On May day, we flew from Johor in the south to Penang Island in the north. The name “Penang” comes from the modern Malay name Pulau Pinang, which means island of the areca nut palm.

The island was a strategic location for trading and a regular port of call for Chinese and Portuguese traders in the 15th century. In 1786 the British adventurer, Captain Francis Light, landed and on behalf of the Madras-based firm, Jourdain Sullivan and de Souza, leased the island from the local Sultan in exchange for military protection from Burmese and Siamese armies.

In an all-too-familiar colonial scenario, Light failed to provide the protection because he had acted without company consent. Consequently the Sultan tried to take back the island by force in 1790, lost, and was forced to cede it to British control. Thus a hundred + years of British presence in Malaysia began. At least one welcome legacy the Brits left behind was their language. Practically everyone in the country speaks English. As for Light, he got his karma and died from malaria shortly after, along with quite a few others, and the island earned the epithet “the white man’s grave.”

Enough history. Devotees rent a house on the main island with  a bright airy exterior for open air programs

and inside they have installed beautiful Deities of Sri Sri Panca-tattva

We wasted no time and went straight into the morning class, a continuation of my Chanting seminar. Devotees were keen to hear and the brief visit was a great pleasure

I noted that someone had left two 10 kgs. bags of rice as an offering before Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasasana

no doubt as a contribution to their massive food distribution program

After breakfast we took a drive over to the mainland passing on the way the main mosque.

Malaysians seem to live quite harmoniously with all the main religions  well represented and supported by government. Preaching can go on but only amongst each religion’s respective community. Conversions from one to another is not allowed. Although seemingly restrictive, it does have advantages in keeping peaceful inter-relationships.

On our way to our Bhaktivedanta Cultural Center in Seberang Jaya near Butterworth, we passed by a huge land reclamation area before crossing over the third longest causeway in Asia

One curious sign I noted on many of the highways was this– a symbol of an open umbrella with rain falling, accompanied by an outline of a motorcycle, with an arrow pointing to the left and a distance given in meters. These signs are always placed the equivalent distance before an upcoming road overpass.

It seems it rains so often and so heavily in tropical Malayasia that motorcyclists are often forced to stop and wait at the side of the road until the rain eases. This causes a traffic hazard so the government directs them to stop under the overpass where they can shelter and be seen by other traffic.

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