| Discovering
Malaysia
Date:
Monday, May 23, 2005
By: Michael H. Cottman, BlackAmericaWeb.com
Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia – The multi-level, high-tech
stores in this sophisticated city in Southeast Asia
are packed with a variety of advanced portable electronics
and pocket-sized gadgets that may be difficult to find
in the United States.
This
ultra-modern city of 2 million people near Singapore,
where the range of architecture is impressive and often
stunning, is one of the fastest-growing cities in the
world.
It
is on the cutting edge of technology and city officials
understand the pressing demands for overseas business
travelers and the need for tourists to communicate with
their families back home. Chips for cell phones to dial
direct across the South China Sea are available, and
the city has perfected a universal concept that is a
source of deep pride: efficient customer service.
Our
group of 20 scuba divers from the United States arrived
in Kuala Lumpur May 5 after about 21 hours in the air.
The
flight originated from Los Angeles and stopped briefly
in Taipei after 13 1/2 hours, and then four hours from
Taipei before landing in Kuala Lumpur -- or K.L. as
it is commonly known – Malaysia’s largest
urban metropolis. K.L. is a vibrant and extremely clean
city that is the focal point of the "new Malaysia,"
which uniquely blends the city’s past traditions
with the present fast-paced world.
(Upon
landing in K.L. it is immediately evident that Malaysians
take their laws seriously: A Malaysian Airlines flight
attendant announced with authority that bringing illegal
drugs into Malaysia is punishable by a "mandatory"
death penalty.)
After
a brief pause at one of K.L’s luxury hotels, we
hit the streets. The spectacular 88-story Petronas Towers,
twin buildings of shiny glass that stretch to 1,423
feet, have become symbols of the business growth in
Malaysia the past two decades.
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See photos of this beautiful and exotic country!
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Kuala
Lumpur is situated midway along the west coast of Peninsular
Malaysia, at the confluence of the Klang and Gombek
rivers. It boasts some of the region’s largest
and elegant hotels. Nearly 1 1/2 million tourists visited
Malaysia in March, according to Tourism Malaysia. Known
for its low-crime rate, Malaysia’s downtown urban
centers are generally safe for walking at night.
Many
of the hotels offer wireless Internet service around
the hotel property as well as high-speed Internet connections
in the rooms. Several divers on the trip spent their
evenings downloading underwater images and e-mailing
them to friends in the U.S. in lighting speed.
Malaysia,
a country of incredible beauty, is located in Southeast
Asia, about four degrees from the Equator, and divided
into two distinct parts: Peninsular Malaysia, which
borders Thailand and Singapore, and the East Malaysian
provinces of Sabah and Sarawak in North Borneo, which
shares a border with Indonesia. The regions are 400
miles apart and separated by the South China Sea.
Peninsular
Malaysia accounts for 40 percent of the country’s
land mass and several mountain ranges stretch across
the country. Sabah and Sarawak are covered by dense
jungles and Mount Kinabalu in Sabah’s one of Southeast
Asia’s highest peaks rising to 13,450 into the
sky. Sixty percent of Malaysia is rainforest. There
are 8,000 species of flowering plants, and wild animal
life includes elephants, rhinos, tigers, leopards, sun
bears, orangutans and gibbons.
Malaysia
is also a country of contrasts where old school meets
new school – businessmen using Blackberries in
bicycle-pulled rickshaws and Muslim women in traditional
head scarves selling ice cream at "Dairy King."
But
it is Malaysia’s diverse people – Malays,
Chinese and Indians – that make Malaysia a worthy
vacation destination for black Americans who are interested
in visiting a far-away part of the world where they
are accepted – and indeed embraced – by
the warm, friendly and deeply religious Malay people.
On this 11-day trip, there appeared to be a natural
connection with the six people of color traveling with
the group even though we are separated by about 8,000
miles.
Ernie
Arellano, owner of Scuba Travel Ventures, (www.scubatravelventures.com)
a San Diego-based tour company that specializes in dive
trips and adventure travel worldwide, said until now,
few black American divers have visited Malaysia and
its remote islands.
Arellano,
an avid diver who has visited Malaysia on several occasions,
said Malay people are some of the warmest people he
has met in his years of traveling the world. Tourism
Malaysia is actively encouraging tourists to visit the
country, which includes reaching out to black Americans.
"African
Americans will enjoy Malaysia for many reasons, including
the culture, rich history, spectacular landscape and
wonderful people," he said. Arellano, along with
Tourism Malaysia, arranged a country-wide, 11-day trip
for 20 divers, including six members from The National
Association of Black Scuba Divers.
The
world of K.L. is a microcosm of an old and new Malaysia.
On Fridays, visitors can hear the calls to the Mosques,
and see Muslims kneeling in prayer. Muslim women, with
their heads adorned with colorful silk scarves, lead
their children to the mosques, and later work behind
counters selling ice-cream cones at "Dairy King,"
and breaking out their cell phones and Blackberries.
Religion
– and the concept of steadfast faith – often
connects people of all backgrounds, Malaysians said,
and although many black Americans are Christian, black
Americans will appreciate the history of the Muslim
culture, and deep spirituality among many Malay people.
"We
are a Muslim country and our first obligation is to
our religion," said one prominent Malaysian businessman
on a flight from K.L to Kuala Terranguru, or K.T. "We
understand the importance of business in the global
market, but we are motivated by God, first. That’s
what makes us different: We have God in our lives."
And,
he added, "We welcome our friends of color from
the U.S."
The
Malays are Malaysia’s largest community. They
are Muslims and speak Bahasa. The Chinese comprise about
a third of the population, they are Buddists and Taoists
and speak Hokkein, Kakka and Cantonese. Indians account
for about 10 percent of the population. They are mainly
Hindu Tamils from southern India and speak Tamil, Malayalam
and some Hindi. There is also a sizable Sikh community.
Visitors
can see the range of diversity in people throughout
Malaysia in cities like Kuala Terengganu (K.T.), a smaller
but bustling and technically advanced city on the banks
of the Terengganu River.
The
food in Malaysia is excellent. Restaurants range from
five-star, multi-level establishments, to small, outdoor
roadside cafes where we had lunch near K.T., a meal
that included steamed rice (Malaysia’s staple)
lamb, beef, vegetables and chicken. There is no pork
served in Malaysia, a Muslim country. The food is a
unique blend of Malay, Chinese and Thai. Malaysia also
has plenty of outstanding Indian restaurants.
According
to Tourism Malaysia, Putrajaya, a must-see suburb of
Kuala Lumpur, is poised to be a fully integrated and
self-contained city. Adapting the latest in telecommunication,
transportation and infrastructure technologies, Putrajaya
will provide for a level of efficiency in Government
machinery that would be geared towards excellence in
the new millennium and towards 'Vision 2020’.
Named
after Malaysia’s first Prime Minister, the late
Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, this landmark complex
stretches over 11,320 acres. More than 70% of Putrajaya
is devoted to greenery and water bodies with 13 different
gardens.
"The
government complex is very futuristic, almost eerie,"
said Carlyn Cole, an advertising manager and a black
scuba diver from Washington, D.C. "It’s reminds
me of something out of a science fiction movie."
Putrajaya
is also home to the impressive Putra Mosque, which incorporates
Islamic architecture from countries such as Turkestan,
Kazakzstan and Morocco. On one particular Friday, we
watched Muslim men, women and children stow their shoes
in racks outside and enter the large, ornate mosque
for prayer.
From
the towering mosques of Putrajaya to the serenity of
the sea, Malaysia has something special to offer everyone.
"There
are four elements that comprise a good dive trip,"
said Dr. Jose Jones, co-founder of the National Association
of Black Scuba Divers, who has logged more than 5,000
dives in 50 countries.
"Good
diving, good food, nice, friendly people and adequate
tourism," he said. "The world-class diving
and the myriad of tourist attractions make Malaysia
the perfect vacation destination."
But
the one question asked most often during the 11-day
trip was this: Would you spend another exhausting day-and-a-half
traveling to return to Malaysia?
"In
a heartbeat," Cole said smiling, as she boarded
our flight home.
For
more information about Malaysia contact Tourism Malaysia:
http://www.tourism.gov.my
http://www.tourism.gov.my/main/default.asp
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