JULY 29 — Two young Malaysians have recently become international newsmakers, enabling the “brand” of Malaysia Boleh to create a name overseas.

The first person is millionaire Low Taek Jho from Penang and the other is Adam Liaw, a media lawyer studying science and law at the University of Adelaide.

They made themselves well-known abroad with different approaches and the effects are also different.

Low uses his money while Liaw uses his genius.

Low had been accompanied by American socialite Paris Hilton all along from the World Cup tour in South Africa to the champagne party at the Les Caves du Roy nightclub where he defeated his rival Winston Fisher of the prominent New York real-estate family in a champagne war and kissed by Hilton as a reward. The gossip has immediately become a “headline” among the upper-class social circles, causing Low to become the focus of spotlights and the name of Malaysia, a small country, to be spread across the world through the Internet.

According to foreign reports, Low and his rival have set a world record, listen carefully, it is a world record to see who could order the most champagne! Low was the “winner” by raking a staggering bill of €2 million (RM8 million), a sum of money which most of Malaysians could never earn in their lifetime. It makes us wonder whether we should be proud or ashamed of him.

Meanwhile, 31-year-old Liaw was just as surprising. In the finale of Australia’s MasterChef, Liaw won A$100,000 (RM300,000) and a cookbook publishing deal by beating other contestants with his excellent cooking skill. The reality show has become the most-watched, non-sporting event ever shown on Australian television.

Although the prize of A$100,000 is not even one-twenty-nines of the sum of money spent by Low on champagne in just a night, it has somehow brought Malaysia unmeasurable honour.

Liaw said that he was influenced by his grandmother and I wonder who has influenced big-spending Low?

Showiness has always been a Malaysian culture. We built a skyscraper that used to be the tallest building in the world, we sent an astronaut to space at all cost just to fulfil our dream, we spent a huge amount of money to promote walking stick policies and we are still indulge in the game of becoming the world’s largest, tallest, greatest something. Hasn’t Low recently shown us one of the practices of the showiness culture?

Malaysia Boleh is a great dream but it should not be built with showiness. Instead of showing off, it is better to be more realistic. We should enhance the country’s reputation in the international arena with our own efforts and creativity, just like Liaw. As for similar records set by Low, just forget about it! — mysinchew.com

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