Aziff Azuddin's Blog, page 2

Kumpool: Can it survive the ridesharing market?

How do you break into a market dominated by a major player? This is the conundrum faced by many ridesharing services that have to go up against Grab. The behemoth company is a major player across Southeast Asia, commanding a 95% market share.

For Kumpool, the gap is to offer an on-demand mini-bus service — different from other players in the market who only offer private cars. The ridesharing service has been operating in Johor Bahru since December 2019 and has recently decided to foray into the...

Blind Hikers

This is an unpublished essay for my travelogue, Why I Travel. The book was published by MPH Publishing in 2017.

“I want to trek the Himalayas,” I told Adi one day over breakfast. He regarded me with contemplation, as he always did when I suggested random activities out of the blue. We had both come from the heels of Ben Stiller’s latest flick, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, the fictional tale of TIME Magazine’s photo editor who after decades of dead-end employment, embarks on an adventu...

Does KKM’s latest chart make sense?

Two months ago, the Ministry of Health began distributing charts of new COVID-19 infection cases over 5,000. It was an interesting chart because the intent seemed clear: to visually quantify and communicate to the public the severity of infection cases. Around this time, the increasing number of cases was attributed to mass testing conducted in Selangor or most case clusters emerging from industrial factories. This is well into the third iteration of the Movement Control Order (MCO 3.0), and the...

Why I rarely write op-eds anymore

When I was in my early twenties, I was encouraged by a family friend to send op-eds to the media. I was a journalism student, and I had strong opinions. I sent my first op-ed to an online portal. It was about the financial feasibility of a “free education”. Specifically abolishing PTPTN loans and how free education came at a cost.

When it was published, and the editor informed me via e-mail, I was ecstatic. To see my name on the by-line and my thoughts laid out for the Malaysian public to see. I...

A Journey through Southern France

France is one of those places that I never imagined myself traversing. When I think about France, I must shamefully admit that I can only conjure up the many stereotypes that have made their way into media. So when I was offered the opportunity to visit France over a two week holiday, I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to explore. However, I was not without due diligence. I went to the local library to pick up The Discovery of France: Picador Classic by British author Graham Robb. The travelogu...

Visualising COVID-19 Cases

It is almost three weeks into the Movement Control Order (MCO), with cases reaching into the thousands daily. Despite the government’s attempt to innoculate the public with the optional AstraZeneca drive, little has changed in the infection cases. The recent Aidilfitri celebrations had also left policy-makers and the public worried about a rise in COVID-19 infections – due to many not adhering to outlined Standard Operating Procedures (SOP).

On May 15th 2021, the local news portal MalaysiaNow ex...

Melaka: Of Udang Geragau, China and Pulau Konet

How does one stay awake during a midnight drive interstate? In the many years of drives in the dead of the night, I found that there are three essential things. One, a few cans of coffee bought over the petrol station counter. Preferably black and roasted, if not, a latte would do. Two, the radio blaring loudly. I usually have it on a rock or dance playlist with enough BPMs (beats per minute) to keep me constantly moving. Finally, an engaging conversation.

These three are essential during a driv...

Temerloh: Patin Trade and Tempoyak

“Fish caring isn’t complicated. You only need to feed them twice a day. Once in the morning, and then in the evening”.

Zahari Zaidi, 45, has been in the Patin fishery business for eleven years. Together with his brother, he runs Lebak Patin’s Garden, one of the many Patin farms along the Sungai Pahang. It was 10 A.M. in the morning. Zahari gestured towards the dozens of cages submerged beneath the murky waters.

Ikan Patin, while not exclusive to Temerloh – has its...

Decolonising Penang’s history

Recently, national discourse has been rife with questions of historical revisionism and decolonisation.

First, is the defacing of Francis Light’s statue in Penang. Red paint was thrown on the statue; the act characterised as vandalism. Another account frames the act as part of the wider Black Lives Matter movement, where historical figures with problematic histories are removed.

Second, is an op-ed that appeared on the Malay Mail. The article argued for Penang to be returned to the state of Keda...

Why we need to be serious about domestic tourism

There is a certain charm to travelling in one’s own country. I have always believed that there is more one can see for themselves exploring their own backyard than they would flying across international borders. While low-cost flying did not ruin domestic travel, it drew Malaysians away from exploring their own country. This is not a Malaysian problem either. In the United Kingdom, plenty of seaside business owners lament holiday-goers who prefer spending summer in Spain, then they would in seas...