Yesterday we left the Indian Ocean and went into the Strait of Malacca to Malaysia and its capital, Kuala Lumpar (from now on referred to as KL) We continue to have our security officers on duty 24/7 because the risk in this Strait is still substantial (not as much as the Seychelles.) The Strait is also narrow and has a lot of ship traffic. KL is inland, so we docked in Port Klang – which is about an hour plus drive from KL.
A few quick facts: population of Malaysia is 27 million; population of KL is 2 million; currency is the ringgit; heterogeneous society with substantial Chinese and Indian minorities; majority are Muslims and this influence was seen in much of the architecture we saw in KL.
150 years ago, KL was a tin prospector’s hovel in the jungle. The Chinese came in 1857 looking for tin and found rich deposits. But of the original 87 who came, only 17 survived the diseases such as malaria cholera, and the bites from poisonous snakes (they have over 140 varieties of snakes here.) In 1957, Malaysia declared its independence from the British.
Today KL is a modern metropolis and is the city of skyscrapers. And it is continuing to grow. We were amazed at how clean the whole city is – and how modern. What a contrast to Mumbai and Goa. We saw little poverty.
Oil was discovered in the S. China Sea and now KL produces 750,000 barrels a day. As we left the port, we saw all the oil tanks and refineries along the shore. They also have natural gas. People from Thailand and Singapore come to buy their gas because it is so inexpensive here. Now there is a new law that their gas tanks have to be 3/4 full or they get a big fine when filling up.
The biggest exports are microchips, room air conditioners, and loud speakers! Unemployment is around 2%. If people fall below the poverty income level, the government provides low-cost housing for them. Because of the lifestyle changes that came with modernization, their biggest medical problems are similar to ours – cancer, heart disease, and now diabetes.
Schools are free, and when a child is 6, his/her parent write the ministry requesting a school (kind, not location) It can be a Hindu, Indian, etc. school, but it will be the one nearest the child’s home. A minimum of 2 to 3 languages must be learned. Math and science are taught only in English. When they take the national test, all the 900,000 students take it on the same day, starting at the same time. If they fail the exam, they are out of the free school. Parents have the option of paying for a private school.
There are a variety of religions in KL. The only thing a person can’t do (by law) is to deny God. If you don’t believe in God, you just don’t discuss it.
Today we took “the best of Kuala Lumpur” tour offered through the ship. Most of the passengers also took this tour! We had a great guide and a very nice and comfortable bus. Kuala Lumpur means “muddy confluence,” and it got its name because the Klang and Gombak rivers meet in the center of the city.
Our tour began at the King’s Palace. It was built in 1928 and was originally the home of a rich Chinese tin miner who had 16 concubines. After Malaysia became independent from the British, it became the palace for the Sultan. There are 9 sultans in 9 states in Malaysia. They decide who among them will be the King of Malaysia. That king stays for five years, and then a new one is chosen. There are 350 people working for the king and queen at the palace. The only duties the king has is to open and close parliament, announces when the Ramadon (sp!) feasting begins and ends, and can pardon a death sentence. Also, the king’s birthday becomes a national holiday – which is the only time the palace is open to the public.
We were lucky enough to be there for the changing of the guard (who are on horseback – horses have to be imported to KL.) and the yellow flag flew which meant the king was in residence today.
There are two guards – one on each side of the main gate. When they switch, the old come forward, and new guards on horses enter and when in position, raise their swords.
The next stop was the National Museum (Muzium Negara) which traces the nation’s development and also its rich heritage. It was an excellent museum with many fine and unusual exhibits.
We had a long stop at Independence Square (also known as Merdeka Square.) It is the heart of old colonial KL. It is surrounded by the country’s most famous landmarks – the Royal Selangor Club, St. Mary’s Anglican Church, and the former British Secretariat , now known as the Sultan Abdul Samad Building. As we strolled around it, we saw the very large and modern glass library. A few of us stopped in the Textile Museum with our guide. He helped explain the displays of how batiks are made since so many are made and sold here.
With so many modern buildings, it was a surprise to see so much green in the city as well. There are many parks and gardens, as well as street lined plants and trees. We passed the largest of these, called Lake Gardens, which includes a butterfly park, orchid garden, and a bird park with thousands of birds.
The last stop before lunch were the famous Petronas Twin Towers in the Golden Triangle area of the city (the upscale business, shopping and entertainment area of KL.)
The towers stand 1,483 feet high and have an “air bridge” linking them. From the observation bridge, you have a stunning 360 degree view of the entire city.
They are the tallest twin towers in the world. After 9-11 in the USA, the occupancy of these offices in the towers reduced to now only 70%. One couldn’t help but think of the World Trade Center looking at these towers. While we weren’t able to go up to the observation deck, our guide did take us inside the main floor to show us how the truly upscale shops and the fountains in the back as well as the front.
We stopped for lunch at the Federal Hotel and had a buffet lunch that was just fair. We had to wait 20 minutes for our bus to pick us up after lunch because of the traffic. From there we went to China Town. We walked through the covered bazaar of Petaling Street which has everything from food to t-shirts to all kinds of souvenirs. We didn’t have time to shop or stop there, because we were going to do that in Central Market – an air conditioned building with lots of arts and crafts markets inside. It was very colorful, and they had lots of of souvenirs as well as handicrafts. We only had 30 minutes, so it was hard to really “shop” so we just mainly looked around.
By this time in the late afternoon, it was very hot and we were all grateful when we got back to the bus and were on our way back to the ship. We got back about 10 minutes before the “all aboard” and dinner!!
We wanted a light dinner, so went to the dining room – only Elaine and Lavor were there. But it wasn’t as bad as we thought it would be with just the four of us.
Spent the evening doing this Blog entry and taking pictures of the sunset and waterway before it got dark. Doug was so wiped out, he couldn’t even do his nightly walk! We have a big day tomorrow in Singapore with two excursions!! Singapore is only about 150 miles from KL so we’ll be there bright and early!
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