Welcome to my travel blog! I am MR Jannat Swapan, today I will take you to Johor Baru, a city in the state of Johor, Malaysia. Seremban, the capital of the state of Negeri Sembilan. Port Dickson, a city in the province of Malacca. Bukit Bintang, a busy area in Kuala Lumpur. Kota Raya, a residential area in Kuala Lumpur. China Market and Genting Highlands, a popular hill resort in the state of Pahang, Malaysia.
So friends, let’s start our journey!
Today I will share with you my recent travel experience in Malaysia. After traveling to Singapore for 2 days on September 28, 2023, I went to Malaysia via the Woodland Checkpost in Singapore by bus. I completed immigration in both countries quickly and easily in 30 seconds without any obstacles.
After completing Malaysian immigration, I took the bus to Larkin Central Bus Terminal. While eating at a restaurant there, I met expatriate Bangladeshis for the first time. Some were working. Some were looking for work. Again, many were new arrivals. I listened to their life stories. I bought a Hot Link SIM card. I didn’t have a 30 GB internet package.
I took a bus from Larkin Sentral Bus Terminal in Johor Bahru. I reached Seremban city in Malaysia. I met some expatriate Bangladeshis working at a construction site. I listened to their stories of life and struggle. I accepted their hospitality to better understand their dreams, hopes, sorrows, hardships and heartache. I stayed with them at the construction site for 2 nights.
Many of them have been there for many years. Many have not been able to change their fate. Talking to the expatriate Bangladeshis in Seremban, I learned that most of them have been cheated by their own family members.
The money they have sent to their families with great difficulty, to keep it safe. Most of it has been wasted by their family members. So, due to such experiences, many people do not send money to the country due to their sorrow. “My family tells me, ‘Dad, come back when you come back. If you don’t, don’t come back. But, send money.”
The people I interviewed at that time said that expatriates are like money machines to their families. No one cares about their good or bad. This is their main sorrow.
There is no work in Malaysia. Most expatriates do not have valid work permits. Many have not renewed their passports. They are illegally fleeing and working in secret. Many of them are living in hardship. Some have not received proper service at the Bangladesh High Commission when they went to renew their passports.
I have seen a lot of harassment against them when they did not get proper service at the Bangladesh High Commission.
From Seremban, I visited Port Dickson Beach on a scooter. The beauty of Port Dickson Beach fascinated me. Then, after saying goodbye to Seremban, I came to Kuala Lumpur by train from KL Sentral.
I took the mono train to Bukit Bintang and checked into a hotel. Bangladeshis can be seen here and there on the streets of Bukit Bintang. Their visas have expired. Many are wandering on the streets due to lack of work. I have also seen some Bangladeshis begging.
There are many success stories of Bangladeshi businessmen in Malaysia. However, the success of cooperatives in business is not very high in the Bangladeshi community. I have also heard the success stories of a few of them. I spoke to one of them, an expatriate, Amir Hossain. He said that our purpose is not just business. Our main purpose is to brand our country abroad and provide quality products to our local brothers at low prices.
We hire a taxi to see the Twin Towers. We take many pictures.
Bukit Bintang is the heart of Kuala Lumpur. Where night life comes alive. There are countless opportunities for shopping, eating and entertainment. At night, this area lights up.
Friends, I eat street food here. I tasted the food of Pakistani restaurants. I enjoyed the nightlife. I listened to the songs of street singers.
The next day, I got to know several Bangladeshis in the Kotaraya area. Many of them run shops. Work in restaurants or are involved in other activities. Along with their sorrows and hardships, I also heard their dreams and hopes. They told me about their daily life struggles and dreams. On the way back from Kotaraya at night, I reached Bukit Bintang by taking the free government bus for tourists.
In Kuala Lumpur, I met Khaled Saifulah Bhai, the leader of the Noakhali community. I visited Bukit Bintang with him. Together, we went to Genting Highlands and saw the casino. We had a lot of fun riding the cable car. This modern city built on a high hill is Genting Highlands.
Located about an hour from Kuala Lumpur, this place is famous for its cool climate and entertainment. Shopping, theme parks, theaters or cinema halls, music, discos, bars! What is there not?
However, these are not the main attractions. The main attraction is the casino here. The Genting Skyway cable car can be used to go up the mountain. Which is a beautiful experience. The Genting Highlands area is crowded with tourists all year round.
I learned a lot by traveling to Malaysia. Especially, I was very inspired to learn about the life and struggle of Bangladeshi expatriates.
While returning home, US-Bangla Airlines converted my economy class air ticket to business class. This trip made my journey more comfortable. Thank you US-Bangla Airlines.
Bangladeshis are a large part of Malaysia’s foreign labor force. Traveling to Malaysia is a unique experience of my life. During this trip, I not only saw the beauty of Malaysia, but also deeply understood the life and struggles of the Bangladeshi expatriates there, along with their adversities.
