Malaysia got talent....meh?

Mantra of the week:

*I will not buy the hot hatch, I will not buy the hot hatch, I will not buy the hot hatch*

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I have been house shopping again and house prices in the Klang Valley have really skyrocketed. And really, it is not just centered in the hotspots like Bangsar, Damansara and Hartamas where fundamentals and asset quality are largely intact, but in far flung places where you would never have considered in the past. Having said that, I am taking a contrarian stance to what the naysayers are saying, which is that a bubble is forming in the real estate market. After a 2 year lull since the crises, hoarders are now beginning to splash some cash and property asset seems to be benefitting from it. Look at the profiles of buyers and you would realize there is some serious liquidity sloshing around. And for a lot of these buyers, they are likely to have enough safety net to withstand a fall in valuation should any bubble burst. My mantra for now; if you are looking for a house to stay, and you have found a property that you like…get it quick, the market is just going to get hotter and good property at good locations these days are a dime in a dozen.

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The GOM is setting up a body to attract talent back onshore to reverse the brain drain problem that has plague the country for the longest time. WT-blooming-F.

Kudos for recognizing (albeit a tad too slow) that a good talent base is the foundations for a thriving, dynamic and high value chain economy. *clap clap*. But please, tolong la, do you really think setting up a taskforce is good enough? Talent will come back if; there is a story to our economy (Legoland and middle eastern investors don’t count), there is a level playing field regardless of background (ohhh, dirty word…meritocracy), the education system is not in its current shambolic state (oh for goodness sake, stop flipflopping on policies, every flipflop affects one future generation). These are only the tip of the iceberg, get real dear YBs.

Lastly, to finish off my rant, that smart legal graduate who recently got a slew of awards and distinctions from Cambridge and would be working in Singapore’s Legal Service…he is a product of Singapore’s education system. He is Malaysian by birth…but hell, he is a product of Singapore….I was cringing when I saw how the local newspapers were harping on the fact that he was a Malaysian rah-rah-rah..chest thumping articles. It is embarrassing. The fact that he wasn’t invited to have luncheon with PM and wife (historically, champion Malaysians will always makan rendang and nasi lemak with PM and wife mahh) shows that the powers to be knows that we can’t really claim fame for it.

I still love this country, but its like dating an average looking but supremely horny yet bitchy person…sometimes its hot, sometimes its cold.

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Overheard in Bankerland

Ditzy Chihuahua : *boing boing boing* “Hihi Banker Wanker” *chirpy sugary voice*
Banker Wanker : *slowly lifts head up* “Hi, what’s up?”
Ditzy Chihuahua : “Nothing much, the usual la, I am soooo tired, soooo much stuff to think about…you know”
Banker Wanker : “Yeah, it’s a bummer, our line requires so much thinking, it must hurt sometimes….”
Ditzy Chihuahua : *tilts head to left, quizzical look* “Uhuh….ogay, got to go now, see ya soon” *boing boing boing”

Eye candy yes, porch light on? No…