I'm surprised to hear that report Send Clowns. Personally I found their standards as good as any I've met in the UK, and throughout my training, a huge emphasis was put on Safety.
I can quote in particular my Instructor "BP" Singh at MFA who always laboured the safety checks and pre-flight planning procedures. He caught my eye and said, "These checks may seem tedious and unnecessary. By and large you're probably right. You could just jump into the plane and go. But the one time you decide to skip the fuel check or forget to check the DI during turns, will be the time you find rainwater in the fuel tank because the engine stops, or you find yourself in IMC heading towards that hill (batu berandam) out there. THEN you will say 'I should have listened to BP', and you will wish you had done as you were taught!"
Last time I was there was about 18 months ago. The instructors I met were all very professional. In addition, I was impressed by the fact that they have their own maintainance, and I can certainly vouch for the fact that Technical Logbook and Squawking procedures are followed very thoroughly. Every flight has to be signed out in the tech log kept in the hangar. Ground crew have to be on the flightline with a fire extinguisher by their side for engine start, and full marshalling procedures are followed. In fact their attention to detail is much more impressive than I have found in the US, and even at some reputable ftos in the UK.
I am told that much of it is taught as a "Discipline", to get the students into the "Commercial" way of thinking even through their PPL stage. For that reason, Uniforms are worn throughout and the staff are always referred to as "Sir". Whether you are for or against discipline in Flight Traiing Schools, is a matter of personal choice, but I actually found it reassuring to know tha high standards were being demanded and maintained both technically and culturally.
My final thoughts are that before choosing any school, it is worth your while visiting them in person. I think jboelias would find the environment very much suited to his cultural background. Since the other students there are mostly from the region, he would have much in common with them - especially with regard to the comforts of home - such as food and social activities.
I cannot speak for Langkawi (your spelling is correct!), but if there is a new school there, you should contact the DCA in malaysia for details and make enquiries. Their website is:
http://www.dca.gov.my/
Good luck!