Popped through Malaysia last week, where it's election time in the former British colony. As usual I was naively surprised at how democracy (often) works in the developing world.
The government party, Barisan Nasional, has wasted no time in draping every public building with their flags, while officials from museum workers to policemen walk round with little blue Barisan stickers. On the ferry from Penang, a beautiful little island and former base of the East India Company, I picked up a copy of The Star, Malaysia's leading English language paper. Headlines from the first eighteen pages included:
The government party, Barisan Nasional, has wasted no time in draping every public building with their flags, while officials from museum workers to policemen walk round with little blue Barisan stickers. On the ferry from Penang, a beautiful little island and former base of the East India Company, I picked up a copy of The Star, Malaysia's leading English language paper. Headlines from the first eighteen pages included:
Four years of success - [President] Abdullah talks of achievement-filled first term in office
Showing their gratitude - Tanjung Piai folk travel in huge numbers to support Ong
Better years ahead for Penang - [government party] Barisan wants to value add to achievements
Page 18 featured the first story on the opposition, "Disaster if Anwar is PM". The next one, on page 20, alleges the opposition had cloned 118,000 voter registrations.
Malaysia maybe wasn't the most exciting destination, but the history in Penang and Malacca was incredible, tangible, and the diversity across the west coast more pronounced than maybe anywhere in the world. Chinese, Malay, Indian, European; Buddhist, Tao, Hindu, Muslim, Christian; all sharing the same place, worshipping freely and just getting on with their lives. No talk of cricket tests here.
But then, I don't speak Malaysian... I expect that the opposition will win the election, or Barisan will rig it, and everything will kick off...
Thailand couldn't be more different. Well I suppose it could, it could be pebble beaches and grey skies. But it's very different. My plans for rock climbing and base jumping have been scuppered by my dislocating (then relocating) a finger after slipping on a very unspectacular rock. I now have a little splint and wear a white glove when I swim. Like a backpacking Michael Jackson.
Nice beaches though, and compared with collapsing my lung in London or getting MRSA in Wales, I couldn't be in a better place to sit around and take painkillers.
Bye for now.
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