[a bridge over the Pahang river on the new Kuala Lumpur-Kuantan Highway]........ It is the thirty first of May, two zero, zero four and tomorrow we would be on the second half of the year.... It is summer in the northern hemisphere but in Malaysia it is the same for our weather remain the same throughtout the year, with rain and sunshine all the time, except maybe in the month of December to February when the North East Monsoon wind blows on the east coat that bring rain for days making the sea unsafe for swimming.... Well not to worry we have the beaches on the west coast to go for swimming, On the west coast we have those beaches from Port Dickson to Langkawi in the north......With the openning of the new Highway from Kuala Lumpur to Kuantan... It would makes traveling from the coast on the west coast to the east coast just less the four hours, so for us in Kuala Lumpur.... It would be our decision where to go for a picnic on the beach.... The east coast at Kuantan would be just two hours away and the same would be Port Dickson.... Come this August this new Highway would be open and It would be great for me since Kuantan is my hometown and with the highway it would be a pleasure to just drive to Kuantan and have a great time at the beach there and back to KL in the evening, which was not possible by the old roads.... To me this new highway is long over due.... We have been independent forty seven years already and only now this new highway is ready... But then what can we say.... It is always like that for the east coast states.... During the colonial era... The states of Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan was left behind and as such it has lack behind in development from the rest of the states on the west coast.... Well since independent.... things have change but with this new highway I believe that these states on the east coast would see more developments in the year to come.... For one it has great beaches.... With golden sand unlike the beaches on west coast which is muddy and does not have golden sand beaches... But then because it is easily accessible from Kuala Lumpur.... More people goes to the west coast beaches then the east coast beaches and I think this is going to change soon with the opening of this new highway..... So as can be seen good infrastructure means lots to development...... We have decided to be among the first to use this new highway when it open to the public come August this year..... Once it takes nine hours, then seven hours, the five hours, then four hours and now it would just take just about two hours to get to Kuantan from Kuala Lumpur.... What a progress in just less the fifty years..... Great.... I told my dear friend, the Matsalleh from the UK that when he makes his next visit to Malaysia.... I would personally drive him on my classic Volvo on this new highway.... It would be a great day and a historical one too,indeed...... Two crazy old man on a crazy old car,the Volvo classic driving on a brand new roads back to my hometown Kuantan....