Tuesday, September 02, 2008

NST drive: Ubah Gaya Hidup

Terpaksa Ubah Gaya Hidup?

NST front page headline today:

Second-hand retail trade is on the uptrend.
Entrepreneurs who run these 'bundle stores' are smiling.

"I have the rich, the poor and the famous buying my second-hand shoes."
- store owner.

"It is not about how much you pay any more. What matters now is how little you pay for an item."
- Daphne Lim
an avid second-hand shopper

The second-hand business is booming as Malaysians tighten their belts and find ways to stretch their income to make ends meet.

Kuala Lumpur Consumer Association likened the second-hand shopping as "a move from civilized to uncivilized".

It's vice-president, Jay Sinnah Naidu, doubts there is a rise because of brand-conscious Malaysians.

Malaysia is moving towards developed-nation status, but we're exposed to regression culture and spending habits.


"Second-hand shopping is like asking to change from a Mercedes to a Morris Minor," Jay says.

People do not wear used clothes and used shoes. Now, many had catch up with this new trend.

These second-hand clothes and shoes comes from Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.

"The shoes though second-hand are still in good condition," says Adie (store owner)

What is perplexing is that Malaysians are buying second-hand clothes and shoes and these second-hand goods comes from countries who were far backward than Malaysia in the last decade - Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos: the people there are buying new clothes and shoes and are disposing their old ones to Malaysia: for us!!! Ubah Gaya Hidup!

I was talking to my Indonesian workers this morning on this subject and he told me that he used to buy those second-hand clothes and shoes when he first came to Malaysia to work but now he wears better clothes and shoes because he can afford and he thinks he deserved it. He asked to be excused as he is rushing out to meet with some friends at The Curve Shopping Complex. I shouted at him when he was walking away: "What are you buying this time?" He retorted: "Nokia N96 latest.". I sigh!


Read more of the news from NST here:

NST: Things that don't cost a bundle

NST: Finding value in second-hand goods

NST: It's how you wear cheap imported clothes that matters

NST: Soaring future in low prices

NST: A growing romance in 'pre-loved' products

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21 comments:

Anonymous said...

We used to be one of the Tiger of asia.

But now, render to level of dogs scavenging for leftovers.

Voted for umno/bn, one thing for certain... eat shit & die.

***beeranyone

Raison D'etre said...

Saudara,
NSTs stories are as if its a new thing when bundle have long existed in the country courtesy of the "sedekah baju" practise of yesteryears. There was not even a need to pay.

Don't worry, beeranyone, the rakyat will not let themselves be degraded to such levels.

I hope not. Amin.

Selamat Berpuasa.

Click here to visit my Blog

Maverick SM said...

Beeranyone,

Not yet lah; still a few feet away from the scrumbs.

My Raison D'etre,

Ya, I hope not too! Just keep hoping and we will be alright.

Anonymous said...

Malaysia mid-income earner in urban area are actually relatively poor.

Anonymous said...

aiyah, ubah gaya hidup...

hello how many times mau ubah.

now some more want us to depend on 'sedekah baju' like dat better turn into a communist state... then bodowi can tell the people how, what & when to eat.

-crackodollah

Anonymous said...

Actually some of this 2nd cloth origin are questionable. some are ransack from various victim of dies of accident/disaster. Some are cloth donations from other country.

Yan said...

After one Term of mis-management by the sleepy head of our government, we have already reached such a deplorable state. How worst can we be if this were to be continued for another Term? While Malaysians start to wear used clothings, someone could easily afford to wear clothing from the (SIL's) Emperor clothing boutique.

Our sleepy head would not leave voluntarily as the Japanese PM did. Malaysian are not as aggressive as the Thais in pushing for a change due to various reasons & constrain. It is becoming more urgent that DSAI should take over as soon as possible. But then, we won't know what will happen next because our sleepy head has warned in his budget speech that he will not allow this to happen. May God help us. We need Divine intervention.

Anonymous said...

doesnt mean if one choose to wear second-hand clothes mean that he/ she is demeaning himself/herself to lower level.

it's just the matter of taste and money.i dont see anything wrong with it.

if anyone wants to buy either new or second-hand item,well then go ahead.just pick any that suit our lifestyle.

second-hand or bundle culture have long exist here in Malaysia.no need to mention Pak Lah or politicize everything.

Maverick SM said...

Moo_t,

I don't think they are relatively poor; but it is observed that they are struggling to pay debts accumulated and with the rising cost of living it has been made harder.

Crackodollah,

Have you join in the new trend?

Yan,

Malaysians are generally more restraint in their outward aggressive behavior. We prefer peace and stability and would accept mediocrity.

Maverick SM said...

Tiny voice,

Is it? Did you buy second-hand clothes from Chow Kit? Try lah!

Jefus said...

tiny voices,

if the singaporeans wear it, its a fashion statement, if we wear it, its because we are poor, .......don't delude yourself.

point is, poor governance has led us down this slippery road in economy and compounded with the soggy global outlook, we will have to endure this inconvenience.

in the middle east, they are practically lighting bonfires with USD dollars, - building cities in Saudi, in Dubai, Abu Dhabi etc.
that is to give you an indication that not all are suffering as the papers would like us to think. albeit they are now in a tight spot for building material and the weak dollar.

so, coming back to used clothes, its the gomen trying to brain wash us la,......

Anonymous said...

yo mave!

i own many second hand clothes maa.no big deal lah.cheap and comfy.

but that doesnt mean i dont buy new and branded stuff at all.i do own also many new and branded stuff.

the point is,just pick best what suit to your style.that's all.if it's value for your money,then go on.

jefus,
if you think the govt is brainwashing us,then prove to them that they're wrong.we people have the right to have our own say as well.they can say what they want but it's up to us to choose either to heed it or not.

and no."bundle culture" is not the latest hype and the new trend.it's been long practised here in Malaysia.

Unknown said...

laaa...bundle ni sama dengan second-hand.

takde benda la ni.terpulang la pada masing-masing untuk pakai atau tak pakaian bundle ni.

tak semestinya pakai pakaian bundle ni menunjukkan kita ini "miskin".saya ada kawan yang berharta dan berduit tetapi tetap pakai pakaian bundle kerana mereka memilih cara tersebut.

ini semua terpulang pada setiap indvidu.ada yang suka dan ada yang tak.kikiskan dari minda yang orang yang pakai pakaian bundle ni tak berduit dan miskin.

Anonymous said...

Wonder when M'sian ministers will auction their 2nd hand clothes for poor M'sian to buy?

SAMAK

Anonymous said...

Why do they have to make such a noise about this matter.
Buying second hand items have been practiced long before this.
Just that it never entered the newspaper before.
Buying second-hands items don't mean that you are poor or anything.
They are just more concern about the value of their money, and for some it's a joy to be able to get stuffs at cheap prices

Anonymous said...

mave,

join in the new trend? thanks but no thanks.

one man meat is another poison.

well if dollah want to use 2nd hand jean, that his choice...

but to some of us, it just not our cup of tea...

***crackodollah

Anonymous said...

Ubah gaya hidup semula lagi? Dah berkali-kali ubah gaya hidup sejak Pak Lah jadi PM!

mindful mariner said...

The actual origin of these second-hand clothes and shoes needs to be investigated.

The NSTP story stated:-
"These second-hand clothes and shoes comes from Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. The shoes though second-hand are still in good condition,"

If from Veitnam, Cambodia & Laos, they most probaly were items of used clothing originally sent from developed countries and were most likely donated for charitable purposes, thus they will have been hijacked and sold, or perhaps the shoes could be stolen property?

Many goods imported into Malaysia do not seem to be properly declared and are obviously not acurately checked on import by the Customs Department.

There is litle wonder that sub-standard electrical appliances, fittings and other suspect goods are freely available in supermarkets and shops.

Endemic bribery and corruption are the likely causes of the 'inefficiency' of the relevent authorities both in Malaysia and the other SE nations.

Malaysia a developed country by 2020, pigs might fly!!

KIMHO8 said...

A bit worry about the sources of those second-hand products such as used shoes, bags, phones & etc.

Maverick SM said...

Jefus,

You have a point. But that is not what I wanted readers to ponder. Read the comments in Mindful Mariner below and that's the essence.

Tiny Voice,

Maybe you do not seemed to differentiate between "Reject Shop" clothings and "Used Clothes". Reject Shop sells new clothes which are new but could be stocks disposal and they get these clothes from Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, or even Europe where it is stocks/inventory disposal.

Used Clothes are those worn by others and are truly second-hand.

The point is: those coming from Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia, a country largely living in poverty; where did they get used clothes? Most likely it comes from Unicef or donated by large corporations for the poor. Instead the officers sold them to Malaysia - that's corruption and we are encouraging them to do so.

end,

If you friends who are so rich had to buy second-hand clothes, they are making themselves as laughing stock. We are referring to those second-hand clothes sold in Chow Kit and Permatang Pauh(as per the story in NST). If your friend buys those used clothes from Harrold which cost BP100 (i.e. RM650) that's designer's wear, not used clothes.

Samak,

M'sian ministers often give away their clothes to charity. That's reality. We have to appreciate the goodness.

White,

I think you do not seems to gather the rationale behind the used clothes.

Crackodollah,

I agree with you.

sheriff,

Sudah jadi culture.

Mindful Mariner,

You hit the points.

KIMH08,

That's a good point which I would want to ponder.

Anonymous said...

UBAH GAYA HIDUP...???

tell that to our Govt Backbenchers..they are going on a field trip..and the poor taxpayer must be paying for it.

If Govt are afraid that they will jump ship on Sept 16..it would be more econonmical to make them camp in the jungle..no radio, no tv.,no phone connections