# PD – The Town PMX Left. A Trip Out Meeting Its People (Episode 90)
Published: 2026-06-26T10:25:15+00:00

## Summary
Host Sam Saad visits Lukut in Port Dickson to talk directly with local residents about their economic marginalisation, bank lending barriers, and declining job prospects in a town formerly represented by Anwar Ibrahim. He also interviews Michael, founder of Michael's Badminton Academy, exploring how grassroots community sports halls foster inter-ethnic unity across Malay, Chinese, and Indian youth.

## Key Takeaways
- [3:06] Port Dickson residents lament that outside businesses and cheap imported labour have squeezed out local businesses and left native townsfolk without viable employment.
- [4:35] Rising property prices around RM300,000 paired with low local wages have made home ownership virtually impossible for younger generations in Port Dickson.
- [6:19] Past banking sector consolidations eliminated relationship-driven local branch managers who previously assessed community business loans on personal character rather than rigid bureaucratic metrics.
- [9:13] Michael relocated Michael's Badminton Academy to Lukut in 2016 after receiving crucial support and a three-year rent-free period from an accommodating local landlord.
- [11:27] The badminton academy is collaborating with the Port Dickson District Education Office on a talent campaign to engage 64 underutilised schools in the district.
- [11:50] Michael's nine-year Muhibbah tournament series uses badminton as a vehicle to repair national unity and bridge racial divides across Malay, Chinese, and Indian communities.

## Chapters
0:00 On the Ground in Lukut, Port Dickson
3:06 Local Gripes: Outsider Competition and Squeezed Jobs
4:35 Housing Affordability and Bank Lending Constraints
6:19 Banking Consolidation and Loss of Local Managers
8:41 Michael's Badminton Academy in Lukut
11:27 School Outreach and Fostering Racial Unity Through Sport

## Transcript
[0:11] Welcome to the Kai Shop podcast. I'm Sam Shamsul. We are here in Luk in Fort Dixon. We are at the um what is this J? The This is the food court. Food court 868.

[0:24] 868 in Loot. Yes. Right. We'll show you the around here. Yeah. Okay. We're in the in the middle of town foot 868 foot. Yeah. 868 foot. We're going to we're going to go around and uh spend the whole day in uh in PD. I'm with Michael. I'm with Le. I've got quite a few friends here and we're going to be talking to to some of our friends here. So, some of what we're going to talk about is in English. Some we talk in. Uh unfortunately I cannot speak Chinese. So Jason if you want to talk you know right so uh let's let's let's find see how our people in this country are

[1:10] living how they feel you know and uh later on we will we will see as you all know you know I really want to see um how exactly we live our lives and actually how do we make our country better. We have a country to say. So without further ado, I mean, let's get one guest. controversial. Yeah. Oh, so you and then you went to Petron.

[2:08] So, and then go to EXO mobile. How long how when did you retire from Exommobile? I retire. I know retire under petrol. What is the state company?

[2:22] But but but okay. I don't know. They took over. Petron took over. They I left 95. I was uh in 95. So 95 I think 8,000 people they go to exom.

[2:40] They become exom. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. after mobile. So how many people oil and gas upper gas lower gas gas why the local people so frustrated?

[3:06] Yeah. Why? I want to hear. Okay. Please one thing for me. Huh? Earlier everybody got a job, they got a business, everything is very nice. But now we in Swiss until most of them is gone. Every time

[3:25] what? What do you mean? Can you explain to me why do you mean every squeeze outsider come? Outsider come and take over. When you say outsider, outsider from where?

[3:42] Import from other places. You're not local. So the local people outstandard. You mean immigrant or people from outside state? Immaterial. Immaterial.

[3:54] So PD people got no job. Exactly. Choices outside. They offer cheaper salary also. Some of them like the businessmen squeeze out. Then the good business is taken out by outsider and then no chance you go for them also they don't want the local people because they don't follow their instruction only many things

[4:21] tell me some more I'm hearing one already okay you see even the local want buy a house okay easy to buy a house now please how much is the house here on average a good house

[4:35] a reasonable House three bedroomedroom. Okay. 300,000 house at present price. It be easy to get a loan work people know. What the job you doing? What job can I offer you? High salary in your career. Unlike those days.

[4:56] When you say unlike those daysh um how long ago would you consider unlike those days? Let's say 10 to 20 years ago. Okay. Even the the son want to buy a house the father or family people able to be a grandto no problem. But now I'm not sure everything.

[5:17] Yeah. Because why even now if the father father already retire how to become guaranto that that's the thing don't say don't care whe such sick restriction from the bank or you get loan for you to get assistant it's very easy don't say that's why don't say mind thing is very Easy. My my account is good with the bankh. No, I tell you what. I I I tell you what. I I I hear you. You know why? My same my same complaint. This is what I call about. You know why this has happened? First number one just

[6:19] consolidate all the banks. See all the small banks I mean all these small local bank. All right. So now we don't have anymore.

[6:35] Last time even very good very good manager know. Okay. cannot manager cannot give loan. Exactly. Now there no more existent don't say your business okay never mind you want to buy this thing okay they will discuss a way for you to get they will help you to get don't say you don't need one qualification the banker understand you they assess you and he okay I don't Oh say how I don't have

[7:19] you don't have job you're businessman you do small business how we don't come but banker know you're good person yeah yeah yeah yeah I know what you're talking about yeah tell me more tell me more what else is the problem you see here. Hey, tell me something. When you give me an example, like the job here taken away by outsider. Okay. What business come here that take away PD? People not local. You can see the go around one shop with our waterfrs.

[8:22] A lot of my friends has been telling me cuz I've been a businessman for a long time. Correct. Right. Um and I'm semi-retired. So that's why I did the podcast because my friend say I do Sam you're so you know you got all sorts of ideas in your head and this one

[8:41] hi guys I'm with Michael of Michael's academy here in Luk uh we will show you the impressive uh Bit Academy that he has across the uh across the road from this uh

[8:57] restaurant to 68 foot. Yeah, I guess. Okay. Um Mike, how how how long have you running this B Academy? This uh MBA look operated in 2016.

[9:13] I see. Yeah. The reason of uh 2016 is because uh before this I have a court in Banda Put which have 32 courts. So the tenency expired. So they are not re renewing the contract. So I have to ship. Then I try to look for a lot of locations but unfortunately cannot get it. So happened my friend Chu Bang which is a former Thomas couple told me that this place he got a lot of student uh in hand. So that's why I came here. One good thing about I met a good landlord because to bring him here he give me a very good offer three years free rental that is the thing that brought me in

[9:57] here because uh in politics or local the what do you call the people there still don't have enough players you know to go into this so anyhow I still persist in building up this fall. So after building this hall uh is already 10 years already. So during my time the we still get lot of international tournaments here. Every year I have international. Unfortunately during uh covid-19 I really feel a good strainer but uh with the support of my landlord I still got to give me a good landlord I must say.

[10:37] Yeah. I must say this landlord is very very good compared to what I have the two future landlord give me a lot of headache this landlord very easy you know something like passion I say I'm since they dealing with this side of sports which good for the community is something like NGO having such a nice hall people can enjoy this facility with a very minimum sum so after the covid-19 didn't really feel the strain. Now we are coming back up. So I'm in 10206. Uh I have a new plan working with the what you call PBPD the Lucation Department to do a project called Chari campaign because in polison

[11:27] I found that we have 64 school is very underutilized. So I met with PBD during uh last two month where they held a tournament here. We are working towards called Chari Char and secondly my mission is I want to have this bminton to call it manalui

[11:50] because I feel that uh we are unity in this country is very bad. So I'm trying in fact I already done nine years of my tournament called muhiba. So he have to be all racer. Bminton is still played by many Malays, Chinese and Indians. So I'm trying to work on my unity tournament again. I still never got even in my I always put that logo. So as I'm getting old, I hope I still can sustain a few more years to get my dream of producing one champion from 47. I hope that uh BBPD which I've been talking to them many time to give us a support because we need to them to bring

[12:36] the students to my school then only we can select a good player to represent the state. So this is my first step now. Okay. Okay. Yeah, I think I think uh in my thoughts are actually one of the things that you you you say about just now that is uh very interesting is

[12:53] just by having this uh this court that you have right um the just to bring the community together of all races is already such a noble effort right even whether we produce a champion or we don't produce a champion to me that is an ambition

[13:12] but the ambition of actually putting people together, you go through sportsh is very very uh it's what we used to do when we were growing up. Yeah, that's a thing. There's a thing.

[13:24] We used to play everywhere. Municipal uh pada schola all the races came together. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. In fact, for your information, I was told I'm the first Malay to come here to eat in this uh what do you call in this food court?

[13:52] Yeah. Yeah. I think that's a very noble effort. Yeah. Yeah. I think uh I hope more people can do what like what you are doing, you know.

[14:04] Yeah. Um so hey thank you so much Mike. Yeah I hope my my this will fulfill. Yeah. So I'm trying to uh I'm trying to do one event if possible in November or next year one another tournament.

[14:22] Excellent. This is my mission. I haven't done more than 9 years. Yeah. Yeah. Nine years already done. Let me know. We'll try and promote what we can on the guy short podcast. Yeah.

[14:35] Okay. Thanks, Mike. Okay. Thank you for giving the me the opportunity. Thank you. Bye-bye.