Malaysia Celebrates 50 Years of Independence Vibrant, Colorful and Harmonious

“Come 2007, Malaysia will celebrate 50 years of independence. The month of August will be filled with a myriad of parades, cultural performances, street shows and carnivals to commemorate the country’s Independence or Merdeka Day on 31st August.”

“It was on 31st August 1957 when history was made as the Union Jack was lowered and the Malaysian flag hoisted, with the first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj leading the people in the famous shouts of Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka! (Independence!)”

In the well-known television commercial Malaysia is characterized as, “Malaysia, truly Asia.”

This is actually an understatement, as nowhere in Asia can one find such an ethnic mix. Forced to make a virtue of its ethnic diversity, it has historically made it a source of profitable commerce and cultural exchange. Today this has never been truer.

“To see Malaysia is to love Malaysia,” says Datuk Seri Tengku Adan Tengku Mansor, Malaysia’s minister of tourism. This is one of many statements that the government and the people in the street proudly use to talk about their country. Malaysians say that their diversity gives them strength and helps them to unite as a nation.

“2007 is an important year for Malaysia. It is the celebration of our nationhood. Malaysia today is different from what it was 50 years, or even 10 years ago. We want to show to the world what we have done. We have political stability, a vibrant economy, and of course, the people,” Mansor goes on to say.

On the plane or in the tourist office before arrival, a welcome brochure is made available to all, even before their arrival, inviting you to make Malaysia your second home. Available to all potential investors, regardless of race or religion, it offers a hassle-free, minimum ten-year stay. (See sidebar)

From the arrival at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), the city’s new and traveler-friendly airport, to the high-speed train which takes you downtown to Kuala Lumpur Central Station (home to two high rise hotels, The Meridien and The Hilton), the feel is one of business and efficiency. For those seeking color and charm, a quick walk through Kuala Lumpur’s more “bohemian areas” such as Butik Bintang or Chinatown quickly gives one the true feel of the ethnic mix of Malaysia.
What Made Malaysia

Peninsular Malaysia covers the southern and central part of a peninsula that extends south from Thailand into the South China Sea. The country also includes the northern third of the neighboring island of Borneo known as East Malaysia.

Malaysia’s location in the heart of Southeast Asia placed it on the international maritime trade routes between Europe, the Middle East, South Asia and East Asia. Malaysia became a magnet in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries for adventurers and people seeking a better life. Travelers in the age of sail called Peninsular Malaysia, “the land where the winds meet.”

Malaysia was linked with the great markets of Europe, South Asia, the Middle East and China by the monsoons. Ships would often have to stop at ports along the Straits of Malacca to await the change of winds. These straits soon became one of the busiest waterways in the world.

The Monsoons practically divide the Malaysian year in two. The steady winds, when blowing from the northeast, brought traders in junks from China, and when they blew from the southwest, the merchants came from India and Arabia. To this lush and green land came Chinese, Arabs, and Europeans, which resulted in an unusually rich and mixed culture. Today’s population is made up of primarily Malays, Chinese and Indians.

Further afield on the island of Borneo in the two states of Sarawak (Land of the headhunters) and Sabah, known as the land below the winds, because the tropical cyclones never reached it, lives a diverse community of over thirty ethnic groups.

Modern Malaysia
The level of tolerance and respect that exists here is an example to the world of how religions and races can live together in peace and harmony. It is literally a collage of a country, made up of religious and ethnic backgrounds that have formed alliances over the years.
In an increasingly fragile world Malaysia is a point of reference and could be termed a role model for the world. In Malaysia, according to Rajmah Hussain, Malaysia’s ambassador to the U.S., the dominant strain of Islam is the moderate version known as “Islam Hadhari,” or “Civilized Islam.” It is focused on enhancing the quality of life, through knowledge and the development of the individual and the nation.

This quality of life combined with Malaysia’s economic expansion is nowhere more apparent than on the modern streets of its capital Kuala Lumpur, itself a respectable rival to Singapore or Hong Kong.
With the 21st century Menara KL skyscraper and the awe-inspiring twin Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur can probably boast the best “visual branding” of any Southeast Asian metropolis. Nevertheless the office and commercial properties filling in the rest of the skyline are competing for occupants.

For several years the Malaysian real estate sector has suffered from severe oversupply, especially in the office and retail sectors. Prior to the 1997 Asian financial crisis property prices were rising an astounding 30-40 percent annually. A new post-crisis upward trend is taking place with a more modest annual growth of around 15 percent.

Since the Malaysian ringgit was de-pegged from the dollar, more foreign investors have entered the high end of the market, hoping to make gains on foreign exchange.

Compared to other regional capitals, KL is perceived as less expensive. In addition to its attractive prices, it does not suffer from the same traffic problems as Jakarta or Bangkok.

The mall culture or “meet me at the mall” has truly caught on and the past 15 years have shown spectacular growth in that area. Lifestyle is the new buzzword, indicating an increasing middle class population, and a new degree of sophistication of Malaysia’s shoppers. Events creation is an integral part of Tourism Malaysia’s strategy to increase tourism and nowhere is it more apparent than with the Kuala Lumpur Fashion week (KLFW). The biggest fashion extravaganza in the country, KLFW will showcase a gathering of corporate figures, fashion key players and celebrities in one event. It kicks off on October 26th.

The Tourism Ministry has set a high target of 20.1 million visitors and RM44 billion in Tourism revenue from 2007. The Minister is optimistic however, that with the help of the people, agents, and his team in Tourism Malaysia, these targets are attainable.