‘Everything Malaysia has, Singapore does better’: social media post sparks online debate

The online stir began on Sunday with a post by X user AJAC, an American tourist and fitness influencer, who ranked Malaysia as the best Asian country in terms of English proficiency, according to The Rakyat Post.

He also praised the country for its integrity toward tourists, safety, cuisine, parks, and affordable healthcare. The post garnered over 12 million views and 700 comments.

Another user, Kit Sun Cheah, a science fiction and fantasy writer in Singapore, disagreed and responded with a comment that ignited a heated debate.

He claimed that the city-state outperforms Malaysia in nearly every aspect, including most of those mentioned by AJAC except for affordability and family culture.

"Everything Malaysia has, Singapore does better... Except prices. And, arguably, families," he concluded.

People walk on the boardwalk in front of commercial high rise buildings at Marina Bay in Singapore on Sept. 26, 2024. Photo by AFP

Backlash quickly poured in from Malaysian netizens, many of whom were eager to challenge his claims.

Several users pointed out that Singapore relies on Malaysia for imports of durians, chickens, and even water.

Without natural water resources of its own, the city-state has long relied on importing water drawn from Malaysia's Johor River.

Others pointed out that Singaporeans frequently drive to Johor Bahru, Malaysia, to purchase subsidized petrol despite the practice being illegal.

Malaysia has banned the sale of RON95 petrol to foreign-registered vehicles since August 2010 as the fuel is partly subsidized by the government to benefit only its residents, according to CNA.

Drivers who violate this law can face fines of RM5,000-20,000 (US$1,135-4,540) or imprisonment for up to five years, or both.

Nonetheless, some of them still display false Malaysian license plates on their foreign-registered cars to buy subsidized petrol, as reported by the Malay Mail.

Overall, the consensus is that Malaysia is better in terms of prices, a sentiment also shared by many Singaporeans.

A September poll of 1,548 respondents showed that 55% preferred moving to Johor Bahru to avoid high costs in Singapore, as reported by The Independent Singapore.

However, some users pointed out that Malaysians have also been struggling with rising living costs.

Wages have not kept pace with inflation, despite government efforts to increase the minimum wage, the South China Morning Post reported.

A study by the Khazanah Research Institute revealed that wages in the country increased by an average of RM56 annually over the past three decades, with nearly two-thirds of all fresh graduates earning monthly salaries below 2,000 ringgit.

Low salaries, coupled with soaring property prices, have put home ownership beyond the reach of most young Malaysians.

"If you are working in Kuala Lumpur and looking to buy a property nearby but are earning, say between RM2,400 and RM4,000 (monthly), you could not afford any property there," a bank manager told Malaysian newspaper The Star.

A view of the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, June 1, 2021. Photo by Reuters

Facing stagnant salary growth back home, many Malaysians have moved to Singapore in search of better job opportunities, as reported by Singapore news magazine TODAY.

According to V Sivakumar, Malaysia’s former human resources minister, 1.86 million Malaysians had migrated abroad as of 2022, with 1.13 million settling in Singapore.

A government study released earlier this year revealed that three out of four Malaysians living in Singapore are skilled or semi-skilled workers, sparking concerns about retaining talent and attracting it back to Malaysia.

"I love how safe Singapore is. It is also easy to commute everywhere," Audrey Yeap, a Malaysian who has been living in Singapore for seven years, said. "(During) my internship experience in Kuala Lumpur before graduation, I had to endure a 1.5-hour jam to get to work and then another 1.5 hours to get home."

In a Facebook post cited by The Sun earlier this year, a Malaysian woman who moved to Singapore in 2013 said life in the city-state is more comfortable.

She noted that Singapore's overtime culture, fast-paced lifestyle, and crowded public transportation system can be downsides.

Nevertheless, she feels that the higher income, better career prospects, and enhanced quality of life outweigh these challenges, making the move worthwhile.