After `Good morning to all of us' ( `Why should I be excluded?' he grins), he escorts us into the waiting Tourism Department bus. We break for tea on our way to the highland resort Genting. We sip tea at a motel, an open-air eating house-cum-petrol pump which also has facilities for a shower bath. A large number of trucks are parked in the area. The long-distance travellers need a `refreshing' break. The cameronian tea served in huge glass mugs is simply delightful. We savour it to the last dregs not knowing that we wouldn't get this particular flavour of tea again during the remaining of our nine-day tour of Malaysia.

Then follows a long drive during which most of us doze off lulled by Ravi's sonorous voice narrating the history of the country to which he belongs. We reach the base from where we are to proceed towards Genting, the City of Entertainment. Believed to be Malaysia's premier holding and convention destination, it is barely an hour's drive from Kuala Lumpur.

We divide into groups of five to board the cable car, also known as the Genting Skyway. The ride in the cable car is smooth, like a bird in flight. Moving at a speed of barely 6 metres a second — 21.6 km per hour— we get a fantastic view of the breathtaking scenery and animations of sculptured animals along the way. We reach the great Genting after 20 minutes. We check in and are soon in the dining hall. Lo and behold! the lunch is an Indian fare served by heavily made-up, lehenga-choli clad Indian girls! Malaysian Tourism sees to it that we feel very much at home in the gigantic surroundings. Even the decor, with miniature wall paintings, is Indian.

The evening entertainment includes a circus show, `Russianice Spectacular.' But the happening place is the casino. The place is crowded as everyone is out to woo Lady Luck; Chinese seem to outnumber the others.

The next morning we head for Kuala Lumpur. The 45-minute ride by bus takes us to the city well-known on the international map. `Kuala' means the meeting point of two rivers and `Lumpur' means muddy. So literally, KL is a confluence of two muddy rivers— the Gombak and Klang rivers. On our way we take a short break at the Batu caves, a well-known Hindu shrine located in a huge limestone outcrop.

As we approach Kuala Lumpur, the city's skyline changes rapidly. And then we are virtually face-to-sky with the world's tallest building, the magnificent Petronas Twin Towers. The 88-storey towers soar to a dizzy height of 452 m. This gleaming architectural delight is the centrepiece of the ultra-modern Kuala Lumpur city. Situated within the towers is the Petronas Philharmonic Hall.

Today KL, as it is popularly known, is a bustling metropolis, the federal capital of Malaysia and is the principal centre of commerce, politics, entertainment and international activities. The site of the original settlement draws a steady stream of tourists, largely to the adjacent Sultan Abdul Samad Building and the Merdeka Square where the British flag was lowered for the last time on August 31, 1957, and replaced by the new Malaysian flag. Malaysia is at present ruled by its 12th king who has powers similar to our own President's.

Soon we check in at five-star Hotel Nikko, centrally situated at Ampang Park. A brief halt and we are back in the bus on a sight-seeing round of KL. There is the National Mosque ( Masjid Negara). Its striking feature is the multi-fold umbrella-like roof quite unlike the dome-shaped mosques. In contrast, the railway station, built in 1910, by an Englishman, looks like a mosque. The Masjid Jamek or the Friday mosque situated on the confluence of the Klang and Gumbok rivers is a startling contrast against the modern buildings behind it.

The Sultan Abdul Samad Building, with a shiny copper dome and a 40-m-high clock tower, is a major landmark. It serves as the backdrop for important events such as the National Day Parade on August 31 and the ushering in of the New Year.

In the heart of the city is an Indian restaurant, Gem, where we break for a simply marvellous lunch. At least one thing is for sure— Indian tourists can never get homesick for their food. The tour also brings to the fore the large number of Indian settlers here. Malaysia has a population of 23 million of which 50 per cent are Malayans, 30 per cent Chinese, 10 per cent Indians, 5 per cent descendents and 5 per cent Muslims. The unity in diversity is to be seen to be believed. We are told of how all festivals are celebrated with gusto and national holidays declared. The Chinese New Year is celebrated over a period of 15 days.Deepavali among the Hindus is celebrated during the seventh month of the Hindu calednar. Wesak Day is celebrated in May and marks the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha. Thaipusam is a day of penance and atonement among the Hindu community. Hari Raya Aidilfitri marks the end of Ramadhan on the fasting month among the Muslims. And Christmas gives the city the festive air in the decorations, carol singing and partying in December.

After a hectic morning we are allowed a couple of hours for what has been uppermost in mind — shopping. We have already converted our dollars into ringets, the Malaysian currency, and are ready to `attack'. The city indeed is an excellent hunting ground for shopping buffs. There is a bewildering range of shopping establishments catering to every taste and budget, which includes modern air-conditioned shopping malls, department stores, hyper-markets, shopping arcades, speciality stores, handicraft centres, duty-free shops, bazaars and nightmarkets. These are located along Jalan Bukit Bintang, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Jalan Ampang, Jalan Sultan as well as The Mall, central Market and KL's Chinatown.

Bukit Bintang is indisputably one of the city's foremost shopping districts. Most shopping outlets are located in this area namely Sungei Wang Plaza, Bukit Bintang Plaza, Imbi Plaza, Lot 10, Starhill Plaza and Kuala Lumpur Plaza. These offer local and international goods comprising clothes, fashion accessories, footwear, sports goods, electrical equipment, computers, watches, travelling bags, designer shoes and jewellery.

We prefer going to the ultra-modern Kuala Lumpur City Centre ( KLCC). The Suria shopping city complex is the city's trendiest and classiest shopping complex. Bright and cheery with a stylised logo of the sun from which it gets its name, Suria's neighbour is the majestic Petronas Twin Towers. The prices seem to be on the heavier side.

No sweat. We are told Petaling Street suits every pocket. Located at the heart of KL's Chinatown, the Petaling Street is the place where one can show off one's bargaining skills. The street is lined with shops and rickety stalls offering a wide range of products from electrical goods and computer software to good imitation stuff like watches, clothes, handbags and shoes, and all at cheap and affordable prices. It is also a good place to purchase Chinese artifacts like figurines, incense - holders, paintings, joss-stickers and bric-a-brac.

Just a stone's throw away is the Central Market. This bazaar-style arts and crafts centre offers a wide variety of works on sale by local artists and craftsmen.

A novel experience for overseas visitors is the night markets or `pasar malam' which begin their trading activities in the late afternoon. These open-air markets feature hawker stalls that sell a variety of local produce, foodstuff, clothing and cakes. The nightmarket offers visitors an interesting place to walk through and perhaps pick up some casual attire, local products, clothing as well as some local delicacies. Malaysia is rich in fruits especially mangosteen. It tastes somewhat like lichi. However, the `king of Malaysian fruit' is the durriyan, Resembling the jack fruit it tastes like heaven and smells like hell. In fact, all hotels forbid guests from bringing the fruit on the premises. One is advised against having alcohol after eating the fruit for it can cause heart attack. It's that hot.

But what most of us have in mind are the duty-free shops. These are found at most shopping complexes, at the KL International Airport, Sepang and near the National Museum. Best buys are Malaysian batik and handicrafts, chocolates, perfumes, cosmetics, jewellery, pocket calculators, hi-fi items, audio-equipment, watches, cameras, cigarettes and liquors.

We are lucky our Fam tour coincides with the Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival which began on August 3 and will last till September 1. In fact, Malaysia turns into a true shopper's paradise during the carnival which takes place three times annually— in March, August and December— to coincide with the cultural arts, fruit feista season and Id-ul-Fitr respectively.

The press conference in the Ballroom of Hotel Nikko itself is addressed by Mirza Mohammed Taiyeb Beg, Director of International Marketing.

In the evening we turn up for the inauguration of the carnival at Jalan Bukit Bintang / Jalan Tun Ismail intersection, Kuala Lumpur. The Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, declares the carnival open. His speech, preceded by a cultural programme, is telecast on a large TV screen for the convenience of all. The pleasant aspect is that despite the presence of hundreds of spectators, there is no jostling and pushing. A repertoire of late singer P.Ramlee's songs are presented by the local artistes. This is followed by the `Shop Attack' in which 1,600 shops and restaurants participate.

While on the topic of shopping, we realise that reaching the shopping malls and markets is fairly easy. While taxi is a fast and safe mode of travelling, it may not suit every pocket. So there are commuter trains which offer services from the KL railway station to designated points within the city as well as outside. Trains run between major towns in Peninsular Malaysia to Thailand in the north and Singapore in the south. Then KL has two Light Rail Transit (LRT) lines — STAR and PUTRA. Operating between 6 a.m. and 12 midnight, it is a safe and quick mode of travel. From Hotel Nikko it takes barely 6 to 7 minutes to reach China Town. We learn to keep coins for the auto-ticket system. Travelling by public buses in indeed one of the best ways to see Kuala Lumpur. Major bus lines servicing the city and suburban areas are Intrakota, Metro and Citylines. Sometimes on our return to our hotel towards midnight, we get to see many Malayan girls travelling alone by LTR. We are told that life in Malaysia is quite safe. Crime rate is virtually nil. However, visitors are generally warned against purse snatchers on motor bicycles.

Next morning we leave for the Royal Selangor Pewter factory complex, the largest in the world. Craftsmen and women here make artefacts out of a metal, pewter, which is an amalgamation of 97 per cent tin and 3 per cent copper and antimony. It is believed that a pewter vessel improves the taste of wine! Another first of Malaysia is the world’s largest pewter beer mug listed in the Guinness Book of Records.

Those of us wanting to buy exclusively Malaysian stuff find the country’s batik fabrics irresistible. Batik items include hats, scarves, ties, handkerchief, purses, kaftan, shirts, wrap-round skirts, tablecloths and paintings.

And how can one resist gold- hunting in Malaysia? With a bit of treasure-hunting, it is possible to find fascinating gold objects in all sorts of places—from large gold boutiques, shopping malls and gold emporiums to small goldsmiths tucked away in back lanes and corner shops. Malaysia is indeed fifth in Asia, after India, China, Indonesia and Thailand, in the manufacture of gold jewellery.

As we travel towards the Putra Jaya Mosque, we learn interesting details from our guide Rajah, another settler in Malaysia. He says Bahasa Malayu (Malay) derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Bhasha’, is the national language, but English is widely spoken. In fact, for very long there was no written script. And taking into consideration the country’s multi-racial and multi-cultural makeup, the English script was adopted. Literacy rate in Malaysia is 100 per cent. In fact, education is free and parents can be prosecuted for not sending their children to school.

Soon we reach the Putra Jaya Mosque. It can accommodate 15,000 persons. Women visitors are given pink robes before entering the mosque. The Putra Square outside is used for major events. Although burqa is not compulsory, Malayan women always wear scarves. Islam is the official religion. The ceilings of hotels have a distinct arrow mark to point the direction to Mecca. The Administrative Centre’s massive structure is next to the mosque.

We return and get to see the Prime Minister’s official residence. It is outside Kuala Lumpur to lessen the congestion in the metropolis. On the way we notice the Nishan Sahib, indicating the presence of a gurdwara. Another interesting aspect of Malaysian life is that although the roads and highways are vast and smooth, there is a separate lane for motorcyclists. Not only crash helmets are compulsory, the motorcyclist has to keep headlights on even in daylight. Or the fine is 300 ringets!

What is trip to Kuala Lumpur if one does not get to see the night life? And we find that KLoffers exciting nightlife for those looking for relaxation. Besides local and international theatre shows and symphony orchestras, there is a wide variety of entertainment, including live bands, jazz bands, dinner shows, cabaret, disco and karaoke lounges. Hindi films in particular are very popular among the Malayans. Shah Rukh Khan is a rage among them. Even phone tickets have his picture on them. Among the heroines Kajol still is a favourite. Entertainment establishments are plentiful along Jalan Bukit Bintang, Jalan Ampang, Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan P. Ramlee, where there are numerous hotels. Nightlife in the city also thrives with the many pubs, streetcafes and bistros. Entertainment outlets however close at 3 a.m. and there are strict laws against drinking and driving. Discotheques can also be found in the hotel you are staying in. The ones outsides are packed after 10 p.m. and pulsate with activity on Fridays, Saturday and eves of public holidays. Most pubs are open from late afternoon or evening and close at midnight. Some friends who ventured out to a discotheque came back with stories of beautiful heavily made-up street walkers who turned out to be boys who have got themselves operated upon to be in the business. Their male voices were the give-away sign. And by the way, night-golfing is also available around the city.