I could get there in 2-3 segments but I’d risk losing my luggage switching between airlines, plus I’d have to fly a Chinese airline that has horrible airplane food and grandmas cutting/pushing their way in front of you in line.

I booked round trip SLC to Singapore so I wouldn’t have to recover my checked bag until Singapore, and then Malaysia airlines for the domestic flights to Kota Kinabalu, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.