MALAYSIA : My New Home ( Part Four)

“ Jed, you tour Malaysia alone so that you get to familiarize the places. You will not be lost as long as you know how to read, and ask. ” This was a piece of advice from Dr. Rodney. “Oh if that is the case Sir, I will stop first writing this research about Muslims in Malaysia. You know I went here to tour this place.  Hahaha.”

Masjid India. Central Market. Bukit Bintang. Petronas Towers. These are on my list. These are the places that would tell the cultures in Malaysia. And I  immediately bought my card for LRT.

Here I am exploring Masjid India! Alhamdulillah!

Masjid India. “ Sir, I want to buy pasalubongs for my family : kopiah, badju Melayu, hijab, etc. .”  And Masjid India is the right place. And yes, here in Masjid India you can buy all things you want for your Muslim brothers and sisters. Cheaper, affordable, and you can ask discount if you want! Just speak in Bahasa or greet them in Arabic, “Assalamu alaykum”. Masjid India is the oldest masjid in KL.  It was built over a century ago my Indian Muslim merchants.  About 3,500 Muslims perform the salahtul Jum-ah in Masjid India.  In Masjid India, I came to know different people : Malaysians, Indonesians, Iranians, Indians, and many others. And my Indonesian friend took me a picture infront of Masjid India. Terima kasih Masjid India, and I got three badju Melayu, seven hijab, four kopiah for my family and friends.

Sharina, an Ilokana balik-Islam, gave me a discount when I bought shirts in Central Market.

Central Market. Housed in an Art Deco building near Petaling Street, Central Market is one of the famous landmarks in KL. This is one of the most visited shopping centers where you can buy handicrafts, jewellery, clothes and many others. And to my surprise, there were lots of Filipino vendors. I met Sharina, an Ilokano balik-Islam. She married a Melayu and now enjoying the life in KL. She gave me a discount when I bought three shirts in her store. I met also a Samal Filipina saleslady who knows a little of Tausug, and Cebuano.  She shared that she has a sister in Buhangin, Davao City that is why she knows Cebuano. I bought stuffs in her store and I got a discount!

I am roaming around the busy Jalan Bukit Bintang. 

Bukit Bintang. “Go to Bukit Bintang. And you will enjoy there”, a friend from Norway once said this to me when I was in Puka Beach, Boracay. “ Nice place lah Sajed.”, Nurul Jannah, my Malaysian friend also related how nice to be in Bukit Bintang.” And so I walked and saw the beautiful and busy Jalan Bukit Bintang. Bukit Bintang is one of the shopping centers . It houses the Berjaya Times Square, Bukit Bintang Plaza, Imbi Plaza, Fahrenheit 88, Low Yat Plaza, Starhill Gallery, Sungei Wang Plaza, and Pavillion Plaza. And there were many people here..people from all over the world.  I toured the luxurious mall in KL, the Starhill Galllery. Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Fendi, Valentino can all be found here. I was told my my friends that it is indeed cool to stay here at night. Night life is very night life. Massage, bars, foods.. They are all here.

The elegant KLCC located at the base of Petronas Towers.

Petronas Towers. Your stay in KL would not be complete if you do not visit the Petronas Towers, a pair of skyscraper office buildings, that are among the world’s tallest buildings. The Twin Towers, built to house the headquarters of Petronas, the national petroleum company of Malaysia, were designed by the famous Argentine born American architect Cesar Pelli. These were completed in 1998. The plan for each tower is identical : an eight-lobed circular structure that contains 88 stories of occupiable space and a pyramid-shaped pinnacle surmounted by a slender steel spire. At the base of the Petronas Tower is the elegant Suria KLCC, Malaysia’s premier shopping center. It houses over 400 stores. Many foreign nationals stay and enjoy the scenic beauty of Petronas Towers. It was nice sitting here and talking to different people.  I happened to meet two Indonesian ladies while I was roaming around, and they were in KL just to travel. How beautiful life is! 

Life in KL is as cool as the fountain in this park outside KLCC. 

When I was in the park in KLCC, I noticed a group of Cebuano young men enjoying each other’s company. They were talking loud and sharing their experiences in KL. “Ayusa diri bay uy. KL najud ni.”, one of Cebuano boys exclaimed. I came across also of a Tagalog family having their group picture at the fountain in KLCC. “Jumpshot tayo. Jumpshot!”  “ Saan po kayo sa Pilipinas”, I asked. “Laguna po kami. Pasyal pasyal lang kami dito.”  Lovers, friends, brothers and sisters, husbands and wives: they all gathered here to have an iconic experience in Malaysia.

Good evening, Malaysia!

If I would define home, I will simply put in one word, and that is MALAYSIA.