Skip to main content

Why I love Malaysia


Globetrotters often express the following sentiment: "The best part of travel is coming home".

I am going to modify that slightly: "The best part of travel is returning to Malaysia."

After a few days in a foreign land I begin to crave for all things Malaysian and that include teh tarik, street food, ethnic diversity and even the corny (some may say racist) jokes that Malaysians are fond of making.

It would be nice if the weather was kinder, the transport system more efficient, traffic flow smoother and people remembered to hold doors behind them as a courtesy to others.

It's not perfect but we are getting there.

Today Malaysians celebrate the 47th anniversary of the formation of Malaysia when Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore joined Malaya on September 16, 1963. Singapore left the federation in 1965.

From this year Malaysia Day is a national holiday.

The following pictures show some of the things that make Malaysia so lovable.

Terengganu boasts the best beaches in Malaysia. This one is a short walk away from Awana Kijal Golf, Beach & Spa Resort. Go ahead ... indulge yourself with a weekend stay here. 

Malaysians and durian are inseparable. Some would disagree but they don't count.

Picture shows the interior of Hai Peng Kopitiam (Chinese coffee shop) in Kemaman, Terengganu. It is 70 years old and serves great local coffee, toasted bread with butter and kaya (egg custard). There is always a steady stream of visitors here so be prepared to wait for an empty table.

I miss Malaysian street food when I am abroad. Some complain that such places are dirty. Yes, that's true in a few cases but the majority of food stalls such as this one observe good food hygiene. 

Eating out Malaysian-style. Stalls like this are everywhere.

A mug of nescafe or teh tarik? This one is nescafe tarik. There is nothing I'd like better! Remember the English  and their inevitable cups of tea? The feeling is similar.

This is tako, a Thai dessert, made in Malaysia. The choice of sweet food is endless.

Hussain Restaurant serves the best Indian Muslim food in Peninsular Malaysia. I discovered this when I was in Sungai Petani, Kedah a few years ago. Don't forget to have your meals here whenever you are in Sungai Petani.
I am proud of the fact that we are multi-ethnic and multi-cultural. Let's inspire young Malaysians to appreciate diversity. Don' they look sweet?
Labels:
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Comments

Conny said…
That´s exactly why I chose to live in Malaysia. I love it...
30 January 2012 at 19:46
FAEZAH ISMAIL said…
Good to know. Thanks for dropping by.
30 January 2012 at 23:06
Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Happy Father's Day

June is a significant month for fathers and those who have acted as father figures: stepfathers, uncles, grandfathers, big brothers, teachers and mentors. It is the month when some countries including Malaysia celebrate Father's Day. As American poet Anne Sexton put it: "It doesn't matter who my father was; it matters who I remember he was." My own father, who was a major influence in my life when I was growing up in Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia, passed away a long time ago. Since then there has been one major father figure in my life: my mentor, who is also my uncle, and he has helped me through difficult times. Fathers teach by example. You learn important values from them and you acquire some of their tastes for things. It could be anything: a love for English literature, words and books, among others. Sometimes you did not agree with their viewpoints but realised later that they were right about many things. As a child, growing up in a hometown known for its laid-back wa
3 comments
Read more

My year at The Rakyat Post

  Dec 31, 2014, the last day of the year and the end of my one year stint at The Rakyat Post , an online news portal. Educational is the best way to sum up my year at The Rakyat Post. Leaving your comfort zone is intimidating at first; it has a steep learning curve. But now I wish I had done it sooner and the whole exercise reaffirms my motto: “learn, learn, learn”. Einstein was spot on when he said, “Learning is not a product of schooling but the lifelong attempt to acquire it”. When I left the New Straits Times to join The Rakyat Post on Jan 3, 2014, I didn’t know what to expect. Nelson Fernandez, also known as Mohd Ridzwan Abdullah, had invited me to join him at the website this time last year. Nelson Fernandez at his office at The Rakyat Post He was charged with assembling a team to provide content for the portal. And I am glad I said yes. Switching from traditional journalism to online journalism is challenging, as anyone who had made
2 comments
Read more

'Daddy Cool' in KL

Those who danced to the hits of Boney M in the mid-70s and mid-80s are now a lot older, visibly rounder and arguably wiser. All that didn't matter when they gathered at Sunway Lagoon Hotel on Saturday night to see the pop and disco group, which was originally based in West Germany, performed for charity at a show organised by Lejadi Group. The moment Liz Mitchell came on stage and showed off her vocals with Amazing Grace, fans poised themselves for a rush that would last for several days. The audience was easily persuaded. Before they knew it, fans of Boney M were clapping their hands and getting off their seats to gyrate to Sunny, Ma Baker, Hooray! Hooray! It's a Holi-Holiday!, Daddy Cool (the group's first number 1 hit), Rasputin, Rivers of Babylon, No Woman No Cry and Bahama Mama, among others. "We want you to get really happy ... we want to encourage you to dance so that your blood gets hot," coaxed Mitchell, the group's original lead si
Post a Comment
Read more