A classmate from 1984-85

In the past two years, I have been Googling for my old classmates from the American University, 1984-85. I have managed to all of them--from Bangladesh, Colombia, Indonesia, and Zimbabwe-- but one person who eluded me was Mala Somasunderam from Malaysia. I had last seen her 15 years ago, when she visited me in Hong Kong and I paid a return visit to her in Kuala Lampur. When all my Googling efforts failed, I tried the old fashioned method of mailing her a letter. It worked.

While in school, Mala told everyone that she would one day marry a millionaire and drive around in a chauffeured BMW. And that's what she did. I was met at the KL airport in the largest BMW I've set my eyes on, housed at the Hilton (in an executive suite), and chauffeured around. Certainly not the style of travel I am used to. Mala proved to be a generous host.

Mala

Mala took me to Malacca, a seaside town which, in terms of colonial history, bears a remarkable resemblance to Sri lanka. Both places were ruled by the Portuguese, the Dutch, and the British in that order. The local architecture was a legacy of these European styles. The Chinese population appeared to be dominant, as in Penang, and I also saw the shop houses that I had seen in Penang.

We also visited Genting, only 50km from Kuala Lampur and, at 1800 meters, a welcome escape from the steamy capital city. I battled with a slot machine at the casino, happy to lose Ringgit 50 while expecting to hit the jackpot any minute.

Since my last visit 15 years ago, I saw remarkable changes in Malaysia. The new airport is a treat, unlike the Hong Kong airport where passengers are required to descend to a train and ascend again when going to a distant boarding gate. The highways and other infrastructure facilities appear to be well maintained. There is a nice blend of ethnic groups, although descendants of Indian and Sri Lankan immigrants appear to feel that they are third class citizens (after the dominant Malays and the Chinese). Corruption, especially among politicians, appears to be rife, but Malaysia is so rich in resources that corruption does not appear to affect the country's development. In fact, Malaysia would be a good act for Sri Lanka to follow as the latter aims to quadruple tourist arrivals.