One of the things which hit me as the year comes to an end is the multitude of complaints and rants on how screwed up this country is. But seriously, if this country takes a turn for the better, are you prepared to live the life which you claim you desire?
When you are stopped by the police for speeding or any other offences, there will be no more immediate-discounted-settlement scheme. When you are stopped by the police for driving under the influence of alcohol, you WILL land yourself in the lock-up and face trial. This would mean you will pay a hefty fine with a potential jail term.
Are you prepared?
There will be no more cutting of queue while taking a turn at a junction. There will most probably be a lot of zebra crossings which you MUST stop when pedestrians are crossing. You can no longer switch lane conveniently at those double-lined lanes which you have been doing everyday. You must drive 40km/h as soon as you see such speed limit even in an empty road.
Are you prepared?
You might not be able to drive alone in your nice car anymore as Single-Occupant-Vehicle is prohibited to reduce traffic congestion. This would definitely cost you your convenience. You will most probably be taking public transport in most of your travels, improved public transport nonetheless. You MUST queue when entering public transport.
Are you prepared?
There will be much difficulties in having mamak sessions as they are no longer allowed to place their tables beyond their designated restaurant area. This also includes some coffee shops. All those Chinese eateries operating under the tree, next to the road or beside the train will be completely gone as they do not satisfy the minimum cleanliness requirement.
Are you prepared?
Prices of property will be rocketed sky high as foreign workers population is significantly reduced which contributed to increase in cost. This is on top of the costly materials used to guarantee that properties are “Act-Of-God”-proof. Proper security at gated communities also means you will have to be properly registered when entering such areas and details have to be verified against your identification.
Are you prepared?
And what about… no more pirated DVDs. No more pirated software. No more pirated computer or play-station games. No more fake watches and accessories. No more cheap computers. No more cheap “AP phones”.
Are you prepared?
The above are just some things which will most probably materialise if our country is to leap from the current dismal state to true 1st world scenario. Do add if you can think of any other scenarios we should be prepared for.
But… do we have the 1st world mentality to cope? Are we seriously prepared?
When you are stopped by the police for speeding or any other offences, there will be no more immediate-discounted-settlement scheme. When you are stopped by the police for driving under the influence of alcohol, you WILL land yourself in the lock-up and face trial. This would mean you will pay a hefty fine with a potential jail term.Are you prepared?
There will be no more cutting of queue while taking a turn at a junction. There will most probably be a lot of zebra crossings which you MUST stop when pedestrians are crossing. You can no longer switch lane conveniently at those double-lined lanes which you have been doing everyday. You must drive 40km/h as soon as you see such speed limit even in an empty road.
Are you prepared?
You might not be able to drive alone in your nice car anymore as Single-Occupant-Vehicle is prohibited to reduce traffic congestion. This would definitely cost you your convenience. You will most probably be taking public transport in most of your travels, improved public transport nonetheless. You MUST queue when entering public transport.
Are you prepared?
There will be much difficulties in having mamak sessions as they are no longer allowed to place their tables beyond their designated restaurant area. This also includes some coffee shops. All those Chinese eateries operating under the tree, next to the road or beside the train will be completely gone as they do not satisfy the minimum cleanliness requirement.
Are you prepared?
Prices of property will be rocketed sky high as foreign workers population is significantly reduced which contributed to increase in cost. This is on top of the costly materials used to guarantee that properties are “Act-Of-God”-proof. Proper security at gated communities also means you will have to be properly registered when entering such areas and details have to be verified against your identification.
Are you prepared?
And what about… no more pirated DVDs. No more pirated software. No more pirated computer or play-station games. No more fake watches and accessories. No more cheap computers. No more cheap “AP phones”.Are you prepared?
The above are just some things which will most probably materialise if our country is to leap from the current dismal state to true 1st world scenario. Do add if you can think of any other scenarios we should be prepared for.
But… do we have the 1st world mentality to cope? Are we seriously prepared?
45 comments:
First to comment? Wow. What a privilege. I'd say I'm ok with first world because I don't do any of the stuff listed above. *grin*
Uik.. how come it sounds like you are describing the place I am in now geh?? *grin*
Okay-wat.. I can do all that.
Happy New Year, zewt. May the coming year bring you and Jules good health and all your hearts' desires.
Hi, belated greetings to you. :-)
You know, this is something I ask myself. It all depends on who is the visionary leader that lead us, right?
How I wish all that you said were true in this country of mine....where leaders, law enforcers and Judges are God fearing people.
Zewt
There is no perfect place on earth. My friends like to ask me whether I like Msia or US better. My answer has always been there is no perfect place. As long as I am with my husband is all that matters to me.
What I like most about Msia is the food, my relatives and friends. What I like about the US is the fair education system. I received several academic scholarships. When I graduated the first time, the youngest student was 19 and the oldest was 79.
I LOVE MY COUNTRY!! But my country does not love me... Does this lyric sounds familiar?
To answer your question, are we prepared, requires all Malaysians to ask themselves what they want in the country that they live in.
Do many people in our generation care about our constitution and the make up of our society? Or are we more complacent at the place that we are, as long as we have these little comforts that you have mention so clearly in this post.
Do we just want to survive, or do we sincerely believe that we can make the country better, even if the fruits of that belief can only be made known perhaps generations after us? Can we see far enough? Do we want more enough for our country and for our future? Are we comfort or vision driven? Do we dare?
If yes, then these comforts should be nothing but little sacrifices for the bigger picture.
Indeed I don't think that we have the 1st world mentality to cope right now. Maybe many of us fear, maybe we don't believe that we can make that difference, maybe we are all indifferent, maybe we are to jaded to see beyond the situation.
But I want to prove myself wrong, at least in my life time, to see some hope, some where, some how in our country.
=)thanks for sharing.
Zewt,
I'm prepared; but that will NEVER Happen!!! Not in the next decade or even century.
I so know what you mean.. In US it is like that and though it may seem all organized I still prefer Malaysia. The traffic here is so strict and the cars really let people move first.
And I miss my mamak stalls!!!
i was really surprised when i first came here, and also when i visited prague last winter.....tat is when i wanted to cross the road with or without the zebra crossing,the cars actually slowed down for the pedestrians to cross!
even when i take cab, the cab would slow down in a middle of heavy traffic to let people cross the road..and i was running late for class!
for me, it's a polite thing to do..
it's something we cannot see in msia!
sometimes, now, i dont even need to look twice when i cross the road. my friend told me, u just put one leg out onto the road, they'll stop..and i tried, really did! amazing!
nice post u wrote!
NO! not the pirated DVDs!
well to be honest, i don't mind. i actually hate driving to work given a choice. i prefer walking but we all know most people don't have this kind of luxury.
i have been stopped by police in a few incidences and each time i just tell them honestly i did commit the offense and i asked for the tickets. they let me off with a warning. i am not sure if i am that lucky but like it or not, if this country continue to be as it is and probably worsen, we have no choice but to leave anyway.
everything is a trade-off one way or other. we cannot have the pie and eat it...
yes!! i'm prepared!!
1. i was caught speeding, and had to pay by having no license for 3 years (and counting)..because i didn't bribe! lol
2. i never cut queue when driving!! ok driving 40m/h can die..u sure it's not 40miles/h? =P
3. aih..me no car >.<
4. I HATE MAMAKKK!!! hahahha
5. i don't mind..less/no foreign workers means less crime. i heard screams this morning again. beginning to get damn immune to this edi
6. er..still got P2P softwares to download movies ar? =P
These changes are necessary if we would want a better quality of life. But I doubt that the people in general are prepared to change their mentality.
Excellence in mediocrity is deeply embedded in them. It would take at least a generation or two for positive change to take effect. That is if things are taking effect now... but looking at the current direction we are heading... I doubt that it would materialise that soon. My take 2020 will not be achieved.
Th answer is...
NO!
know whut..pergi satu kondo..security guard dia buat tak tau je kete keluar masuk...kita komplen kata,ada security pun,bukan dia nak jaga sapa keluar masuk..
then,pegi kondo lain...security tak bagi kita masuk..minta lesen,tanya unit mana kita nak pergi..tak boleh bawak masuk kete..kene park kat luar..
then,kita komplen-security guard ni lebih2 pulak!!
so..im not prepared ...never!
Greetings Zewt :)
My thoughts:
No country could leap into becoming a 1st world in a single night or even in a single year. But in the longer terms of things, are we prepared for the list of changes that you mentioned? Why not?
Everyone is inherently afraid of change and therefore it must be done gradually. And educating the next generation to do "what is right" and inculcating good values can go a long way into changing our future mindsets. While old habits die hard, our "preparedness" is measured by how willing we are to look beyond our own respective well-being.
The problem that I see in Msia is that while we have not moved towards the 1st world mentality, we have instead moved in the opposite direction by being so much more entrenched in communal thinking and emphasis on the "know who" rather than the "know how".
As to how we can prepare ourselves and manage the change that is in my mind a necessity for this country to move forward? This is what the government is supposed to do - to lead, to manage and to govern in the best interest of the people. Corruption, discrimination and the propagation of communal politics is certainly not in the best interests of this country, although the current government would like us to believe that it is.
And of course, we buy into it. Who doesn't like to buy cheap DVDs and AP handphones? Who would like to go to jail for driving under the influence of alcohol? Who would indeed? But is it right? And are these the values we wished to passed on to our children? Now, are we prepared to do that?
I think this all depends in one factor : adaptability.
When things change, it change, ppl need to change.
Even now, we are all adapting the best we could, of course, with a better platform, it's just better, but at the same time, need adapting as well.
I'm sure we'll all learn to adapt. If it's for the better, why not? It's a little bit of give and take - If we want a better country, changes must begin from within us.
Zewt..I love this post. You actually made me think! :p
I think Malaysia is heading towards becoming a 'fine' country, just like our neighbour!
GREAT post! I for one, am not prepared. Then again, I'm being selfish - living in a 1st world country and returning to the perks of a 3rd world country whenever I please.
Happy New Year, Zewt! Try not to get into too much trouble, whether real or imagined by the Malaysian police.
This is a fine country to live in. If you minus all the illegal gatherings (which only occur when election is near and for some not necessary at all - if one wants to hand in a memorandum why march in thousands - publicity and so that things are noticed? - nahh), there is peace and love here generally.
relatively cheap, crime - where on earth there is no crime and we dont have mass shooting every other 6 months, bombs blowing up ever other day, plenty of oppurtunities etcetc
I was prepared a long long time ago because I am a responsible and civic minded person amongst others.
I think I am prepared for it..
rinnah - yes you are... :)u sure..? no cutting queues?
kat - hahaha... then is it nice being there? :P thanks for the well wishes.
Helen - wah... visionary leader is very subjective. cant be quatified.
pablopabla - maybe in days to come...it will be. but are we prepared?
JesieBlogJourney - indeed, there is no perfect country. but this country beyond imperfection... it has reached a stage where it is quite atrocious. yeah, food is all malaysia is good for... u should read my post titled 'the reason evolution'.
purple mushroom - very familiar indeed :)
Suit Lin - very well said. i think we should all ask ourselves and be honest... do we want to remain in this mediocre way of life or do we wanna move forward for the greater good. but i am sad to say... i am sure plenty are still suck in 3rd world thinking.
Maverick SM - hahaha... dont be so pessimistic la.
-Princess Shin- - guess you're one of those who are not prepared eh?
Lynnwei - you're in UK now right? i think UK drivers are still quite bad. try singapore and aust... they are really law abiding citizens.
Wuching - hahahaha... wonder why.
myop101 - judging by the way things are, i think it wont be long before all of us are force to leave.
Huei - that is a very confident reply. but why you hate mamak? P2P download, i guess should be still available kua... no worries.
F.O.N @ Frostee - 2020 is dead and buried dude. which is why the current administration introduced 2057.
j or ji - betul pun... we just want to have the best of both world... which makes us hypocrites.
-Ivan - the thing is, a lot of us are all rooted deep into this lifestyle of ours and we just dont realise it. it's much more severe than we think it is. so much so we are so comforable that a change to the routine convenience will result in the tidak-apa attitude. just look at the bersih rally and the selfish remarks which comes out from it.
freethinker - and the question, are we prepared to adapt?
narrowband - the same question i asked freethinker... are we ready to adapt? to give up the old conveniences?
supergirlfriend - there are plenty such posts here in AZAIG :)
Jam - hmmm... which neighbour?
synergylyn - earning 1st world income and spending it in 3rd world economy is certainly bliss. i shall stay out of trouble... i need to :)
warrior2 - i have to disagree and say that things have gotten quite bad lately. maybe you're right... it's near election...but i am sure things could have been better.
lynnx01 - i am happy to hear that.
kekeke..no...not in UK...if only i'm in UK....how nice..but i'll be visiting UK in Feb!
aha....
heh. you sound like you're describing the country i live in! ;P
the next question to ask would be 'at what price'? and to give all these up for what??? in return for political security? social security? i suppose that's the food for thought part.
OMG prepared? i dont think so... gosh no more pirated stuffs i can die man :P
Well reading this, I don't think my 17 year old mentality can handle it YET. I mean come on, no more mamak sessions? That's rubbish. Those small Chinese eateries banished?- no way. Those stuff you had listed there, some of them are kinda what makes Malaysia the way it is now you know.
Yet again, I'm sure it'd be nice if proper laws like those are enforced but i doubt everyone here would be able to take it all like so suddenly. It's hard to adapt to drastic changes as these. HOWEVER, if baby steps were to be taken, well, perhaps there is a possibility that everyone can be prepared for future changes.
They say bite sized biscuits are easier to digest. Same goes to this. :) Different changes each 6 months or a year or something like that. Not all in one shot. I can get used to things being different if I am given time to be familiar with them.
I think i'm quite well-prepared. As soon as i step my leg here in Germany, i do what people should do here..
1. I never bribe, even in Malaysia. In Germany, no need to say lah, so far, i haven't heard anything like bribing here.
2. Driving 50km/h in the city even though the road is empty(it's the speed limit driving in the city here). I'm doing it all the time. Maybe i'm still a new driver here, for me, driving at the limited speed sounds safe for me. You'll never know if some children run to the road suddenly and not able to brake at the right time. So, better follow the rules..
3. Yes, i queue up when i enter public transport. It will look ridiculous if i jump the queue. Hehe..
4. No mamak here, so no need to change.
5. Prices of property has always been quite high here. So, save more money lah..
6. Like 'Huei', can use P2P, i do it all the time, downloading those TVB series. I can't see any pirated DVDs here. And even if i must buy, it costs only around 10€..So, it's quite cheap actually..
We're all too spoiled by the 'luxuries' of the country...I think about this quite often, more so after coming back from Australia...we are never gonna be ready for this...not when we're so used to the way we are now...and seriously, it's not like things are getting any better here, let alone expect things like these to be enforced...
If anything, I just want the blardy government to do something about our safety...I dont want to continue living in fear in such dangerous country full of crimes.
Lynnwei - hmmm... i will be in London by then too.
imp - hahaha... and you're not very happy in your country? :P... i think this is a case where a balance cannot be strike... either you want strict rules or absolute madness like here.
Sunshine - hahaha... particularly DVDs right?
SWei - well, i think you swallowed it well as a 17 year old. you are right, if the change is gradual, perhaps people will not be taken aback so suddenly. but then again, the situation is so terrible now, a drastic change is required... i think.
seokthong - good for you, i guess you've found yourself the perfect place to be in. it's good that you've adapted well in germany, happy for you. yeah, if you are earnin euro, everything else is quite affordable.
Melissa - Hi there, welcome to AZAIG. yeah, i think we are all so embedded in our state of relax-ness till we cant relax in the changes mentioned. safety...? well, you can have the best of both world... when corruption is rampant, safety will certainly be compromised.
Haha..i doubt im prepared..
When lynn wei (lynnwei.blogspot.com) told me about your blog, she said you were a good writer, and I agree whole heartedly.
Hrm... interesting post.
I agree 108%! To be a truly developed country we do need to embrace a first world mentality.
ok , now that you list out those rules .. Malaysia does have it's third world charms such as pirated stuff ...
can we keep some of the old and improve the public image anyways ??
awww ...
I still not ready coz I'm not in...
Happy New Year and may 2008 will your better year.
AngryYoungChild - i doubt you're the only one.
Aleckii - hi there... welcome to AZAIG. lynn wei is too kind with her words. and i am glad you like this post. Thanks for dropping by.
Tunku Halim - indeed... it is something we all must admit.
jasonphoon - pick and choose .... hmm... then what's the point? hahaha...
Kenny Ng - i think a lot are not ready...
i'm ready coz i imagine myself living in singapore, germany, seoul. i love the convenience of public transport in these places, courteous drivers, and i won't have a prob with mamak/roadside stalls, cos i'm not really into it.. no time lah to eat as we're always working or home and at home, got home cooked food mah...
also i agree with Huei, less foreigners mean a better and safer place to live in. But, we will seriously need to be earning more $$ every month to be living in 1st world. if not, how to afford house/condo wor??
shopahlicfern - yup... we will need to earn 1st world salary in order to have a 1st world lifestyle...
2020 dead! My my... where have I been?!! 2057... drag it on longer now eh? shifting the goalpost? I bet you when we're 10 years before 2057... the goal post would shift again if the current mentality remains unchanged.
F.O.N @ frostee - yeah... 2057 for a 100 years achievement. of cos... we all know what we have achieved or underachieved.
i think all the above i'm pretty much ok with. it's funny but sometimes when i do drive and i see a sign which says max. 40kmph or whatever, i actually try not to go beyond that (much to my mom's chagrin+annoyance, lol).
as for the single-occupant-cars thing, it would be even better if the public transports are uber efficient. and the higher costs for housing sucks, but maybe the gov will pump in some money for housing plans then if they are sending back the immigrant workers - like a trade, sorta>? >_o (hahah, wishful thinking i guess)
aside all that i think i'm somewhat prepared for it. i don't exactly consider myself having 1st world mentality la, but i hope im getting there =D
zaty - you really slow down to meet the speed limit... i salute you zaty... i truly salute u.
Post a Comment