grace period should be enough time to get the job done & not have to pay parking. But who knows what the layout around your area is, so #2. be a Malaysian & park on the street side. And frankly, #3. Why are you going to the supermarket @ a mall to pick up small things? There should definitely be supermarkets & grocery outlets around the area. I'll chalk this down to Americanisms. Here's a simple solution to solve "at least" 50% of your issues - MOVE OUT OF THE CITY CENTER! You could be in PJ, Subang, Taman Tun, Mont Kiara, or a 100 other places where you don't have to deal with the traffic, pollution, haze, "as frequent" change of guards, parking nightmares', roadblocks, reduced road rage, etc. 9 years later.. c'mon ma' man, learn from your mistakes.
Ohhhh, someone is taking me way too seriously. Most of my complaints are really just small annoyances and were meant to be taken as such. Thanks for taking the time to correct me however. 😂😂😂
Hi Taylor. I understand your irritants and liked the humorous tack you took in your video. After all, "When in Rome......." I once rented a car at KLIA and drove all the way up to Cameron Highlands. The toll highway up north (AH2?) was fine, really, but the windy road from there up to Tanah Rata was an experience I'd not want to repeat! And on being a pedestrian, I found that walking around and crossing the road in places such as Cambodia, Vietnam and, to some extent, Thailand can be almost impossible. First of all, as a pedestrian, so many sidewalks are blocked by cars parked on them. This includes Penang. And besides that, Penang has lots of gaping holes in sidewalks, exposing those channels meant to take away rain water. In parts of Penang, I was scared to walk around at night in case I fell down one of those holes! In KL, I've seen motor bikes travelling on sidewalks. Where the problem was really bad, I found it helped just to follow a local across the road. I also considered just following a dog because so many of them were walking around freely and seemed to cross the road with ease! Anyway, I enjoyed your video and keep up the good work!
