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Upon arriving at the Kuala
Lumpur International Airport, one has to take a light-speed train
linking the gates and the arrival hall as the two are separated by a
huge airplane parking space. With the train, passengers can get to
the immigration and baggage claim areas in no more than five minutes.
When traveling on the highway connecting Southeast Asia's most advanced airport and the city of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's capital, one would be surprised by how easy it is to get through tollbooths. A "smart tag" system, which scans a prepaid tag on the vehicle's dashboard, prevents traffic from jamming up - often a nightmarish situation for highway authorities in many countries. Kuala Lumpur is a city with outstanding infrastructure facilities that reflect the Malaysian government's commitment to serve its people as well as draw tourists from all over the world. The city not only showcases its well-constructed roadways and high-rise buildings but also prides itself in diversity. Malaysia, which describes itself as being "Truly Asia" in promotional slogans, is the home of three major ethnic groups: Malays (approximately 58 percent), Chinese (approximately 27 percent) and Indians (approximately 10 percent). While the country's official language is Melayu, the Malay language spoken by everyone, people still can speak in their native tongue and have the choice to go to schools taught in that language. No wonder multiplex cinemas at shopping centers often play Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, and American movies at the same time. Striving to become an active member in the international community, most Malaysians - from the Prime Minister to taxi drivers -- have achieved proficiency in English. "Indeed, sometimes when we talk, our conversations are mixed with Melayu, Chinese and English vocabularies," said Lim Lay Yoke, a local reporter. "But most people, no matter their ethnic origin, get along well with each other." Kuala Lumpur is a city where old things and new things are intertwined, where culture and technology come together. From pewter factories to a Multimedia Super Corridor, the city witnesses the convergence of tradition and new ideas, and both thrive. The following are some of the more famous attractions that tourists should pay a visit when they go to this Truly Asian city. The Batu Cave The 10 percent Malaysia Indian population have made great efforts to preserve their heritage. One example is the Batu Cave, a limestone cave located 13 kilometers north of the Kuala Lumpur City Center (KLCC). It is used for Hindu festivals and pilgrimages and welcomes as many as 80,000 devotees every year who participate in the festival of Thaipusam, which takes place in January or February. The main cave, which can be reached by climbing up 272 steps, houses the shrine of the Hindu deity lord Subramaniam. Other traditional Indian figures are carved on the walls. A number of smaller caverns, inhabited by indigenous wild monkeys, are present in the Batu Cave area. The Royal Selangor Factory Malaysia has been known for its extraordinary skills in the manufacturing of pewter products, an alloy of tin, antimony and copper. Those skills are demonstrated live at the Royal Selangor Factory. The country's pewter industry began in 1885 following the discovery of tin in the vicinity of Larut and Kuala Lumpur. An enterprising young man from China, Young Koon, soon began his pewter business and founded Royal Selangor, which today is the largest pewter-making factory in the world, producing quality tableware and giftware that is sold to domestic as well as international markets. The process of making pewter products is demonstrated live at the factory. "A trip to Malaysia is never complete without a visit to the factory," a worker said. KL Tower Despite its cultural heritage, Kuala Lumpur is a modern city with high-rise buildings, huge shopping malls, five-star hotels and a well-developed public transportation system. In fact, the Petronas Twin Towers in KLCC, owned by the country's largest petroleum company, is currently the world's tallest building, with 88 stories and measuring 452 meters. Tourists however need special permission to go to the top of the towers because of security concerns related to Sept. 11. As an alternative, they can go to the Kuala Lumpur (KL) Tower, which, while coming in at 421 meters in height, is taller than the twin towers because it stands on a hill. In fact, the tower is the tallest telecommunications tower in the world. After taking a fast-speed elevator reaching the top observation deck in less than a minute, visitors can get a spectacular bird's eye view of Kuala Lumpur and its vicinity. A souvenir shop is located in the observation deck for people to buy commemorative material. A huge square containing flags, palm trees and a fountain is in front of the tower for people to relax after visiting the monumental architecture. Suria KLCC Mall The city has malls and department stores for those who look for a great shopping experience. The Suria KLCC Mall is a huge crescent-shaped shopping center forming the basis of the Petronas Twin Towers. The mall has an area of one million square feet and draws 653,000 visitors each week to the mall's various stores, cafes, restaurants and cinema. Putrajaya and Cyberjaya Malaysia is currently taking on a lankmark project few countries are able to match--building two cities outside the capital--as part of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's goal to make Malaysia an industrialized nation by 2020, a mission known as Vision 2020. The two cities are called Putrajaya and Cyberjaya, with the former being the new government administration complex and the latter acting as the heart of the 15-kilo-meter Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) linking KLCC and the international airport--a brainchild of Mahathir. The establishment of Putrajaya as the new administrative center is in line with the government's plan to develop areas outside Kuala Lumpur, leaving it as a financial and commercial capita. Situated along MSC, Putrajaya is set to be a model garden city--with trees and greenery--supported by modern information networks. It hopes to become an electronic administrative center ideal for people to live, work and conduct business. The city contains various government ministries, with the Prime Minister's office and the Putrajaya Mosque seen as the two most magnificent structures. Spanning an area of 7,000 hectares, Cyberjaya is the nucleus of MSC, whose mission is to establish the best possible environment for multimedia companies to create, distribute and employ products and services. With well-developed infrastructure, global high-tech investors and quality living arrangements. Cyberjaya seeks to strengthen and perfect the country's IT industry. Companies investing in Cyberjaya must meet requirements such as employing a substantial number of knowledge workers and devoting five percent of their revenue to R&D. They can also enjoy benefits including a five-year exemption from Malaysian income tax and freedom of ownership. Among the foreigh companies investing in Cyberjaya are Microsoft, NTT, Nokia and Fujitsu. |
