This post is made for my kenyan frens....actually one of them ask me to post it...
Malaysia and Kenya are age-mates, but no comparison
Story by ANDREW LIMO Publication Date: 5/5/2007
Many say that Malaysia is Kenya’s age-mate. Both countries gained independence from the British at about the same time — in the late 1950s for Malaysia and early 60s for Kenya. Their economies were then at par and driven by mainly agriculture.
Ugandan Jerry Ngobi with his wife Vishalini Shankaranat their home in the Malaysian capital. Mr Ngobi is a marketing executive who recruits international students for a local university.
About 50 years on, life in the two countries seems to defy comparison. For instance, Kenya and Botswana have a total of 600 students studying in Malaysian universities.
But it is doubtful if there are Malaysian students in Kenyan universities.
So what makes Malaysia, one of the fastest-growing economies of South East Asia, tick? A hint of good living cools off the oppressively hot and humid downtown Kuala Lumpur, the capital and green city the growing middle-class loves to call KL.
In one street at the Bukit Bintang area, a man employs the best skills to sell traditional Turkish ice-cream.
At the cue of a client, he gets into some jig, his moustache enriching what must be a traditional Turkish song as he scoops the ice-cream with one end of a long copper spindle.
Then with reassuring gaiety, he turns the cup upside down to show off the beaten quality.
The client smiles. And without warning he hits a bell above him with the other end of the rod. A deal is sealed.
Nearby, elevators wheel in more shoppers into glamorous malls BP Plaza, Low Yat and Imbi.
There are plenty of consumer goods — electronics, clothes and computers. Until the coming of the two black female Labrador dogs, this would also be the place to look for pirated software and movies. Lucky and Flo are being used by the police to sniff out the cheap “genuine copies” you and I love to buy.
For those looking for the bargains of Nairobi’s River Road or Kampala’s Owino Market, then China Town is the place to go.
There you will get a variety of clothes, watches, cosmetics, food at the long stretch of“exhibitions.”
Malaysia this year celebrates 50 years of independence. It is a multi-racial society comprising mainly of Malay (50 per cent), Chinese (24 per cent) and Indians (7 per cent).
The 1969 elections resulted in racial street fights in which 184 people were killed.
“It was a big lesson for us,” a senior government official recalls. “We suddenly realised that Malaysia could easily degenerate into an uncivilised society.”
From then on, the country has worked hard for racial harmony and inclusiveness became a national agenda forthe country’s 25 million people. Vishalini Shankaranis a Malaysian married to 33-year-old Ugandan Jerry Ngobi, a marketing executive who recruits international students for Nilai College.
Their 11-year-old marriage shows that even in a liberal Muslim country, race and religion are no barriers to love.
“It wasn’t easy,” says Vishalini, a human resource manager at an international chain of hotels in KL.
They met in India where they were studying. “When a foreigner is a friend of their daughter, an Indian family normally has no problem. Boyfriend?
They go ballistic. My case was worse since I am the only child of my parents,” she adds.
But that is all history now. “My parents love him now more than me,” she confesses with a smile.
Malaysians are obsessed with “first-class mentality”goals. They do not console themselves that they are better off than a war-raved neighbour or some other ailing economy.
In almost all aspects of life — roads, hospitals and schools — Malaysia looks at how far or near they are getting to the US, the UK or Australia. But they are also keen to develop “in our own mould.”
Vishalini explains: “Malaysia wants to Westernise without being Western. But again there is the media influence.”
To ensure that in the quest for prosperity, morality and family values are not compromised, there are punitive laws to ensure racial harmony is not disturbed or religious fundamentalism propagated.
Despite the death penalty for drug traffickers, arrest for syabu drugs (methamphetamine) is not uncommon.
Save for “snatch robbers” on motorbikes, crime here is minimal, while violent gun robbery is almost unheard of.
The roads are superb, with magnificent overpasses, underpasses and interchanges all the way to the smaller towns.
The roads are built by private companies on concession agreements and users are charged a toll fee.
All this they owe to the immediate former prime minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamed who, for 24 years,steered Malaysia into prosperity. “Last time KL small town,” the taxi driver struggles with the English language to show things have changed. “Last time Malaysia oil and tin; all go to British. This time everything for Malaysia.”
In a span of five decades, Malaysia has brought poverty levels to about 5.7 per cent, translating into RM 691 (Sh13, 820) for each household a month in 2005. In its efforts to develop the “human side” of growth Malaysian education is free for all citizens up to the secondary level and loans and scholarships are given to students who wish to pursue further studies.
Students from developing countries such as Kenya are increasingly joining the country’s over 500 universities and colleges which offer quality education for about Sh300,000 to Sh500,00 a semester. International students studying come from mainly Uganda, Nigeria, Botswana, Sudan, Somalia, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia and neighbouring Indonesia.
Engineering, information and communication technology and business-based courses are among courses most popular with Kenyans.
Universities with a high Kenyan students enrolment are Nilai, Multimedia, Inti, Limkowing and Sunway University College. Officially, a student, with the help of the university, may apply for a work permit.But this is hard to come by and even when given, it will mainly be in the service industry such as hotels and hospitals.
“There is no racism here,” says Tony Chesire, a second-year telecommunication engineering Kenyan student at Multimedia.
There is no bar at every turning and alcohol prices are prohibitive, except in tourist towns like Penang and Langkawi Island. But this does not mean no drinking. I met a Fijian student who has many Kenyan friends. “They all sing Kenya Hakuna Matata when they get drunk,” he says of Kenyans.
Hah
Ally this entry is tribute to you.....
