Sunday 30 January 2011

Short & Sweet: Episode 9 - That cabbie statement

I don’t know what gave us away but as soon as me and my wife got into the cab and told him our destination, he asked “Where are you from?”

His next question was… “So is your country going to was more money to build that tower?”

I responded with a cynical smirk.

His next statement was bold…

“If Lee Kuan Yew was to rule Malaysia, you all will be first world country already!”

And the interesting part?

He was a non-Chinese cabbie.



2 years ago... Do spare them (recommended for CNY reading)... The bau-thai experience


4 years ago… How was your weekend?



24 comments:

day-dreamer said...

OMG. Even the non-Chinese there are...... *sigh*.

Robinn T said...

too many cooks spoil the broth can clearly explain whats going on in our country. owh, did I forget one man is for one man himself?

Jerine said...

If LKY was to rule M'sia, there will be more China Chinese on the street and I would kill myself !!!

Anonymous said...

Racist above me, go choke on your blind hate.

sinlady said...

sigh. i find that gloating superior attitude to be so asinine!

Yvonne Foong said...

Well, whenever I visited Singapore, people could tell I was a foreigner just by my slang. Wish I could hear how Singaporeans speak. :P

Interesting to note how much Singaporens have to be proud of their country and leaders.

Cruel Angel said...

I had a similar experiences. A Malay cab-driver criticize Msia to the core. He was once Msian but no more...

Singaporean are indeed proud of their country!

ngy said...

Msia is so nature resource rich, and the annual budget always surprises me with their numbers; Msia should be better than Sg in terms of currency and services and maintenance, yet.. Somewhere along the 53 years, something just doesnt work as it's supposedly to make Msia better than the younger neighbouring country.

goingkookies said...

wahahaha.. insightful cabbie eh..

Anonymous said...

Yvonne Foong said...
Well, whenever I visited Singapore, people could tell I was a foreigner just by my slang.

well, i am working in singapore now and i love the comfort, efficiency, security, convenience, etc. but trust me, they too have a slang, and native english speakers have problems undertsanding them too. :P

Isaac Tan said...

I agree with the taxi driver.

isaactan.net

Mirebella said...

Zewt - you should give this a read

Anonymous said...

Of course, oh hail wonderful Singapore with its wonderful people and wonderful leaders and wonderful everything. LKY is a GOD, don't you know? Nothing comes close to Singapore, it's the most wonderful nation in the world!

JH

ZACL said...

It never surprises me to hear that cabbies have their eyes and ears on any political pulse.

John Ling said...

Singapore hasn't done too badly for itself, considering it's a non-Malay island fishing in a Malay sea.

Anonymous said...

I wish all the non-Malays in Singapore can come out strongly in protest when Dr M says they are a marginalised lot.

All my Singaporean Malay friends are extremely proud of their country and the fact that they are who they are today due to their own capabilities - meritocracy.

They always poke fun at Malaysia with statements like 'Eh that Malay fella in your gang, bapak must be some corrupted UMNO minister kan?' Go speak to Singaporean Malays and you'll know what I'm saying.

Kim said...

I would agree what the cabbie had said. But could it be that Singapore had lesser population and easier to manage?

John Ling said...

I would agree what the cabbie had said. But could it be that Singapore had lesser population and easier to manage?

Per capita, Singapore has the third-densest population in the world. You have over 7000 people squeezed in per square kilometre.

The Malaysian population, on the other hand, only has 86 people per square kilometre.

Do the math and reason out which is easier to manage and allocate resources for.

zewt said...

day-dreamer - indeed...

Tempus - which man? ;P

Jerine - true... but would you prefer to have banglas / indons / africans as compared to these banglas?

sinlady - well, all because you are in a position to gloat.

Yvonne Foong - dont we wish we would be proud of ours too..?

Cruel Angel - haha.... isnt that an irony!

zewt said...

ngy - i think it's a compound effect all throughout the 53 years.

goingkookies - haha... indeed!

anon @ 8/2 5.36am - hahahaha... i couldnt agree more.

Isaac Tan - dont we all...

Mirebella - err... which one?

anon aka JH - i sense sarcasm... but it doesnt change the fact that it IS indeed better than bolehland.

zewt said...

ZACL - they are the one closest to the ground.

John Ling - they certainly didnt do too bad.

anon @ 15/2 2.42am - i know... by the way, the singapore malays dont consider them as malays... they call themselves singaporeans.

Kimmy - that is a reason which has already evolved into an excuse. John's comment says it all.

soren said...

its not for nothing that when i am in singapore i feel like jumping off from the highest building there.

singanisland said...

I agree with Jerine hehehe. We dont have taxi driver mentality.

Anyone who drive a cab must have a certain mentality that is below the norm.

We are professionals. And there is some fear of China Chinese with their commune mentality that take adjustment to.

Those who agree with the taxi drivers deserve to drive one..

imran said...

"All my Singaporean Malay friends are extremely proud of their country and the fact that they are who they are today due to their own capabilities - meritocracy. " muahaha

That is so funny..the truth is they choose to live in Malaysia ..the real talented ones.

They can earn in one month what they earn in one year in Singapore.

Ask M Nasir, Ramli Sarip, and Imran Ajmain.

Once they see the Malay world in Malaysia, they dont crack jokes anymore... LKY would like to tell them they are merit based in Singapore but they dont have choice.

As I said ask Imran Ajmain...all the Malay bands want to play in Malaysia...hahaha but not the taxi drivers..