Lorre Weidlich -- Hyde Park Foreign Affairs Desk
This is the latest in an on-going series of reports by Hyde Park's well-traveled friend and neighbor, Lorre Weidlich.

Dateline: Malaysia

W hen I was considering whether to go to Malaysia for vacation, Sangeeth said to me, Kuala Lumpur is a beautiful city, very Westernized. I was dismayed. I was in Asia; why would I want to see a Westernized city? Then I thought, Lorre, you don't always have to do things the hard way. Go to Kuala Lumpur. It will be a nice change from India.

    It was. Kuala Lumpur is Westernized only in the sense that it has its share of skyscrapers and highways. In any other sense, Kuala Lumpur is a totally Asian city. And in any sense, Kuala Lumpur is one of the worldÕs great cities. The only things New York has that Kuala Lumpur lacks are dirt and crime.
    Malaysia, for the geographically challenged, consists of a peninsula that extends south from Thailand and the northern part of the island of Borneo. Its population is about 60% Malay, all Muslim; 25 to 30% Chinese, a mixture of Taoist, Buddhist, Confucian, and Christian; and 10 to 15% Indian, mostly Hindu and some Muslim. In addition, there are the aboriginal people of Borneo, many of whom were headhunters until about 150 years ago. The official language of Malaysia is Malayan, but English is known almost universally. Chinese and various Indian languages are also spoken.
    I arrived in Kuala Lumpur after a night flight to Singapore, a long wait in the Singapore train station, and a longer train trip from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur. After a night and day of traveling, I wasn't up to doing anything but sleeping on my first night, but the next morning at 9, BJ, my guide, picked me up and I began my exploration of Kuala Lumpur. BJ was an Indian Malaysian. He showed me Kuala Lumpur and Melaka and finally dropped me off in Penang. During our four days together, he became a real companion; after touring together we would sit down over a beer and chat. The advantage of having an individual guide is that it provides the opportunity to engage in conversation. In the process of conversing with individuals, you get much closer to putting your finger on the pulse of a country. During my time in Malaysia, I was fortunate to have guides who were Indian, Chinese, and Malay.
    The center of Kuala Lumpur is Merdeka (Independence) Square, with its British colonial buildings and its former cricket field. In this part of the city, the buildings and trees are hung with strings of white lights that are lit at night, giving rise to Kuala Lumpur's nickname, the City of Lights. Close to Merdeka Square is the confluence of the Klang and