Malaysia is a country divided by the South China Sea. It comprises two large states on the northwest coast of the island of Borneo and 11 smaller states on a peninsula extending from Thailand to Singapore. Three large cities along the peninsula's west coast provide insights into the cultural components that have helped mold the modern nation.

Georgetown

The oldest British settlement in Malaysia, Georgetown was founded in 1786, when Captain Francis Light persuaded the Sultan of Kedah to cede Pulau Penang (island of the Betel Nut) to the British East India Company as a place to refit its ships plying the waters between India and China. Opium and tea made trade with China extremely lucrative, so the English also needed a base from which to protect the merchant fleet.

The northeastern tip of the island was chosen for occupation and named in honor of the reigning British monarch, King George III. Strategically located near the entrance to the Straits of Malacca, the settlement developed over the next century into a major port for the increasing silk and spice trade. It remained under British rule until 1957, when Penang became one of the states of the newly formed Federation of Malaya, which became Malaysia in 1963.

Georgetown is still the administrative seat and the commercial hub of Penang, but it also is a living sampler of the different cultures that have influenced Malaysia as a whole Malay, Sumatran, Javanese, Thai, Burmese, Chinese, Indian, Armenian and Eurasian. It has the largest collection of heritage buildings in South East Asia.

A good place to flag a trishaw and begin a tour of Georgetown is where the city itself began at Fort Cornwallis. Originally a wooden stockade, it was reconstructed of stone by convict labor in 1804.

Nearby are the Municipal Council buildings (the City Hall and the Town Hall), the Court Buildings and the State Museum, all classic examples of 19th century British Colonial architecture featuring arched windows and columned porticos.

Streets with distinctly British names continue into the parts of Georgetown that have their roots in other lands. For these enclaves, the traditional focal point generally is a place of worship.

On Queen Street, saris are the fashion, and the aromas of incense and curry mingle in the air. Here is Sri Mariamman Temple, the oldest Hindu temple in town, built in 1883. Its exterior is adorned with sculpted and painted figures of deities, and inside is a statue of Lord Subramanium, embellished with gold and silver, diamonds and emeralds.

On Cannon Street, a gateway between simple shophouses leads to an inner square paved with granite and dominated by the Leong San Tong (Dragon Mountain Hall) of the Khoo Kongsi (compound of the Khoo clan). Constructed in 1906 by master craftsmen from China, the temple features the finest materials and rich ornamentation.

The call of the muezzin to mid-day prayers can be heard from several historic mosques. The ochre domed Kapitan Kling Mosque was financed in 1801 by Indian Muslim merchant Caudeer Mohudeen. The Acheen Street Mosque, with its unusual octagonal minaret, was built in 1820 on land donated by wealthy Sumatran trader Tengku Syed Hussain.

Close to the Acheen Street Mosque is the beautifully restored home of another wealthy Sumatran merchant. Syed Mohamed Alatas resided here (circa 1860-1875) with his first wife, a Malay of royal descent. His second wife was the daughter of Khoo Tiang Poh, head of the Khoo clan.

Chinese-Portuguese homes over 100 years old line Love Lane and Stewart Lane. Long and low, some still retain heavy carved doors or mosaic tile walkways. In contrast are the stately Victorian mansions that stand along Northam Road, now called Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah.

This is the road leading to two temples: Wat Chayamangkalaram, a complex of elaborate and colorful Thai architecture; and Dhammikarama Burmese Buddhist Temple, the first Buddhist temple in Penang, built in 1805.

At the end of a day exploring the foreign influences found in Georgetown, visitors might want to take a short drive to Teluk Bahang, where they can experience the customs and cuisine of Malaysia at The Istana Theatre Restaurant. The hardwood building, based on designs of old Malay palaces, is decorated with handcarved panels and screens. Appropriately costumed performers present traditional music and dances from throughout the country, while the audience dines on authentic Malay dishes.

Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur is the capital of Malaysia and the country's business center. Many narrow streets, perfectly proportioned for the small shophouses that once lined them, now are overshadowed by towering high-rises, making the city seem cramped in some quarters.

Where new buildings haven't taken over, shorter structures from the past remain, providing open space at lease above and in some cases around them, while giving the city great architectural diversity.

An amazing amount of greenery is spread throughout the city. Flowering shrubs border roadways. Palm trees mark intersections. Bougainvillaea cascade over walls.

The biggest green space in KL, as the city is commonly called, is Lake Gardens Park. Planted as a botanical garden in 1888, it now comprises an artificial lake, orchid and hibiscus gardens, aviary, butterfly sanctuary, deer enclosure, and a range of recreational facilities.

Nearby is the Masjid Negara (National Mosque), built in 1965. Although its design embodies contemporary expressions of traditional Islamic art, its most striking feature is a multi-fold umbrella-like roof.

Two older buildings in the vicinity are the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station and the Malayan Railway Administrative Building. The pastel stucco railway station (1911) is a Moorish fantasy of arches, domes and spires. The more solid-looking stone administration building is no less a riot of decorative elements.

Another large green space in KL is not accessible to the public. It's the grounds of Istana Negara (National Palace), the official residence of the king of Malaysia. The domed palace, set among sprawling lawns and formal gardens and screened by trees, can be glimpsed through the high fence that protects it.

A smaller but still important plot is Dataran Merdeka (Independence Square), a grassy former sports field in the bustling heart of the city. It was here that, at midnight on August 30, 1957, the British Union Jack was lowered and the Malaysia flag raised for the first time. Concealed beneath the square is an underground car park and shopping complex.

A short distance away is one of the prettiest and most peaceful places in KL, Masjid Jamek (Central Mosque), a traditional Arabic style prayer hall with onion-shaped domes, arched colonnades, turreted minarets and walled courtyard.

Built in 1909, it occupies a palm tree studded V-shaped site where the Klang and Gombak rivers converge. The place, once a Malay burial ground, was where the tin mining founders of Kuala Lumpur (which means Muddy Estuary) first landed.

South of Masjid Jamek, along the east bank of the Klang River, is the area settled by the Chinese, who came to KL during the last half of the 19th century to work in the tin mines.

One of the district's main streets, Jalan Petaling, is transformed each night into an outdoor market, with bright lights, loud music and fast food. Shoppers may bargain with vendors at stalls along the street for everything from produce to clothing.

At the south end of Jalan Petaling is Chan See Shu Yuen Chinese Temple (1906). Its distinctive lime green glazed facade is extensively decorated with ceramic figures arranged in panels and along the roof.

KL also has a significant population of Indians, whose forebears came to provide plantation labor for British colonists. Their Sri Maha Mariamman Temple on Jalan Bandar is the oldest Hindu temple in the city, built in 1837.

Malacca

Malacca, founded by a fleeing prince from Sumatra in 1400, blossomed into a cosmopolitan trade center during the 15th century.

Indian traders brought silk and brassware and their religion, Hinduism. Chinese traders brought gold and porcelain and their religions, Taoism and Buddhism, and their philosophy, Confucianism. Arab traders brought perfumes and pearls and their religion, Islam.

The Portuguese, determined to make Malacca a port of call on their spice route to China, defeated the sultan in 1511, and introduced their religion, Catholic Christianity. The Dutch wrested power from the Portuguese in 1641, and added Protestant Christianity to the melange.

After an Indian maharaja who was ruling Malacca converted to Islam, Malacca became a sultanate and Islam its official religion setting the tone for modern Malaysia. But the influx of influences continued.

Its colorful past has made Malacca one of Malaysia s most popular tourist destinations. Within an easily walked area, visitors can view vestiges of almost every aspect of the city s past.

Northwest of the river that divides the historic district is the old trading port, now known as Chinatown. Southeast of the river is the former European administrative center.

In Chinatown, Malacca s blended background is most evident where To kong Street joins Tukang Emas Street. Within a distance of two blocks are Cheng Hoon Teng Temple (Taoist, Buddhist and Confucianist), Kampong Kling Mosque (Muslim), and Sri Pogyatha Vinayagar Moorthi Temple (Hindu).

In the former administrative center, Dutch Square is an assortment of rose colored stone and stucco buildings. On one side of the square is the frequently photographed Christ Church, constructed in 1753 with pink bricks brought from Holland and local red laterite.

Occupying another side of the square is the Stadthuys, built between 1641 and 1660, believed to be the oldest Dutch building in the East. It has thick masonry walls (painted red), heavy hardwood doors and louvered windows. Once the official residence of the Dutch governors, it now houses history and ethnographic museums.

Rising behind the Stadthuys is St. Paul s Hill, with the remains of its namesake church on top. Down the other side of the hill is the ruin of A Famosa, the fortress built by the Portuguese in 1512.

Although no building from the Malacca sultanate survives, a wooden replica of a period palace has been constructed behind St. Paul s Hill. Built using dowels and dovetailing instead of nails, the imposing structure has walls of local chengal and resak woods and a roof of ironwood shingles. It is the Cultural Museum, with exhibits that include furnishings, costumes, musical instruments and weapons.

Also at the foot of St. Paul s Hill is the Proclamation of Independence Memorial, an ornate structure topped by twin domes. Built in 1912 as headquarters of the Malacca Club, a bastion of British colonialism, it was the site where Malaysia s first prime minister announced the country s forthcoming independence on February 20, 1956.

Weather

Temperatures throughout Malaysia fluctuate little during the year, averaging between 21 and 32 C (72 and 94 F). However, humidity is high. Along the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, rain is common in the months of April, May, October and November.

Transportation

Airlines serving Kuala Lumpur International Airport from North America include: Malaysia Airlines; Northwest Airlines; Cathay Pacific Airways; Japan Airlines; Korean Air; and Singapore Airlines.

Two bus services operate between the airport and downtown Kuala Lumpur: Luxury Coach, every 15 minutes, fare RM25; and Stage Bus, every 30 minutes, fare RM2.80.

In addition, Airport Limo provides transportation on demand between the airport and specific destinations, with fare to a hotel in central KL running about RM88. Coupons for Airport Limo service must be purchased in the airport arrival concourse on Level 3.

For More Information

Tourism Malaysia
830 Burrard St.
Vancouver BC V6Z 2K4
phone 1-604-689-8899
fax 1-604-689-8804.

Tourism Malaysia
120 E. 56th St.
Suite 804
New York NY 10022
phone 1-212-754-1113
fax 1-212-754-1116.

Photos by Toni Dabbs