Kuala Lumpur’s 1,483-foot-high Petronas Towers.
The Malaysian National Mosque where the Kelang and Gombak rivers meet.
Story & Photos By Stan Wawer
Welcome to Kuala Lumpur,
where everything is the best, the tallest or biggest in the world. Whether that
is true or not is up to interpretation. One thing is certain; KL (as it is
known) may be the cleanest city in the world.
Kuala Lumpur, a federal territory, directly under the
control of the Malaysian federal government, easily outdistances any other
large city for the title of Mr. Clean. Graffiti? You will not find it here.
Those who are caught defacing public property are punished with the loss of a
hand. A little harsh perhaps, but it works as a salient deterrent.
I traveled to Kuala Lumpur with great trepidation.
Friends and family reminded me that Malaysia was a Muslim country and as an
American, it might be wise to find someplace “safer” to travel. I’m glad that I
did not take their advice. I found KL safe, squeaky clean and friendly — and
English is the language of choice.
I walked the streets alone at night without incident
and was greeted time and time again by smiling faces. The young crowd starts
partying after midnight and continues until the sun comes up over this city of
more than 1.3 million people.
KL is a modern Asian city of beautiful skyscrapers,
including the Petronas twin towers (once the tallest building in the world),
but it retains much of its local flavor that has disappeared in other Asian
boom cities such as neighboring Singapore. KL is a mix of Moorish and modern
design.
KL has a plethora of colonial buildings in its center;
a vibrant and historical Chinatown with street vendors and night markets, a
bustling Little India and in the middle of the city, the oldest rain forest in
the world.
The city’s urban sprawl extends well beyond the
boundaries of the territory into surrounding Selangor state, particularly along
the Klang Valley — the powerhouse of the Malaysian economy, where much of the
city’s workforce and industry reside.
On my first day in KL, I took a group tour of the city
with Rosli as our guide. He took us to the King’s Palace first, about a
20-minute drive from our hotel, the Ritz-Carlton.
We arrived at the official resident of the king
greeted by a ceremonial guard on Horseback. Malaysia is a positional monarchy.
A king holds a five-year term. There are nine royal families in the country and
they rotate the ceremonial position. Yellow is the official color of royalty.
The palace is almost 50 acres and has its own golf course. The king serves as
chief of police and head of the military police. The changing of the guard
takes place every four hours.
Malaysia uses the British system of government — Lower
House (senate) and Upper House (representatives) of Parliament.
In Jalan Raja Chulan, you can explore the city’s
colonial core where even more structural marvels await you. These include the
National History Museum, Independence Square (where the Union Jack flag was
lowered and the Malayan flag was first raised after independence) and the
Sultan Abdul Samad Building — the Big Ben of KL. There is a 305-foot-high flagpole
where the Malaysia flag hangs. “It’s the highest flagpole in the world,” Rosli
said proudly. “We like to show the world we have the tallest everything.”
In the same vicinity lies the old cricket club,
Selangor Club, with its mock-Tudor architecture, plus Cathedral of Virgin St.
Mary, one of Malaysia’s oldest Anglican churches. Stroll around the area to
appreciate the other old colonial buildings with their captivating Moorish
designs.
When Malaysia was a British colony, England had its
information office in Independence Square. Malaysia was given its independence
from England in 1957. In 1974, it became a federal territory. Close by is a
building that once was a British prison but is now a police station. The
British built the city’s old train station. For obvious reasons, there is still
a strong English influence in Malaysia.
Melaka was Malaysia’s name before independence.
Overlooking Independence Square is the Bukit Aman (peace mountain) building.
The Malaysian flag has 15 red and white stripes, representing the country’s 15
states. The blue field represents harmony, yellow is royal and the star and
moon represents Islam. A memorial to Malaysia’s independence opened in August
of 2002 in KL. Malaysia’s independence day is Aug. 31.
As we drove toward Modern Chinatown, we passed a
cemetery where World War II Japanese soldiers are buried. The Modern Chinatown
area is called River of Money because of the business that takes place in the
area. The Ritz-Carlton is in the River of Money. This is KL’s Golden Triangle.
The city is in the middle of a confluence of two river mouths (Kuala Lumpur
means “muddy convergence”). The Petronas is the landmark in this area.
KL has a park where Asians had their first meeting in
the city and where the Chinese go for Tai Chi exercise. The park is more than
222 acres. In the park there are 260 species of birds — the largest number in
the world, according to Rosli.
The Islamic Heritage Museum has artifacts from all
over the world. At this site is the Malaysian national mosque. It was completed
in 1986 for 10 million Ringetts. It holds up to 10,000 people and is generally
filled on Friday.
The two rivers, the Kelang and Gombak, head straight
for the Melaka Sea. Where the two rivers join is the oldest mosque in KL, built
by the British.
Old Chinatown is in the old
part of KL. It was once the trading post for Chinese who came to KL during
British rule. It’s always been Chinatown. They have a night market that is a
beehive of activity. You can purchase knockoffs of top-name brands here.
Copyright laws have become an issue, according to Rosli — especially with CDs.
These knockoffs are openly sold here, not like in the states.
The Sri Maha Mariaman Temple is the oldest Hindu
Temple in KL. It’s in the heart of Old Chinatown. You have to leave your shoes
outside. There is a nominal fee (20 cents when I was there) to hold your shoes.
The temple is free. The Indian population in KL is about 7 percent.
We visited Royal Selangor Pewter Factory, the largest
pewter factory in the world, situated at Setapak, north of Kuala Lumpur. The
combinations of 97 percent tin and 3 percent copper and antimony makes pewter.
Young Peng Kai founded the factory. He developed pewter industry in KL in the
1930s and ’40s. There is still tin mining in Malaysia, but it’s no longer as
profitable. The famous Royal Selangor pewter, hand-made to its perfection, is
known worldwide. The factory has more than 700 skilled craftsmen producing
pewter ranging from cutlery, jugs, souvenirs, goblets and more.
Part of the process is hammering. It takes six months
to learn to hammer and the lady we watched can do 50 a day. The girl doing the
hammering has been an employee for more than 35 years.
The Petronas Towers are open Tuesday through Sunday.
You can go up to the observation deck or to the skybridge, which is 558 feet
up. Above that point are offices.
The twin towers are 1,483 feet high and 88 stories. We had lunch at KL Tower
(one of the world’s tallest towers at 1,403 feet), which overlooks the city.
Four of us were wearing shorts, which is a no-no in the restaurant. They had
drawstring, baggy, flowery pants for us to wear. High fashion. A KL gentleman,
who does business in Allentown, PA, asked us if we got two pair free for the
purchase of two pair. Everyone enjoyed a nice laugh at our expense.
I learned quickly that the scooter is KL’s favorite mode of
transportation. They are everywhere, scooting in and out of traffic.
Malaysia has one of the most beautiful and modern
airports in the world. A clean, high-speed train zips you along the countryside
into Kuala Lumpur. Sunday on the way in by train, we passed some low-income
housing. People had laundry hanging from their balconies, but almost every
balcony had a satellite dish.
Welcome to the 21st century.
If You Go
The rate of exchange is 3.22 Ringetts to the US
dollar.
Malaysia Airlines flies from LAX to Kuala Lumpur, with
a stopover in Taipei, Taiwan. Check flights and prices on www.malaysiaairlines.com.
Where to Stay
The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur. It is the first
all-butler hotel in Malaysia and includes complimentary continental breakfast
served in your room. For more information, go online at www.ritzcarlton.com. The JW Marriott is
on Bintang Walk in the heart of the “Golden Triangle.” Go online at
www.marriott.com.
All information is accurate at
the time of publication but prices, dates and other details are all subject to
change. Confirm all information before making any travel arrangements.
