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In a world of information overload and confused media images, it is difficult to get an objective picture of people, places and events. As the Visit Malaysia CyberCampaign (VMCC) is a people-to-people campaign, with no political position to defend nor an urgent commercial message for you, let's try to be useful to help you form a true picture of our country.
Let us warn you we could still be guilty of being over-enthusiastic about our story. Please understand as it really is difficult not to be a little biased when you are talking about your home. Let's attempt to tell, not just the good story, but the WHOLE story of Malaysia (click on the links for the facts):
- Riots, too dangerous to visit
Yes, there were demonstrations, with occasional clashes with the police. But not the sort of riots you think. The recent "riots" we saw were the last-minute Chinese New Year (Feb 1999) shoppers in Petaling Street, an open-air bazaar. - Haze, stay away
Yes, it was true. But it was all over Southeast Asia, and that was nearly two years ago. Now it is blue skies and everything nice, all the time. And we've got the tan lines to prove it! - Total chaos at the Malaysian airport
Come on, every new airport has teething problems! Look at Denver's. Yes, KLIA had problems with the display monitors, the parking aprons, confusion at the departure gates... but they were only during the first few weeks. Now everything and everyone has settled in, and the airport is an absolute delight to use. So much so that even other airports are talking about our "airport of the 21st century." - Highway robberies
We have thousands of miles of excellent highways criss-crossing the entire country, and some do cut through isolated stretches. With common sense and a degree of caution, the few reported incidents of crime could have been avoided. The same can be said of most countries around the world. The only "highway robberies" we've personally encountered would be the souvenir items sold at many rest stops dotting the highways! - Country bankrupt, people unemployed and starving...
Practically every international paper has acknowledged that the financial crisis is unprecedented, and has affected many countries - even Russia! Yes, Malaysia is still not out of the woods yet, but thank goodness we are holding up remarkably well. We need funds to rebuild, restart our economy and create jobs -- but so far, there is still food on the table for everyone. - Harboring "Islamic" terrorists, not safe to travel
and often bomb scares
Are we talking about Iraq or Malaysia? Here, in our perpetually sunny homeland, we are a multi-racial, multi-cultural, multi-religious and a very peaceful country. Malaysians do not like "confrontation." - The government policy discriminates against non-Malays
This is really a very old and tired topic. Yes, Malaysia's social reengineering policy aims to correct the imbalances in our unique society. And so far, the expanding economic pie has kept everyone happy. - Primitive people living on trees, orang-utan (gorillas)
running around
This quaint picture must be coming from the day-dreams of some overly romantic armchair writers. Most Malaysians now live in cities and in concrete houses. We only use our jungle drums to confuse naïve armchair journalists (just kidding!) - Phone tapping
Wow! What we'd like to know is, how on earth can they understand us especially since we speak in so many different dialects! - Intimidating "friendly" neighbors
Come on lah! Our ties with Singapore are founded on family ties, and many Malaysians have family members who are Singapore citizens. Yes, there were occasional spats with our southern neighbor, but it happens all over the world. On the whole, Malaysians maintain friendly and peaceful relations with their neighbors.
And now for the full story…minus the hype.
1. Riots, too dangerous to go...
It is an undeniable fact that street demonstrations did return to the Malaysian political arena following the sacking of former deputy Prime Minister Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim. However, these were only street demonstrations with some incidents of clashes between the police and demonstrators. They were certainly NOT riots, as riots imply blatant disorder among the masses.
Each demonstration averaged several hundreds to no more than a thousand people, though there was one exception - a major demonstration of some thirty thousand strong prior to the arrest of Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Thankfully, these street demonstrations did not result in any loss of property or human lives.
In our history, Malaysia has had such street demonstrations before, so we really shouldn't be too alarmed if we continue to hear more about demonstrations over various issues. Our country has grown very rapidly in the last decade; the civil society is evolving and plural interests are developing. It is only natural to expect more vibrant open debates ahead, as these are the signs of a maturing society.
For the latest news updates on Malaysian politics and society, you may wish to check these Malaysian news sites: In English, The Malaysian National News Agency, The New Straits Times, The Star; in Chinese, Sin Chew Jit Poh, Nanyang Siang Pau; and in Bahasa Malaysia (our National Language) Utusan Online (international editions available).
The fact is, the whole Southeast Asian region, as far north as Southern Thailand and parts of the Southern Philippines, was enveloped by a thick haze for several months during an unprecedented forest fire in Indonesia in 1997. That was the darkest moment in the meteorological history in this part of the world. The haze went away when the fires died down, and blue skies returned by October 1997.
This terrible experience has heightened the awareness among Southeast Asians towards regional cooperation in environmental protection. Although concrete effort has yet to come out of this disaster in Indonesia, we hope the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the people concerned will remember the lessons well and vow to do their best not to let it happen again.
The best proof would be to come see for yourself! You will be delighted to experience one of the best natural environments in this part of the world. The country is located on a continental shelf, with relatively calm waters around us. The rich conditions breed a luxurious botanical and marine life. Except for seasonal weather turbulence, which brings heavy rain and flooding to the low lying areas throughout the year, we are blessed with stable weather conditions. Unlike the annual typhoon cycles elsewhere, the seasonal monsoon winds are relatively mild.
Like cities in most parts of the world, the air quality is affected by traffic and industrial pollution, but nowhere is the pollution close to any alarming levels. As one goes out of the cities, the air is pristine and the landscape is breathtaking with luxurious, exotic tropical plants that flourish in our abundant sunlight and rainfall.
The tropical region is known for its high humidity, especially during the day. But most modern Malaysian facilities are fitted with air conditioning -- so if you choose to come during the hotter months, comfort is no issue.
Also check out Department of Environment Malaysia whose mission is to promote, enhance and sustain sound environmental protection and management in the process of nation building.
3. Total chaos at the Malaysian airport...
Malaysia's airport of the 21st century opened with many operational problems -- computer glitches, baggage belt problems, flight delays... yes, it was a nightmare -- all the problems of a major airport opening. We promise to be more careful and pay more attention to the details, including the public relations.
We are happy to report that the airport is now running smoothly. It is a delight to be there: the architecture is exotic, the lounges are spacious and layout organized. In fact, for the frequent mobile wired-traveler, the Kuala Lumpur International Airport is most friendly to them. If you bring your power charger along (with a 3-pin convertible adaptor for AC220~240V at 50Hz), you can plug in anywhere at the sockets by in the waiting areas so your battery can stayed fully charged before you board the next long or short flight. If you don't have a charger, we know of a Café at the check-in area which even offers to help customers charge the batteries of their mobile phones -- while there is no signboard blatantly advertising the service, they will be delighted to help whenever anyone asks.
Remember the airport is about 60 minutes by car from the city Kuala Lumpur. In order to enjoy a relaxed ride to the airport, we do urge you to make generous allowances for the traveling time.
Like everywhere else in the world, some problems exist. Some unhappy incidents aside, the highway network of Malaysia is one of our proudest possessions. Malaysians travel up and down the highways freely and at any time of the day and night.
With the investments of the last decade, Malaysia now boasts one of the most outstanding highway systems in Asia. The network is extensive; it connects the major cities and towns and provides traveler with tremendous ease, convenience and comfort. Risks do exist, such as accidents, and travelers are advised to be careful, wherever they travel.
More information on Malaysian highways, visit Plus.
5. Country bankrupt, people unemployed and starving...
Thank goodness, we are still holding together quite well. We are still in a financial crisis and are working hard to get back on a normal growth path.
The financial difficulties resulting from the over-leveraging of our private sector, the crash of stock market and collapse of the Malaysian Ringgit (RM) are still with us. Malaysia needs a total of RM62 billion or USD16.3 billion to reflate the economy and bring the financial system back to normal. Up to the first quarter of 1999, we have raised 40% of this fund requirement, from our own internal funds, from the World Bank and government-to-government programs.
Malaysia is able to cope with the crisis better because of a strong domestic savings base -- a lot of the funding that is needed to reflate the economy comes from various savings, pension and institutional funds in the country. The economy needs an injection of funds in order that we continue to restructure and to recover from the dual crises of the currency and the stock market.
Malaysia continues to welcome foreign direct investment -- our open and supportive attitude to work with foreign investors has never changed. For more information on the Malaysian economy check in on the National Economic Action Council website or any private banking website by pointing your search engine to Malaysian banks.
For more opinions on this, check with the Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
6. Harboring "Islamic" terrorists, dangerous and often bomb scares...
This sounds like some militant places infested with terrorism that we all read about in Time or Newsweek magazines. We really don't know what we did to have landed this "bad name," but trust us, it is NOT TRUE AT ALL.
There is only one state that is governed by the Islamic party. Even so, there is a very tolerant atmosphere there. There is distinct segregation of Muslims and non-Muslims, but it is an interesting blend.
Liquor is prohibited only in the North-Eastern State of Kelantan and the consumption of pork is only practiced by the non-Muslim population throughout the country. Muslims only consume "halal" or "kosher" food and observe religious and other customary rules and practices applicable only to the Islamic faith.
Very few people in Malaysia own guns, and only those who have a license can do so. Like elsewhere in the world, we are working towards a "crime-free" society. We are happy to report that the crime rate is not serious enough to attract media attention.
There are drug addiction problems among the young people, and Malaysia has been working hard to eradicate this problem. Please be forewarned that anyone convicted of drug trafficking in this country, Malaysians or foreigners alike, faces a mandatory death penalty.
The peace and harmony in this country is one of our most prized possessions, and we hope and pray that Malaysians will work to preserve this lifestyle.
7. The government policy discriminates against non-Malays...
This is no news. Malaysia has an affirmative action to correct the social imbalance. It is a long and controversial aspect of our national development strategy.
This policy was put in place in the 70s and aimed to correct the economic and social imbalances of the major racial groups, the Malays and Chinese. To help the Malays advance in society, preferential treatment was provided in education, employment and corporate ownership opportunities.
The government of the day hopes that with an expanding economic pie, this social and economic reengineering effort can correct or reduce the imbalances in the system, paving the way for greater stability.
Although critics have different verdicts on the policy, by and large this policy has worked to create a stronger Malay middle class and a group of forward-looking globally-oriented younger Malay leadership. Malaysians believe that this development augurs well for the evolution of a true Malaysian society.
Our institutional framework is well developed; the judiciary, the legislature and the election process have been working for over four decades now. Just like any developing country, we need to clean up all incidences of corruption and inefficiencies so as to ensure that the rule of law is not tempered with. Malaysians are keenly aware that building a civil society is a perpetual work in progress. We are keenly aware of the demands of nation building.
8. Primitive people living on trees, orang-utan (gorillas) running around...
Orang-utan running around?? We really wonder how this impression came about! Orang-utans are hard to find, even for us Malaysians! We suspect this came from the naive daydreams of overly imaginative armchair writers who haven't even stepped foot on our country.
If you are attracted to such an exotic picture of our tropical home, realistically, you would really have to look hard outside of the National Zoo.
As for people living in the trees, it could be that some journalists were referring to their own experiences on the many adventure tours to Taman Negara (National Park) where some accommodation facilities really are built on trees. Many of Malaysia's Indigenous People (Orang Asli) are already so well-integrated into Malaysia's mainstream life, that their true identities are hard to tell judging by their quick adoption to modern living conditions. Malaysians are a highly urbanized lot, while the majority of the people now live in cities, the rural folks are also thoroughly organized in their own kampung (village) settlements.
To learn more about Malaysia's indigenous people, check out Children of the Rainforest homepage, then see if you can spot King Kong lurking about Kuala Lumpur City Centre!
We have heard many rumors about this, but have not had the privilege of a personal experience as yet. Then again, consider the innumerable incidents of phone tapping in the US, not to mention the White House!
True, this is a blatant intrusion on privacy -- and we certainly hope the Malaysian authorities are paying attention to this "image" issue and do something about it. Of greater concern to Malaysians is a law called the Internal Security Act (ISA), which was enacted way back in the 60s when Malaysia was experiencing political and social turbulence. The ISA provides detention without trial for offences, which the authorities deemed threatening to national security. It was an enactment that was needed during those explosive times of political and social turmoil.
Malaysians, in general, feel that the ISA has served its time and really belongs to a bygone era. In fact, up until the recent political disturbance, the Act hasn't been much used. There are various voices and movements calling for the Act to be repealed.
If you are interested in reading different political views of the matter, do check some of the political parties' websites such as UMNO, Gerakan, MCA, MIC, PPP, SAPP, ADIL, DAP and PAS.
10. Intimidating "friendly" neighbors...
This is a puzzling observation. If it refers to Malaysia's "rocky" relationship with our southern neighbor, Singapore, one should understand the historical background to present-day events. There have been occasional spats between us, but on the whole the two countries are very integrated in their economic and social lives.
It is quite complicated to tell the whole story on the Malaysia-Singapore rift, and too difficult to arrive at a judgment. For those interested, read the many history books produced by people from both sides of the causeway. All bookshops in Malaysia and Singapore carry a good selection of these titles. It may be especially interesting to seek out those books that are banned on each side of the causeway, they may help the reader to piece together the story in a different light! :)
Come see for yourself
why Malaysia is a truly fascinating holiday
destination!
Think Holiday, Think Malaysia!