Photo credit: Fadzil Hashim FB
By Dr Rahim Said
Only in Malaysia can a man board the wrong bus and end up with a lifelong love affair — not with a person, but with the entire country.
Meet Oliver from the United Kingdom: two days into his Malaysian adventure, already sunburnt, wide-eyed, and armed with a guidebook last updated in 2004. His simple plan? Take a bus to KLCC, snap photos of the Twin Towers, and maybe buy a keychain or two.
But Malaysia, as always, had other plans.
A Wrong Bus… And A Right Turn to the Heart
Standing at a bus stop in Kuala Lumpur, Oliver saw a red RapidKL bus, shrugged, and hopped on.
Why?
Because — in his words —
“I thought all red buses in Malaysia go to the same place.”
Bless his heart.
Instead of criss-crossing the city centre, the bus cruised out toward a kampung. By the time Oliver stepped off, he found himself staring at a sea of tents, plastic chairs, people in matching baju Melayu, and the heavenly aroma of kari wafting through the air.
“Is this a cultural attraction?” he wondered.
It was not. It was a kenduri kahwin.
Instant VIP: Very International Pelancong
Before he could Google “why so many people wear the same clothes in Malaysia”, a group of cheerful villagers spotted the tall, confused visitor.
Someone shouted,
“Masuk Abang Mat Salleh! Makan dulu, jangan malu!”
And like any responsible traveller, Oliver obeyed.
He was presented with nasi minyak, ayam masak merah, and kurma daging — all of which he devoured happily because he hadn’t eaten breakfast. Halfway through his second plate, he innocently asked:
“Is this a restaurant?”
Several aunties nearly choked on their sambal.
The Dance Heard Around the Kampung
Just when he thought the situation couldn’t get stranger, the DJ hit play on a classic wedding song. The crowd — sensing fresh entertainment — pulled Oliver into the centre.
His dance moves, according to witnesses, looked like “a man dodging a flying cockroach.”
Naturally, this made everyone love him even more.
He was gifted bunga telur, posed for photos with half the village, and even gave the bride and groom an impromptu speech:
“Your food is dangerous because now I cannot stop eating.”
They didn’t fully understand, but they smiled politely — as all good pengantin do.
A Nation of Welcomers
When the festivities ended, the villagers insisted on sending him back to the city. In the car, Oliver kept repeating the same three revelations:
“Everyone is too friendly.”
“The food is illegal… too good.”
“Why is everyone inviting me to eat?”
By the time he reached KL, he made a life decision many Malaysians wish tourists would make more often:
“I think I want to stay here. This country feels like home.”
The next morning, he went looking for an apartment to rent for a year — determined to learn Bahasa Malaysia “little by little”.
Malaysia: Where Strangers Become Family
Oliver came to see KLCC.
Malaysia sent him to a wedding.
He came as a stranger.
Malaysia fed him, danced with him, laughed with him… and adopted him.
As he told his friends back home:
“My favourite place in Malaysia is not KLCC, but that wedding.”
And that, dear readers, is the magic of Malaysia — where a wrong bus can take you to the right people, and where every Mat Salleh who gets lost ends up with at least three new aunties, two uncles, and one invitation to balik kampung.
In a world growing colder by the day, Malaysia remains gloriously warm — and sometimes, hilariously so.
Truly Asia? No.
Truly family.