Located across two main land masses in tropical Souteast Asia, Malaysia is far from just a tropical paradise that is easily confused with Indonesia. Malays, Chinese, Indians, and Orang Asli are just a few of the people groups that live in the country. I was in its capital, Kuala Lumpur, for the 2018 HPAIR conference where I met its crown prince.
The food is delicious, the food is cheap, the food is plentiful, and the food is colourful. Most of what’s good in Malaysia is really all edible. You can eat at night markets in the evening when the hot sun is out of the way or in a covered canteen with more choices than you could imagine.
Orang Asli means “first people” in Bahasa Malaysia. They have lived in the region for tens of thousands of years but now only make up less than 1% of the total population of Malaysia. The “Malays” that get special rights conferred by the government due to their “native” nature aren’t actually the original natives. The Malays enslaved Orang Asli prior to European colonisation. There is still an ongoing controversy on this issue.
I’ve been to Malaysia several times both in east and west Malaysia. Scuba diving along its coral reefs are a charm, smelling rafflesias are not a charm, seeing orangoutangs are a delight, trying to fit into a tight parking sport is not a delight. There’s lots to do in its jungles, cities, and beaches and you can spend months on without worrying about the cold. What cold?
