The Malaysian Connection

Naga Metropolitan Cathedral

Petronas Twin Towers in Malaysia

I AM a lucky tourist. Traveling is not one of the priorities in my game plan. But I was fortunate enough to be given the chance to travel abroad at least three times now. My first international travel was a graduation gift from my late father. Everything was arranged by a travel agency: the airline booking/reservations, hotel accommodations, and the tour. And no application for a visa was required. The destination was Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The second time was also in KL. The third again in KL but then this time with a side trip to Singapore. These journeys gave me the opportunity to get to know the place intensively. And basing from my impressions and research I was able to make substantial observations about Kuala Lumpur vis-à-vis my home city.

My sister used to always say that travelling is like studying a one semester course. I will share with you the highlights of the many lessons I learned from my experiences. I will discuss the similarities and differences between Kuala Lumpur and Naga City but please do keep an open mind that these two are like apples and oranges. Furthermore, this story will try to establish a link between these two cities making KL less foreign and more familiar.

The most common characteristic that Malaysians and Bicolanos have involves the palate. Both love hot and spicy cuisine. The spiciest Malaysian dish is called ‘sambalciliapi.’ It is made of pounded fresh bird’s eye, chilies then mixed with lime juice and a pinch of salt. Finally, pounded together either with dried salted anchovies or mango. The Bicolano equivalent is the ‘Bicol Express.’ It is a stew made from long chilies, coconut milk, shrimp paste or stockfish, onion, pork, and garlic.

Similarly both cities have a colonial past. KL was colonized by the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British. While Naga was colonized by the Spaniards and the Americans. The two cities have been occupied by the Japanese as well. Kuala Lumpur has its origins in the 1850s while Naga was established in 1575. Residents of KL are called KLites while Naga’s are Nagueños.

The Bahasa Malaysia and Bikol language are both Austronesian languages. Similar words for example are: apat and empat for four, balik for return, bareta and berita for news, bawang for garlic, bayad and bayar for pay, buka for open, bulan for month, dalan and jalan for street, gunting for scissors, lalaki and lelaki for male, mahal for expensive, and many more. There are at least thousands of other cognates. Moreover both use the Latin script.

Malaysians are made up of Malays, Chinese, Indians, and Eurasians. The distribution of these races are very obvious unlike in Bicol wherein you see Chinese and Indians only sporadically. Bicolanos are mostly Malays, some Chinese, a few Indians, and a number of Mestizos. The dominant religion in Malaysia is Islam conversely in Bicolandia it is Roman Catholicism. Although I was able to attend mass at a Catholic Church, the Assumption Church, in the outskirts of KL. There is also a place of worship for Muslims in Naga.

Tropical weather is the main climate in KL and Naga. On a typical day, sunrise in KL is at 7:02 A.M. and sunset is at 7:18 P.M. while in the heart of Bicol dawn is at 5:21 A.M. and dusk is at 6:07 P.M.. This is one of the significant differences between these two places. The geography of Kuala Lumpur is characterized by a huge valley known as Klang Valley. The valley is bordered by the Titiwangsa Mountains in the east, several minor ranges in the north and the south, and the Strait of Malacca in the west. Kuala Lumpur is a Malay term which translates to “muddy confluence” as it is located at the delta of the Klang and Gombak rivers. The City of Naga is located within the province of Camarines Sur in the southeastern tip of Luzon near the center of the Bicol Region, surrounded on all sides by rich agricultural, forest, and fishing areas. It is located around Naga River, at the delta of the Naga and Bikol Rivers. Naga means “serpent” in Indian Sanskrit.

About a quarter of the world drives on the left, and the countries that do are mostly old British colonies. Such is the case in Kuala Lumpur. The drive-on-the-right policy was adopted by the USA, which was eager to cast off all remnants of its British colonial past. That is the case in Naga City. There can be heavy traffic jams in KL while in Naga City traffic is minimal. The roads in KL are wider and more modern. The streets in Naga are narrower but have a quaint old world charm to it. KL has a complex labyrinth of rail transport. Naga has a train service for nearby towns and to as far as Manila.

There are huge malls in Kuala Lumpur ranging from the simple, high end, and for bargain hunters. However they are situated far apart from each other. When two Malaysian friends of my sister-in-law visited Naga last Christmas they observed that here malls are very close to each other. Naga City has a big modern mall, too. And future plans are in order for other bigger malls. The city landscape of KL has a preserved forest. Naga is a concrete jungle but is close to a mountain protected area, Mount Isarog Natural Park. An added tourist attraction, the Panicuason Hot Springs, soothes the weary traveler with its therapeutic effect.

The official palace of the Malaysian King, the Istana Negara, is found in KL. Naga has no royalty though but there is a Palace where the Archbishop of Caceres resides. The best museum in KL is the Islamic Arts museum. In Naga try visiting the Penafrañcia Museum which contains sacred vestiges related to Marian devotion to Our Lady of Peñafrancia. KL boasts of the Petronas Twin Towers which is among the tallest in the world. Naga has no such towers but a must see is the Porta Mariae which is a triumphal arch in Naga City commemorating the tercentenary of the devotion to Our Lady of Peñafrancia.

As I chose among the different cuisines at the buffet tables of the hotel, I felt adventurous and tried the breakfast options at the Malaysian section. I picked the spicy fried rice. And the moment the food reached my taste buds the Malaysian and Bicolano connection was established. I felt at home. There are many commonalities between the two places varying only in terms of the degree in the qualitative and quantitative aspects. There are unexpectedly similar perspectives from the racial and language points. The two relate to one another like long lost brothers. They share a common past, culture, climate, and geography. On the one hand Kuala Lumpur is a modern and advanced city that has achieved marked developments. On the other hand, Naga City is a dynamic and vibrant city that is headed to an even brighter and promising future.