Those are the famous Petronis Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s buzzing capital city. You may recall them in the nail-biter film Entrapment, starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Sean Connery. The film was made in 1999, a year after the towers’ completion, and they were the tallest buildings in the world at the time, a title they held until 2004.

Silly me, during my recent brief time in KL, as Kuala Lumpur is commonly known, I thought they still were the world’s tallest buildings. Turns out, in the global race to see who can have the biggest architectural erection, they’ve slipped to either 21st or 23rd place, depending on how you measure height. They’re not even the tallest buildings in KL any more. That title is now held by The Exchange 106 — kind of a boring name, if you ask me — which ranks 19th in the world, 453.6 meters/1,488 feet, to Petronis’s 451.9 meters/1,483 feet. Now don’t tell me someone wasn’t trying to one-up the competition, adding a couple of meters to the height of their building.

While both Petronis and The Exchange 106 have been dwarfed by more recent structures — the current title for tallest building in the world goes to the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, standing at 828 meters/2,717 feet, closing in on being twice as tall — the Petronis Towers retain the joint titles as the tallest buildings built in the 20th Century and the tallest twin towers in the world. So take that, Burj Khalifa and you Exchange guy with the boring name!

I should have done my research before my visit and maybe I’d have a pic of The Exchange 106 to show you, though I still think the Petronis Towers are more noteworthy. Someone even called them iconic, a word I would not argue with. And who really cares if a building is a mere 19th tallest in the world. Come on now! Size matters, sure. But as the Petronis Towers prove, it’s now hot big you make it. It’s how you make it big. And Petronis wins hands-down in that category.

I wasn’t sure what to expect of KL, and still not sure about living in a big city, so I scheduled just a single night and part of a day there. In retrospect, I would have liked to spend more time in the city, not to mention the very luxe AirBnB I scored for my brief stay. Judging by what is called KLCC — Kuala Lumpur City Center — I was pretty impressed with the ambience and how I saw people going about their business in the city. Now I would argue that big buildings don’t make a city, there is a whole lot more than goes into it than that, but they are a big part of KL’s attraction and atmosphere.

Subsequently I found what seemed to be an amazing real estate deal in the eastern part of the city for an incredible two-level penthouse for less than one would pay for a less-than-modest house in the U.S. and most other countries. But it turns out developers in Malaysia, as in some other countries, finance their projects through advance sales, taking in buyers while a building is still under construction. The deal is more than attractive, but the risk and commitment to tying up capital more than I’m willing to take. But if I do wind up living in a city, in a place like that is how I’d want to do it.

There are other complications with Malaysia, including how the country has made its previously fairly liberal residency requirements much more stringent. Under the new regimen, as a non-Malaysian I wouldn’t even be allowed to buy that penthouse, finished or not. These new requirements make Malaysia less and less a desirable target for my relocation. Residency requirements of all the countries on my list, once I’m back at the end of my current travels, will be a key factor, one of several, that go into my evaluation of the options.

Other considerations

Those are cats up for adoption at a special adopt-a-cat event being held in a major shopping mall in KLCC. One sees cats everywhere in Malaysia, while dogs are much less common and most that one sees are strays, often roaming and living in small packs, scrounging sustenance as they can find it. This is a factor of Malaysia being a Muslim country, where dogs are considered impure.

This religious and cultural difference is one of the considerations that need to go into my evaluation of Malaysia as a place for relocation. Unlike Thailand, where pretty much anything goes, Malaysia is a fairly conservative country. Islam is a contrast to Thailand’s Buddhism, and while many of the women and girls wear the hijab and often full robes, I’d characterize it as Islam Lite. Certainly not one of the more stringent Muslim countries in the world. I’ve lived in Muslim countries before, and there are things one must adapt to, perhaps fewer of them in Malaysia than in some others. And along with the Malay population there also are major Chinese and Indian presences and influences in the country.

There is censorship of the Internet, I discovered, and ordinary people told me that there can be consequences for speaking out against the government. These elements I did not find encouraging, though people seemed to go about their daily business unhindered.

While the more libertine nature of Thailand certainly appeals, I don’t know that I’d want to live in a place like Pattaya, as mentioned in my last post, where that is in one’s face 24/7. I’m certainly not a prude, though some balance in life is nice. But I can’t argue with the more open style of life one finds north of the Malaysia-Thailand border.

I can’t say I had a good sample but overall I found the food more to my liking in Thailand, and certainly the prices. Meals and things in general seem to be more expensive in Malaysia than Thailand, though I had been led to believe the opposite.

Like in Thailand, technology seems to have gone wild in Malaysia. Meanwhile, while roads and signs are generally good, pedestrians in many places, even on some streets in the capital city, get little consideration. Sidewalks often are non-existent or in such poor condition it’s easier and less risky to walk in the road. And by my count, there are no more than six official crosswalks in the entire country. If you doubt that you are welcome to go count them yourself. There is a prize if you can find more than six. Prize to be determined at a future date.

That’s Fort Cornwallis on the waterfront at the head of Beach Street in George Town, on the Malaysian island of Penang, my second stop in the country. The name may be familiar since it’s the same Charles Cornwallis who surrendered to the Continental Army at Yorktown, ending the American Revolutionary War. It seems old Charlie Cornwallis went on to be a big shot in India, another British colony at the time, and the fort on Penang is named after him. This brings up another of the surprises, perhaps the biggest one, I had in Malaysia.

As a former British colony, I was led to believe that most people in Malaysia speak English. This it turns out is a myth. Most people think they speak English, and they may know a few words, but their accent is so strong I could rarely understand them, and they usually didn’t understand me. More younger people do speak English than older people, I found, which is not surprising. On the plus side, the Malay language is expressed in Western characters, unlike in Thailand, so words on signs can at least be voiced. Close to Indonesian, considered to be one of the easiest languages, I came to recognize certain words, such as “awas,” caution, present on many highway signs, and “keluar,” exit, seen just about everywhere. Additionally, many signs are in both Malay and English and sometimes Chinese as well.

Different places, different feelings

There is an attention to esthetics in many cases one does not always find in many countries. Like, for instance, the owner of that tricycle on Penang in the photo above, who decorated his utilitarian vehicle with a plethora of brightly colored flowers. That part I liked, as I have in other places, too. Less high on my like list is the disastrous state of such basic things as walkable sidewalks and crosswalks, to name but two.

One thing one notices not just in Malaysia but throughout Southeast Asia is how every single available space along a main street, and many not-so-main streets, is occupied by a business. This often extends two and three stories up, too. There is no doubt of the powerful role capitalism, especially small business capitalism, plays in the economic life of these countries, and the enterprising nature of people is notable.

As you can see from that pic, looking down Beach Street, George Town has a bit of the feel about it as one gets on some Caribbean islands, though cast in concrete, not wood. Urbanization on Penang, as I found out, extends far beyond the confines of George Town, spreading north and south on the island’s east coast and a good distance along its north coast. It’s a mix of largely both upscale and downscale high rise structures, and some smaller ones in between.

Along with walking the length of Beach Street, I took a ride on the 101 bus from the Komtar bus terminal out along the northern coast to the route’s termination in the small town of Teluk Bahang near the northwest corner of the island, where I scored a great bit of street food from a vendor to carry back to my lair in George Town. It was an interesting ride, mostly done standing up, since the bus remained crowded most of the way, people getting on and off all along the route, and clinging to a railing since the driver was intent on taking the many curves in the road as fast as he could. You can get a bit of a feel of this trip in the video I shot as I clung to that railing by clicking on the image below. Be sure to back click when you’re done to return here after you’ve watched it.

Langkawi’s counterpoint to Penang

After a few days on Penang I flew on to Langkawi, an island — actually, a group of islands — to the north, last stop before the Thai border. Penang is much more developed than Langkawi, which has more of that island feel I was seeking, but the development is encroaching on Langkawi, too, which reminded me how few really pristine places remain in the world. In 1950, I was born into a world of fewer than 2.5 billion people. Today, the total is estimated at more than 8.2 billion, three and a third times more. One sees the effect of that just walking down the street in a place like Langkawi. High rises, built and new ones under construction, crowd out the beachfront, making public access to the beach ever more difficult. Money talks, nobody walks — except if they’re trying to get to the beach.

After initially discouraging me from going to Langkawi, a new Malaysian friend suggested I rent a car to get around the island. That turned out to be exactly the right thing to do. Had I not done that, I would have missed the amazing nature that still does exist on most of the island. Rentals are inexpensive, roads are good, signs are good, drivers (except, of course, many of the moto drivers) reasonably sensible. The car was a Malaysian-built Proton that didn’t make me crazy like some of the cars I’ve rented on this trip, and after two days of driving all over the island, east and west coasts and twice down the middle, filling the tank at the end came to less then nine gringo dollars. Good deal.

Here are pix of some of the great stuff I saw on Langkawi. The first was taken at the Kilim Karst Geoforest Park, a largely wild place best explored by boat. I didn’t do that, but I did explore the amazing mangrove swamp that has a raised walkway through it. Next were some roadside baboons or monkeys or some primate type. Then the waterfall in the Langkawi Geopark, which proved to be the most strenuous ascent and, especially, descent I’ve made on this entire trip. And then, what would be an amazing secluded beach on Langkawi’s north coast, looking toward islands that are in Thailand, were it not for the huge amount of garbage strewn along the beach’s edge. While not really visible in that photo, it is very discouraging to see how people will abuse the beauty nature has provided them with. As one Indian visitor I encountered commented to me, “It is very sad to see.” Indeed, it is.

A less than great experience leaving Malaysia

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my departure experience from Kuala Lumpur International Airport, not just the worst of this trip, but one of the worst ever in all my flying experience. The KL airport is a modern affair, quite big, with two major terminals that are far apart on opposite sides of the airport. One would expect signs guiding incoming passengers how to get from one terminal to the other, especially in a country that is so well signed. And one would be badly mistaken. There is virtually no guidance on this, and it isn’t until one is literally at the terminal exit that there is even a hint at how to do this. The means are unclear and not terribly convenient, in stark contrast to how they are at most other multi-terminal airports. Then, once one manages to figure out how to get to the other terminal and does so, there is absolutely no guidance on how to get to the check-in area, which is way back inside the bowels of the terminal, and on a floor one must guess at. Another passenger, coming from Calgary and going to another of Malaysia’s islands, was as frustrated as I was, and we formed a kind of band of two trying to find our way through KLIA. It’s clear the airport sees itself more as a marketing device for the many shops and restaurants along the way and not of any particular assist to passengers.

Adding insult to injury, Air Asia, which I was flying on to Bali, had posted people before security to weigh everyone’s carry-ons to assure they did not exceed the airline’s ridiculously low limit of 7 kgs. No where in all the many flights of this trip — including a previous flight on Air Asia — had anyone seriously questioned my carry-on. These people were humorless, unrelenting, unhelpful, as were the other Air Asia people I had to deal with. I wound up having to pay a ridiculous amount for the extra few kilos I had, and it was the only time in my entire trip I felt I needed to raise my voice with people. If you’re reading these words, and even if you’re not, I advise you strongly to avoid Air Asia. There are other alternatives. The entire departure experience from KLIA left a very bad taste in my mouth, sadly, about the whole country.

I need to get this piece, which I’m writing 24 floors up in an AirBnB condo in the Makati section of Manila, the Philippines, and get about my day exploring the city. It’s my last full day of this trip, departure for the U.S., via Taiwan, coming tomorrow, and my last accounts, of Bali and now the Philippines, will have to come once I’m back for what passes for home. Stay tuned for those. And in case you were wondering, no, still no decision about where I might end up. The choices just get harder and harder. Which in a way is encouraging, since I might find contentment — not too much contentment, just enough — wherever I finally settle on. And it may be more than one place.

I’ll end this piece with a photo of a little friend who decided to join me for dinner my first night on Langkawi. Remember what I said about cats being favored in Malaysia? This guy felt he was right where he belonged on top of my table. At least he mostly behaved himself.

Featured image, Petronis Towers, Kuala Lumpur

Cats up for adoption, Kuala Lumpur

Fort Cornwallis, George Town, Penang

Beflowered tricycle, George Town, Penang

Looking down Beach Street, George Town, Penang

Along the north coast of Penang

Boats in the Kilim Karst Geoforest Park, Langkawi

Roadside baboons, in the northwest of Langkawi

Looking up at the waterfall, Langkawi Geopark

Beach scene, looking toward Thailand, northwest coast of Langkawi

A little cat friend joins me for dinner, Langkawi

All photos and video by the author

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