Malaysia Bagus!: Travels From My Homeland

by Sharon Cheah

Not many of us can claim to have pounded the streets of Kuala Lumpur as part of a 21km run, fallen off Mount Murud, Sarawak's tallest mountain (and survived!), or sailed down the Linggi River in Negeri Sembilan in search of crocodiles. But Sharon Cheah can! And that's only scratching the surface of her whirlwind tour of Malaysia. This was a journey that spanned five years as Cheah, a Malaysian journalist, set the goal of visiting every state in East and West Malaysia, to really get to know her homeland. The result? A fascinating series of travel essays spanning history, culture, religion, environment, food, and myth and archaeology. From a homestay in Kelantan to visiting one of the top three rainforest research centres in the world (in Sabah), come discover Malaysia as you've never seen it before. Malaysia Bagus!

Reviews:
“Why are there so many Malaysians abroad? That may be the subject for another book. In this one, Sharon gives the millions who make up the Malaysian diaspora a vicarious means of going home, and it’s a great book for non-Malaysians too.”
— Clarissa Tan, journalist, The Spectator (UK) and winner of the Shiva Naipaul Prize for travel writing

“An eye-opener for those of us whose understanding of Malaysia is limited to news headlines and the occasional sojourn to a JB seafood stall. There’s nothing like exploring a country with a knowledgeable friend by your side, and that’s exactly what Sharon does with this book. And like all good friends, she knows where to get the best snacks!”
— Jaime Ee, Lifestyle Editor, The Business Times (Singapore)

“A delightful series of travel essays that will impart a deeper understanding of the real Malaysia. If there’s such a thing as armchair travelling, then this is it.” — Meng Yew Choong, journalist, The Star

“A series of vignettes which are as entertaining as they are illuminating. Equal parts history lesson, food diary and social commentary, Malaysia Bagus! eschews broad strokes for a more intimate approach, with a journalist’s careful eye for detail and keen nose for a good story.”
— Tony Fernandes, AirAsia CEO

“A truly engaging read, bursting with insight and local flavour!”
— Geoffrey Eu, travel writer and former Editor of Insight travel guides

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published July 2, 2012

About the author

Born and bred in Penang, Sharon Cheah went to college in North Carolina, USA, and majored in history. After a failed attempt to get a job at the Children's Museum in Boston, she returned to Penang and answered an advertisement for a sub-editor in the local newspaper, The Star. “You know this means working the graveyard shift, right?” asked the editor, who promptly assigned her to reporting. Her first assignment was to cover a press conference held by an unrecognised Islamic sect, Al Arqam and she's been hooked on telling stories since then. A British Chevening scholar in journalism (UK), Sharon joined The Business Times in Singapore in 2000, writing features, and has been there since.

Reviews

[Thavakumar Kandiahpillai · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book with the usual expectations. Just to see what another writer thinks about Malaysia. Usually, it will be ok, same same.

I was wrong. It was refreshing to read this book. It was very personal, pointed. witty with a fair bit of sarcasm, although I suspect with a dose of political correctness.

I learnt many things about a country I thought I knew a lot about. That Sharon paid due homage and tried to follow Isabella Bird's adventure was remarkable. And her chapter on the last train from Tanjong Pagar nailed it.

I only wish this book was longer.

[Kataklicik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ebook.

I don't know why I put off reading this. Well, actually I do. Perhaps it's because you know, I really wasn't looking to reading a travelogue of my own country. Touristy angles just don't hold the appeal.

But this, this was well written, with a point-of-view that's slightly quirky, slightly off the beaten track (but not quite). Learned quite a few bits and bobs, and that's quite telling as I'm as jaded as they come, being past my half century mark.

Bacalah!

[Dhevarajan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great travelogue of Chinese and Malay culture throughout Malaysia but little mention of Indian culture.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was always going to suffer a bit by reading it straight after Elizabeth Pisani's amazing 'Indonesia Etc.', and at first I wondered whether to persevere with it. But it is a different kind of book, with a different intention, and it is unfair to compare, and I found myself quite enjoying it in the end. It's not an in depth analysis, it is a series of brief snapshots created by the author as she systematically visited each of the states of Malaysia. In each place she sought out an experience, or a few experiences, to write about, one chapter per state. The chapters read a bit like short essays or magazine articles, some better than others, but all interesting, and all offering a small glimpse of Malaysian life, human and other. Now I have finished the book I feel I have a better concept of where the states are and a few first impressions of their characteristics, which is what I wanted. I've been to Peninsular Malaysia a few times, but recently I visited Sabah and felt strongly that I needed to help my understanding of Malaysia become a bit more complex. Just feeling my way round it geographically in a book like this seemed a light and pleasant way to start.

[Fabio Tran · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book gave me interesting insights on Malaysian culture, but I found some chapters dull and easily forgettable. I wonder if it is because of its premise: by forcefully writing a chapter for each Malaysian state, I wonder if the spontaneity of a true travelogue was lost and we were left with anecdotes that would suit the travel section of a magazine.

The best parts were when we dug deeper into the Chinese heritage in Malaysia, where I felt the author could relate to the subject better. In the chapter on Penang, the author shined.

[Mohd Azly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not just a travelouge book but also historical book where you can learn about Malaysia’s state. The explaination more biased towards malay & chinese race. I just miss Malaysia when I read this book and more appreciating and proud of my country.

[mm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed reading Sharon's trips. Reminded me of all the family vacations taken as a child in my father's Volkswagen. It made me feel like discovering these towns all over again.

[Vanessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a page turner. Was a pretty dull and unrealistic read. The “utopian multi-racial harmony” in Malaysia simply does not exist.

One can dream though

[Candice · Rating 5 out of 5]

在去马来西亚前看完了一整本书，作者花了五年时间走遍马来西亚13个大洲，讲述了旅行中的见闻以及风土人情。其中最有趣的一部分应该是马六甲三宝山的华人公墓的来历，以及当地很多组织以及NGO是怎么致力于保护文化遗产的。里面有很多出彩的地方，比如在森美兰的尼日河上寻找鳄鱼，在吉兰丹上住当地的kampung感受纯正的Malay culture，去沙捞越最高的山上做弥撒，都非常令人难忘。