On The Far Side

If the staggering variety of races found in Malaysia makes your head spins, then their languages would certainly leave you speechless.


But if you insist on learning a language to take home, Bahasa Malaysia should be it. From glitzy cities to remote jungles, Malaysians of all colours and creed speak Bahasa Malaysia.


If trees could talk, it’d be Bahasa Malaysia.


Origin


Do you know that words like paddy, amok, junk, ketchup, caddy, godown and bamboo are derived from the Malay language?


How the Malay language originates is still a puzzle but new findings are slowly piecing them together. The latest report by American Journal of Human Genetics suggested that the Malagasy language spoken by East Africa’s Madagascar islanders resembles Indonesian’s Maanyan language spoken in southern Borneo. This is not surprising considering in May 2005, a study on mitochondrial DNA passed directly from mothers to children by a team of genetics experts at Cambridge, Oxford and Leicester also showed similarities to sequences found between people living in Madagascar and Borneo, now shared by Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.


Bahasa Malaysia is classified under the Austronesian’s Malayo-Polynesian language family tree which also share similarities with languages like ….


1. Indonesia’s Javanese, Sudanese, Acehnese, Chamorro, and Belau.
2. Phillipines’ Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilokano, Hiligaynon, Bikolano, Kapampangan and Waray-Waray.
3. Polynesian Islands’ Hawaiian, Maori, Samoan, Tahitian, Tongan, and Tuvaluan.


My days in Malaysia are too short to learn the language. Help.


Don’t fret. There’s always a safety caveat – most people understand English. Children are exposed to English at an early age by today’s standard school curriculum. Older generation who are born after World War II had the privilege to study under colonial English education system. In fact, among SE Asian countries, Malaysia has the highest English-speaking population. This propelled Malaysia to be one of the largest market outside the Western world for English songs and movies. Popular Western music bands and megastars are constantly flying in to deliver live concerts. Michael Jackson rocked Malaysia in 1996 and Linkin’ Park did their gig in 2003.


Include a small radio in your packing list. There are roughly 7 English radio channels to keep you company.


So, there you are. Even if you don’t speak like a Malaysian, you can still enjoy like one.


Bahasa Malaysia for small talk


Here are some useful words and phrases one should brush up on for trips to Malaysia …


English (B.Malaysia)


Hello (Hello)
Yes (Ya)
No (Tidak)
How are you ? (Apa khabar ?)
Good morning (Selamat Pagi)
Good night (Selamat Malam)
Good bye (Selamat jalan)
Thank you (Terima kasih)
Sorry / Excuse me (Minta maaf)
I don’t understand (Saya tidak faham)
You’re welcome (Sama sama)
Oh my god ! (Alamak !)
Ouch ! (Adoi !)


Do you speak English ? (Awak boleh berbahasa Inggeris?)
Where is the loo ? (Di manakah tandas ?)
Where is the ATM ? (Di manakah mesin ATM ?)
How much does this cost ? (Berapakah harga yang ini ?)
I want to buy this (Saya nak beli yang ini)
No, thank you (Saya tak nak, terima kasih)
Not too spicy please (Jangan terlalu pedas)
This is delicious (Sedapnya)
It is absolutely horrible (Teruknya)


Zero or None (Kosong)
One (Satu)
Two (Dua)
Three (Tiga)
Four (Empat)
Five (Lima)
Six (Enam)
Seven (Tujuh)
Eight (Lapan)
Nine (Sembilan)
Ten (Sepuluh)


Morning (Pagi)
Afternoon (Petang)
Night (Malam)
Midnight (Tengah Malam)

Bahasa Malaysia for jungle use


Danger (Bahaya)
Rainforest, jungle (Hutan)
Leech (Pacat)
Snake (Ular)
Tiger (Harimau)
Elephant (Gajah)


How deep is this river ? (Berapa dalam kah sungai ini ?)
Is this poisonous ? (Adakah ini beracun ?)
I’m freakin’ out. I’m getting outta here ? (Saya takut. Saya nak balik sekarang)
Will I die of malaria here ? (Di sini, ada penyakit malaria ?)


If you hear your guide yelp “Cabuuuutttt … “, it’s good time to drop everything and run for your life.

The jungle can come to life if you look carefully.

Malaysia is home to an order of insects called Phasmatodea, a name derived from Greek “phasma” meaning an apparition or phantom, and refers to the resemblance of many species to sticks or leaves. Notable ones which are only found around our region are Lopaphus perakensis, the world’s longest and largest insect and Heteropteryx dilata which lays the largest eggs. These insects are hyper-endemic and can only be found in the jungles around Ipoh.

The rainforest can come alive if you look close enough. This stick insect got too intimate with one of the trekkers and we couldn’t resist this shot.

It is hard to spot these insects at a glance. When discovered, these insects seldom fly away but sway with the breeze or drop to the ground and play dead.

Notice the green-coloured male clinging on the the bigger sized female.

Leaf insect

Avid orchidists call it Pigeon Orchid, but we prefer to call it Dove Orchid because that’s what the locals call it – for obvious reason.

Dendrobium crumenatum is endemic to Malaysia, especially in the region of Perak, our home state, and grows wild on tree trunks in open countryside, wetland but almost never in the rainforest. No one knows why. Well, that’s the beauty of Malaysian tropical orchids. Every type has attitude.

Another peculiar trait of the Dove Orchid is its blooming cycle is spurred by a sudden temperature drop, usually as a result of heavy downpour. When this happens, the plant bursts into a bouquet of fragrant white flowers and a passer-by that catches a whiff of its scent is said to enjoy good luck. It certain villages, the orchid is planted near doorways to ward off evil spirits.

And before anyone say “Hey, I saw the same orchid in Singapore!”, let it be known that since 19th century, colonial English orchid hobbyists have been uprooting wild orchids from Perak and carted them by the loads to Singapore to dress their gardens. If one has delved into the history on how Singapore’s national flower Vanda Miss Joaquim came into existence, it’d give one a good explanation.

There’s a saying that goes – When life gives you lemon, make one helluva lemonade.


And we did.


In Dec 21, 2007, Ashoka Changemaker emailed us to inform that OO has been nominated for the 2008 Geotourism Challenge, and it’s…A-ma-zing. The recognition hits the spot: We’re beginning to feel human again and the world indeed has a heart.


One of our past guests Karen Ackland, wrote this in her support for our nomination:


“We were in a wooden boat heading out to ocean to see an aqua-farm. My husband and I were sitting under a canopy with a woven plastic tarp over our legs. Because of the slanting rain, neither the canopy nor tarp was keeping us dry. When we got to the aqua-farm and I saw that I had to walk out across a series of bobbing planks, my vision of myself as a good traveler took a soggy nose dive. I’d contacted Casey Ng, founder of Outskirt Outreach, a month earlier when the opportunity for a trip to Malaysia came up. Based on our interests—orchids, hiking, good food, and tribal villages—Casey helped us put together a trip that got us into the countryside. We found him to be an exceptional guide. His enthusiasm and knowledge about local flora, rural communities, and Malaysian history provided a glimpse into a country we’d known little about. I did walk out on the aqua-farm, tightly gripping Casey’s hand. We waited until it got dark and then motored slowly back up the river and watched the fireflies along the banks. It was exactly what I’d wanted.”

As the euphoria now coursing deliciously through our veins, we reminded ourselves that OO is pitted against mammoth organizations that deal with multi-million dollar annual budgets. We are not going to dream about tweaking their ankles, much less rubbing shoulders with them, but our little presence goes a long way in telling the world one need not be big to make a difference. Small timers like OO have fans too.


It’s nice to know there are caring organizations like Ashoka Changemakers (even the name sounds nice) to help the tourism industry to evolve into something that has some moral fibre, and most importantly backbone. It’s about time people realise that travelling means more than postcard scenes and sipping Pina Colada under a palm tree.


It’s also about touching lives.


Read OO’s nomination entry.

Country
The Federation of Malaysia comprises Peninsula Malaysia and the states of Sabah and Sarawak on the island of Borneo.

Geographical Location
Located between 2º and 7º north of the Equator, Peninsula Malaysia is separated from the states of Sabah and Sarawak by the South China Sea.

To the north of Peninsula Malaysia is Thailand while its southern neighbour is Singapore. Sabah and Sarawak are north of Indonesia in Borneo while Sarawak also shares a border with Brunei.

Flag

The 14 red and white stripes represent the 14 states of the country. The gold crescent and star are symbols of Islam, the official religion, and the blue field represents the unity of the people.

Area
329,758 sq km

Population Clock
The year 2000 statistics says 1 person is added to Malaysia’s population every 59 seconds and 1 death every 4 minutes 36 seconds. It simply means expiries aren’t keeping up with additions – population is growing. 2007 estimates put the population at roughly 27.5 million.

Capital
Kuala Lumpur

People
Malays who make up about 57% of the population are the predominant group with Chinese, Indians, ethnic groups and aborigines making up the rest.

Religion
Islam is the official religion but all other religions are freely practised.

Language
Bahasa Melayu (Malay) is the national language but English is widely spoken. The ethnic groups also speak various languages and dialects.

Government
Malaysia is governed by a Parliamentary democracy with a bicameral legislative system. The Head of State is the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong (King), a position that is awarded to a different State Monarch (Sultan) every five years and the political Head of Government is the Prime Minister.

Climate
Tropical climate with warm weather all year round. Temperatures in the lowlands range from 21ºC (70ºF) to 32ºC (90ºF). The highlands are cooler, where temperatures range between 15°C (59° F) to 25°C (77°F). Annual rainfall varies from 2,000mm to 2,500mm.

Major Holidays
New Year’s Day Hari Raya Aidiladha* Federal Territory Day ** Chinese New Year* Awal Muharam* Birthday of Prophet Muhammad* Labour Day* Wesak Day* King’s Birthday* National Day* Deepavali# Hari Raya Aidilfitri* Christmas*
Note: (*) – National holidays (**) – Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur & Labuan only (#) – Except Labuan & Sarawak

Economic Profile
Manufacturing constitutes the largest single component of Malaysia’s economy. Tourism and primary commodities such as petroleum, palm oil, natural rubber and timber are other major contributors to the economy.

Currency
The unit of currency is Malaysian Ringgit indicated as RM. Foreign currency can be converted at banks and money changers.

Banking Hours
Most states: Mon – Fri: 9.15am to 4.30pm. Sat & Sun: Closed (Selected banks and branches are open on Sat). Kelantan & Terengganu: Sun – Wed :9.15am to 4.30pm. Thurs :9.15am to 4.00pm. Friday/Saturday*/Public Holiday: Closed

Post Offices
Open from 8.30am to 5.00pm daily except the first Saturday of each month, Sundays and public holidays.
In Kelantan and Terengganu post offices operate during the same hours but are closed on Fridays and public holidays.

Time
8 hours ahead of GMT and 16 hours ahead of U.S. Pacific Standard Time.

Electricity
Voltage is 220 – 240 volts AC at 50 cycles per second.
Standard 3-pin square plugs and sockets.

Weights and Measures
Malaysia follows the metric system in weights and measures.

Telephones
Local calls can be made from public phones using coins or pre-paid cards. International calls can be made from public phones with card phone facilities or at any Telekom office. There is a growing trend of travellers buying second-hand mobile phones from shopping malls and loading the phones up with pre-paid call time to keep in touch with family and friends during longer stays.