Being scammed in Malaysia

29 November 2013 on Air Asia flight AK878 from Kuala Lumpur to Sibu

Every time I am in KL airports, I am always being reminded that we the Malaysian citizens are being constantly scammed by the Malaysian government to protect and for the benefits of Corporates and political cronies. Instead of protecting its citizens, Malaysian government engineered for the citizens to be abused. Normally, scams are operated by Mafia, gansters or people of the underworld. But in Malaysia, it is syndicated by the governments for the benefits of its political ally.   

Scams involve money and the perpetrators will try extracting as much money as possible from the victims. For the private scams, one can always walk away. But for one syndicated by government and its enforcement arm, you have no choice but to willingly walk into the trap.

Let's take a close look at the scams 

1. Airport and other public transport terminal Taxis 

To protect the airport taxis whose permits holders are government political cronies, city taxis are not allowed to pick up passengers on their way back to the city. That created 2 problems; (1) the passengers become captive to exorbitant price demanded by the taxi operators and the syndicate, and (2) source of additional pollution when airport goes empty back to airport and city taxi go empty on its return to city. Although there are changes to the rulings recently to allow city taxi to pick up passengers on its return, the rent seeking coupon system is added to milk the passengers and the city taxi drivers.

Taxi coupon system for taxi from KLIA or LCCT to city is another SCAMS. Instead of using meter with additional published surcharge like in Singapore, Bangkok or Jakarta, an approximate zoning in favor of the cronies are used. And recently, I discovered that the ticketing staff also scam the passenger by quoting round-up-to-ringgit price. This saves time giving out coins changes and at the same time forced  the unsuspecting passengers to pay a tips. I caught them once and demanded my changes. So we are doubly scammed; by the government and private individuals. 

Public transport - Bus

With the opening up of the bus routes to allow private companies to operate from LCCT to cities, the cost of going to LCCT is now more affordable. However, with the opening up of new LCCT in 2014, things may change like causing inconvenient for bus commuters by placing terminal further away as compared to KLIA express. There tricks to scam the passengers. 

Public transport - Train

Talking about KLIA Express and KLIA transit, the SCAMS is very obvious. In Bangkok Survanibuhm airport, there are similarly 2 trained for commuters to choose; (1) Express costing 100 Bahts direct to Makasaan station in downtown Bangkok or transit train which stop on 5 to 6 stations at 20+ Bahts. This choice is commuters'.

But in KLIA, the operator intentionally play 2 tricks. (1) to make the transit less obvious and (2) make the fares difference insignificant so that virtually you have one option - get scammed. For example, the fare from KLIA to Putrajaya (PJY)  is RM6.20 and from KLIA to Bandar Tasik Selatan (BTS) which in one stop away RM22.00. If you travel from PJY to BTS, the cost is RM6.00. 

So you have 2 options if you want to go from KLIA to BTS:

(1) take KLIA Transit from KLIA to BTS at RM26.00, or

(2) take KLIA Transit from KLIA to Putrajaya, exit and buy another ticket and wait for 30 minutes for the next train. Total cost is RM33.00 and a lost of 30 minutes.

Why is that so? The operators has the backing of corrupted government.

Airport Parking - LCCT

Those who had experience of parking in LCCT for a few days will know pains of being scammed by the parking operators. For open car parks near LCCT, the cost of RM36.00 per day. This is really daylight robbery. There are other options like the open car parks next to Tune hotel which is RM16 per day, if you don't mind walking in the rain, hot sun or on muddy tracks. Covered car parks in Changi in only SGD 12 per day.

This is another case of take-it or leave-it monopoly scam.

Airport restaurant

The Kopitiam chain food prices in Singapore downtown and Changi airport is almost the same. It is common for Singaporean to take their families to Changi airport for food because the prices are essentially the same as downtown.

Ever wonder why Malaysian airport restaurants are so expensive? It is mainly due to rentals and the high cost of constructions of airport due to mismanagement, financial leakages and delays. Ultimately, we the citizens will bailed out the government and their cronies for their inefficiency and misdeeds.

Airport drinking water  

While government encourages us to adopt a healthy lifestyle of not taking too much sugar and the sugar rich drinks, the provision of drinking waters in the airport in the form of water dispenser is NOT to be found. Both Bangkok and Singapore Changi airports have many water dispensers installed at prominent places. Water is needed to hydrate our body of air bound passengers as airplane cabin is very dry.

Well the scam is to ensure passengers only buy the bottled water or drinks from the stall or get water from the washroom tap. Bottle water is more expensive than petrol.

China airports provide not only cold but also hot water for passengers who want to prepare cup noodles. By doing so, a sizable customer based for the airport restaurants is taken off. But, if this is what the citizen want, give them.

Time to have a pro-citizen government

It is OK to have a pro-business government. But the business must be efficient and provide value added service instead of delay-added and rent-seeking services. Businesses have to be competitive to survive, else the citizens will end up paying for inefficiency and wastages