Looking back… Malaysia’s Celebration of Independence
Two thousand and seven was a banner year for Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur and the rest of the country were oozing with passion and pride. Independence (Merdeka) from the British is now more than 50 years old, the Malaysian have all the reason to celebrate, it has been more than half a century since the Union Jack was lowered and the Malaysian flag was hoisted. The ceremomy last August 31, 1957 atexactly 11:01 in the morning ended Great Britain’s colonial rule over Malaya. Fittingly , the occasion was held at Merdeka Square, previously known as Selangor Club Padang-a clearing in the heart of the city designed and built in 1884 by the colonizers to look and feel like England, a scheme they devised to quench thier longing for their motherland.
Once again this year, the Malaysians converged in the same spot at the same time to savor the grace and honor of having their own independent homeland, with a 100-meter-high flagpole presiding over Merdeka Square, the national color exuded so much of the so-called proverbial patriotic high.
Kuala Lumpur’s Dash to Cosmo
Malaysia has so much to celebrate. The country has progressed steadily through the years and most of its people are living in comfort. For one, the main city of Kuala Lumppur has become an icon for development and a source of envy for many urban sprawls around the globe. KL has attained its cosmopolitan status without incurring the scars associated with extreme urban expansionism. It has become a city of concord between the old and the new, and an orchestra of cultures and faiths.
Like the country as a whole, however, the capital city did not become what it is today overnight. It is the product of a people’s perseverance, industry, talent and vision. While many nations and cities are wallowing in nocturnal bliss, Malaysia is working restlessly into the night. To put Malaysia’s success side by side with the Philippine experience, us Filipinos can only sigh at ourselves in disdain and admit without contest that while the Malaysians are ouring their hearts’ content to build their country, we are too busy elbowing each other for political power.
The Petronas Tower
At the captain’s seat of Kl skyscappers is the 88-story Petronas Towers, or KLCC, along Jalan, Ampang and Jalan Raja Chulan in the Golden Triangle. This tallest twin tower in the world, and once the tallest building in the world, was designed by American-Argentinean architect Cesar Peli. It was configured from the eight-pointed geometric stars popular in Malaysian Islamic architecture. Costing $1.6 billion and built over a former racetrack, the 1483 feet behemoth has more than eights million square feet of space for office, retail, entertainment, conference, and underground parking for 4500 cars.
Foremost attractions at the KLCC are the Petronas Philharmonic Hall, Kuala Lumpur Convention Center, Petrosains Science Center, Petronas Art Gallery, The Aquaria Oceanarium, and Suria Shopping Complex. The sky bridge on the 42nd floor is open to the public between 8:30 AM and five PM at no cost, though tickets are usually grabbed by tourists and visitors before the morning is even over.
Bukit Nanas
Bukit Nanas is a forest reserve within the heart of the KL. It is the city’s “green lung” amidst the commotion of a petrol-induced metropolis. It truly is a surprise to see an ancient rainforest while skyscrappers loom about. The jungle trail offers a precious glimpse of the indigenous flora and fauna of Malaysia. The sights and sounds of insects, monkeys, squirrels and birds in a natural setting is rather novel experience.
Within the confines of this lush patch of earth rises the world’s fourth tallest communication structure-the Menara KL or KL Tower. Soaring to a height of 421 meters, it is the second most important attraction in the burgeoning KL skyline. For a minimal fee, a high-speed elevator delivers visitors to its 335-meter-high observation deck for a paramount view of the city. Further up is the Seri Angkasi revolving restaurant, where a delectable international buffet complements a rotating observation of KL.
To end your Bukit Nanas stop is to defy gravity by zooming 200 kilometers per hour into the clear sky in a reverse bungee jump at the G-Force. Certainly not for the faint-hearted, this feat is preserved for you on a DVD.
The Lake Gardens
Taman Tasik Perdana, or Lake Gargens, is a splendid oasis in the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, where foreign elites from colonial times built their villas and mansions. today, this city’s oldest and most favorite landmark is a manicured park of rolling terrain surrounding an inspiring lake. Sitting on lush land close to 100 hectares in size, the walking trail which locals use for morning jogs and exercise leads to an aviary, a butterfly enclave, a deer refuge, and an orchid and Hibiscus garden. The park is one awesome place for respite.
Within the Lake Gardens are some of KL’s major attractions. East of the park is the Isamic Arts Museum, the largest repository of Islamic Arts in Southeast Asia. Occupying an enormous space of three hectares, the museum houses some 8000 pieces of artifacts and a rare collection of Islamic books in its 12 galleries. The exhibition is a varied as having huge scale models of the world’s most famous mosques, including Mecca’s Masjid al-Haram.
Further east towards the iconic old railway station is the National Mosque. With a cavernous main dome resembling a star with 18 points (representing the five pillars of Islam and 13 states of Malaysia) and roof designed like a half-opened umbrella, it is one of the largest mosques in the Muslim-dominated region of Southeast Asia.
North of this is the Mawkish site of a bronze sculpture featuring seven fighting soldiers, the bravest and most prominent of which bears the Malaysian flag. This is the National Monument. It honors those who fought and died for the country during the World War II. The statue was created in 1966 by Felix de Weldon, the same sculptor who did the US Marines Iwo Jima Memorial in Washington DC. Nearby is the Memorial Tun Razak, a museum dedicated to the life and works of the late Tun Razak Hussein, Malaysia’s second prime minister.
Not Far from the City
Merely 15 minutes north of Kuala Lumpur, the Batu Caves and cave temples are an interesting place to visit. It is a series of limestone caves, of which three caves have lengths of up to 400meters and heights up to 100 meters. First discovered sometime in the 1800’s by K. Thanboosamy, an Indian trader, it became famous when William Hornaday, an American naturalist, rediscovered it in 1878. The first of the Hindu temple caves was established in 1891. The wooden steps leading to the caves was built in 1920. Today, a 272-step concrete stairway leads visitorsto the summit of the hill, where the caves and cave temples are located. Making the climb more exciting is the presence of peanut-munching, long-tailed macaque monkeys at the reails.
Every year ( mostly at the end of January), the Hindu community holds the Thaipusam Festival at Batu Caves. Usually, there are close to one million devotees. Admittedly, it is quite unnerving to see so many human bodies pierced by metal hooks and skewers, then burdened by kayadis.
South of KL is the “intelligent city” of Putrajaya. Here, eight signature bridges reflecting local customs, but using cutting-edge engineering technologies, complement the pink -domed Putra Mosque and the Islamic-Mongol-inspired Perdana Putra and Seri Perdana, the office building and residence of the Prime Minister of Malaysia. The city of Putrajaya is a paragon of the ultimate transformation from a third world backwoods to an ultra-modern metropolis.
Melaka Heritage Trail
Melaka was founded in the 14th century by Parameswarea, a Sumatran prince. It rose to become the largest trading port n Southeast Asia. Soon enough, the city’s fame and fame caught up with the attention of colony-seeking Europeans. The Portuguese colonized Melaka for 130 year since 1511. Then the Dutch and English took turns in conquering it.
Today, Melaka’s historic section is one of Malaysia’s foremost cultural attractions. Much of the remnants of its glorious past are concentrated at the Town Square, where the red Christ Church Melaka lends an imposing presence. Built in 1753, this place of worship is made of pink bricks from Zeeland, Holand and topped with the locally available red laterite. The most astounding structure the Dutch left this former colony is the Stadhuys, a huge town hall ablaze in rfed. Constructed between1641 and 1660. It is now a museum housing relics from Melaka’s colorful history and culture.
From here, steps ascend to St. Paul’s Hill, where the Portuguese-built St. Paul’s Church lies in ruin. Built in 1571, it was the favorite church of St. Francis Xavier. After his death in China, the saint’s body was temporarily entombed here for nine months. Down in the waterfront are the remnants of the Portuguese A’Formosa fort. It was destroyed after seven months of ceaseless attacks by the Dutch in 1641. Melaka has a lot of other historical and cultural attractions tucked in its narrow streets, especially in its old colonial quarters.
A Border Town Called Johor Bahru
Johor Bahru to Malaysia and Singapore is Shenzen to mainland China and Hongkong. This border town is a beehive of economic activities and a crossroad of cultures. Malls and shopping centers are so huge that once inside, you will be lost in yonder. Golf courses here can be mistaken with an Osaka green because of the pervading presence of so many Japanese golfers and tourists. At night, the city is aglow with lights and more lights. Like the proverbial moth, a traveler can be hypnotized by this city’s burning amber.
Charming Penang
The resort town of Penang is another charmer. Its old town mystic complemented by a modern array of things to help tourists enjoy their stay are big come-ons. Taking the bridge from the town of Butterworth is a good way to experience the soft breeze from the Strait of Malacca and view the splendid seascape. The white-sand beaches of Penang are forever teeming with sun-worshippers. With aquamarine-blue waters beckoning and world class hotel facilities waiting, Penang lives up to its reputation of being the ideal vacation getaway in Asia.
Borneo’s Hinterland: Not for the Faint-Hearted
For adventure seekers and nature-lovers, crossing the south China Sea from Malaysia’s mainland to the exotic island of Borneo is an effort worth taking. Ruggedly cocooned in the tropical rainforests of this third largest island in the world are two must-see destinations: Sarawak and Sabah
Sarawak is home to man’s closest kin in the animal kingdom: The Orang-utan. Here, you can play with these giant primates as they are trained at the Semenggoh Wildlife Rehabilitation Center on “how to live in the wild again. “If you want to experience them in their natural habitat, a visit to Batang Al National Park near the order of Kalimantan, Indonesia will give you that rare opportunity. Gibbons, hornbills, wild boars and other wildlife also roam freely in this virgin forest. At Gunung Gading National Park, the world’s biggest flower in Rafflesia blooms amidst the grandeur of unspoiled mountain fastness and waterfalls. The Gunung Mulu National Park, with its unexplored complex of caves and rivers, is considered the last frontier of Borneo.
This territory is not all forest and jungle longhouses. The city of Kuchng is an awe-inspiring colonial outpost that has never abandoned its old-world lure. Cuddled by the Sarawak River, romanticism is prevalent in this place. A walk at the European-style esplanade along the water front can quench anyone’s heart longing for poetry. The view of Astana Palace and Fort Margherita across the tributary, especially when the sky turns magenta, is a scene cut straight from dreamland.
There is Sabah–so serene, so green and so pristine. It is virginal, a tropical paradise endowed by nature with endless wonders. Having the highest peak in Southeast Asia and ultra colorful reefs in the Sulu and Celebes Seas, this “land below the wind” is an ultimate wanderer’s destination.
Kota Kinabalu is the best ingress point into this adventure land. Though there are international and local flights to Labuan and Sandakan, the state capital offers more access routes. From here, start your journey to the misty massif of Mt. Kinabalu. At 13,432.26 feet. This giant granite slab is a prized catch for the strong-willed strong legs.
Sabah is well known for its rainforest, which is considered one of the oldest in the world. The most exotic flora and fauna can be the proboscis monkey with its pendulous red nose is a perennial jungle blockbuster. The “wild man od Borneo” – the orang-utan–is the definitive authority of the woodlands and the moss, as it swings from trees to trees in the town of sepilok.
Endless Awe
So much can be said of Malaysia. The people and their way of life are infinite sources of wonder. Their celebration of Merdeka is an event of national existence. Their love for country is so strong that they show in any which way they can how proud and happy they are to be a free nation. Beyond the shouts “Merdeka! Merdeka!” there stands a country with an endowment of nature so lavish. with a people taking such good care of these gifts, it is no wonder why this nation has taken the giant leap for progress.
Where to Stay:
This hotel is centrally located in Kuala Lumpur’s vibrant Golden Triangle, Furama Hotel Bukit Bintang is within close proximity of Bukit Bintang, Berjaya Times Square and Chinatown. Featuring 433 guest rooms, guests can enjoy the spectacular views of the city. Room starts at $ 73 per night, breakfast included. Rates includes 25% discount! Book Now!
One of the best serviced apartments in the city, this property is within close vicinity of the Golden Triangle which is home to major shopping complexes and the most thriving businesses in Malaysia. Indeed a popular area amongst international tourists, business travelers and even expatriates, guests will certainly find this location excellent. Studio premier with breakfast starts from $80 per night- Rate just reduced from $250. Book Now!
This Penang hotel is sure to make each guest’s trip an enjoyable one. There are 443 rooms in this 17-story hotel, all equipped with the most up-to-date amenities. Included in all rooms are hair dryer, internet access – LAN, television, in room safe. Featuring bar/pub, laundry service/dry cleaning, safety deposit boxes, restaurant Room starts at & 86 per night. Book Now!
This stunning and modern property enjoys an excellent location right in the heart of Melaka. An au courant hotel set in the historical city, both business and leisure travelers can take delight in its unique waterfront location. An easy stroll away and you’ll find city’s main shopping precinct, historical attractions, and Melaka’s very own thriving business district. Deluxe room promotional rate starts at $ 99. Book Now!
Lanson Place Ambassador Row Residences, KLCC
This hotel is a 19 story-hotel. There are 221 rooms and all equipped with the most up-to-date amenities. Some of the features you’ll enjoy are internet access – wireless, television LCD/plasma screen, bathtub. In addition, this property in Kuala Lumpur has restaurant, 24hr room service, coffee shop, room service. Guests will find this service-oriented hotel with superb facilities and amenities provide excellent value. 1 bedroom suite (2 adults) starts from $ 66. Rate includes 20% discount! Book Now!
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