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.]
