Plants - Bunga Raya

As I have mentioned in my previous blog, most Malaysians took for granted for what we have in Malaysia. We have such a vast types of greenery that we took it for granted. Ask any Malaysian for the type of tree available and I can tell you most Malaysians do not know the name of the tree and its uses.

Due to tour guiding and constant in touch with those foreign tourists, they are amazed from what we have in our country. They will be very curious with the various plants in our country. The tourists are the people who made me realised the unique and beauty of our country, Malaysia.

As such, I feel it is important for me to constantly to add in the photo of each plants, names and a brief description on its uses.

So, to begin with, I start of with our national flower, the bunga raya or the hibiscus.

Official Symbols - Bunga Raya

The national flower of Malaysia is the hibiscus, or bunga raya. The flower is found in abundance throughout the country, and for this very reason, was chosen to be the national flower (in 1960) by Malaysia's first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman.

There are many varieties of the hibiscus, but the five-petaled Hibiscus rosa sinensis was chosen above the others, as the most symbolically relevant. The five petals of the bunga raya symbolise the Rukunegara (the Five Principles of Nationhood), while the colour red represents courage.

It is believed that the flower first arrived in Malaysia via trade from its original home in the Far East sometime before the 12th century.

Though hibiscus flowers last only one day, most varities bloom so profusely there are nearly always several open at any time. In Indonesia, hibiscus is called the "shoe flower" because the juice extracted from its petals was used to darken the shoes.

The national flower, bunga raya, is known for its medicinal properties. The roots of the plant are used as a cure for fever and other ailments, while the juice obtained from the leaves and roots is said to be effective in relieving skin eruptions and glandular troubles. Also, the petals were commonly used as cosmetics to darken and highlight women's eyebrows.

Sources : AllMalaysia.info

Hungry Ghost Festival

Devotees praying for the souls of the departed at Nilai Memorial Park.

The five horses symbolise earth, water, wind, fire and metal which sustain life.

Dr Ong Seng Huat.

Sources : The Star, Saturday August 30, 2008

Ghosts of the past
By LOUISA LIM

The Hungry Ghosts Festival is one of the most misunderstood Chinese celebrations. It’s also much less spooky and much more remarkable than you think.

If you, like most Malaysians, think that the Hungry Ghosts Festival is all about starving ghouls roaming the earth and not much else, don’t let Dr Ong Seng Huat know — he’ll smack you on the head.

The chief executive director of Xiao En Cultural Foundation — a non-profit, charity-based organisation that promotes academic research and cultural exchange in Asia — Dr Ong doesn’t really believe in ghosts. Or at least, he doesn’t think that the Hungry Ghosts Festival has a whole lot to do with ghosts.

Strange?

“The term ‘hungry ghost’ was coined by the British when they first set foot in the Far East,” Dr Ong says.

“But they misinterpreted the Chinese rituals to be something scary and absurd. Decades may have passed since then, but it’s still being defined this way. That’s colonialism at its best.”

Dr Ong has spent the past few years trying to fix this misconception. He’s even got a book out on the subject. Nevertheless, it’s a long road ahead for this free-thinking maverick, especially when it comes to battling cultural and religious ideas that have held sway for so long.

The truth about ghosts

“The Chinese never had a solid concept of festival. We don’t go out and party the way Westerners do. For us, festivals are very family-oriented. It’s always a time to go home to our families and remember those who have passed on. This tradition dates back centuries, when our ancestors from China used to gather after the harvest season was over,” Dr Ong says.
He believes that the same goes for the Hungry Ghosts Festival, or Zhong Yuan Jie, as the Chinese call it. The rituals, as far as he’s concerned, grew out of society’s need to resolve a social concern that was then plaguing a particular era.

“In China, Zhong Yuan Jie marked a dramatic shift in the seasons,” he adds.

“There was a sharp spike in the number of deaths and fatal illnesses during this period due to the shortage of food and sub-zero temperatures. The villagers believed that a person’s spirit would be restless if he died tragically, and had therefore prayed for these departed souls.”

The lighting of joss sticks evolved from this era because it served two purposes: firstly, to provide some relief from the freezing cold, and secondly, to get rid of the flies and diseases that were spreading.

“The joss sticks were nothing like the ones you have today,” he claims.

“They contained medicinal properties and benefited anyone who caught a whiff of it, since it was made by the village doctors. Meanwhile, we’ve got the capitalists to thank for the modern versions, which contain enough poison to pollute the earth and everything in it.”
This festival, however, wasn’t made official until the Zhou dynasty (1122BC-256BC), when a special treatise called the Record of Rites was compiled by a Confucianist student who thought it was a fundamental doctrine for every human being.

“It tells you to pay respect to those before you and to thank them for the sacrifices they have made. After all, without them, you wouldn’t be here, and the world wouldn’t be where it is now. This is the most basic concept of filial piety, or xiao tao.”

Resurrecting the past

The story, according to Dr Ong, began like this: Confucius was in a class with his students when he asked for the definition of “xiao tao”.

A student raised his hand and answered, “It means providing your parents with shelter and food, and taking care of them if they’re ill.”

Confucius roared with laughter upon hearing the reply.

“You’ve not learned anything from my classes, have you, boy?” he said. “You speak of your parents as if they’re on equal footing with the chickens and pigs from the farm. Filial piety goes beyond obligations. What about respect or deep honour?”

These two main elements, says Dr Ong, would be constantly emphasised throughout Confucius’ lifetime because the concept of filial piety was believed to be the root of all virtues. It is also a fragile one, and easily forgotten in a world like today.

“In other words, the world doesn’t revolve around you,” Dr Ong says.

“Both parent and child are shaped by others, especially their families, and that’s why they should always show their appreciation by respecting the elders and caring for the young.

Confucius believed that doing this could help to cultivate your heart and soul. Just imagine, if everyone were this way, the world would be a far better place.”

The Chinese government was so impressed with this plan that every dynasty since the Zhou period had a scholar specially appointed to interpret the Record of Rites according to their needs and limitations.

Word about this amazing doctrine spread so widely that even the Koreans and Japanese adopted it for the benefit of their own people. The teachings were later perfected by the Buddhists, who believed that a person could only be upgraded spiritually if they were to put others before themselves.

“What annoys me is that all the other societies still practise this, except the Chinese,” Dr Ong reveals.

“I went to a conference the other day, and this Korean chap smugly told me that the Record of Rites is being translated into contemporary context by the Korean government till this very day. We, on the other hand, are forgetting our past.”

Not surprisingly, Dr Ong is a stickler for the past.

The past, he claims, is trying to teach us something. Any beliefs and rituals that we have today were, in fact, created long ago as a form of symbolism and social education.

“Take the recent Enlightenment Ceremony at Nilai Memorial Park,” he says. “The fact that there are families folding and burning paper lotuses all over the place would stump an average man with little or no understanding of history.”

The paper lotuses, as it turns out, is a symbol for spiritual purity because these flowers retain their pristine quality despite growing from the mud. When it’s set alight, these lotuses signify spiritual transformation, or a release from the physical being, a process that is necessary for enlightenment.

“This metaphorical richness applies to everything else,” Dr Ong says, referring to other practices during the Hungry Ghosts Festival.

“I suppose you can call the Chinese an imaginative bunch. Unfortunately, they can drive you insane with their complaints, too. They whine about the amount of superstitions the older generation have, and how some people are silly enough to believe them. But it’s not a matter of believing, but rather, of remembering your roots.

“After all, we Chinese have got 8,000 years of history behind us.”

What does the Hungry Ghosts Festival mean to you?

Michelle Chan, 26, investment analyst
“I’ve always been fascinated with the Hungry Ghosts Festival, compared to the other Chinese celebrations because it relates to spirits and the supernatural.
“Even though I’m a level-headed person and I come from a Malay-educated background, I try to be a little more careful during this month. I won’t step on ashes from joss sticks or hell money, for instance.”

Ong Chee Khim, 22, student
“My mum tells me to avoid dark, deserted places or going out after midnight, because it’s the time of year when the gates of hell are open, and more ghosts are wandering about than usual. I don’t know if what she’s saying is true, but I don’t wish to find out.”

Elaine Tan, 32, freelance writer
“It’s a non-event to me. I don’t even notice it until I start hearing free entertainment blaring late into the night, courtesy of the Poh Toh Society down the road from where I live.
“Unlike many of my peers, I can’t recall my parents ever telling us anything about what we can or cannot do during hungry ghosts month because they aren’t really superstitious to begin with.”

Karim Rashid, 45, sales manager
“My wife is a Chinese from Penang so I know a thing or two about this festival. They believe that the spirits must be appeased in order to get good fortune and better luck in their lives, so they burn offerings and put on stage performances.
“It affected us because my wife was restricted from doing all kinds of things back when we were dating, including going swimming!”

Daniel Martin, 36, self-employed
“I’m used to travelling all around Asia for work and I’ve seen the way this festival is celebrated on a wide scale, particularly in Malaysia, Singapore, China and even Vietnam.
“The people are also always happy to tell stories of their own ghostly encounters, like seeing shadowy figures huddled over the offerings and what-not.
“What really creeps me out, however, is how the monks will set up massive altars on the streets and sing eerie songs that only these spirits can understand.”

The Hungry Ghosts Festival happens during the 7th month in the Chinese Lunar Calender and ends today.

Hypocrite ( Pat Kuah ) Story

At times the tour guides need to be well aware of some hypocrite stories. These are the stories which will create attention from the listeners (tourists). So here, I attached a news from a local newspaper which is true.

Sources : The Star Saturday August 23, 2008

Romance in the afterworld

By WINNIE YEOH

GEORGE TOWN: Romance was in the air – even during the month of the Hungry Ghosts.
In a traditional ceremony held at a temple in Nibong Tebal, Chee Yu Quan married Cheah Beng Eng.

Chee died 50 years ago. Cheah succumbed to kidney failure 31 years ago.

The bride's mother Ong Kim Luan, 74, said Cheah expressed her intention to get married during a pass-over ceremony during the Hungry Ghost festival last year.

“We were shocked and doubtful at first. But when we got a telephone call from the temple the following day, telling us that a 'guy' had requested for my daughter’s hand through a medium, we knew the request was for real.”

She said the temple managed to contact Chee’s family and told them of his intention. The two families got together and agreed to arrange the wedding.

As in a real Chinese customary wedding, the deceased, represented by human-featured paper effigies, got married in the traditional way, complete with tea ceremony for the couple and their family members.

Close family members, relatives and friends were at the temple to witness the ceremony.

Earlier, Chee’s family, from Bukit Mertajam, drove their son to Cheah’s parents home in Jelutong to “fetch” the bride at 7am.

The couple left Cheah’s house in a car and headed to the temple where their marriage was solemnised by the medium.

Ong said she was glad her daughter finally got married.

“She couldn’t pass over and reincarnate as it was her wish to be married. I hope she can be born into a good family and be a healthy and happy person in her next life,” she said.

She also said her daughter liked to look good and had requested for new undergarments, cheongsams, shoes, jewelleries and handbags.

“She asked for all these things through the medium and we did our best to give her everything,” she said.

Cheah was 16 when she succumbed to her illness while Chee died as an infant 50 years ago.

Ong said, according to the medium, the couple met in the afterworld two years ago and their relationship bloomed.

Why Do You Want To Be A Tour Guide?

During the tour guide examination, when I asked the trainees "Why do you want to be a tour guide? " Their answer most likely will be as below.

If you asked any tour guides, why do you love and want to be a tour guide? The answer mostly likely will be as stated below.

If you meet any laymen, and when they knew your professional, they will feel so amused on your occupation and envy you on having such a good occupation.

These are generally the answers most trainees and tour guides will tell you and the realistic situation on being a tour guide. So, here I would like to give a better view on the work of a tour guide and also on why I love this job very much...

1) Meeting People
It is very normal for most tour guides to answer this because naturally during the work of a tour guide, we bound to meet new people. This is one of a very main quality which is very much needed in a tour guide. Should you do not have such a quality, then I should say it is best you don't be a tour guide.

Meeting new people is always fun. You will be able to see all kind of people. Some young and old, friendly and nasty, hypocrites and humble, etc. Sometimes you will even find that these nasty ones will always test on how good your temper is.

2) Travelling
Of course, being a tour guide, we travel very frequently. One day I might be in Johor Bahru and the next day I will be in Genting Highlands.

Most people will always admire us when we said we are a tour guide. They will be thinking that we always go to new places, stay in luxury hotel, eat good food, visit new places and always meet new friends. They never realise that in fact the places that we travel are very routine, the food that we consumed is worst than the tourists except that of course meeting new people.

Of course if I want to list down the pros and the contras, it will be listless. However, in my opinion of course in order for someone to be successful in his/her career, he/she must firstly love his/her own career. I for sure love my career as a tour guide and my reason for being a tour guide is very different than others...

1) My love for Malaysia
Malaysia is a very beautiful country. We are blessed with 365 days of shiny and rainy days. As such we are so rich in nature. There are so many types of flora and fauna in the country.

Malaysia truly asia. The slogan itself shows that Malaysia is very rich in heritage and culture.

I will be able to introduce Malaysia to the world at large and give them a better understanding of what Malaysia is all about. Most tourists have so many misunderstandings about Malaysia. I want them to past the word of mouth around how beautiful Malaysia is...

2) Knowledge
Most of Malaysians took for granted what we have in our country for example the plants and the beauty scenery. The tourists have opened up my eyes towards my own country. I learn so much from tourists on what we have in our own country where they don't have it. I started to appreciate on what we have here.

In order to have better commentary, I started to read books on Malaysia. The more I read, the more I love Malaysia. Malaysia is so unique compare to any other country in this world.

Being a tour guide, we will never stop our hunger on squenching the knowledge on Malaysia. There are just too many things to learn from. Be it from the tourists, daily work routine, etc. we are bound to learn something new daily.

Of course, besides these two very main reasons, there are also other reasons like monetary gains, freedom, etc.

Chingay

Crowd thrilled by Chingay display

GEORGE TOWN: The Chingay performance during the National Day eve celebration at Jalan Ria near Komtar was a crowd-puller, as the performers tossed the giant flags amongst themselves.

Many spectators stood by the roadside to watch the thrilling display while some watched from higher floors at Komtar and Prangin Mall.

Gan Hock Soon, 60, who was having his morning tea at a coffee shop nearby, said he remembered watching Chingay when he was a small boy.

He said some of the old performers were still around.

North Malaysia Chingay Association co-founder and coach Kumaran Gurusamy, 41, said Chinese temples used the sports to attract visitors in the early days.

“It then became a Penang culture but it is slowly being forgotten. So we’d like to use this opportunity to promote it as a heritage culture,” he said.

Kumaran, or better known as Ah Kun among his members, has 21 years of experience in the sports and has performed in many places.

He said it was the second time he and his team participated in a National Day celebration performance since 1998.

He also said it required a pair of sharp eyes, the ability to maintain balance and strong stamina as one needed to look upwards when balancing the giant flag pole using his forehead or mouth.
“Most important of all is interest. It takes a great deal of patience and discipline to make the tossing and balancing look easy,” he said.

About 20 members performed using the Jalur Gemilang and Penang state flag as well as the association’s flag.

Their performance was part of the National Day Carnival celebration held in Jalan Ria, Komtar from 11 am until countdown and fireworks at midnight.

Among the other performances were the lion dance, singing by local singers, street dance, 24 Seasons Drum, Chinese Orchestra, silat and traditional dance.

Chingay

Crowd thrilled by Chingay display

GEORGE TOWN: The Chingay performance during the National Day eve celebration at Jalan Ria near Komtar was a crowd-puller, as the performers tossed the giant flags amongst themselves.

Many spectators stood by the roadside to watch the thrilling display while some watched from higher floors at Komtar and Prangin Mall.

Gan Hock Soon, 60, who was having his morning tea at a coffee shop nearby, said he remembered watching Chingay when he was a small boy.

He said some of the old performers were still around.

North Malaysia Chingay Association co-founder and coach Kumaran Gurusamy, 41, said Chinese temples used the sports to attract visitors in the early days.

“It then became a Penang culture but it is slowly being forgotten. So we’d like to use this opportunity to promote it as a heritage culture,” he said.

Kumaran, or better known as Ah Kun among his members, has 21 years of experience in the sports and has performed in many places.

He said it was the second time he and his team participated in a National Day celebration performance since 1998.

He also said it required a pair of sharp eyes, the ability to maintain balance and strong stamina as one needed to look upwards when balancing the giant flag pole using his forehead or mouth.
“Most important of all is interest. It takes a great deal of patience and discipline to make the tossing and balancing look easy,” he said.

About 20 members performed using the Jalur Gemilang and Penang state flag as well as the association’s flag.

Their performance was part of the National Day Carnival celebration held in Jalan Ria, Komtar from 11 am until countdown and fireworks at midnight.

Among the other performances were the lion dance, singing by local singers, street dance, 24 Seasons Drum, Chinese Orchestra, silat and traditional dance.

Sources : The Star 31st Aug 2008

Batu Caves

Of course as usual, we as a tour guide, whenever we are at a tourists spots we should be responsible and know how to advise our tourists. So, while we are at Batu Caves it is important to advise the tourists on the followings:

1) Health Problems

For those who have health problems and also hardly exercise, it is advisable not to climb up the staircase. You will have to climb up 272 steps of staircase. For those who hardly exercise, it is easy to climb up but then later when you climb down you will know the suffering you have to go through. Your legs will be shivering upon climbing down step by step.

2) Monkeys

The monkeys are everywhere in Batu Caves. All the monkeys are wild monkeys. So, please do not feed the monkey or go near to the monkey. There have been cases where the monkeys bite the tourists. While you are carrying handbags or plastic bags, please becareful because these monkeys are snatchers as well !!!

3) Considerations When Entering The Temples

i) Footwear : There are a few temples in the Batu Caves and also at the foothill of the caves. You are allowed to enter the temples but please remember to take off your footwear upon entering the temples.

ii) Silence : Silence should be observed at all times when we are in the temples. Should we need to talk, please remember that we should speak in very low voice to show our respect to others.

iii) Females : Those females who are menstruating, please do not enter the temples because generally temples are considered as a holy place.

iv) Photography : Photography is allowed in the Indian temples but please do so sparringly especially when there is a prayer ceremony going on.

v) Shopping : When going for shopping at the shopping stalls in the Batu Caves area, please be very careful because there are just too many immitation products. I should strongly recommend you to buy the Malla hair oil which is very good to protect and care for your hair. And also the teeth powder with the "R" brand because this is the secret to the Indians' white teeth.

Thaipusam

This is the place where the Hindu devotees pray and there is a very important festival which is celebrated in a very grand scale by the Hindu worshippers known as the Thaipusam.

There are plenty stories about what Thaipusam is about. Among the most popular is that it commemorates the day Lord Siva's consort, the powerful goddess Parvathi, gives her son, Murugan, the vel (lance) to vanquish three demons and their large army which were plaguing the world.

Thaipusam falls on a full moon day in the auspicious 10th Tamil month of Thai when the constellation of Pusam, the star of well-being, rises over the eastern horizon. ( For your information, there is much similarity of the Indian calendar and the Chinese lunar calendar. That is the reason, if observed carefully, the Thaipusam is always celebrated two weeks just before the Chinese New Year. )

The main deity that the Hindu pray to is the Lord Murugan during the Thaipusam festival. The Hindus devotees will usually pray, wish and make a vow to the Lord Murugan. The devotees wish will depend on individual because it could vary in a lot of ways. Examples of the wish could be:

i) Cure from sickness and diseases

ii) Monetary gains

iii) Education

iv) Personal achievements

Preparations began long before the day of Thaipusam. Each participant had to physically, mentally and spiritually prepare himself through a 48day fast - eating only one meal a day (strictly vegetarian), conduct prayers at home and at the temple, observe abstinence from carnal pleasures, observing 'mounam'(silence) as far as possible and even endure personal hardships such as sleeping on bare floor. However many do not observe such long periods of purification and the more experienced pilgrims may fast for only seven days or so.

As the noise and sounds of the festival drew us into solidarity with the crowd, the Sami began his chants and prayers. The Sami clasped the devotee's head between his hands, continued his prayer and a flicked of his thumb on the devotee's forehead, between his brows and wham! The devotee stumbled back and was helped up by others - his facial expression, his movements, and his cries - transformed. Under a trance, he took on a manifestation of Lord Murugan's persona. Sometimes, even bystanders can fall into a trance and have to be coaxed out of this semi-conscious state by the swami. So be careful, the atmosphere could be so overpowering, It may overcome you!

As the initial trance subsided, it was replaced by a differing state of trance whereby the devotee seemed very aware of his surroundings but was reported to be in a 'form of heightened supercharged awareness'. It is a little unnerving, watching each go under trance but at the same time we could only watch in admiration of such devotion. Having checked out the entire journey from the riverbank to the shrine - it was by no means a simple feat. Only the strong spirited will be able to complete the pilgrimage. And having seen the 'burden' of which some of them had with them, the task seemed almost impossible to us.

But there they were, all the devotees - young, determined, physically fit, mentally alert and spiritually calm.

Once in a trance, trident-like spears, hooks and other sharp objects were skewered into the flesh of the devotee by the swami. The entire scene was almost surreal. The intoxicating scents of incense, the powerful mental and spiritual endurance, witnessing human being's ability to transcend to a different level of being where grisly, abominable self-mortification bears no suffering to the devoted.

For some, the Kavathi ('burdens' in Tamil) was placed on the shoulders of the devotee. The kavathi represents a miniature shrine in which Lord Murugan's idol or a framed painting of his Lord is seated. A jug of milk completes the kavathi. Chains are dropped from the central body of the kavathi and hooked onto the flesh of the bearer. The length of the spears had to be limited to a metre in consideration for other devotees. With almost a million people attending the procession, it would definitely be a grizzly affair if the lances got in the way of a jostling crowd. Others hook limes, oranges or coconuts onto their bodies.

Usually kavathi bearers will have two vels with them, one pierced through the cheeks and the other pushed through the tongue. This has a significant meaning; that the devotee has temporarily renounced the gift of speech so that he may channel his energy upon Lord Murugan and that under His protection, the devotee does not shed a drop of blood nor feel any pain.
Women carried a silver jug full of milk on their heads, some pierced vels through their cheeks and tongues and others not. The kavathi bearers were always accompanied by an entourage of relatives and friends to egg them on with dance parades, songs, musicians playing the melam(drum) and the natheswaram(flute) and the chants of 'vel,vel, vetri vel' - the symbol of the golden spear used to defeat the evil forces. The young men in the entourage formed a protective barrier round the kavathi bearers and the ones preceding the bearer engaged in dance rituals known as the 'kavathi dance', reflecting Lord Murugan's role as Lord of the Dance.

As they arrive at the shrine, the milk was poured over the golden vel and the kavathi lifted off the bearer. The Swami removed the miniature spears (vels), hooks etc, sprinkled holy ash on the slight nicks on the skin and the bearer was brought out of his trance. The vow was finally fulfilled. Faces of elation and relief all round, including bystanders like us. Feeling with them and for them through the 2 hour ordeal was indeed intense to say the least and watching them at the end of it all - their devotion, their spiritual accomplishment and the solidarity of the group and beyond has won our admiration. In spite of what we perceive as a gruesome demonstration of bodily mortification and sometimes to extremities, Thaipusam is what it is and will always be-a celebration of life, of spiritual attainment, of good presiding over evil and of Lord Murugan - the emancipator.

Over the years, curious British, American and Australian medical experts have come to observe and speculate. Some think the white ash smeared on the body, the juice squeezed from the yellow lime fruit or the milk poured on the pierced areas may help to numb the skin. But most admit they have no answer.

The devotees say it is faith.

"The belief in Lord Murugan is what prevents the pain and the bleeding," says Krishna Vadyar, a priest at the temple which conducts the annual rituals.

The vel, made of metal and shaped like a lance, symbolises Murugan who is also known as Velan.
On the eve of Thaipusam, a five-ton silver-chariot bearing Lord Murugan's image and followed by a procession of several thousand people leaves the Sri Mahamariaman temple in downtown Kuala Lumpur, on a 15-kilometre trek to Batu Caves.

Mahamariamman is also another name for Parvathi, Murugan's mother.

Drums beat out trance-inducing rhythms and long wooden pipes, known as nathaswaram, croon devotional tunes in a loud carnival atmosphere.

Hundreds break coconuts and offer fruits to the God all along the chariot's meandering route. Coconuts are broken all along while the procession journey from the Sri Mahariaman temple to the Batu Cave. The coconut broken is believed to break the ego of a person.

To many Thaipusam is the day of thanksgiving or atonement for wrongs.

When the journey reached Batu Caves, the sami will chant and remove the spears from the cheek. He will immediately apply a special powder to the cheek and surprisingly there is no scar on the cheek.

The Thaipusam which is celebrated by the Indians is definitely one of a very spectacular festival. A lot of tourists will find it amazed as to how the devotees return their vows to Lord Murugan. As such, this is definitely one of the amazing festival celebrated in the world.

Sources: AllMalaysia.info and www.journeymalaysia.com/MCUL_thaipusam.htm

Genting Highlands Part II

Commentary For Tourists While On The Way To Genting Highlands

While on the way to Genting Highlands, its good that we as tour guides must be able to advice the tourists on what to be careful while we are in Genting Highlands.

1) Take down the tour guide hand phone number.

I know that some tour guides do not like to give the hand phone numbers to the tourists. Please be well aware that the safety of the tourists is on our hand. I always make it a point that I give my hand phone number to my tourists just incase any bad incidents happen. While on the way to Genting Highlands, its good that the tourists will be able to have our hand phone number because if they are lost, they can contact us easily.

There was once I took a group whereby there is a family of three. Its lucky that I gave my hand phone number to my guests just in case of emergency. The tourists’ daughter who is about 5 years old is having diarrhea and vomiting. The tourists immediately contacted me and I brought the daughter to see the daughter. Just imagine what if the tour guide did not give the hand phone number to the tourists and incident like this happen.

I know that a lot of tour guides do not like to give the hand phone no to the tourists giving the excuses that the tourists will call and disturb them even after midnight. As for myself, I will make it a point to my tourists that I give them the number is for the convenience of reaching to me. I will stress that since I have rendered them such a special service, I hope that they will not call me after midnight since I need time to rest as well. So, after explaining this, I hardly receive phone calls from my tourists unless there is real emergency.

Its also a good way to have a relationship with the tourists by giving them your hand phone no. So, in the future if they are in need of any favour while in Malaysia, they can always call you. I always treat my tourists as a friend and that’s the reason why I give them my hand phone numbers.

2) Never leave any items in the bus when alighting the bus at Skyway Station.

I will always remind my tourists not to leave anything in the bus upon reaching the Skyway station. I will inform them that the bus is parked near the Skyway station while the bus driver does not sleep in the bus and will go up the hill to sleep with me. Then sometimes when the driver received emergency phone call, he will need to fetch other group of tourists. So, it is always best not to leave anything in the bus.

3) Never leave any valuable items should the tourists decide to store their luggage at the Skyway station.

It is very important to inform the tourists not to leave any valuable items for storage at the Skyway station. Let the tourists know that if any items lost while in storage, those porters and Genting Highlands management won’t be responsible for it.

4) Follow closely while walking from the top Skyway station to the First World Hotel.

While at the Skyway station, I will always insist that my tourists to go for toilet and follow closely when we take off. I will inform them that when we reach the top station, we need to walk about fifteen minutes to reach to the First World Hotel. I will stress that the tourists must follow very closely and they should not go to toilet on their own without informing me or the tour leader and also taking photography while walking to the hotel. If they are careless and don’t follow closely, they will be at lost because the road is winding.

5) Regulations of the casino.

All the guests who want to go to the casino must be 21 years old. If they look young, always advice them to bring along passport or identification card to prove to the police that they qualified to go into the casino.

All male guests who want to go to the casino must adhere to the strict clothing requirement. The shirt must have collar and with sleeve, all types of long pants allowed besides the ones for sport and shoes. Sandals and slippers are not allowed at all.

When going to the casino, the guests are not allowed to bring along camera, video camera, plastic bags or back pack bag. All types of small handbags and waist pouch are allowed to the casino.

6) The casino entrance and exit.

It is also very important that we should stressed to the guests that the casino that we are going is the second largest in the world. The casino halls consists of three hotels. So, it is very important for the tourists to take note on the entrance of the casino. We, tour guides usually will take the tourists via the Monte Carlo casino. So, the easiest way to recognize the entrance and the exit is that it has a very big aquarium. Inform the tourists that should they did not see the aquarium they should not come out. That means that they are already at the wrong exit point.

7) Tour of Casino.

I always inform the tourists to follow closely when we are in the casino because the casino is also very big and usually very crowded. So the tourists can easily get lost. I will stress to them that I will take them and introduce them the places while in the casino. The guests have to follow closely until I say goodbye and good night.

About Casino

Of course the very first stage I will explain to the tourists about the three items given by the casino. They are the temporarily membership card, the RM10 voucher and the Keno voucher.

The gambling games are divided into two types of tables. The small tables and the big tables. The small tables games usually use the poker cards to play for example the Bacarret, Royal Flush, Black Jack, Sam Kong, Casino War, etc. The minimum bet for small table usually is RM25 but during weekends it will be increased to RM50. As for the big table which usually using a small ball or three dices, games like Big and Small, Russian Roulette, Lucky Spin, Bird Cage, French Boule, etc. Usually the minimum bet for big table is RM5 but during the weekends it is hiked up to RM10.

So, usually for my tourists who are keen to try their luck, I will always encourage them to play the Tai Sai ( Big and Small ) because it’s the easiest game and a very good way to past time.

As for the information of the Indoor and Outdoor Themeparks of Genting Highlands please refer to http://www.genting.com.my/en/themepark/operation_hrs/ifm_operation.htm

Genting Highlands

Please take note that Genting Highlands is a very important tourists destination for Malaysia. So, tour guides must have full information about Genting Highlands.

For your information, this part of information I will only give my commentary while on the way down the hill towards Batu Caves.

You might be curious as to why I gave this information after we stayed a night in Genting Highlands. My reason is that when the tourists are up on top of the hill, they will usually very curious about it. So, when we give the commentary on the next day, they will want to listen out of curiosity. And I find that after touring Genting Highlands, then I give information about it, the tourists will understand better.










Almost any Asian countries tour groups which come to Malaysia will definately go to Genting Highlands. This touristic spot is definately a must for most asians as most of the tourists will be amazed and baffled at the wonders of this super construction on top of the hill.

Most tourists upon reaching Genting Highlands will have lots of queries on who owns it and develop the hill. Hence, here is a summary of the My Story by Lim Goh Tong. I strongly recommend that all tourist guides must have this book and read up this book in order to give give good commentary to the tourists about Genting Highlands.

I divide the commentary of Genting Highlands into 2 parts. The first part is about the development of Genting Highlands. The second part will be more info on the facilities and facts and figures of Genting Highlands.

My Story by Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong

Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong was born in the year 1918 in the district of Anxi of Fujian province.

Origin of Lim Goh Tong’s Name

Lim Goh Tong’s grandfather named him after a name of tree Wu Tong. According to the Southern China people’s legend, the phoenix was said to be the king of all birds and will only make nest on this type of tree. With this name, his grandfather hopes that he will have good luck in his life.

Lim Goh Tong is the eldest among 7 siblings. His father past away when he was 16 years old. He has to take over the responsibility of his father to take care of the whole family.

His fourth uncle who has migrated to Malaya and started a construction business. He was a Class A constructor in Kuala Lumpur. One day when Lim Goh Tong knew that his 4th uncle sent 200 dollars to his mother to support his brother’s education, he told his mother of his intention to come to Malaya.

In the year 1937, when Japan was having war with China, he came to Malaya with only 175 dollars.

When in Kuala Lumpur, Lim Goh Tong was working for his 4th uncle as a carpenter. From here, he learned the basic business skills.

Three years later, after earning a little amount of money, he decided to go back to China because of missing his hometown and mother very much.

In the year 1941, Lim Goh Tong decided to go back to Peninsular due to the worsening war between Japan and China. At this time, he came to Peninsular with a totally changed man who is more optimistic and positive.

Later, during the 2nd world war in Peninsular, Lim involved in the 2nd hand steel business. After the 2nd world war, his business is booming that he is already involved in machinery business.

Later in 1951, he set up a construction company by the name of Kien Huat Private Limited. This is the starting point of Lim Goh Tong’s business empire.

Lim Goh Tong felt sad the most because he could not see and visit his mother. He could not be by her side when she past away. That’s the reason why Lim Goh Tong has his big mother’s portray in his sleeping room and also in his office in Wisma Genting.

Among all the projects, the biggest and the proudest is the Ayer Hitam Dam in Pulau Pinang. Before independence, all big projects are given to foreign construction companies. When Kien Huat was given the tender in 1957 to build the Ayer Hitam Dam, this is important and first in the construction history that such a big project was given to a local. The dam was built within 5 years using RM12million. After successfully building the dam, Kien Huat became a very famous construction company in Malaysia.

Building of Genting Highlands

In 1963, Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong was the subcontractor for the hydroelectric project in Cameron Highlands.

One night, after he had dinner and had some beer with the German contractors and managers, he felt heaty and wanted to take a walk to take fresh air.

While standing on a corner, he was so amazed at the beautiful scenery of the hill in the evening and the fresh air blowing to his body. Hence, he close his eyes and took a deep breath to enjoy the fresh air. Suddenly, an inspiration comes to his mind.

Firstly, he was thinking that Malaysia has a tropical climate. So people will want to have a holiday in a cool hilly place from time to time. This can be seen by the popularity of Cameron Highlands. But then Cameron Highlands is quite far and is four to five hours of journey by car from Kuala Lumpur. It will be nice if can find a hill which is close by Kuala Lumpur which is within one to two hour journey away.

He also believed that the living lifestyle of Malaysian will increase and hence more people will go to the hill resort for rest and entertainment.

So, why not find a hill resort nearby Kuala Lumpur? This inspiration appeared suddenly.

Upon reaching Kuala Lumpur, he immediately look out for a suitable hill to be the hill resort. He is attracted to the hill Gunung Ulu Kali which is 1800m above sea level and is 58km away from Kuala Lumpur.

Within few days, he managed to have a team of 20 people to follow him in this expediton to explore the Ulu Kali hill. After climbing 9 days 8 nights they reached the top of the hill. Tan Sri Lim was so amazed at the beauty of the nature with fresh cool climate on top of the hill.
On 27th April 1965 Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong and Tan Sri Haji Mohd Noah set up a private limited company by the name Genting Highlands Sdn Bhd. Tan Sri Mohd Noah introduced Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong to PM Tunku Abdul Rahman. He proposed to the Tunku on developing the Ulu Kali hill into a hill resort. Tunku agreed and approved the project. So, Tan Sri Lim managed to get the land approval from the Selangor and Pahang government to develop the hill. This is because Ulu Kali hill is located between the states of Selangor and Pahang. The hill is 4940 hectare in Pahang state and 1110 hectare in Selangor. Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong managed to get the long term land title from both the states.

On 8th August 1965, Tan Sri Lim started the project to develop Genting Highlands. He planed to build the road within six years. While building the road, he came to know that the government has a plan to build a telecommunication tower at the middle of the hill. He managed to convince the government to give the telecommunication project to him so as he can build it on top of the hill so as to get better reception signal. The government agreed with condition that it has to built within 3 years and promised will give a subsidy of RM900,000.

So, Tan Sri Lim has no choice but to build the road within 3 years.

During the building of the road, Tan Sri is actually gambling his life that 6 times his life was nearly taken away by all kind of accidents.

Finally, at 8th May 1971, Genting opened its door as a hill resort.

Independence Square

When a tour guide is taking a group of tourists to the Independence Square, there is just too many places that we can give commentary on. So, here I recommend that when we should briefly describe on these topics:

Independence Square

Independence Square or popularly known by the locals as Dataran Merdeka occupies a very significant place in Malaysian history. At the peak of its popularity in colonial times, it was a central gathering point for the British; it was also a cricket green. Previously, it was known as the Selangor Club Padang.

Sultan Abdul Samad Building

The Sultan Abdul Samad Building in Jalan Raja is one of the most well known landmarks in the city. Before the KLCC was built the Sultan Abdul Samad building with its famed clock tower is the main land mark of Malaysia.

The construction of this building started in 1893 and was completed in 1896. Initially the building was designed to house the colonial State Government of Selangor but when it was completed, it housed the entire Federated Malay States (FMS) administration.

After the independence, the Malaysian government used this building as the Supreme court. However, in 2007, the Supreme Court has shifted to the Court Palace. Now, it houses the Ministry of Culture and Heritage. There is a plan to turn the building into a historical museum.

Many historical events had been held in front of this building. Among them was the declaration of independence of Malaysia (Malaya then) on 31 August, 1957 and the lowering of the Union Jack Flag. On 1st January 1982, the clock tower became the venue for another historic event when the time between West Malaysia, Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore were standardized. Every year, the new year celebration countdown is held here.

During the weekends, that is on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings, the whole Sultan Abdul Samad building was lit up. This give a spectacular and awesome night view in the city centre. The Jalan Raja was closed to vehicle on these weekends.

Malaysia Boleh! (Strictly Malaysian)

The phenomenal growth of Malaysia under the leadership of its fourth prime minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad has brought about a patriotic sense of achievement amongst its people.

The Government has led the way to show that Malaysians can excel in whatever they put their minds to, and this, in no small way, has produced a society that tries to outdo itself (sometimes at ridiculous levels, if truth be told) in the endeavours it pursues.

Embodying this spirit is the slogan "Malaysia Boleh!" which loosely translated means "Malaysia Can Do It!" How this slogan came to be the "battle cry" of a nation is rather sketchy but the general belief is that it was the slogan used by a health beverage in its marketing campaign in the 80s.

It caught on and soon cries of Malaysia Boleh! were heard, first only at sporting events like the Commonwealth Games and Thomas Cup Finals, then later everywhere else as it was embraced wholeheartedly by the people as a means to push themselves to endure and accept challenge, to set targets, to excel.

The "Malaysia Boleh!" spirit has since produced many achievers and achievements, and has been a cornerstone of the success story that is the new Malaysia.
Sources: AllMalaysia.info

Jalur Gemilang (Official Symbols)

The Malaysian flag or Jalur Gemilang consists of 14 horizontal red and white stripes of equal width; a dark blue canton occupying the upper left quarter of the flag; and within the canton, a crescent, and a 14-pointed star.

The stripes represent the equal status in the federation of the 13 member states ?namely Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Malacca, Negri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Penang and Terengganu ?and the Federal Government, as represented by the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Labuan.

The colours red and white symbolise courage and purity respectively.

The canton symbolises the unity of the people of Malaysia. The crescent is the symbol of Islam, the official religion of Malaysia; and the 14 points of the star signify the unity of the 13 states of the federation with the Federal Government. The colour yellow signifies the royal colour of the Rulers.

After 40 years without a name, the Malaysian flag was officially named Jalur Gemilang on the 40th anniversary of the country's independence, Aug 31, 1997. Malaysia's fourth Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad made the announcement at midnight in conjunction with the National Day celebrations.

The name Jalur Gemilang is the Bahasa Malaysia term for stripes of glory.

The tallest free-standing flagpole in the world (100 metres) is situated at Merdeka Square (Independence Square), in Kuala Lumpur, the very spot where the Union Jack was lowered for the last time at midnight on Aug 31, 1957 and the Malayan flag hoisted up for the first time.

Royal Selangor Club
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Royal Selangor Club (Malay: Kelab Di-Raja Selangor) is a social club in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, founded in 1884 by the British who ruled Malaya. The club is situated next to the Dataran Merdeka, or Independence Square, padang (field), and is accessible from Jalan Raja (Raja Road). The Club play host to certain matches from the ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup.

The club was nicknamed "The Spotted Dog" as two Dalmatians belonging to the wife of one of the club founders were left to guard the entrance of the club whenever they visited the club. The club is also simply referred to as "The Dog".

Over the years, the club's membership increased and has also began to include high-ranking Malaysian civil servants: judges, lawyers and important people in society. The club's proximity to the High Courts at the other side of Dataran Merdeka has also made the club a suitable meeting place for the legal fraternity.

The club has organised various sporting activities since its early years, including cricket.

Sign prohibiting women from bar

Sporting events at the club could be watched from the Long Bar, a portion of the club which has been off limits to women, purportedly because men "would drink and get very excited when they watch the games and they didn't want the ladies to see their exuberant behaviour, hence they decided to bar women visitors from the Long Bar". Women are still prohibited from the bar area today, contrary to a 2007 report by The Star, a local English daily.

The club is also notable for introducing hash running in 1938. The Hash House Harriers (abbreviated to HHH or H3) is an international group of social, non-competitive running, social, and drinking clubs.

The National Mosque

Basically, there is a mosque in almost every districts and villages in Malaysia. There are so many mosques in Malaysia. But how do we recognise that the building is a mosque?



A lot of tourists are mistaken that they thought the mosque must have a dome. This is a big mistake as there are so many buildings in Malaysia which have domes but are not mosque. For example the old railway station, the Sri Perdana, etc.



So, how do we recognise if that building is a mosque? Its important that we take note that all the mosques must have a minaret.



Why do the mosque needs the minaret? This is because during the olden days, when there is no watch or clock, the muslims will use the minarets to measure the timing when to do the prayers. Usually, a big bell will be attached to the minaret and the bell will be strucked so as to let the muslims know that is the time of prayer.



As it modernised, the minaret is fixed with the loud speaker. So, whenever its the prayer time, the prayer will be played and those muslims staying around the area of the mosque will know that is the prayer time.



The Five Pillars of Islam is the term given to the five duties incumbent on every Muslims. These duties are :



1) Profession of faith: All muslims must testify that there is no other god but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. This is the first word that will be recited to all Muslims when they are born and it will be recited when they are dead. All non-Muslims who wanted to convert are required to read this verse as well.



2) The requirement to pray 5 times a day at fixed times. The time of day to pray are at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and night fall. Each salat is performed facing towards the Kaabah in Mecca. That is the reason why there is a green arrow on the ceiling of the hotel room. Please bear in mind that these are not for emergency exit.



The prayer is compulsory but some flexibility in the specifics is allowed depending on the circumstances. For example, in the case of sickness or a lack of space, a worshipper can offer prayer while sitting, or even lying down, and the prayer can be shortened when travelling. The prayer must be performed in the Arabic language to the best of each worshipper's ability. If s/he cannot speak Arabic, then his/her native language can be used. The lines of prayer are to be recited by heart (although beginners may use written aids), and the worshipper's body and clothing, as well as the place of prayer, must be cleansed.



3) Zakat, or alms-giving, is the practice of charitable giving by Muslims based on accumulated wealth, and is obligatory for all who are able to do so. It is considered to be a personal responsibility for Muslims to ease economic hardship for others and eliminate inequality. Zakat consists of spending a fixed portion of one's wealth for the benefit of the poor or needy.



4) Fasting During Ramadan. Ritual fasting is an obligatory act during the month of Ramadan Muslims must abstain from food, drink, and sexual intercourse from dawn to dusk during this month, and are to be especially mindful of other sins. The fast is meant to allow Muslims to seek nearness to Allah, to express their gratitude to and dependence on him, to atone for their past sins, and to remind them of the needy. During Ramadan, Muslims are also expected to put more effort into following the teachings of Islam by refraining from violence, anger, envy, greed, lust, harsh language, gossip and to try to get along with each other better than normal. In addition, all obscene and irreligious sights and sounds are to be avoided.


Fasting during Ramadan is not obligatory, and even forbidden in some cases, for several groups for whom it would be dangerous or excessively problematic. These include pre-pubescent children, those with a medical condition such as diabetes, elderly people, and pregnant or breastfeeding women. Observing fasts is not permitted for menstruating women. Other individuals for whom it is considered acceptable not to fast are those in combat and travellers. Missing fasts usually must be made up soon afterwards, although the exact requirements vary according to circumstance.


Many Muslims break their fast with a date because it is claimed Muhammed broke his fast with a date.



5) The Haj is a pilgrimage that occurs during the Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah to the holy city of Mecca, and derives from an ancient Arab practice. Every able-bodied Muslim is obliged to make the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lifetime if they can afford it. When the pilgrim is around ten kilometers from Mecca, he must dress in Ihram clothing, which consists of two white sheets. The main rituals of the Hajj include walking seven times around the Kaaba, touching the Black Stone, traveling seven times between Mount Safa and Mount Marwah, and symbolically stoning the Devil in Mina.


The pilgrim, or the haji, is honoured in their community. For some, this is an incentive to perform the Hajj. Islamic teachers say that the Hajj should be an expression of devotion to Allah, not a means to gain social standing. The believer should be self-aware and examine their intentions in performing the pilgrimage. This should lead to constant striving for self-improvement.


A pilgrimage made at any time other than the Hajj season is called an Umrah, and while not mandatory is strongly encouraged.



The National Mosque



The National Mosque was started to build in 1963 and was ready in 1965. It is located on 13acres of landscaped gardens. It can accomodates about 15 000 worshippers. The original structure was designed by a team from the Public Works Department, UK architect Howard Ashley, and Malaysians Hisham Albakri and Baharuddin Kassim.



The main features of Masjid Negara are the 18-pointed star concrete main roof, and the 73-metre-high minaret. The umbrella, a ubiquitous item in the tropics, is a represented in the architecture: the main roof appears like an open umbrella while the cap of the minaret that of a folded one. The compounds are graced with reflecting pools and fountains.



In order to appreciate the contributions by the first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman, the mosque supposed to name after him. But the Prime Minister refused, saying that Malaysia is very lucky that we can obtained our independence without any shed of blood. Hence, he named this mosque as the National Mosque.

Note:

Non Muslims are allowed to visit the National Mosque. However, please take note that there are a few requirements:

a) All footware must be taken off upon entering the mosque.

b) Males wearing the short are required to wear the robes provided at the entrance of the mosque.

c) Females are required to wear the robes provided.

d) Couples are not allowed in close proximity when in the mosque.

e) Should not speak loudly when in the mosque.

d) The main hall of the prayer is not permitted to enter.

e) Photography allowed in the mosque.

f) Entrance of the mosque is only allowed to non Muslims during non prayer time.