Dressed in fine traditional clothes, he raised his hand and shouted MERDEKA!
MERDEKA! MERDEKA!, each cry echoed by the crowd and the nation. This picture is immortalized in the memories of Malaysians young and old. Merdeka means Independence in Malay. This day, 31st August in the year 1957, Malaysians witnessed the lowering of the Union Jack for the final time in Merdeka Square 1957 led by their first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman who today is sometimes known as Malaysia's Father of Independence. Then known as Malaya, Merdeka Day marked the end of over 400 years of colonization.
Malaysia’s rich history can be traced back to 1400 to a refugee prince named Parameswara who founded and expanded the Malacca Empire. The Empire's strategic location and shielded waterways quickly made it a successful port for traders from China, Arab and India, forming a kind of mid-stop between India and the Far East that was safe from pirates. This ended with the arrivals of the Europeans. In 1511, Malacca fell into the hands of the Portuguese. Later on in 1641, the Portuguese lost Malacca to the Dutch in an ever-increasing struggle to control the spice trade.
During this time, the kingdom of Kedah had to deal with much influence of the Siamese Empire. In the interest of protecting his kingdom, the Sultan of Kedah agreed to lease the island of Penang to the British East India Company in 1785. This suited the British's purpose well trade wise and politically. In 1819, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles founded Singapore and the British East India Company acquired Malacca in 1824. These three strongholds of Penang, Malacca and Singapore became known as the Straits Settlement.
The British quickly became more involved in the other states when the Sultans disputed over territory. In the fear that this will threaten trade activity, they convinced the Sultans to sign the Pangkor Treaty in 1874. This gave the British rule over the states under a High Commissioner, leaving religious and custom issues in the hands of the Sultans. The states of the North and Northeast were acquired from Siam and later Sabah (then North Borneo) and Sarawak. British influence and rule brought about much immigration from China to work in the tin mines and India largely to work in the rubber estates. This was what was known as Malaya.
In 1942, the Japanese ousted the British and Malaya remained under Japanese rule until the end of World War II. Although the British resumed their dominance over Malaya after the war, the nation would never be the same again. The three major ethnic groups formed an alliance that became a strong political party that won independence for the nation in 1957.
To read more about the history of Malaysia, here are a couple of different sites you can visit.
Interknowledge and
Melaka Today. Meanwhile to Malaysia, Happy Birthday!
Final Hurdles
You get a phone call today. It is to schedule your interview at the U.S. Embassy. You are so happy and excited, you cannot hide it while the calm and cool voice at the other end mechanically sets up the time and date and remind you to bring your money and papers. After hanging up, you let out a whoop of joy. You are getting close! Your next few days are spent wondering about what will happen at the interview.
What will happen?
Through observation and experience, the day & time your interview scheduled at the U.S. Embassy
KL, is not the regular day or times that they take visa applications. This means, there will be no crowd outside the embassy and the only other people who’ll be in the line with you will be those who are also going for their interview or those who are there to for business.
Your letter of appointment at the gate is very important, as it is your entrance ‘key’. Upon verifying the letter and receiving a security pass you will wait rain or shine at the gates until the appointed time.
When allowed into the Embassy grounds, you head for the familiar office where you’ve been to before and take a number at one of the counters. Having waited a short while, your number will be called to a window and payment is requested. Upon paying that, you will wait some more while your heart beats faster and you are unable to concentrate on anything else as you wait for the officer who will interview you.
Everyone’s experience differs somewhat. Some have been asked long and detailed questions about their involvement with their fiancé’s and their plans in the U.S. while others have not been asked anything more than how they are doing and if their husbands have gone home – friendly questions. So, it is quite safe to bring along whatever you have. Pictures, letters, chats and all your official papers of course, anything that will support the case. It is observed that I-130’ers usually has less to deal with but it’s not a definite rule.
When the officer finishes your interview and approves your application set yourself up for a long wait while they process your visa. The visa you will receive is actually a large bulky brown envelope with a document clipped to the front of it and your picture pasted on it. You will be advised not to open this and to hand it over to the immigrations at the point of entry i.e. the first U.S. airport you touch down in. Now, you can walk out of that Embassy 10 feet taller! You’ve made it!
Announcing the Arrival of Flight….
By this time, there would be many questions in your mind as to what happens to you. During your flight you are handed the entry papers as usual. Take them. Both the entry form and the customs and immigrations. Fill them out. As you disembark the plane and are all herded into the immigrations, observe the lanes. In your visits before, you might have taken the visitors or non-resident lane. But this time, you will want to take the lane that says for U.S. citizens and permanent residents only.
Keep your bulky visa, entry papers and passport handy now as you walk up to the counter and hand them over to the officer. He or she will escort you to an office close by and another officer takes over your papers. Here, you wait a little, you will be asked to sign some papers and your fingerprint is taken. After this is done and everything is in order, a stamp and number is put in your passport and the officer will explain them to you and tell you if you are allowed to work or not. You are also handed a paper to remind you and your husband to file for lifting of conditional status when the time comes.
You are on your way again! Yes! You have finally crossed this last hurdle. Don’t forget your passport! You will not be returned any of those documents you brought with you. What you can expect to get back is of course your passport and the customs form. Go get your luggage and congratulations, you are now a permanent resident of the U.S.!
Till the next issue, trust and commit all to the Lord!
~Lynette~
