”The merging collaboration of cultures”. Malaysia 11th April to 17th April.

11th April 2019 Johor Bahru

Leaving Singapore is an easy affair. Our passports are stamped and the Carnet is endorsed. A copy is emailed to Roger and Rosie at The SAA. They can now sign this job off ….well done. There are two exits from Singapore. One to the North West and one up the middle into Johor Bahru. As we have a night in JB, we go through the woodlands checkpoint.

We enter a lane for cars and realise that the max height for cars is 2.1 metres! We are just over this and knock the height bar and on leaving the passport control, nearly takeout the CCTV system! A great start. The officers see the funny side and guide us a round all obstacles and out to customs. The Carnet must be signed out of Singapore and into Malaysia. The lady who does this wears a hijab and a smile, and her uniform is immaculate. All done.

As we leave it is so vastly evident that the two countries have different values. The smell and dirt as we enter Malaysia and JB is obvious. The difference is immediate and obvious. Our hotel is the Hilton. The hotel is amazing and we are treated like kings. It is cheap but the service is top notch. The manager greets us and takes us to our room. We are issued with a voucher for drinks at one of the restaurants a gift for our 27 wedding anniversary. The dining room has four themed areas and all that you would expect from a Hilton. Except as I said it was cheaper than a motel in NZ! the Landy doesn’t fit in any of the car parks as in Singapore so it takes pride of place on the forecourt. This is a great relief as it is easily accessible and the security is best. It never ceases to amaze me how apparent fortune and luck can coexist with poverty in close proximity. Feeling fortunate.

The rain in the tropics is something else? And it would rain a good deal more before we left Malaysia, but we were resigned to it. So any time it rained, it poured and we got wet.

Many years ago the political situation was some what tense. The British ran the economy and imposed taxes on the primary industries which led to hardship and in many case poverty for the Malay people. The Chinese then began to take many of the jobs available, which led to ethnic tensions. The Malay people were forced into the rubber industry, which, when The Japanese occupied the country from 1941 led to economic down turn in the primary products of rubber and tin. After the war the people looked to the British occupying regime to sort things out ……it didn’t happen. So the people became more and more militant, with this came strikes and unrest. On top of this was an attempt by the British to form a “union of peoples”, a joint state together for the different cultures of Indian, Malay and Chinese. Where all citizens had equal rights. This didn’t work, especially for the Chinese, who felt betrayed by The British government. So from 1948 until 1967 the communist Chinese held strikes and began a campaign of guerrilla war on the mainly British colonial plantations. The MNLA was born. After two British plantation managers were executed by terrorists, The British enacted emergency measures. Thus the Malayan Emergency began. The MNLA called it the Anti-British National Liberation War.

Why this history lesson I hear you ask? Well in 1954 the UK had national service for all able bodied men through a ballot system….so what! I hear you say! Well my father was drafted and put on a troop ship headed for Malaya. He served in Malaya with the 1st battalion of the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters. During his time he recorded much of his experience in photo form. I happen to have a couple of these photos. Daddy’s a staunch and proud Catholic. Whilst based in JB he visited a convent and attended mass. The convent is now a school. It was raining when we decided to walk to it. We were on a mission! The guard house told us to wait. When they saw the photos, they ushered us to a waiting group of girls who where keen to show us their school. It hadn’t changed, I don’t think in many years. The tiled floors were uneven and broken. The corridors were dark and damp. But what we saw was spirit and happiness in those young girls. They loved their school. They knew exactly where the photo had been taken. A safety grill had been installed. It was right outside the school chapel. posing for the photo was some what of an emotional experience. We left the school and walked in the rain back to our hotel. On opening our room up we found that house keeping had been in and scattered red rose petals on the bed and made an arrangement up with towels to form two swans kissing. we were also presented with a voucher for free drinks at the bar. A gift for our wedding anniversary.!

The following morning we were woken early by the nearby mosque with the call to prayer. As we had not heard this before it had a haunting eerie sound.

Malaysia is a Muslim state so each room has a plaque on the ceiling with the word “kiblat” on it pointing the way to Mecca.

12th April 2019 Malacca.

we left and drove to Malacca along the expressway. The rain is unbelievable.

Julia is still settling into the idea that we are driving to Yorkshire and with the state of the drivers in South east Asia so far she may be understandably nervous. Malacca is an unusual place by the sea. We didn’t sense that tourists were a priority for the place. Malaccas “Jonkers walk” is a series of streets selling goods and trinkets. As well as the odd restaurant and Buddhist temple. I asked a Chinese man about what we were witnessing. The families buy candles and incense sticks and place them in front of the gods in order of descending importance. The gods at the front of the temple look out for the living. At the rear of the temple are photographs of dead relatives. The gods here have items placed in front of them to ensure that the dead relative is looked after in the next life. So a man can buy a model of a flash car at the gate in order that a passed relative may have a car in the next life!

13th & 14 April 2019 Kuala Lumpur

Headed to Kuala Lumpur. The traffic is diabolical. Lanes and speed mean nothing. A petrol tanker had tipped over. So by the time we got to KL it was late. KL is a rather trendy place with many European tourists in the bars and restaurants. We have Malay tapas and a game of pool. (which Julia won of course) our routines are now pretty well set now. “Arrive at destination…Julia checks in….I do admin (oil, water, points, plugs leads, and secure and disable Landy…turn off tracker….collect the numerous water bottles we have drunk during the day refill and place back in chiller….charge phone, IPad, tracker, speaker. tunes for the roadie are vital) camera.

The following morning we walk to the mono rail and get tickets to Batu Caves. This is the biggest Hindu shrine outside India. The rail is clean and tidy. And has carriages that are for women only. We realise that Malaysia is predominantly a Muslim state.

The area is filthy out side but inside is a myriad of statues depicting the stories of the faith. The main temple is up a large flight of steps to an area at the top holding a shrine to one of the gods. The faithful bring offerings to the shrine in the form of food and goods to appease the gods. Young men carried buckets of food to the top as almost a form of pilgrimage. The area is over run with monkeys who scavenge for food if not given by the pilgrims. Poor Julia had to visit the loo. A hole in the ground over which you must squat. There is no loo paper, so it pays to take your own. And as with the Muslim Faith there is a hose to wash yourself. She tells me that is is the most disgusting place she has been to!! Sadly I think that this form of latrine is the norm?

As well as the food offerings, a man brought a large plastic bag filled with water and a carp/goldfish to be released as an offering, or in order that a dead relative might live this new life as a well fed and cared for fish? I’m not entirely sure which.

The mono rail has large windows that look like they have been vandalised! Broken and clearly been impacted by something. It dawns on us that the impact that is scorched has been hit by lightning! As we return to our hotel the afternoon rain falls as if on time, and thunder and lighting strikes. Soaked we arrive at the hotel. To be greeted by the guard with a towel each. And as if by a switch the rain stops.

That evening we taxi to the Petronas towers. Our driver like most southeast Asian people are football mad. He informs us that ( and I know I’ll get this wrong.!) he supports Man United. There is a game tonight that they have to win. But if Chelsea win they go through anyway? “Whatever”. They love European football!

From 1998 to 2004 the towers were the tallest buildings in the world. And today are the tallest twin towers in the world. they took three years to construct, by two different companies. Costing 1.6 billion US dollars.

They are an architectural wonder. (post modern Islamic style) Quite a sight and a must see. I’m glad we made the effort to see them. KL is much like any big international city, full of people going about their business a hive of activity day and night. KL is quite a place.

15th April Ipoh

Onwards and up wards we go. This town is another of the places my Father was stationed during his National service time. I have another photo inscribed on the reverse “the Main Street Ipoh”. So once again we head off on a mission to find the place that the photo was taken. The Old town is very old and I suspect that it hasn’t changed much in the years since Daddy was there. The town has areas of “little India” and a Chinese area. The shops sell typical Indian goods. Prayer pots, food and other goods. Then there it is the old ‘Hotel Ipoh’, it is a mechanics garage now. We think anyway?

The town has an old colonial feel to it. Many of the buildings are white with columns, towers and domes.

A quaint place stuck in time. The morning are started early each day, as we are again woken to the loud sound of the mosque broadcasting the prayer. The day is also intermittently broken by the Muslim call to prayer from the national mosque. A large complex made up of large black minarets, domes and communal areas.

The previous haunting “wailing” is now quite normal to us. Even soothing and mesmerising. If you want to have a meal with beer, you will be hard pressed to find a beer or any other form of alcohol any where! The further up into Malaysia we go, the greater the degree of the people are Muslim, and less Chinese, although there are also large numbers of Chinese, and Christians as well. At the back of the hotel we park the car. On the morning of our departure a delightful old lady walks around the car and asks questions about us and our trip. She is genuinely interested and smiles and waves. We dig out a gift to give her from our stash of giveaways. A kiwi pen on a lanyard and a New Zealand key ring. She is thrilled hugging us and wishing us well for our journey.

So with our photo taken of Daddies shot and water bottles refilled, we depart for our next stop.

16th April Alor Setar

This was the last place before the border to Thailand other than Jitra, which we didn’t like the sound of? Alor Setar didn’t have the tourist sites or notable activities. It was a town on our way to Thailand getting on with its business, only occasionally interrupted to pray.

The expressways and roads are good. Due to the tolls collected at the start and finish of various sections. Drivers merge and move and although at first we thought totally chaotic, they keep traffic flowing with out much bother. Go with the flow……but go for it. Don’t hesitate!

It is hot and humid in Malaysia our fan has proved a godsend. Thanks Kirk and Sarah.

Malaysia has a proud history that I would say is made up not by any one culture. It is a merging of cultures that make it an interesting and diverse country. The people are friendly and welcoming, and always smiling.