Haunted Casino Story: A True Account of Genting Casino in Malaysia
Column: Travelogue Added Time: December 7, 2010, 20:13:51 Source: admin Clicks: 47
Upon arriving in Malaysia, everything changes again. Generally, when we reach a new place, the tour guide first teaches us about local customs and polite expressions because "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." Regardless of whether you find it habitual or not, you must respect their customs.
In Malaysia, women are called 'Pang Pang,' and men are called 'Duan Duan.' Welcome is expressed as 'Shang Ni Ma De Dang,' thank you as 'Dai Ni Ma Kan Xi,' eating as 'La Xi,' greeting as 'A Ba Kan Bao,' and response as 'Ba Ku Zi' or 'Ba Gu Zi.' These words don't mean what they sound like, but their pronunciation indeed sounds peculiar in Chinese. Because of this peculiarity, these phrases have been transformed into abusive language by our clever Chinese people. However, traveling is about relaxing, so everyone maintains a sense of humor. Due to their uniqueness, these phrases were already laughed at multiple times by Thai and Singaporean guides before we reached Malaysia, so everyone had them memorized, unlike the initial shock upon hearing 'Lao Mama,' 'PP,' or 'Crystal Crystal.'
The intelligence of the Chinese is exemplified in Singapore, but the most profound experience comes from Malaysia. Although the Chinese constitute only 25.3% of Malaysia's population (about six million, Malays 66.1%, Indians 7.4%), the majority of the nation's wealth is concentrated in the hands of the Chinese. For example, the owner of Genting Casino, Lim Goh Tong, the owner of large tracts of real estate along the way, Lee Chiu Yong, and the current owner of the Malaysian royal palace property, Chen Zhen Yong, are all Chinese.
The history of the Chinese in Malaysia is also a history of blood and tears. Most of them were brought here as indentured laborers during British rule in the early 20th century. They were lured with promises of high pay and contracts that deceived thousands of Chinese laborers from southern China to Southeast Asia. After more than a month at sea, they arrived in Southeast Asia. During the journey, anyone found ill was thrown overboard to prevent infecting others. Once in Malaysia, they were sent to various places to mine tin, often spending more than ten hours a day submerged in water, resulting in widespread cases of rheumatism. To earn money to return home, they worked tirelessly, but being far from home, they eventually settled down there and started families, producing many children. The first generation of immigrants typically had seventeen or eighteen children. The reason for having so many wasn't due to a lack of family planning but rather the need for free labor. Later, they became bosses running businesses that required assistance. Through the diligence and efforts of the first generation of Chinese, the third generation now lives comfortably. Those with assets in the seven-digit range are predominantly of Chinese descent.
However, the Indians who came around the same time, also as indentured laborers, remain impoverished to this day. Most of them were sent to palm oil plantations to process rubber, living in mobile stilt houses and bamboo houses. Their living conditions haven't improved much even today. The reason for their poverty lies in their contentment with little; they stop working once they have enough food, unlike the industrious Chinese who work day and night. Even after having enough for basic needs, they continue to work, accumulating wealth across generations, leading to vastly different outcomes.
The most unforgettable part of the trip to Malaysia was undoubtedly Genting Casino. It wasn't just because of its luxury and extravagance but also due to the numerous stories associated with it. Genting Casino was built by the Chinese Lim Goh Tong on a densely forested but uninhabited mountaintop dozens of kilometers outside the city. It's named 'Genting' because of its high altitude, accessible only by cable car. The Genting cable car, spanning 3.4 kilometers, is the world's longest. In 1965, when Lim Goh Tong spent 600,000 ringgit to buy this remote and desolate mountaintop, everyone called him 'Crazy Lim.' Lim Goh Tong, originally from Quanzhou, Fujian Province, was born into a small merchant family. As the eldest son, after his father passed away when he was a teenager, he moved to Southeast Asia to rely on his uncle. There, he worked as a construction worker and later as a dock laborer. In 1941, during the Japanese invasion of Malaysia, amidst the chaos, he realized the instability of wealth and bought a palm oil plantation. Three years later, after the Japanese left and the British returned, he sold the plantation to the British, earning his first pot of gold. His life's turning points were all guided by a fortune teller at the docks, whom he deeply trusted. He changed his name from Wu Tong to Wu Tong based on the fortune teller's advice, who also advised him to form ties with Buddhism. Therefore, the Genting Casino is constantly under renovation; elevators may be here one year and somewhere else the next.
Initially, after the completion of Genting, the situation wasn't good. Lim Goh Tong decided to build a casino at Genting, knowing that the Chinese love gambling. However, Malaysia is an Islamic country where gambling is prohibited. He lobbied the president, arguing that a casino would generate substantial tax revenue and attract foreign tourists. He promised to share the casino's income with the government according to a certain ratio, and the government finally agreed to allow the construction of the casino. After over forty years of development, Genting Casino has become grandiose, boasting 6,118 rooms. Its luxury and magnificence surpass even Macau's Venetian Casino. It integrates dining, accommodation, and entertainment, allowing people to enjoy all sorts of luxuries without leaving the premises. It might be more aptly called a 'Gambling City' than a casino.
Being a casino, it appears calm on the surface, but many bloody stories occur behind the scenes. Take our accommodation, for instance; the windows in the rooms could only be opened up to eight centimeters, meaning you could only extend one hand out before it wouldn't budge anymore. Logically, since the building was on a high mountain, if the windows could open, air conditioning wouldn't be necessary for coolness. However, they couldn't be opened because of fears of people committing suicide by jumping off the building. In earlier days when Malaysia was poor, men went abroad to work illegally (i.e., flying to Japan on tourist visas and staying there to work), leaving their wives idle at home. These women sought amusement in the casino, attracted by the fact that a five-ringgit ticket allowed them to ride the cable car and enjoy free food and drinks inside. Losing their bets, they took out high-interest loans hoping to recover their capital, only to lose more and more until they jumped off the building in despair. The seventh floor of Genting Casino is usually locked and rarely opened, and tour guides don't stay alone in one room mainly because of the numerous deaths there, leading to frequent ghost sightings.
Our tour guide recounted an experience she had personally witnessed. She said that one year, while leading a group from Jiangsu Wutong, she clearly remembered that one of the tourists was born on the fourteenth day of the seventh lunar month and happened to stay in room 7714. Despite being only in his thirties and in good health, he was found mysteriously dead the next morning. Another incident involved a tour guide staying alone in a room who woke up in the middle of the night to find a disheveled, blood-covered female ghost lying on his bed, scaring him into a mental breakdown and causing him to flee screaming. Since then, if no one accompanies them, tour guides prefer to wander around the casino hall all night rather than sleep alone.
Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, and Indonesia were historically referred to as Nanyang by our ancestors, with long-standing interactions with China. Zheng He's seven voyages to the West Indies included five stops in Malacca, and remnants of this history can still be seen today in the form of Sanbao Mountain, Sanbao Well, and Sanbao Temple. Sanbao Mountain, also known as Chinese Hill, is the final resting place for many Chinese. Interestingly, locals don't refer to cemeteries as such but call them clubs or nightclubs. On Sanbao Mountain, graves are closely packed together, but across a small road lies the Muslim cemetery, presenting a starkly different landscape.
Malaysia is an Islamic country. Men need only undergo circumcision to become Muslims, allowing them to marry up to four legal wives. Marriages are very simple, requiring only a 15-ringgit dowry (with the exchange rate between renminbi and ringgit being approximately 2.5:1), plus a gold ring. Everything else, such as appliances, furniture, and banquets, is provided by the bride's side. Guests at the banquet need only contribute five ringgits. Malay girls typically marry at sixteen or seventeen, becoming old maids if they pass twenty, while men can father children well into their forties and fifties. This fertility is attributed to their regular consumption of Malaysian ginseng tea, which, though bitter, helps cleanse and strengthen the kidneys. Additionally, despite Malaysia's hot climate, they consume curry powder and eat with their hands daily without getting heaty, thanks to the efficacy of Malaysian ginseng and their habit of washing their bottoms with cold water. Consequently, every household we visited had a shower hose in the toilet because Malays use their left hand for cleaning themselves, making it impolite to shake hands with your left hand.
Malays tend to have many wives, and Islam prohibits contraception, leading to families with a dozen or more children. While their economic income isn't particularly high, they are very frugal. The government subsidizes each household with 1200-1600 ringgits monthly, offers free education, and heavily subsidizes healthcare, essentially making it free. Our tour guide, who gave birth to her first child a few years ago, spent only 17 ringgits for a three-day, two-night hospital stay, equivalent to 42.5 renminbi at the exchange rate. Her second child, born in 2004 due to jaundice, required a four-day hospital stay costing only 28 ringgits, or 70 renminbi. Not only do locals receive medical benefits, but foreign workers also enjoy significant subsidies from the government.
The mid-to-upper-income earners in Malaysia make over 2,000 ringgits monthly, but properties built by the Chinese developer Lee Chiu Yong's Greenwild Group, featuring luxurious units of 150 square meters without common areas (Malaysian housing doesn't include common areas and is calculated based on indoor space), cost only 162,800 ringgits for a four-bedroom, two-living-room unit. Similarly sized standard units cost only 90,000 ringgits, equivalent to 225,000 renminbi.
Malaysia has a population of 26 million and covers an area of 333,000 square kilometers, with 75% remaining undeveloped tropical rainforest. Originally an agricultural country primarily cultivating palms, Malaysia began changing its status in 1985 when Prime Minister Mahathir encouraged rural migration to urban areas, teaching farmers crafts and building free housing for them in cities. However, after moving in, they engaged in unauthorized constructions, leading locals to dub these areas 'piglet zones' or 'illegal zones.' Over more than a decade, Mahathir transformed Malaysia from an agricultural country into a developing one. Before the 1997 financial crisis, one US dollar could be exchanged for 2.5 ringgits. After the crisis, Malaysia took three years to restore the value of the ringgit, whereas Indonesia hasn't recovered to this day. Thus, Malaysians hold deep affection for Mahathir, affectionately calling him Dr. Mahathir (as he was previously a doctor). Though he served from 1981 and retired in 2002, people still regard him as their prime minister. Such individuals who benefit the public without seeking personal gain are forever revered by the people, like Thailand's King Rama V, Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew, and China's Sun Yat-sen.
Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy where the head of state is referred to as 'Grandpa.' Each of the thirteen states has its own governor, called Sultan, who selects the prime minister for a five-year term. The new prime minister is Abdullah Badawi, an anti-corruption crusader. Previously, people dared to offer bribes, but now they dare not.
Malaysia has a population of 26 million and spans 333,000 square kilometers, with 75% of the land remaining undeveloped tropical rainforest. Originally an agricultural country focused on palm cultivation, in 1985, Prime Minister Mahathir began transforming the country by encouraging rural-to-urban migration, teaching farmers handicrafts, and constructing free housing for them in cities. Initially, after moving in, they engaged in unauthorized constructions, leading locals to dub these areas 'piglet zones' or 'illegal zones.' Over more than a decade, Mahathir developed Malaysia from an agricultural country into a developing one. Before the 1997 financial crisis, one US dollar could be exchanged for 2.5 ringgits. After the crisis, Malaysia took three years to restore the value of the ringgit, whereas Indonesia hasn't recovered to this day. Thus, Malaysians hold deep affection for Mahathir, affectionately calling him Dr. Mahathir (as he was previously a doctor). Though he served from 1981 and retired in 2002, people still regard him as their prime minister. Such individuals who benefit the public without seeking personal gain are forever revered by the people, like Thailand's King Rama V, Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew, and China's Sun Yat-sen.
Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy where the head of state is referred to as 'Grandpa.' Each of the thirteen states has its own governor, called Sultan, who selects the prime minister for a five-year term. The new prime minister is Abdullah Badawi, an anti-corruption crusader. Previously, people dared to offer bribes, but now they dare not.
Malaysia occupies seven hectares, and during the Japanese occupation lasting three years and eight months, the king resided in his original palace. However, after two consecutive kings died within three years, the third king dared not live there anymore. Unable to find a suitable location for a new palace, the king eventually chose the feng shui of Chen Zhen Yong's residence. After Chen Zhen Yong's death, he was buried in his own mansion, so the palace opens to the public twice a year—once during the Malay New Year and once during Qingming for Chen's family to pay respects. What looks like a simple residence resembles the factory gates of the 1980s in China, merely two cement pillars covered with Mayan stones, with small doorways on either side. It's less impressive than a factory gate, pale in comparison to Bangkok's Grand Palace or Beijing's Tiananmen Gate. Despite its simplicity, it is still a palace, reportedly with guards riding horses whose salaries exceed those of ordinary people, using better quality shampoo for grooming.
Regarding Japan's aggression, it has become a national grudge for Southeast Asian countries. When we visited the Kwai River in Thailand, there were no Japanese tourists there because the locals threw eggs and stones at any Japanese they saw, so no Japanese tour groups have been received there since the 1980s.
Thailand's security situation isn't good, nor is Malaysia's, especially in the Malacca Strait region, which has been a pirate-infested area since ancient times with a long tradition of theft. The Malacca Strait, located at the exit of the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal, has always been a crucial traffic route and a strategic military point. After the Dutch occupied Malacca, they demolished local buildings and rebuilt them in their style. The Dutch architecture we see today is all vermilion red, but the guide said it wasn't originally like that. The red color resulted from the Chinese painting them red later. Because the Dutch treated the local Chinese unfairly and frequently harmed them, the Chinese spat betel nut juice onto their walls when passing by, staining them with red marks. Unable to clean them, the Dutch painted the houses red, creating the current style.
Although Malaysia's land area isn't large, it boasts several world records, including the tallest building—the Petronas Twin Towers. The Petronas Towers are the headquarters of Malaysia's national petroleum company, and the Kuala Lumpur TV Tower is also quite tall, ranking fourth in the world. Shanghai's Oriental Pearl TV Tower ranks third globally.
As the vehicle traveled along the road, buildings continuously came into view. Whenever a towering structure or new housing complex appeared, the Chinese tour guide informed us that the owner was Chinese, making us feel quite proud. The guide mentioned that not only are the Chinese in Malaysia wealthy, but the same is true in many other countries. For example, the anti-Chinese riots in Indonesia a few years ago were caused by the Chinese being too rich. At the time, the financial crisis swept through Southeast Asia, causing severe inflation in Indonesia, where one ringgit could exchange for 1000 Indonesian rupiah (the average monthly income in Indonesia doesn't exceed $20). While the local Indonesians struggled to afford food, the Chinese businessmen lived comfortably, feeding their dogs better than the average Indonesian, inciting strong resentment and imbalance among Indonesians. Initially, the starving masses looted from the Chinese, but it escalated into smashing Chinese shops, culminating in the shocking anti-Chinese riots of 1998 that killed many overseas Chinese. Consequently, many Chinese fled Indonesia for safety. In Thailand, the guide also mentioned that when the remnants of the army initially established themselves there, they relied entirely on borrowing food from local Thai residents. Initially generous, the Thais stopped lending because some never repaid. Our compatriots are indeed intelligent, but excessive cleverness can transform into shrewdness and selfishness, ultimately becoming self-destructive, similar to how Jews, despite their intelligence and creation of vast wealth, aren't well-regarded due to historical contexts and social backgrounds, such as Hitler's genocide during World War II. Truly intelligent people reflect on experiences and learn from them. Those with broad-mindedness, kindness, and generosity benefit both themselves and others.
This trip to Malaysia provided me with a fresh perspective on my own country and ethnicity, revealing aspects I hadn't noticed before. Writing this down, though not necessarily praise or glorification, might be unpopular. However, I believe that to truly understand oneself, one must step outside and compare oneself with others in society, allowing those who interact with you to evaluate you, thereby recognizing your strengths and weaknesses. I am grateful for this opportunity to know myself better.