I stand corrected - maybe I just get a better feeling from being in Thailand - though doing business is frustrating in both.
Have been diving in Sipadan - been to Borneo many times and loved it to pieces - no relation at all to the rest of the country. Simply stunning scenery and Kinabalu is excellent.
In terms of walking or hiking, try the far north-east of Thailand, near the Lao border, around Looei - - - wow, put Cameron to shame, though it's also beautiful.
Karen? A travesty. My FiL dragged us along once, I refused to do the whole thing - disgusting. Give them a dollar and they'll dance for you. Simply disgusting.
I was not talking about Bangkok or Pattaya or Phuket, simply trash environments - getting off the beaten track is lovely and Thai cuisine beats the pants off Malaysian any day! Yummy!