Why Thailand preferred despite frequent demos?

YOURSAY 'Thailand had more street demos and yet foreigners seem to be flocking to Phuket, Pattaya, Chiang Mai and Bangkok for their second home.'

Eli Wong blasts Yen Yen for My Second Home dig

Jams McLellan: As a potential applicant for the ‘Malaysia My Second Home' scheme (MM2H), I can state categorically that it is not the fear of street demonstrations which puts me off applying.

Among a whole raft of reasons including the bureaucratic hassles, one of the most cogent is the sheer stupidity of Malaysian ministers and senior government politicians such as Tourism Minister Ng Yen Yen, as evident from their foot-in-the-mouth public comments.

I would love to spend the remainder of my days living among charming, friendly and hospitable Malaysians. It's such a pity that those in power are the exception to this general rule. Talk about the people not getting the government they deserve.

WanChange: I have feedback from a few would-be seniors who wanted to take up MM2H but the policy changed and they had been rejected.

The security deposit has also been increased - the amount used to be for the husband only but now both husband and wife must put in separate bank deposits as security.

Other benefits are also not attractive so many have decided to go to Singapore or Thailand. Ng Yen Yen must wake up and not only try to blame streets demonstrations in order to score political points.

Amused Malaysian: I am a MM2H agent, thus have relevant information. I believe the programme has been successful in numbers, however the ministry's target area is wrong.

To date, the largest numbers have been from China and Bangladesh, with small numbers of Japanese and South Koreans. Recently, we see a spate of Iranians - certainly not the Europeans as we have expected.

The objective of the programme was to attract ‘rich' people to spend their twilight years in Malaysia by bringing in money and thus helping the economy. The reality has been for from that.

The majority of these visa holders are working full-time and or running businesses in Malaysia. They even employ their own relatives, thus depriving Malaysians of jobs. In that way, the programme is a failure.

Colling: I am a former Malaysian living overseas and had at one time contemplated living in Malaysia for a few months each year under the My Second Home programme.

The primary reason I decided not to do so is the rampant corruption in all spheres of Malaysian society, the breakdown of law and order, racism, lack of freedom of speech, the abysmal service and attitude of officials behind information counters.

These are only a few of the frustrations I experienced and saw first hand from frequent visits to Malaysia. The list goes on.

It has nothing to do with street demonstrations which I see as an avenue and democratic right of every citizen to express their view or opinion on an issue that needs to be put right.

Lim Chong Leong: Thailand has a similar programme and I understand it is more successful. And we know how these Thais can demonstrate.

Blaming the programme's failure on street demos is too simplistic and even opportunistic (by hitting out at the opposition), and this is done without comprehensive study on the actual and cumulative causes of why MM2H is not attractive to foreigners.

Has a survey been even conducted on why it had failed? What are the numbers involved of those approached, how much was spent on publicity and how were the promotions carried out?

Or did we just spend on some cronies who did nothing, as in the case of the Tourism Ministry's Facebook page or the Shanghai Expo's wooden house?

Disgusted: Thailand had more street demos and yet foreigners seem to be flocking to Phuket, Pattaya, Chiang Mai and Bangkok for their second home, especially the Germans and North Europeans.

Why this is so is because the Thais are a very accommodating and hospitable people and Thailand is safer for them as their laws protect foreigners as well. Unlike here, where the authorities even raided an elderly married couple over alleged ‘khalwat' (close proximity).

Keep up with all your religious antics and you'll find nobody willing to stay here except Indonesians, Bangladeshis, Pakistanis and some rogues from Africa. The remand prison in Sungai Buloh is full of them.

This country's tourism is going down the drain because of the government's chauvinism. Besides, Malaysia is not a safe place for tourists due to the robberies and snatch thefts.

Penang Voter: In Thailand, freedom of expression is a healthy thing. In fact, it can be a 'tourist' attraction.

Thailand has experienced more than 10 coups and countless demos over the years and yet, their tourism numbers remain sky high. Compare their airport to ours. Theirs is filled to the brim, ours is like a mortuary.

Fair&Just: It's true, ‘street demonstrations' that are violent and rowdy like those in Penang and other affected states, where the mat rempits and thugs from certain parties disrupting the peace seem to enjoy free and wanton behaviour without action from the authorities. Those are really frightening.

Giudice: The root cause of the problem is you, Ng Yen Yen, and the rest of your colleagues in government.

Anyone who has dealt with ministers and the like will know the kinds of ridiculous demands made in terms of protocol and treatment. Who do you think you are?

You have forgotten that you serve the public and not vice versa. Maybe you should try doing your job effectively instead of playing the blame game.

You are not VIPs or VVIPs. You are servants of the people. And we, the public, should treat you all as such.

Yum: It should not surprise us when this minister ascribes a simple-minded reason to a complex problem. Like the time she suggested womenfolk should wear perfume and dress in see-through lingerie to stop their husbands from straying.

Yes, folks, this is the ministerial quality we have in government. Doesn't the BN have any skilled technocrats left to helm the ministries anymore?  - Malaysiakini