|Retired US Professor Impressed By Malaysia's Modern Face
By Manik Mehta
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 10 (Bernama) -- It was not merely a journey down memory lane for John English.
Returning after 10 years to Malaysia to witness and cover the 50th Merdeka anniversary celebrations on Aug 30 and 31 in Kuala Lumpur, the 66-year-old retired professor of journalism and a former United States Peace Corps volunteer felt that a brand new city had been "simply dropped" in the midst of an old city, as he knew it from a much earlier association with Malaysia.
English, who taught journalism at the University of Georgia, was a member of the first-ever group of the US Peace Corps to travel to Malaysia and had taught English in Borneo from 1962 to 1964. The Peace Corps was then a fledgling organisation set up by the former US president, John F. Kennedy.
In the 1980s, during his second visit, he taught English in Penang.
English, who now works as a freelance journalist and writes on travel, art, culture and such, has also authored six books, one of which is about Malaysia in the popular Fedora travel book series.
Indeed, English has even penned a Malaysian script called "Pertama" which was later adapted for a Malaysian film depicting the typical lives of teenagers and issues of concern and interest to them.
Of course, the old city of Kuala Lumpur still co-exists with the new and ultra-modern one. "This juxtaposition of the two is simply colossal," he told Bernama in an interview at the KL International Airport as he waited for a flight to Penang.
He said that a visit to the imposing Petronas Twin Towers was "a must" for any visitor to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's business heartbeat.
"The elegant and sophisticated shopping malls and cluster of offices here easily surpass the best you can see in many countries of the West," he maintained. "The Petronas towers are a brilliant symbol of the city."
He discerned a growing affluence amongst Malaysians. But the quaint, colonial style structures preserved in Malaysia have created "a lasting impression" on English who is fascinated by Malaysia's art and culture as well as its ethnic diversity manifested in the ubiquitous of Malay, Chinese and Indian religious, cultural and culinary mix.
"The architecture and the buildings of the old evoke what I would refer to as the Nasi Kandar memories. I have had a 45-year-old association with Malaysia. You still get the old stuff here though I see a distinct trend towards more fancy restaurants which increasingly appeal to Malaysians," he said.
English, who enjoyed eating at the street vendor food stalls in the city, relished the sizzling steaks served at the Coliseum Cafe in Kuala Lumpur. "It was a mouth-watering treat," he confessed.
One of the most remarkable things which English learned in Malaysia -- he first arrived in Malaysia with visions and concerns about the famous circus character, The Wild Man of Borneo, who was a headhunter -- was to sit in "peaceful silence", a kind of meditative, introspective self-examining reflection.
He recalled how he built a swing set for the village children, and also founded a Boy Scout troop with donated uniforms. He replaced his stereotypes with long hikes and personal discovery.
"Although I grew up in the United States, I really grew up in Borneo," he makes this observation as he plays on the words. "It was the first time I was self-sufficient and it was the first time I learned that I actually had expertise and could make a real, long-term difference in people's lives."
"My time there absolutely changed my life. It gave me the desire to see the world and be a part of a global society. I honestly would not trade my Peace Corps experience for anything," he spoke of what would become a defining moment in his personal life.
Besides the cultural landmarks, the former Peace Corps volunteer was also impressed by the humility and unassuming character of Malaysians.
He noticed instances of unique camaraderie amongst people in some professions, even though they were rivals and competing against each other in their respective fields.
He cited a touching example of solidarity at a so-called "chefs' table", an informal gathering of chefs from various hotels and restaurants, who sat together to eat and enjoy the food cooked by other chefs.
He narrated how the chefs spontaneously decided to help a cancer-stricken chef and present him a purse out of donations collected from their professional fraternity.
"I also noticed how they discussed their daily concerns and issues in their profession. For example, they were talking about the dwindling stock of the popular tiger prawns, which is affecting the gastronomy trade.
"They even discussed questions about environmental pollution and over-fishing which were creating the shortage," English narrated, making no effort to conceal his amusement at the lively debate amongst the chefs.
Despite all of Malaysia's distinctive tourist landmarks, history and culture, American tourists continue to bypass the country, preferring to head for Thailand, Bali, Cambodia and other destinations in Southeast Asia.
English had a ready reply for this peculiar behaviour of American tourists. "Being a small country which remained below the radar in the 1970s and 1980s, I believe, it was largely unknown to Americans.
"However, Malaysia is now beginning to have an impact on American tourists. Many American tourists, who know Malaysia, have a lot of good things to say about it. It fares a lot better than many other destinations."
English gave his own perceptions of Malaysia which, he said, had made great economic strides, thanks to political stability, the absence of conflict or war and natural disasters.
"Present-day Malaysia is a success story. I am convinced that Malaysia can achieve the goal of becoming a developed country by the year 2020, as the political leadership is striving to achieve. There may still be poor people in the country, but the level of poverty is manageable."
But there was one "tiny irritant" for the former journalism professor. The gridlock traffic of Kuala Lumpur seemed to unnerve him.
Part of the price Malaysia has paid for its success story is the incredible traffic jam and the resulting air pollution. "But I guess it's still manageable compared to other Asian countries," English quipped.