Quora Answer: Why are Malaysians Seen to be Richer Than Singaporeans & Bruneians?

The following is my answer to a Quora question: “Why are Malaysians seen to be richer than Singaporeans and Bruneians?”

I have never thought Malaysians are richer, and I doubt most people would.  Singapore and Brunei are obviously much wealthier and more developed than Malaysia.  Why would anyone think Malaysians are richer?  For example, going to Kuala Lumpur, there are some nice buildings, but they are not properly maintained.  The roads are a disaster, with potholes, and rubbish everywhere.  There are slums along the highways.  Going outside the major cities, there are places with no proper running water and electricity.

Whilst there are obviously very wealthy individuals, it is their personal wealth, and they are not the general populace.  Motor vehicles are cheaper, but investment in public transportation is lacking. I  have seen street lights that have not been changed in days, overhead bridges that are crumbling, drains that are clogged.  In what way is that a rich country?  And if that is the country, why would anyone imagine that the average Malaysian is wealthy?

And far be it for anyone to say that this is a biased opinion when even the current government, the Minister of Finance, no less, who is on record about how broke the country is, and how many Malaysians are living in poverty.  There is even a “Tabung Harapan” to pay off the national debt.  This is mildly amusing; as if taking money from children’s savings can offset billions in foreign exchange debt when the currency is tanking.