Kuala Lumpur – a very modern city

Kuala Lumpur – a very modern city
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia


One of the amazing things about ship cruises is that you leave one place and just magically show up in another. As far as we would know, we are still in Singapore harbor, but in truth the Captain has accepted our late arrival after braving the heights of the Singapore Flyer, left the pier during the cocktail hour, and taken us out for a return to Malaysia.  This will be the second of four visits we will make to Malaysia – you remember Kuantan and the tailor ants? Our destination is Port Kelang and from there, inland via bus to Kuala Lumpur, the capital – about 45 minutes.  Our first visit lasts approximately the time of a bus stop, and is a photo stop for the famous Petronas Twin Towers, which were built in the mid 1990’s, and finished just in time for the turn of the millennium.  At 88 stories and just over 450 meters tall, the towers are a precursor of Malaysia’s entry into the 21<sup>st</sup> century as a peaceful, progressive country, and Kuala Lumpur’s emergence as a business center in the area.  The sort-of-ellipsoidal towers somewhat resemble giant temples reaching to the sky.  Halfway up the towers is an amazing bridge that connects the two buildings. One memorable factoid is that the towers were built at the same time by two different companies.  We think this helped ensure that things got finished on time! We stopped at Independence Square (or Dataran Merdeka in Malay), where Malaysia peacefully declared independence from Britain in 1957, after two visits by Malaysian dignitaries to London to work out the details.  Our guide told us a wonderful story about how the whole country pulled together to raise the money to send the delegation BACK to London for a second try after the first attempt proved fruitless; his grandfather had sold three family cows to contribute to the effort!  The large, beautiful grass square was actually a cricket green for the Selangor Cricket Club.  It was also the center of attention when Malaysia celebrated 50 years of independence in 2007. The square is surrounded by various museums and government buildings, but noticeably the skyline is not concealed behind lots of skyscrapers.  Our guide told us that there is now a moratorium on tall buildings visible from this site, and hopefully this will preserve the open feeling. Speaking of guides, our experience today reinforced how important your guides can be in terms of how you feel about a country you visit.  Our guide on the bus and for the tour was one of the warmest, kindest and funniest we have had.  He explained in very good English not only all about the sights, but also about his family life, the economy and anything else you might like to know.  This left us with a positive feeling about Malaysia’s people and its good fortunes for the future. Malaysia has been far more peaceful and successful than the majority of the countries in the area.  Most people who want cars have them, though car operating permits are very expensive ($50K+) and many roads, even in town, are toll, with overhead sensors to charge you automatically.  Eighty-five percent of Malaysians speak English, and the multi-cultural society of Malaysians, Chinese and other ethnicities seem to get along well. The unemployment rate is low, at 5%, and housing is doled out according to salary.  Schooling is compulsory and public schools are subsidized by the government through secondary school.  There is no litter. Note to self:  Malaysians (and some others in this area of the world) point with their thumbs, not their index fingers.  It looks like you are holding a mug with your fingers and using your thumb flat on the top sticking over the edge.  Using your index finger to point means you are angry! There are nine states in Malaysia, and each has its own sultan.  They rotate being king every 5 years and everyone seems happy with the arrangement. We also made a quick photo stop at the National Mosque, a tribute to the state religion, Islam, which is across the street from the prior main Railway Station, a fantastic Moorish-style building.  Finally we visited the National Museum, which in four sections does a fantastic job of telling the history of Malaysia, from pre-historic through colonial times, up to modern day.  If you go to Kuala Lumpur, you MUST go to this museum! Then, back to the ship, arriving right on time through rush-hour traffic amid lightning and loud thunder, just missing the torrential downpour that had passed through.  Good fortune, again due to the skill of our expert guide.  Off for Thailand!