Monday, August 31, 2009

Happy Merdeka Day, Malaysia!: 52 yrs of Independence...马来西亚独立纪念日52周年。...マレーシヤ独立記念日52周年...


Today marks Malaysia's 52nd Birthday:-) Actually, in 1957, peninsular Malaysia obtained independence from the United Kingdom but Sabah and Sarawak (Malaysia's East Coast) were not part of that union yet. They remained separately governed (together with Singapore) until 1963 when the Union of Malaysia was formed. So modern Malaysia as we know it now was in fact formed in 1965, when Singapore was removed from the union. (So its not entirely accurate to say that we Malaysians gained independence in 1957!)
I'd recommend everyone to visit Malaysia for a holiday...it's a nice tropical destination to escape for rest and relax...in fact, Malaysia is now one of the world's most visited tourist destination! I checked the statistics, its like in the Top 20 Most visited Tourist Countries. However, it offers a less packed and well known holiday destination compared to neighbouring Thailand which is so well-known and visited already and very packed with tourists. Places recommended would be Penang (my hometown!!!!!) for its World Heritage Site Georgetown of Pre-WW2 enclaves of architecture and splendid Malaysian hawker food (most famous foodie destination within Malaysia and all Malaysians know and visit Penang for its food!!), Langkawi, for its pristine less packed beaches compared to the tourist jammed Phuket and Koh Samui found in Thailand, Melaka for its Straits culinary delights and Nyonya heritage and culture (also a WHS)..Kuala Lumpur for the magnificent Twin Towers one of THE most amazing structures in the world and also for good food in the Klang Valley and Kota Kinabalu in Sabah for the Mount Kinabalu summit and exploration of East Coast Malaysian adventures such as scuba diving (voted by worldwide magazines as one of the most fantastic diving and deep water activity locations in the world for its relatively unspoiled and undiscovered nature) or visit any of the towns and villages along the coast in Sabah and Sarawak for a fun escapade!....
Malaysian Tourism Ad Campaign 2007:
Malaysia, Truly Asia Ad Campaign English:
For those wondering whether to visit Singapore or Malaysia, visit both if you can, but if choosing one, definitely skip Singapore, and come to Malaysia! Singapore, despite possessing one of the highest living standards in the world and being the richest n most famous country in the world (yes, Singapore is the richest most well-known country in the world surpassing America, Japan, UK,etc in per capita GDP terms) it isn't a good tourism destination in my opinion, as it has basically nothing to offer in terms of authencity or variety (limited by its sterile environment and small size/population). You can get everything you want in Singapore in Malaysia but even better, cheaper, and way more authentic.

This yr's Malaysia Festival 2009 shall be held again at Tumbalong Park, Darling Harbour on 27 September 2009 from 10am to 5pm. So be sure to get there and taste all the lovely food, dance n culture Malaysia has to offer...in Sydney!

Checkout the Official Website: http://www.malaysiafest.com.au/

Below are some photos taken at the Malaysia Fest' 2008 last year:
http://chinesechic.blogspot.com/2008/08/happy-merdeka-51st-birthday-malaysia.html

16 comments:

YTSL said...

Wah, you sure are patriotic!

Re your choices of tourist places: I'd also like to recommend Sarawak's Mulu and Niah caves. :)

hcpen said...

Yes, I believe that countries which have patriotic citizens do better economically as well as export their culture better (e.g. south korea n japan) compared to countries which are not patriotic. Also,i think many malaysians of the younger generation are much more patriotic than the older malaysians...so r u patriotic? haha..

fufu said...

wow...i miss darling harbour so much...wish i could go back to sydney again... hohoho well happy merdeka day to you!!

hcpen said...

fufu:haha, Happy Merdeka Day to you too!!:-) Next time you come to Sydney, let me know yah! I'll take u around n we can have fun together,haha..you can come stay at my place:-)

Xing Tells You said...

hey~ thanks for visiting ya!
nice to meet you~
I miss Sydney so much!
you migrated to there? really wish to study in Sydney la...sad~

hcpen said...

Xing Tells You; No worries...hehehe..:)

YTSL said...

Hi again hcpen --

Actually, I'm not sure if I'm patriotic. I guess I am... even while I can see Malaysia's faults and wish they could be remedied. :S

hcpen said...

YTSL: I encourage you to be patriotic, a country can only remedy and improve itself, if its citizens are willing to support and continue to feel proud of the country..Malaysia may have its faults, but which country doesn't? haha..even developed countries like Australia, Japan, and America, all have their own multitude of problems..

Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella said...

Happy Merdeka Day! :) BTW as per your question, you can buy Kaya jam at any good Asian grocery store in Chinatown :)

hcpen said...

Lorraine: Ok, i'll try finding it!!:-)

Chris said...

haha... i didn;t celebrate merdeka.. :p Cos I juz enjoy the holiday...

hcpen said...

chris: Happy Merdeka~Have a good time during your holiday~~:-)

Xing Tells You said...

ya~ I've been to Sydney before~ Last year...alone~ haha~
when you migrated to Sydney ar?
mind to link each other?

Ice said...

Haha! I agree singapore has not much to offer. No offense singaporeans! I think it is just an island that keeps on working and working. Not much life going on there.

hcpen said...

Xing Tells You: Well,I have been in Australia since 2001, first for high school, then uni, then work..so until now over 8 years alreadi lor..already a permanent resident here already..hehe..

hcpen said...

Ai Shiang: Well, actually i beg to differ, i believe Singapore would be a fantastic place to live n work for those with families cos of the good education, healthcare,environment there,etc..but not a 'happening' place for younger ppl as it lacks the freedoms and 'buzz' of cities such as Hong Kong, which are so exciting and open with access to a range of media,etc. However, as a tourist destination, it definitely has little to offer..i mean, who wants to see a sanitised 'themepark' being Chinatown or walk from one huge mall to another one on holiday? So i dun know why ppl still go in droves to Sg for tourism purposes when Thailand, Malaysia,and Indonesia in the neighbouring regions offer so much more in authentic and exciting experiences..hahaha..thus, Singaporeans may have the higher economy and living standards but they could never have the diversity, authencity and array of things to do which a big land mass and population that Malaysia has to offer!