Page 24 - Sphere No.20 (Nov 2007)

and Singapore irresistible. These three key ports subsequently
became known as the Straits Settlements and by the end of the
19th century, the states of Perak, Negeri Sembilan, Selangor
and Pahang formed the Federated Malay States.
An influx of labourers from China and India came to work
in the tin mines, rubber estates and urban centres of the pen-
insular that was then known as Malaya. They joined an already
eclectic ethnic mixture which had already integrated the Thais
from the north, Bugis from the south, and
the products of mixed marriages from
earlier settlements of Portuguese, Dutch,
Arab and Chinese.
Malaya gained independence from Brit-
ain in 1957 and the idea of Malaysia, that
brought the states of Sarawak and Sabah in
Borneo into a federal union, was realised
in 1963, further adding to the “Rojak”.
What has emerged is a success story
against the odds. From a frail new national
entity subsisting on an agricultural econo-
my and the most basic modes of produc-
tion, Malaysia has grown into a fast devel-
oping and progressive, pluralistic country thriving in peace
and harmony.
It was during the 1990s that Hutchison Whampoa Limited
(HWL) saw that Malaysia’s increasingly confident economic
climate was ripe for investment. HWL’s presence today can be
seen in the form of port facilities at Port Klang under Westports
Malaysia and Watsons retail outlets.
Keith Lau, Chief Financial Officer of Westports Malaysia,
highlights the strong legal and financial frameworks along with
the educated work force that has a high proficiency in English.
“Malaysia has positioned itself as the Islamic financial centre
and supportive government policies are contributing factors
for doing business here,” he says.
22 SPHERE
This commitment to develop a modern, democratic and mul-
ticultural society is also what makes Malaysia such a distinc-
tive tourist destination. Old churches, mosques and temples of
various religions dot the scenery. Wooden longhouses in rural
Sarawak offer contrasting home-stay experiences to the narrow
Dutch colonial era houses in urban Malacca and Penang.
For Visit Malaysia Year 2007, the country has set a target of
attracting 20 million tourists by offering some 240 events and
attractions, including the Malaysian Inter-
national Aerospace Adventure, the Inter-
national Fireworks Display, the Malaysian
International Tattoo and the International
Buskers Festival.
This is a country that really does have
something for everyone – pristine, sandy
beaches, cool mountain resorts, romantic
island getaways, scuba diving, shopping and
golf – and all come with traditional warm
Malaysian hospitality and first-class service.
From the island paradise of Langkawi
off the northwest coast, to the bustling
capital of Kuala Lumpur, to the jungles
and diving hotspots of Sabah and Sarawak, it is easy to see why
Malaysia is one of the region’s key tourist destinations.
Just ask Filipino Ed Cabagnot, who came to Malaysia for the
first time this year as part of the Asian Public Intellectual cultural
programme that encourages co-operation among Asian nations.
“As a stranger in a new country, I don’t feel out of place be-
cause I see a lot of different cultures in one setting,” he says. “I
just love the idea that I’m sitting in one place and there are Ma-
lays, Chinese, Indians, half-Malays, half-Caucasians, foreign
tourists, all manner of ethnicities sitting with me.
“Success is not because of a single race or cultural perspec-
tive. It’s the ability of many perspectives to meld and try to work
together. The ‘colours’ in Malaysia are more vivid.”
WL’s INVESTMENT in Malaysia began during
the economic boom that saw the country
acclaimed as the fifth “Asian Tiger” after
Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan.
Watsons Malaysia opened its
first store in the country in 1994.
Today it has 211 personal care
product stores in all 13 states,
with a staff of 1,800. The stores
even remained open on Indepen-
dence Day to serve customers
who wanted to go shopping on
the nation’s special birthday.
Hutchison Port Holdings has
been a partner of Westports
since 2000, operating Port
Klang, the historical succes-
sor to Malacca as the nation’s
premier port.Westports con-
tainer throughput has grown
from 1.4 million twenty-foot
equivalent units (TEUs) in
2001 to 3.4 million TEUs in
2006. To mark the golden ju-
bilee celebrations on 31 Au-
gust, 36 Merdeka veterans, all
parents or grandparents of
Westports employees, took part in a special gath-
ering at the port to share their memories from that
remarkable day in history 50 years ago.
RIDING THE TIGER
Malaysia has
grown into a fast
developing and
progressive, pluralistic
country thriving in
peace and harmony
H