| Issue 24 Vol I, September 30, 2006 | Archive |
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Malaysia: Its Charm and Beauty
Our first stay in a Muslim majority nation with its different social and cultural milieu is obvious and part of enriching experience. When we landed at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), majority of the women were wearing scarves covering their heads, no veils though? Only to realize later that this was a common sight wherever you go - at the toll stations or at the malls or at the restaurants - women were working everywhere along with men. Something similar is there in many cities of India like parts of Delhi , Ahemdabad and Lucknow. We hired a taxi, with some assistance from the staff at the airport and we were really impressed with the way they tried to make us feel comfortable, to take us to the hotel where we were to stay till we got a place of our own. Exhausted from the night journey, we wanted to just sleep on the way but the breathtaking beauty of Malaysia would not. The beautiful pine and palm-lined roads, manicured and well-maintained paths and with flowers and the butterflies adding their charm with their natural beauty, it naturally is photogenic country. Kuala Lumpur or KL is a modern cosmopolitan city boasting the world's tallest twin towers towering at a height of 452m. Its architecture is representative of the country's dominant cultures - the Malay, Chinese and Indian. Combined with the colonial legacy of the British and Moorish influences, KL has one of Asia's most dynamic cityscapes. What‘s good is that one feels immediately at home in Kuala Lumpur. There is just so much life, so many people on the streets, endless choice of food, vendors selling all kinds of stuff from mementoes to candies to jewellery, shopping complexes open seven days a week until 10pm and so on. Also compared to other developed countries, Malaysia still offers very good value for the money. For instance it is possible to stay in hotels and eat in restaurants at relatively low prices. A room in a four star hotel costs around 100-150 Ringgit. And, the Malaysians are food lovers as one can spot food courts, food stalls and restaurants all over. Eating out in Malaysia is a real gastronomic adventure. And there is no dearth of choice for non-vegetarians but the problem is for vegetarians. Even if you find a vegetarian counter especially at the food courts, the smell of fish and beef is likely to put you off. Restaurants are a better choice. And an average meal for two would cost about 25-50 Ringgit in a restaurant (even less than that if you eat in a food stall). Modern cinemas with comfortable halls cost 8-12 RM*. And apart from screening Chinese and Malay movies, one also has ample choice of Hollywood and the popular Bollywood movies. We were taken in for a surprise when we went to watch Kkrish and the hall was packed with locals who were thoroughly enjoying the movie. Let me tell you that Malays love Hindi cinema - Hrithik Roshan and Preity Zinta are among the favorites with them. Everything seems so smooth and orderly until the time one has to suffer the city’s traffic jams, dubbed as one of the worst in the world. It is not that there is dearth of infrastructure in Kuala Lumpur; it is a modern city with eight-lane highways and a vast network of flyovers across the city, and a rail network which covers only a limited part of the city. During the peak traffic hours - morning 7:30 am to 9:00 am and evening 5:30 to 7:00 pm everything comes to a standstill. Travelling from Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) to the suburbs just 10 to 15 km away could take more than an hour on most days. And if it rains, forget about leaving the office until traffic clears and downpour stops which mean most people are not home until 8 or 9 pm. You are advised not to move out when it rains! Reason? Locals say the government did not build a credible mass rapid transit system as it wanted promote sales of state-run car maker Proton. Leaving the traffic woes aside, one can really enjoy a living in Malaysia. The nation of 26 million people, just double that of New Delhi around 13 million, offers a 'truly Asian experience' with a fusion of three of Asia's oldest civilisations - Malay, Chinese and Indian. And in cities like Kuala Lumpur one can find everyone in a grand mélange. Most of the Indians who settled here in the 19th century came from the southern states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, to work as rubber tapers or construction workers. And, now Indians in their second or third generation in Malaysia are an educated lot with many of them working as doctors and senior level executives in the corporate world. Many of them also drive taxis and work at the restaurants. One of the unique features of Malaysia is its multi-racial population which practices various religions such as Islam, Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism and Christianity. Under the Federal Constitution, Islam is the official religion of Malaysia but there is freedom of worship. No wonder religious festivals like Hari Raya, Chinese New Year, Deepavali, Christmas, are given due importance. Which I thought was rare especially considering the fact that it’s predominantly a Muslim nation. A good example to break down cultural barriers and foster understanding. It is as someone rightly summed: indeed a positive celebration of a tradition of tolerance that forms the basis of Malaysia's progress. |
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I
had always wanted to visit Malaysia as it is a popular tourist destination.
Then when my husband got a posting to Kuala Lumpur, I was quite excited as I
could finally get to see the country. At the same time I was a little
apprehensive as we were not going as tourists this time.