Tiara’s Nepal Connection

As mentioned in our last issue, Tiara Times (TT) will highlight a resident or two in every issue. If you would like TT to write about you, or a friend, do drop us a note, with the relevant contact numbers, and we will get in touch with you.

In this issue, we highlight Mr. Bharat P.Parthak, from Nepal, who has been staying in Tiara for the last 10 months.

A man of many hats, he is the Chairman of Highlander Employment Consultancy Pte. Ltd. and a Director of Active Eye Nepal Tours Pte. Ltd. He also represents Malaysia in the Non-Resident Nepalese Association (an international co-ordination Council with over 50 membership countries worldwide) and a Council Member in the Malaysia-Nepal Commerce and Industry Council, which was set up three months ago to better trade relations between the two countries.

Bharat's Highlander provides guards and general workers for the manufacturing and construction sectors, as well as Nepalese workers for factories and the cleaning services.

Active Eye arranges tours to Nepal. Active Eye can arrange tours to fit tourists’ requests and specifications depending on what tourists wish to see or do. There is Kathmandu and the exotic city of Pokhara, "a beautiful and clean city with breathtaking mountains and a serene lake,"recommended Bharat.

For nature lovers, there is also a wild life resort, white water rafting, bungee jumping, trekking, hiking and, naturally, mountaineering. After all, this is the home of the world's highest mountain, the mighty Everest, towering more than 29,000 feet into the sky.

There is also fabulous shopping in Nepal. With over 70 different local dialects in the country, each with its own traditional handicraft and artwork ,shopping can be an exciting outing. The currency used is the rupee, though not the same as the Indian rupee, with about 20 Nepalese rupees equivalent to one Malaysian ringgit.

Bharat said his people had a reputation as great soldiers. During the Insurgency, the Gurkhas faithfully fought the Communists in Malaysia as part of the British Army.

Recently the Internal Security Department Minister, Datuk Nor Omar stated that the Malaysian Government only approved former British Army Gurkha soldiers to serve as security guards in Malaysia. No other immigrant worker would be allowed to work in this sector, Datuk Nor Omar said. He added that his ministry would handle the approval and registration of foreign security guards and "only security guards can be recruited from Nepal as the former British Army soldiers are noted for their ability to work well as such guards".

Today there are 250,000 Nepalese working in Malaysia, the second highest foreign worker segment after Indonesia. Bharat said he was grateful to Malaysia for providing job opportunities for his people.

Malaysia is already home to some Nepalese families. In l947, under British rule, 700 Nepalese were given citizenship.

For those who would like Bharat to arrange tours to his country, he can be contacted at: 012-373-1121 or his email addresses: highlandereco@enet.com.np or

activetours@ntc.net.np or activetravels@hotmail.com

Bharat also brought along his wife Meena to meet TT’s Editor. They have 2 sons, Bishesh, 19, who is studying in the U.S. and Pranesh, 14, a student in Nepal. Meena said she was enjoying the various cuisines here, to which Bharat confided that his wife was an excellent chef.

Thank you very much, Bharat and Meena, for sparing some time for Tiara Times. We also wish you a very pleasant and happy stay here.