Malaysian Journey

A brief summary on Rehman Rashid's book  

“A Malaysian Journey” is Rehman Rashid’s first book completed in Malaysia, his motherland.  His book was rejected by many publisher because of the content written and his only choice left was to self-publish it in 1993. This book was about post world word two when Malaysia was a newly independent country after being colonized by the British. It all starts from stepping in Malaysia after years at Padang Besar railway station. He talks to anyone when he is on his way from one place to the other about Malaysia. He wants to wander around, see the place again, talk to people and see how his homeland is these days. For instant, he met Apu Murugiah, a signalman with Malayan railway station says he think Malaysia is consider not bad compare with Thailand. After going back to his hometown which is his grandmother’s place, he went to Ulu Yam Baru, a village with 85% of Chinese. The new village of the small town had remain characterized by a peculiar compactness. 

Furthermore, the creation of Malaysia nearly had a war with Philippines and Indonesia. What set them apart was the problem on religion between Islam and Christianity. Somehow, Malaya should have been the Philippines; and Sabah and Sarawak would have been the Indonesia. 

Besides, Rehman also mention how Dr Mahathir change the country when he was the prime minister and about the effects on economic policy that favours Malays over the other ethnic groups on Malaysia. However, New Economic Policy was said as the positive discrimination set towards the non-malays. Not only that, his context on press freedom, politicising of Islam in chapter five about Tunku Abdul Rahman not noticing the growth of disaffection of the Malays and the widening alienation of the Chinese and many others were the hot topics. Lastly, he received the advantage of a personal spiritual journey, a travelogue and also political commentary. 

North - Perak

There is only a 0830 train from bukit mertajam to kampar but i had a function to go so i went to the bus station to get a ticket. After asking at a few counter, i was told that there isn't any bus straight to my destination so i had to sit till ipoh to take another bus. i bought my ticket at a counter by the name of e-tika at the price of RM29. Is time to leave and the first thing i did was to get the bus number plate from the counter i bough the ticket from. She says, go and board on the bus over there, 'itu biru punnya economy express, nombor 6788' so i went up at 1230 and waited till 1245 for the bus to go to butterworth. while waiting for the bus driver, a man came up, check and change our ticket to another one. i was surprise to see RM25.90 on my new ticket by economy express. it is cheaper by a few ringgit and so e-tika cheated my money. Why would they do so? i was speechless. anyway, the bus stops at butterworth for an hour and it is wasting my time! The air-conditioning in the bus was bad that i woke up from my sleep because i start to sweat and I was pretty unhappy with it. However, i got no choice but to stay awake and looking out the window to find out where exactly am I. A while later, i recognize the place and know that i will reach soon and yes, it is the toll. 5minutes to the bus station, Amanjaya. In the bus from 1230-1622 to Amanjaya, Ipoh. I went down the bus and a lady saw me and told that there is a bus to Medan Kit, the main bus station to ipoh. so i board on an i reach there around 10mins with the price of RM2.30. I waited for another bus to Kampar for 20mins. Thank God i was the first few to get up to the bus because if i didn't, i would be standing with all the "mangala"! when i saw one by one entering the bus, I remembered Rehman Rashid's story. The foreign labours is getting an identity in Malaysia and the government is not taking full action. Anyway, so many boarded the bus and it was really squeeze. After an hour journey, 1825, finally reach kampar bus station! i could car a taxi to my destination but i choose not to waste so much since i could just get a bus to a station near my place which just cost me RM1.30 rather than RM7 or RM8. Including the waiting time and traveling time, i reached the station at 1850. FINALLY! I've reach this place! a short 5mins walk and I'm there! right there! How happy it is to see the familiar buildings and shops. It was tiring but atleast it was a great experience.
Got to know from the newspaper that the ETS train to penang will operate soon and I am really looking forward to it. That would be a better choice than bus. Don't know who useful will this post be to anyone that is reading this but hope you guys enjoy reading to know more about the transportation system in Malaysia.

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