1980MAGICAL MALAYSIA

[Music] so [Music] these little islands one so like another allured my fancy wrote somerset morm the writer and playwright about the malaysia he knew so well in his stories he describes the land the beauty friendly rather than awe-inspiring of the scene it had a gaiety like the joyful singing of birds in the trees in the distance stretched blue mountains range upon range as far as the eye could see there was no sense of confinement nor of gloom but rather of openness and wide spaces where the exultant fancy could wander with delight the green glittered in the sunshine and the sky was blithe and cheerful the gracious land seemed to offer a smiling welcome [Music] [Applause] the islands of langkawi fly to the north of malaysia close to her border with thailand [Applause] [Music] here and there among fruit trees were malay houses on piles wrote somerset mall it's much the same today as when he knew it [Music] the marketplace crowded with local people in this community of little islands fishing is of course one of the main activities they catch and sell a great variety for malaysians love fish of all sorts it figures in many of the spicy dishes they eat here on langkawi they catch a particular little fish called filis thousands of these little creatures are dried in the sun and then shipped all over malaysia and beyond for they are considered a great delicacy [Music] the water buffalo still plows the paddy fields in time-honored fashion pretty doll-like girls norm called them small shy things with the grace of a flower plant rice in the same unchanging way [Music] this scene is not typical of all malaysia in many regions they practice very up-to-date farming methods nowadays there is one new feature a modern hotel on langkawi the tourists come to enjoy the scenery and the relaxed charm of this magnificent group of 99 islands before the days of the european empires the country was ruled by local sultans the ballet basar used for royal ceremonies in alorstar penang island on malaysia's west coast is one of the oldest of the european settlements the funicular railway takes visitors to the summit of penang hill to enjoy the spectacular view [Applause] [Music] [Applause] here there is still to be found comfortable old colonial hotels facing the malacca straits modernized for present-day needs outside the towns penang is a fascinating tropical paradise here grows some of malaysia's most beautiful plants and trees the botanical gardens are the home of these little monkeys in the early morning or towards evening whole family parties descend to the ground to see what food they can find [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] night falls over the golden beaches that fringe the eastern coast of malaysia between may and september the giant leatherback turtle heaves her great bulk out of the water to lay her eggs in a hole she digs in the sand nowadays government officials collect the eggs of this rare species and hatch them in safety away from predators then a task over for another year she goes back into the south china sea and heads for the depths [Applause] it is on the east coast so they say that the soul of the country is to be found divided from the west coast of malaysia by a chain of rugged mountains separated by swamps and rivers it has retained its identity and character in a modern world here as in many other east coast areas many malaysians live by and from the sea at the mouth of the quantum river a fishing village built on stilts over the water it is typical of many in them life has pursued its same even harmony for a thousand years perhaps longer [Music] by the river wrote somerset moren were the native huts and here living their immemorial lives dwelt the malays they were busy but without haste and you were conscious of a happy normal activity there was a sense of the rhythm of life of which the pattern was birth and death love and the affairs common to mankind indeed here in these tranquil timeless communities is unsophistication in the truest meaning of the word almost every east coast village has its own balloon they're trained to climb the palm trees and to fetch down coconuts oh in this region nearly every family has its own kite which is almost a symbol of the country the often exquisite designs are cut from thin translucent colored paper [Music] [Applause] [Music] it is the east coast that preserves the culture the skills and recreations of malaysia many of the traditional arts and crafts at fosters are still flourishing happily [Music] top spinning is another malaysian pastime it may be a child's game in europe but here it is a highly skilled sport taking years to master the tops are heirlooms they are very heavy made with a thick outer band of malaysian tin to add weight and stability an expert can make them spin for something like an hour and a half is the malaysian art of self-defense it can be practiced as a ritual dance but used more seriously it is a deadly skill a reminder of those days when every malay was an accomplished warrior it is on the east coast too that you come across small cottage industries making the famous butler cloth for which malaysia is so well known malaysia does not lack four beautiful beaches for this country has some three thousand miles of coastline much of it quite unspoiled both east and west coasts boast attractive accessible beaches with pleasant bays and gentle surf the water is clear and warm the sand undisturbed there is no difficulty in finding a palm-fringed golden beach and having it all to yourself at some resorts there are chalets for hire others have a range of hotels with excellent restaurants and all the usual facilities whoever is lord of malacca has his hands on the throat of venice wrote a portuguese semen adventurer nearly 500 years ago to enough for this historic port stood squarely across the venetian trade route to the fabulous riches of the orient [Applause] in 1511 the portuguese took malacca and built a great fort this gateway is all that remains [Music] within the fortress walls in their church of saint paul's they buried their dead by the 17th century the dutch had taken over [Music] they rebuilt malacca in their own style of architecture today in the shadow of the old dutch town hall the scribes draft letters for those who can't read or write a legacy of foreign occupation the portuguese colony [Applause] [Music] they speak archaic portuguese of nearly 400 years ago and here in tropical malaysia they managed somehow to live a genuine iberian lifestyle [Music] [Applause] [Music] malaysia consists of two elements the peninsula itself and the states of sarawak and sabah in north borneo they are closely linked by a network of services run by the malaysian airline system [Applause] [Music] southeast asia's highest peak mount kinabalu in sabah according to legend haunted by the spirits of the dead the mountain slopes are now a national park crisscrossed by tracks much used by walkers and climbers a round trip to the summit and back will take two or three days but there are chalets and camping sites along the trail capital city of sarawak for 80 years this romantic legendary country was ruled by the brooks family the white rogers of sarawak built their royal residence the astana and fort margarita on the opposite bank of the sarawak river to overlook and protect their city somerset morm describes the exciting mysterious land of north borneo in words that could still be used today at the mouth of the river was a straggling fisherman's village standing on piles in the water in the distance darkly silhouetted against the blue sky was the rugged outline of a mountain [Applause] [Music] it grew shallow and the trees on either side were so close to one another that you only saw a slim strip of sky between the river grew so strong that the boatmen could paddle no longer and they pulled against the current with powerful and magnificent gestures they slept at a longhouse and the dayak hosts celebrated their visit with arak eloquence and a fantastic dance [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] so [Music] [Applause] [Music] the tunics heirlooms of this longhouse community are made of antique silver dollars their value incalculable [Music] the longhouses of the dayak are really nothing more than complete villages under one great roof separate families have their own quarters and by custom certain areas are reserved for the young unmarried men the daily round of life in a long house it is hard to imagine scenes more peaceful or domesticated harder still to remember that within living memory these same people were notorious much feared headhunters if you're lucky you may in the forests of borneo find those endearing creatures the orangutan literally translated from the malay language arangyutan means people of the forest in the distant past longhouse communities would set off downstream to prey on shipping passing through the south china sea evening inside the longhouse the lantern light reveals ancient trophies a cluster of human skulls and lashed to a post a couple of 19th century brass cannon prizes perhaps of some long forgotten sea battle [Music] malaysia is a muslim country but it does offer a home to an assortment of other creeds and religions many buddhist temples have animals associated with them venerated for their kinship to the fabled creatures of chinese mythology these are venomous pit vipers it is said that the burning incense keeps them half doped and harmless they are to be found in a buddhist temple in penang this is the entrance to a hindu shrine in the batu caves near kuala lumpur every one of the rich variety of races in malaysia has its own place of worship in this temple is the reclining buddha third largest in the world the naga serpents mythical creatures that are supposed to link earth to heaven [Music] yet another temple this one belonging to a chinese clan house it is the headquarters and place of worship of one particular clan the cools the outer walls are carved and painted to illustrate the legendary exploits and stories of its most famous ancestors [Music] in kuala lumpur the national mosque pride of all malaysia kl as it is called is a kaleidoscope city local shops in the shadow of modern locks relics of the british empire alongside traditional moorish architecture [Music] [Applause] [Music] there are startling new buildings like the national museum [Music] parliament house set in the lake gardens and the national monument commemorating malaysia's victory over the communist guerrillas and her independence [Music] [Music] in the cool of the night the cities come alive once more you can enjoy a cabaret of traditional malay dances while dining in style at one of the international hotels [Music] [Music] village audiences are enthralled by the language the puppeteer who recounts far-off tales of great deeds and noble heroes [Music] each city street is a lively and animated sideshow in itself [Music] satay the national dish of malaysia and the most popular when malaysians talk of eating out they mean just that seafood is plentiful and good [Music] this then is malaysia it is an exotic land with much to offer for every turn reveals new facets and fascinating scenes [Applause] with its mingling of races it's infinite variety it is a microcosm of all southeast asia truly malaysia is a magical company [Music] [Applause] [Music] you