I see what you mean but its ironic that you are now in the part of the world where surveillance of citizens is sometimes more effective and accepted by wider society..
OK maybe not so much in the more rural/jungle bits you have mentioned but certainly in urban Malaysia and particularly Singapore the government databases and monitoring actually work and deliver results.
No one really seems to complain about the amount of control as “they increase security” and the standard of living is actually fairly high for those who conform.
Youth lifestyles are heavily locked down compared to the West, and national service has been reintroduced..
ID cards are compulsory….
A recent purge on illegal immigrants resulted in the Reki (the special constabulary) executing five without warrant (their bodies were found in a local lake)
A young couple caught dealing ketamine were both hanged, and their baby taken into care (it will probably be given (or even sold, with the proceeds being kept by the authorities) to a rich middle aged couple)
I suspect that if you feel more “free” in Malaysia its the change of surroundings and because the average person in SE Asia is friendly and hospitable to visitors, plus a lot of younger people look up to the British fashions and way of life – but SE Asia is full of governments that have sacrificed many aspects of the Western concept of individual freedom for economic progress – and it has paid off in the market.
It may also be harder to put CCTV in the kampungs but give it about 5 years and it will be there (particularly those in border areas); they already have mobiles so the network infrastructure is being developed..
I think many middle englanders are actually quite envious of SE Asian countries and how they are run..
