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KUALA
LUMPUR - MALAYSIA
Kuala Lumpur is the largest city in Malaysia
and the capital of the federation. Within Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur is almost
always fondly abbreviated to KL. The executive branch has shifted to a new
administrative capital called Putrajaya, but the legislative branch,
parliament, and the judiciary branch remain seated in Kuala Lumpur.
Kuala Lumpur is one of the three Federal Territories, and is physically
located within the state of Selangor, on the west coast roughly halfway up
in West Malaysia.
In August 1998 Kuala Lumpur became the first
Asian country to host the Commonwealth Games – see 1998 Commonwealth Games.
History
Kuala Lumpur was founded in 1857 at the confluence of the Gombak and Kelang
rivers. In Malay, the name means "muddy confluence". The settlement started
when a member of the Selangor royal family, Raja Abdullah, opened up the
Klang valley for tin prospectors. 87 Chinese prospectors went up the river
Klang and began prospecting in the Ampang area, which was then jungle.
Despite 69 of them dying due to the pestilential conditions, a thriving tin
mine was established. This naturally attracted merchants who traded basic
provisions to the miners in return for some of the tin. The traders set up
shop at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak rivers. Thus was a city born.
As it grew, the British, who ruled Malaya at the time, felt the need to
appoint a headman (called the Kapitan Cina, or Captain of the Chinese) to
administer the settlement and ensure law and order. The first Kapitan Cina
was Hiu Siew. It was the third Kapitan Cina, Yap Ah Loy, who oversaw the
rise of Kuala Lumpur from a sleepy little mining town to become the foremost
city of Selangor. In the early years, Kuala Lumpur was the centre of the
Selangor Civil War, in which two conflicts could be discerned; a fight
between Selangor princes over the revenue of tin mines, and the other one a
vendetta between Kapitan Yap and Chong Chong, who wanted the Kapitanship.
Kapitan Yap and his backer, Tengku Kudin, were successful and it was from
then, thanks to Kapitan Yap's able leadership, that Kuala Lumpur became
Selangor's biggest city. He rebuilt Kuala Lumpur, which was devastated by
the Civil War and repopulated it with Chinese miners from elsewhere in
Selangor. He also encouraged Malay farmers to settle near Kuala Lumpur in
order to have a steady and accessible source of food
It was made capital of Selangor in 1880 due to Kapitan Yap's success. He
gave Kuala Lumpur a system of frontier justice which effectively maintained
law and order, and ensured that Kuala Lumpur became the centre of commerce
in Selangor. After Kuala Lumpur burnt down in 1881, Kapitan Yap decided to
rebuilt Kuala Lumpur in brick and tile to replace the dangerous attap houses.
He set up Kuala Lumpur's first school and a shelter for the homeless. Yap's
Kuala Lumpur was very much a rough frontier town as Yap himself was a member
of the Hai San triad and gang warfare was common. Kapitan Yap licensed
brothels, casinos and drinking saloons. Sir Frank Swettenham was at this
time appointed Resident of Selangor and he was the person responsible for
making Kuala Lumpur the seat of administration of Selangor. It was under his
rule that after Kapitan Yap's death the city continued to prosper. When the
Federated Malay States were incorporated with Swettenham in charge in 1896,
Kuala Lumpur was made the capital.
During World War II Japanese forces captured Kuala Lumpur on January 11,
1942 and briefly occupied the city.
After independence in 1957, Kuala Lumpur was the capital of the Federation
of Malaya and continued to be the capital of the renamed Federation of
Malaysia in 1963. For the occasion of independence, A large stadium, Stadium
Merdeka (Independence Stadium), was built, where Malaysia's frist prime
Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, declared Malaya's independence in front of a
massive crowd. The Union Jack was lowered from the flagpole at the Padang (now
known as Dataran Merdeka; Independence Square) and the Malayan flag was
raised. The Padang symbolized British sovereignty as it was a cricket ground
for the colonial administrators and fronted the Selangor Club, Malaya's most
exclusive Whites-Only club.
In 1974 Kuala Lumpur ceded from Selangor and the city became a Federal
Territory (Wilayah Persekutuan).
Kuala Lumpur has advanced by leaps and bounds ever since the Asian Economic
Boom of the early 1990s (when Malaysia was averaging 10% economic growth).
Skyscrapers have shot up and Kuala Lumpur, formerly a languid colonial
outpost, has become one of the most lively, advanced and vibrant cities in
South East Asia. Unfortunately the infrastructure has barely been able to
keep up with this rapid growth, although a new rapid transit system was
built in the 1990s. Traffic jams are a scourge commuters endure daily,
despite the numerous 6-lane highways constructed all over the city (including
two elevated highways). Bus services are notoriously irregular and
inadequate and water quality has suffered severely.
Most of central KL has grown without any central planning whatsoever, so the
streets in the older parts of town are extremely narrow, winding and
congested. The architecture in this section is a unique colonial type, a
hybrid of European and Chinese forms.
The stretch of road facing Dataran Merdeka (Independence Square) is perhaps
the most famous road in Kuala Lumpur. The Federal Court (the highest court
in the federation) building with its signature copper domes and 'Moorish'
architecture stands here, as does one of the tallest flagpoles in the world,
which stands in the Dataran Merdeka itself. The Dayabumi building is
visible, being down the road. This area used to be the focal point of
Malaysia's Hari Merdeka (Independence Day) parade, which was televised all
over Malaysia. Last year however, the parade was moved to the Boulevard in
Putrajaya, in keeping with Putrajaya's status as the new administrative
capital of Malaysia. Interestingly, the white Police Headquarters located
atop Bukit Aman (literally 'Peace Hill') faces the Dataran.
The rest of the city has mostly developed in the standard way, with the
standard skyscraper format. Aware of this, architects have been urged to
incorporate traditional design elements into their work. Notable examples of
this fusion are the Dayabumi building, Kuala Lumpur's first skyscraper, the
Tabung Haji Building and Menara Telekom, both designed by local architect
Hijjas Kasturi, and, of course, the Petronas Twin Towers.
Transportation
The city is served by Kuala Lumpur International Airport, in Sepang, which
is accessible via the KLIA Ekspres train service. The city was formerly
served by the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang Jaya.
Taxicabs are a reliable and fairly cheap method of transport for the
newcomer to the city. However, traffic jams are fairly common with KL.
Alternatives are the three light rail systems: Putra LRT, Star LRT and the
monorail.
A new transit hub has been built in the Brickfields area named KL Sentral.
It serves the KTM Komuter commuter train system, the Putra Line of the LRT
and the Monorail. Intercity rail journeys have their terminus here.
Those wishing to take buses to elsewhere in Malaysia should note that there
are several bus stations, depending on which part of peninsular Malaysia you
wish to travel to. Most express buses now terminate at the new Imbi bus
terminal at Pasar Rakyat, which opened in January 2004.
Tourist Information
Some of the most popular tourist locations in Kuala Lumpur are:
The Chinese Night market area, Petaling Street, which has recently undergone
a makeover, the most notable feature being the new covered walkway.
Petronas Twin Towers, which also houses a large shopping mall - Suria KLCC.
Batu Caves, a short distance north of Kuala Lumpur. This is a tall limestone
cave, and home of a Hindu temple.
About 40km west of Kuala Lumpur is the town of Shah Alam, site of a famous
masjid (mosque).
Genting Highlands, a hill top resort near Kuala Lumpur, famous for its
casino and golf. Also has plenty of restaurants and hotels.
Kuala Lumpur is one of the cheapest places to travel to, offering great
value for money. Accommodation is extremely cheap and is of excellent
quality; 5 star hotels have rooms going for US$40-100. Food is extremely
cheap if one frequents the local outlets (hawker stalls, roadside places and
the like) and is extremely delicious. There are upmarket restaurants all
over central Kuala Lumpur and in the more affluent suburbs, offering fare
ranging from cutting edge avant-garde fusion, to representatives of just
about any culture imaginable. Japanese food has gained immense popularity.
Alcohol, however, is very expensive in Kuala Lumpur, due to Malaysia being a
Muslim country (Islam prohibits the consumption of alcohol. Due to the fact
that Malaysia is multicultural, though, people not professing the Islamic
faith are free to consume alcohol) and the bars are not a big part of the
social scene, although they are extremely popular with the affluent and
expatriates.
Kuala Lumpur has a vibrant nightlife, concentrated in three places; the
first being the City Centre, the second being the posh district of Bangsar
(near the Mid Valley Megamall) and the third being the up and coming swanky
district of Seri Hartamas/Mont Kiara.
Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman and Jalan Bukit Bintang are both shopping streets
with many shops and malls. Recently, Jalan Bukit Bintang has undergone
massive redevelopment, making it more pedestrian friendly and redecorating
the sidewalks.
There is an enclave in the city centre where there exists a traditional
Malay village (Kampung Baru, a stop on the Putra line LRT), where
traditional Malay culture is very much alive.
Posh residential districts include Taman Tun Dr. Ismail, Seri Hartamas/Mont
Kiara, Bangsar, Tropicana, Ampang and Kenny Hill.
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