To know this country is to cherish it

I AM an Indian expatriate who will be returning home at the end of this year after 12 years of living in Malaysia. During this fairly long period, I had the opportunity of interacting with people from all walks of life and I am proud to say that I have visited all the states in Malaysia as a tourist and sometimes for work.

I am often asked by my friends what I think, both good and bad, of Malaysia. I will leave it to Malaysians to discover the bad; they are good at it and undoubtedly no country is all good. But my concern sometimes is that most Malaysians do not completely realise what a good country this is to live and work in.

Malaysia is beautiful but so are many other countries. But do all countries make a visitor as welcome as Malaysia did to me?

During my entire stay here, I never, and I repeat never, had anybody behave rudely to me in my interactions or ignore me when I asked for help, as is so common in many other countries, not excluding my own.

There is much talk of corruption, but during my 12 years here, I have visited several government offices – for my tax returns or to renew my driving licence, for example – and I have never faced anything but courtesy and efficient service.

I have been lucky, perhaps, but would such a 12-year streak of luck be possible in any other country? Perhaps not. I have driven and walked at all hours of the day in many localities in Kuala Lumpur and its environs but never felt unsafe. Lucky? Perhaps.

Are there very many countries in the world where you can be picked up at the airport at 10pm by a lady taxi driver who is confident about safely driving the streets of the capital? Not many, I am sure.

If I leave any message, it would be to urge Malaysians to recognise what a lovely country this is. There are many obdurate problems no doubt, but as a country to live and work in, it is, to my mind, one of the best in the world. My best wishes to all Malaysians as I say goodbye to what has been my adopted country for 12 years.