Singapore & Malaysia
"An Empire State of Mind"
March 2024
This trip to Southeast Asia was originally scheduled for four years previous, but the intervention of Covid put paid to that as the world was plunged into a pandemic that turned all our lives upside down. Singapore and Malaysia as former colonies still maintain a visible British resonance, from the ubiquitous use of the English language, specious colonial architecture, driving on the left-hand side, cricket pitches, exclusive private members clubs and the use of British style 3-pin plugs. This journey offers the European traveller a glimpse into an exotic culture; elaborately decorated temples, handsomely proportioned colonial architecture, soaring skyscrapers reaching into the wild blue yonder, and a stairway to heaven for religious devotees, all await the inquisitive traveller.
Singapore & Malaysia - A Brief History
The seminal history of the Malay peninsula is shrouded in mystery. The discovery of stone tools indicate human habitation in the region dates back approximately 40,000 years. Archaeological evidence denotes that a Neolithic culture existed here between 2800 – 500BC. Beads and pottery from China and India dating to the latter part of this epoch attested that an international commercial network existed, where the peninsula’s resources were being traded for foreign goods, in conjunction with this merchantry came immigration, religion and knowledge.
During the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD numerous Malay kingdoms were established on the east coast of the peninsula, affecting trade mainly with neighbouring Cambodia. The 7th century saw the Sumatra based Srivijaya Kingdom establish hegemony over the Malay peninsula, monopolizing Southeast Asian maritime commerce of the lucrative India and China trade routes. Arab merchants began arriving in the 11th century, bringing with them the religion of Islam, which rapidly proliferated across the peninsula.
The early 15th century saw the immergence of the port Kingdom of Melaka, the city became a cosmopolitan maritime entrepôt with ships arriving from China, India, Japan and Persia. The great Chinese admiral Zheng He used Melaka as a base for his numerous maritime explorations during this period. There is a theory that Zheng He travelled as far as the then unchartered American continent in the early 1400’s, and that his empirical maps ultimately found their way into the possession of Christopher Columbus, who eventually “discovered” the New World in 1492.
The Portuguese captured Melaka in the mid -15th century ushering in the era of European colonial powers domination of the region. Portuguese hegemony over Melaka and its valuable trade in spices, scented woods and gold, perdured through the 16th century until the arrival of the Dutch in 1641. The Dutch subsequently controlled Melaka for the following 180 years until they were superseded by the British in the 18th century.
In 1786 the British acquired Penang and established it as a major commercial entrepôt and naval base. The celebrated British statesman Sir Stamford Raffles (1781-1826) established the groundwork for the city of Singapore in 1819, which like Penang became a booming maritime trade port. In 1824 Britain and the Netherlands signed the Anglo-Dutch Treaty with the entire Malay peninsula now passing to British dominion.
The Second World War (1939-1945) saw the truculent Japanese Imperial Army purloin dominion over Malaya and Singapore; the British reoccupation being established after the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, finally compelled Japan to surrender.
Malaya finally gained its independence in 1957 with Singapore remaining as a crown colony. In 1961 the symbiotic Malaysian Federation was constituted uniting Malaya, Singapore, Brunei, North Borneo, and Sarawak. In 1963 the state of Malaysia was established, Singapore withdrew from the Malaysian Federation in 1965 and declared independent status.
From the 1970’s onwards Malaysia prospered due to world demand for its rubber, palm oil and tea; whilst Singapore hypertrophied into a powerhouse of light industry and high technology, as well as one of the world’s most prodigious sea ports.
The Journey
Singapore, the genesis for this amazing trip is a gruelling 13-hour flight and 11,000 km distant from my base in London. Singapore is a city of skyscrapers, vertical living to the extreme, the absolute epitome of a modern affluent metropolis. Vast tracts of the city have been rebuilt in the last 50 years, with much of the new cityscape constructed on land reclaimed from the sea. Singapore’s population is approximately 5.5 million, its main industrial bases are electronics, shipping, chemicals and financial services.
As is de rigueur on these journey’s the first day commences with a city orientation tour, its 33 degrees and oppressively humid, Singapore’s location being just one degree north of the equator. Although being one of the most densely populated countries on the planet, over 50% of this city state is a panoply of parks and gardens.
Singapore’s Chinatown - established by Chinese immigrants in the 19th century - is characterized by its distinctive shophouses and elaborately decorated temples; its vibrant markets purvey everything from fresh food to silk sarongs and DVD’s. Singapore’s Little India district grew from a niche Indian enclave in the 19th century to a vibrant community, replete with restaurants and retail outlets steeped in Tamil culture - the potpourri of sights, scents and sounds constitute a sensorial overload.
Kampong Glam with its narrow lanes brimming with boutique shops and quirky street art galleries is the hub of the Malay quarter of the city. The totem landmark here is the magnificent golden domed Sultans Mosque, originally constructed in 1824, it was replaced by the current structure in 1928 confected in the Arabesque style, it can accommodate 5,000 worshipers in its main hall.
A brief synopsis of Singapore’s architectural endowments includes, Esplanade Park with its plethora of mushrooming ultra-modern tower blocks, the classical Supreme Court building and the neo-Palladian Old Parliament House. The incredible Marina Bay Sands Hotel opened in 2010 – Singapore’s landmark building - is the height of elegance and sophistication, the complex consists of three towers topped by a 340-metre-long skyway, a stunning visual architectural juxtaposition.
The legendary Raffles Hotel is synonymous with Singapore, opened in 1887 it is a tranquil haven of colonial-style buildings boasting a guest list of the worlds rich and famous including Charlie Chaplin, Michael Jackson and Rudyard Kipling. The hotels Long Bar is where the famous Singapore Sling cocktail was created in 1915.
Singapore really comes into its own as darkness descends and all the amazing buildings are illuminated in a riot of dazzling-coloured lights. The highlight of this visual extravaganza is the Gardens by the Bay. Set amongst the panoply of exotic plant life are the Supertrees, 18 tree-like designed structures ranging up to 50 metres in height that come alive in the evening with a mesmerizingly coordinated kaleidoscopic sound and light show.
Leaving Singapore behind it’s an uneventful border crossing into Malaysia. The Malaysian economy is primarily based on electronics, palm oil, latex and petroleum production, the country’s population is approximately 23 million. Situated a four-hour drive north – on good roads passing endless palm oil groves - is the cosmopolitan town of Melaka.
The morning tour of old Melaka begins with a stroll to the top of St Paul’s Hill, at the summit of the hill is the atmospheric ruin of St Paul’s Church. Originally erected in 1521, the church contains the empty tomb of St Francis Xavier the founder of the Jesuit order. Standing in splendid isolation at the base of St Paul’s Hill, the Porta de Santiago is the sole surviving gateway to a long- time demolished fortress, originally constructed by the Portuguese viceroy Alfonso de Albuquerque in 1512. Two cannons from the Dutch colonial era stand sentinel in front of the gateway.
Melaka’s main square is resplendent with beautifully preserved buildings from the Dutch period of colonisation. Dominating the square is the red brick Stadthuys, built by the Dutch in 1650 as the seat of their colonial administration, today it is home to Museum of History and Ethnography, a repository housing displays of traditional costumes, Ming ceramics, Dutch furniture, weapons and a plethora of historical artifacts indigenous to Melaka.
Villa Sentosa is a traditional turn of the 20th century house-cum-museum that has been retained almost exactly as it was 100 years ago. The elderly resident, whose family have lived in the house for seven generations, provided a splendid tour of this fascinating anachronistic domestic time capsule.
Melaka’s Chinatown district is a riot of splendid colours with red lanterns, elaborate calligraphic signage, and images of fire breathing chimera adorning innumerable shops, restaurants and temples. The undoubted highlight of the district is the Cheng Hoon Teng Temple - founded in the 17th century and dedicated to Kuan Yin the goddess of mercy - this venerable ancient building is the oldest Chinese temple in Malaysia. This superb identikit of southern Chinese architecture is ostentatiously decorated with beautiful paintings, symbolic carvings, lions, golden phoenix, and numerous assorted mythical creatures adorning the fabric of the temple’s interior and exterior.
Next stop on this wonderful tour is Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s capital city, here eastern and western influences rub shoulders in this eclectic and energetic city. Kuala Lumpur – or by the sobriquet KL as it known locally – has a population of 2.5 million, its modern transportation network includes a light transit rail system and a monorail, both elevated.
The first site visited is the jaw-dropping Petronas Towers complex – a supreme paradigm of the architecture of power, expressed in pure brute force - an internationally recognised lodestar of modern Malaysia. Completed in 1998, the towers soar to a height of 452m, comprising 88 floors with a skybridge connecting the twin towers at the 41st level. The towers are the headquarters of the national petroleum and oil company Petronas, they also incorporate one of the city’s busiest and glitziest shopping malls, an art gallery and an interactive science centre. In close proximity to the Petronas Towers is the world’s second tallest building, Merdeka 118, towering skywards to 679m.
Kula Lumpur is a high-rise city with a hugely varied ethnically diverse population. Malays, Sikhs, Chinese, Indians, Tamils and saffron robed Buddhist monks all add colour and vibrancy to this mega metropolis. Social housing in the city can be rented for around £40 per month for a two- bedroom apartment, four- bedroom luxury apartments in the more exclusive districts sell for upwards of £80k.
The Masjid Jamek, or Friday Mosque, was built in 1909 in the stately Mughal architectural style, and is the oldest surviving mosque in the capital. Magnificently located at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak rivers, the mosque is a tranquil haven occupying the locale where Kuala Lumpur was originally founded in the mid -19th century.
The Royal Selangor Club was once the focus and epitome of British colonial life in the city, here expatriates and officials would gather to relax, play billiards or watch cricket. Today this mock-Tudor edifice is the city’s most exclusive private members club.
The old Kuala Lumpur Railway Station completed in 1911 was designed by British architect A.B. Hubbock, it embodies one of the premier exemplars of colonial architecture in Malaysia. This majestic gleaming white monument with its exquisite Islamic exterior features Moorish arches, minarets and cupolas; the interior of the station was designed to the specification of railroad stations in England. For 90 years it was the city’s main rail terminus, in 2001 it was replaced by the new KL Central Station, today this desuetude old station stands in magnificent decrepitude in homage to days long past.
Perched eye- catchingly atop a hill, the stunning 3- tier Thean Hou Temple is one of the largest Chinese temples in Malaysia. Confected in the 1980’s, the temple has a series of tiled Chinese-style roofs decorated with golden dragons, phoenix, and a canopy of bright red paper lanterns. The interior of the temple is bedecked with innumerable statues of the Buddha, supplementary Buddhist and Taoist imagery adorn the temples lavish interior.
Kuala Lumpur’s Chinese market is a bargain shoppers retail heaven, replete with an agglomeration of every fake item you can think of displayed here, from Rolex, Mont Blanc, Michael Kors, Prada, Armani, to CD’s and football club shirts, all shamelessly on offer at knockdown prices.
Located a short drive north of Kuala Lumpur, the Batu Caves are a vast cavern complex set high up in a range of limestone cliffs. In the 1890’s the caves were converted into a Hindu shrine, and has subsequently become the most revered pilgrimage site for Malaysia’s Hindu population. Dominating the entrance to the main cave is a 43- metre -high golden statue of the Hindu deity Lord Murugan. From the base of the statue a steep flight of 272 steps – a stairway to heaven - leads to the sacred main Temple Cave. The cave walls are adorned with statues of numerous Hindu gods including Shiva, Ganesh and Durga. There are a number of other bijou caves and temples within the complex also incorporating elaborate sculptures of various Hindu deities. The Batu Caves are high up on any visitors must see list, and as such are one of Malaysia’s most popular attractions.
Progressing north there is a brief stopover in the city of Ipoh for lunch, in this region the scenery consists of rolling hills covered in verdant green trees. The next stop is one of the highlights of this trip, a homestay stopover idyllically located on the shore of Chenderoh Lake, with a series of Kampung style eco guest houses set amongst a tropical forest. The homestay is located in an isolated village that is set in grounds awash with profuse plant life including, plants used for natural medication, various herbs, fruit trees, tapioca plants, durian trees and aloe vera plants. Relaxing in a sun lounger, gazing out over the tranquil lake, after partaking of a sapid home cooked dinner is just a heavenly experience, and a wonderful way to unwind from the rigours of a frenetic touring schedule.
The area surrounding the village is dominated by palm oil plantations– a multi-billion-dollar industry for which Malaysia is the second biggest exporter in the world - and rubber plantations, these industries are the major source of income in the region. A tour of the environs gives an insight into the processes involved in harvesting and making a living from these crops.
Eating street food in Malaysia is an experience not to be missed. A surfeit of eateries is ubiquitous, the mesmerising variety of dishes available – everything from chicken with noodles to ginger onion frog - are all cooked as you wait, and the cost for a meal is incredible value for money.
Heading north the scenery changes dramatically, gone are the rolling hills covered in verdant trees, now towering limestone escarpments, many scarred by open cast mining – miasmic environmental vandalism on a vast scale - dominate the landscape. The Cameron Highlands region, sitting at an altitude of around 2000 metres, is a major tea growing area which has the perfect micro climate for the production of this crop. Stretching as far as the eye can see the landscape is carpeted in swathes of verdant tea bushes, the industry produces 5.5 million cups of tea per day, all for domestic consumption. In the hey-days of their colonial rule the British established these tea plantations, building country estate houses and leaving a legacy of afternoon tea with scones and strawberry jam, which is still perdures today in the local hotels. A tour of an estate tea factory gives an insight as to how tea is refined to create the different varieties we find in our preferred brews.
The island of Penang lies some 4km off the Malay mainland and is accessed by an impressive state of the art road bridge. Penang has a population of 1.9 million, and on first impression looks fairly affluent with new high -rise buildings dominating the skyline. Founded in 1786 by the British as a trading base, Penang’s capital city of Georgetown is one of Malaysia’s premier tourist attractions. The city boasts an agglomeration of religious buildings of various denominations, wonderful colonial era architecture plus a multifarious cuisine developed by its culturally diverse population.
Fort Cornwallis, built in 1805, was the colonial heart of Georgetown and the headquarters of the British East India Company. The fort originally contained a barracks, a signal station, administrative offices and a Christian chapel. Today little remains of the fort apart from its perimeter fortifications.
Thean Ho Keong Chinese Temple, which translates to Temple of the Heavenly Queen, was constructed in 1895 and is embellished with ornate carvings and distinctive swirling dragon pillars. A canopy of bright red paper lanterns hangs from the ceiling, and the heady smell of incense permeates the air.
Kek Lok Si, or Temple of Supreme Bliss, is the largest and most celebrated Buddhist temple in Malaysia. Constructed in the late 19th century, it is spectacularly situated on a hilltop with panoramic views across the city. This massive multi-level temple complex - accessed via a funicular railway car – is an absolute labyrinth of innumerable shrines where flocks of devotees come to offer prayers and temple gifts. The temple’s most celebrated feature is the magnificent seven tier Pagoda of King Rama VI that towers to an impressive height of 30 metres. The temple grounds contain beautifully manicured gardens and sacred ponds, dominating all is a massive bronze statue of Kuan Yin, the goddess of mercy.
Kapitan Keling Mosque, founded around 1800, is the oldest mosque in Penang and is the main locale of worship for Penang’s Tamil Muslim population. The mosque has been restored on several occasions, with the addendum of Indian-style copper domes in 1910, the inclusion of a madrassa or religious school in 1916, and in 2003 when exquisite Arabic calligraphy was supplemented to the domes and walls of the mosque.
A short distance from the Kapital Keling Mosque is the delightful Sri Mariamman Temple. A typical southern Indian Hindu temple built in the Dravidian architectural style, it is elaborately carved and painted, the exterior being adorned with sculptures of approximately 40 Hindu deities. Dedicated to the deity Mariamman, or Great Powerful Mother, this is Penang’s oldest Hindu temple, having been founded in 1833.
Georgetown’s district of Little India throbs with antiquity and tradition, the narrow streets are lined with shops purveying all types of south Asian produce, saris and gold jewellery, flower garlands, statues of Hindu deities and multifarious food retailers. The heady aroma of spice, incense and curry suffuses the air and bulldozes the senses, and the general turbulent hustle and bustle of the crowds creates an ambience that is quintessentially Indian.
It's an early morning start, catching a ferry to the idyllic elysian destination of Langkawi - an archipelago made up of approximately 100 islands - lying just off the west coast of the Malaysian Peninsula. Surrounded by the turquoise waters of the Andaman Sea, the main island – which was voted the world’s best island destination in 2023 – with its lush jungle-clad hills and picture postcard palm fringed white sandy beaches, is that recherche ideal, the ultimate utopian place to relax.
Island hopping is one of the must-do activities whilst in Langkawi; taking a white-knuckle power boat ride to visit a few islands in the archipelago, there are opportunities for kayaking, swimming, snorkelling, walking or just chilling out on the gorgeous beaches, worshiping at the altar of paradise.
The last day of this wonderful trip was just a grand hedonistic indulgence, a therapeutic Balinese massage, then bathing in the hotel infinity swimming pool, lunch at the pool-side bar followed by a couple of hours sunbathing on the hotels private beach – is there a better way to spend a day?
An Overview
This peregrination through Malaysia and Singapore revealed a wonderful juxtaposition of modern and old, here in antithesis towering skyscrapers overlook ancient temples, and traditional south-east Asian culture meets western modernity. Among the many highlights that encompassed this trip are, the impressive Petronas Towers, the numerous elaborately decorated temples and mosques, and the imposing Singapore skyline illuminated at night.
Despite Malaysia and Singapore being well ingrained on the tourist trail, it is still possible to circumvent the crowds, and to discover hidden gems that offer cultural enrichment on numerous levels. The cultivation of social interaction with the local population becomes more productive and comporting once a divergence from the main tourist trail is sought.
Travel engenders knowledge, promotes understanding and helps broaden the human mind. This thought makes a holiday much more than just an escape from work or the populist pursuit of two weeks on a sun lounger; a holiday presents a cerebral opportunity to develop as a person, and to return home the richer for the experience.