Travelogue: My Visit of Malaysia "TRULY ASIA"

I visited Kuala Lumpur (or "KL" as it is commonly known), Malaysia in March 2005. The visit was official. My company was sending me along with a colleague to take part in a much-sought-after conference for young engineers in the Lafarge Group; a program by the parent group company. But it turned out to be equally beneficial on the personal front in terms of site-seeing and visiting "Videsh". The participants were a group of 18 people: 2 from India, 4 each from Malaysia, Philippines and Bangladesh, 3 from Jordan, and 1 from Venezuela. This was my first foreign trip.  

We caught the Malaysian Airlines flight from Kolkata's Dumdum airport at 2' O clock in the morning. The crew was good, and we reached KL in no more than three and half hours of flight. There is a time difference of two and half hours between the two countries, so it was 8 O' clock in the morning there! While the plane was landing, I saw from some height, very clearly marked pieces of land, lying on the ground, just like floor tiles. I thought: Is this country really well organized, or seem so from a distance. Later, my suspicion was removed, as I found the country very well maintained and organized.  

The Kuala Lumpur International Airport is among the top 5-6 airports of the world. It is very big, and extremely beautiful. It is perfectly neat and clean and a nice display of automation. The airport has big markets and a large number of duty-free shops. There are frequent trams running from one part of the port to the other. The cosmopolitan people were of varied nationality. I felt very good to find me there! I saw some Indians too. A group of blue-collar workers had arrived from some flight. Later, while going through the local newspapers I came to know that there is scarcity of blue-collar workers in Malaysia, and workers from some other poor nations fill the gap. A Mercedes was waiting for us at the airport.  

The highway we were cruising on was of four lanes on both sides, and the traffic was in discipline. The limousine reached the speed of 140 Kmph. By the side of the roads, there were palm trees everywhere. I thought of them as coconut trees. Everywhere either palm trees, or beautiful grass made the scene very beautiful. Throughout the drive, I was totally amazed to see, how man and nature both have joined hands to make the place like heaven. I am very impressed with the infrastructure of the place. Quoting: "The city's bustling streets, its shining, modern office towers, and its cosmopolitan air, project an unbounded spirit of progress and symbolize Malaysia's unhesitating leap into the future."  

Our accommodation was arranged at Hyatt Regency, Saujana, which was 40 minutes away from the airport. The luxurious hotel consisted of three Golf courses and several swimming pools. The participants of the Kuala Lumpur F-1 racing (March 2005) were staying at the same hotel! 

The people speak Malays as well as English. We had no problem while communicating. But the real handicap was the pronunciation. The Malaysian people used to speak in an accent that was not easy to comprehend for me. I remember, once we said "pardon" two times to a waitress, only to realize that she was saying "Thank you" to us! People were smart and fashionably dressed. There are three main people groups in Malaysia: Malays, Indians and Chinese. Many Chinese are Buddhist; Indians are Hindus or Muslims and Malays are officially Muslim. I saw most of the Malay women wearing scarf. Today ten percent of Malaysia is of Indian origin. Their culture, with has exquisite Hindu temples, cuisine, and colorful garments - is visible throughout the land. Most of the people of Indian origin we interacted with, in Malaysia, were of 3rd or 4th generation residents of the country. They don't know much about India, but are interested to be more aware of the present India.  

The training was in the daytime, and almost every evening, we went to all the beautiful places of the Kuala Lumpur city. The KL Tower is one of the highest communication towers in the world. We dined at the roof-top 'revolving' restaurant. It keeps on revolving, and with the walls of glass, we get 360 degree views of the city from that height.  

The Petronas Twin Towers, with a height of 1,453 feet, one of the world's tallest buildings has great shopping malls on lower floors, and we dined at the McDonald's restaurant. There are big shopping malls everywhere, though having come from India, I didn't find the prices luring. One Malaysian Ringgit (RM) is equivalent to 12 Indian Rupees. And most of the articles were 2-3 times costlier than "Made in India" products, of the same brand and company. I bought several gift items for my loved ones at home, and at last I had to buy one more luggage bag, in order to accommodate all the shopping.  

The Central Market is a center for the display of Malaysian culture, arts and crafts. We enjoyed playing Bowling one evening, and another evening we visited one sea food restaurant. We also dined at the former residence of Malaysian Prime Minister, which is now open for public bookings. The Chinese market and Times Square were also the places of visit. There are some South Indian markets as well, where all "Made in India" products were being sold. I noticed the price of one Britannia Milk Bikis of Rs 7/- in India, was priced MR 1.5 (Rs 18/-) there. Here we enjoyed the (South) Indian food like Dosa, and 'Roti Chanai' was my favorite there.  

One warning for Indians: At several places they cook Chicken/Lamb/Beef on the same stove, and using the same utensils. And even the fast food like burgers may contain beef without mentioning on wrappers. So take care, and ask before taking. Also, there are prayer rooms (surau) in many public places. Don't enter one, thinking it is the rest-room!  

We returned back by the same Malaysian Airlines flight. But the facilities provided were much better in KL-Kolkata flight, than the Kolkata-KL flight. I don’t know why.  

I made at least four Malaysian friends - Sasheen, Haris, Dhynna and Faizah are still in touch with me by emails. All the 18 participants are very well connected through Lotus notes email IDs, and frequently share our experiences. I returned back with loads of sweet memories... memories of the lifetime...

- Rahul

[Disclaimer: Views expressed are personal. This article is written as travelogue from that point of view.]