#3 Seriously? Unless my destination was LHR, I'd avoid it like the plague! Seems much better to change airlines to SQ in SIN or CX in HKG!

Doesn't MH fly KUL-AMS still? or even KUL-FRA? If you wanted to stick with them all the way to Europe, either of those should be better and faster than LHR for connecting. Why hasn't MH brought those up as options?

If you want a nonstop to Rome from Asia, you could try pricing out TG via BKK (they may play aircraft roulette on that route though) or CX or SQ.