Starchild: Why Malaysian children are proud of their country

Tristen Yeoh, 7

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Malaysia is a beautiful country filled with stunning landscapes, delicious food, and friendly people.

Have you visited some of the towering skyscrapers in Kuala Lumpur or explored the rainforests in our country, with colourful birds and playful monkeys? Malaysia is also famous for delicious food like nasi lemak, roti canai and satay.

Do you know roti canai was recently ranked first among the top 50 Best Breads by international food guide TasteAtlas? How cool!

And don’t forget the beautiful beaches and islands with crystal-clear waters, where you can build sandcastles and splash in the waves.

In conjunction with World Tourism Day on Sept 27, Starchild asked readers to picture themselves as tour guides in Malaysia.

We asked them to share some of our country’s highlights including the dazzling Petronas Towers, the wild adventures of Borneo’s rainforests, and the tasty treats of Penang’s street markets. Here’s what they had to say on the topic, Tourism Malaysia.

Wong Cheng Yang, 9

“If I were a tour guide, I would give people a tour of Legoland, Johor. Legoland Johor is the first international theme park in Malaysia. It’s home to the first Lego-themed virtual reality roller coaster. Legoland also has Sea Life, a huge aquarium featuring 13,000 sea creatures,” says Wong Cheng Yang, nine.

Wong Jie Ern, 7

Younger sibling Wong Jie Ern, seven, thinks Sabah is the best state to visit in Malaysia. “Sabah is one of the states where we can find the rafflesia flower. It is the world’s biggest flower. It has five large petals. It smells like rotting fish, and the odour attracts carrion flies.”

Loh Ying Tong, 9

“Today, I will be leading a tour in Penang. I would take tourists to The Top at Komtar, Georgetown. The Top is the highest skyscraper in Penang. It also has the first curved skywalk and the Jurassic Research Centre where kids can learn about fossils and dinosaurs. Other attractions in Penang include Escape Water Park in Tanjung Bungah, and Enthopia by Penang Butterfly,” says Loh Ying Tong, nine.

Asher Wang Qi Chuen, 5

“As a tour guide, I would bring my friends to visit our many beautiful local beaches. We can check out Tanjung Sepat in Selangor or Teluk Cempedak beach in Kuantan. Tourists can participate in turtle conservation activities in Monica Bay, Kemaman in Terengganu,” says Asher Wang Qi Chuen, five.

Bethany Wang Qi Syuen, 8

Older sister Bethany Wang Qi Syuen, eight, says: “As a tour guide I would highlight the smaller towns like Kuantan to my friends. In Kuantan, I would bring them on a river cruise where they can spot fireflies and small crocodiles. I will also introduce them to the wide varieties of local desserts and let them try our country’s king and queen of fruit - durian and mangosteen!”

Loh Ying Xi, 11

Loh Ying Xi, 11, recommends visiting Penang Hill in Ayer Itam, Penang. “It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Penang. We will need to ride on a cable car to go up there. Furthermore, there will be lots of things to do there like hiking to Monkey Cup forest trail, enjoying tea time at cafes and taking beautiful photographs.”

“Malaysia does not have four seasons but it still attracts a lot of tourists from Western countries. The weather is either warm or hot. It is like summertime to them every day. Many tourists like to sunbathe on our beautiful beaches in Penang, Langkawi, and Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan. Furthermore, Malaysia has many different delicacies of food ranging from Malay, and Indian to Chinese. Many tourists will visit our beloved country again and again as they find our country wonderful,” says seven-year-old Chuah Seng Koon.

Chuah Seng Koon, 7

“Malaysia has many cool and exciting attractions! One of them is the Taiping Zoo in Taiping. There are many popular shopping malls in Kuala Lumpur. Penang is my hometown. Though it is a small island, it has a petting zoo, amusement and the famous Penang Bridge,” says Amberly Wong, 11.

Amberly Wong, 11

“Tourism in Malaysia is fun and amazing. Malaysia is a multi-racial country with plenty of food, beautiful beaches and culture,” says Tristen Yeoh, seven.