Falling in love with Malaysia

PETALING JAYA: Having lived in Malaysia for the past 26 years, Chinese national Datuk Keith Li Zhongping (pic) has travelled the length and breadth of the country and delighted in savouring the good food offered by this Asian neighbour.

At one point in his younger days, he could easily devour three or four durians for dinner, revealed the native of Guangdong province and a permanent resident of Malaysia.

“I love Malaysian food and, in particular, Chinese cuisine prepared locally. The food culture in Malaysia is truly diverse and over time, I have grown to love nasi lemak, roti canai and bak kut teh,” said the president of the China Entrepreneurs Association in Malaysia.

However, when he started life anew in a foreign land, Li found it a challenge to assimilate into the country.

“Malaysia is different as it is multicultural. The weather here is also extremely hot, unlike the four seasons I was used to in China,” he said.

Another major difference between both countries, he noted, is the number of public holidays.

“There are fewer working days in Malaysia, so I had to learn to allocate more time for a task to be done,” he added.

A well-travelled person, Li, who is in his 50s, said he has been everywhere in Malaysia and especially likes Melaka and Penang.“Melaka is special to the Chinese and a renowned place for us, more than Kuala Lumpur or Penang,” he said, adding that it is also due to the rich history dating back to Admiral Cheng Ho’s arrival at the Melakan port hundreds of years ago.

“Melaka indeed symbolises the goodwill and friendship between China and Malaysia,” he added.

Li said a visit to Melaka was a must for Chinese nationals when they come to Malaysia. He said that his compatriots can appreciate Malaysia for a variety of reasons, including its proximity to their home country and its preservation of Chinese culture, customs and education.

“Even for Chinese New Year, the festive atmosphere here is more vibrant. I have encouraged many people to invest here and many of my friends and family have decided to study here.

“If I didn’t like this place, I wouldn’t have stayed for over 20 years! Whether it is for trading or investment, there are lots of opportunities here,” he enthused.

Li also believes that Malaysia is a valuable destination that many Chinese can visit in the short or long term.

“Quality housing and education are affordable in Malaysia and it has a very stable society with good living standards,” he said.

As he applauds the good relationship between the two nations, Li says he hopes that their ties will only grow stronger.

In May, both nations will celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between them.

“That relationship has become better, especially with the recent visa waiver for the people, which was unthinkable 20 years ago,” said Li.

Last December, Malaysia waived the visa requirement for Chinese nationals to visit for 30 days.In reciprocation, the Chinese government has allowed Malaysian citizens to go without a visa for 15 days from December last year until November this year.

“I hope that in the next 50 years, both countries will foster an even stronger bond between them, with further exchanges among the people,” said Li.