Kuala Lumpur (KL), the capital city of Malaysia, has a population of 1.4mil (year 2000 statistics). There’s no great mystery behind the name Kuala Lumpur which, when translated into English, literally means “muddy confluence”. That’s because the city derived its name from its location at the confluence (what else?) of the Klang and Gombak rivers.

Kuala Lumpur, the "Garden City of Lights"

Situated midway along the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, KL functions as the commercial and business capital of the country and up until 1999, was also the administrative capital, which has since been moved to Putrajaya.

People from all over the country and all types of ethnicity are drawn to the big city in search of fortune. The mass exodus back to hometowns (the balik kampung phenomenon) during festive holidays such as Hari Raya, Chinese New Year and Deepavali is evidence of that modern culture. It is only at times like this that the bustling city becomes relatively quiet.

Places of interest

In just over a century KL, which is also known as the “Garden City of Lights”, has undergone a phenomenal growth into a world-class city. However despite that, it still retains much of its past splendour with many interesting attractions ranging from various heritage buildings and monuments to gardens and parks.

Old colonial buildings add a dash of nostalgia to the modern city. Among them are the Sultan Abdul Samad Building – the most photographed building in Malaysia – and the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station along Jalan Hishamuddin.

The Kuala Lumpur Railway Station

Nature lovers will enjoy the beautiful Lake Gardens and its various surrounding parks such as the Bird, Butterfly and Deer Parks and the Orchid Garden, all of which can be found at Taman Tasik Perdana. There’s also the forest Reserve in Bukit Nanas – the oldest gazetted forest reserve in the country, which is located right smack in the middle of KL.

Take a walk through the forest reserve and you’ll end up at one of KL’s most prestigious modern structures, the KL Tower. The tower, which was completed in 1996 and stands at 421 metres, is also the world’s fourth tallest telecommunications tower.

Dewan Filharmonik Petronas

Visitors to the tower will get a bird’s eye view of the entire city from its observation deck. However, KL again created a new record in 1997, when it became the proud owner of the world’s tallest buildings, the Petronas Twin Towers, two 88-storey skyscrapers at 452 metres each.

The impressive Dewan Filharmonik Petronas, which is home to the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, is located at Tower 2. Nestled at the foot of these towers is the Suria KLCC shopping centre, which also houses Galeri Petronas, an art gallery and the Petrosains the discovery centre. The towers, Suria KLCC and the surrounding park and gardens make up the Kuala Lumpur City Centre.

Shopping haven

Suria KLCC

One of the favourite pastimes for KL-ites is shopping especially since the city and its surrounding suburbs have so many shopping complexes. Shopoholics will be able to indulge in an al fresco or luxurious shopping experience.

For the former, street vendors and night markets that are scattered around the heart of the city are favourite bargain spots; for example, the pulsating Chinatown and busy Little India. But for those who prefer shopping in an air-conditioned environment, there are complexes like Mid Valley Megamall, Star Hill, Sungei Wang Plaza, Lot 10 and of course, Suria KLCC.

The town that tin built

Kuala Lumpur’s rise from nothing to a bustling town began with 87 Chinese men in search of tin. By fate, these men made their way up the murky Klang River and landed at the meeting point of the Klang and Gombak rivers. However, they only found fortune a few miles east, in a place which is now known as Ampang.

When mining thrived in Ampang, merchants who brought supplies up the Klang River could only get as far as the muddy confluence. So, naturally a town developed at the spot, which was called Kuala Lumpur.

Where the Klang & Gombak rivers meet

Even after more than half of the 87 pioneers died due to malaria, more prospectors ventured to KL and soon clans emerged and this led to the inevitable rivalries and claim disputes. In 1868, in need of a solution to the chaos, Yap Ah Loy was elected “Kapitan China” or leader of the Chinese community. He succeeded in establishing a reign over KL’s mining area and is popularly known as the founding father of KL.

Modern history

The turning point of KL’s modern history was when the British were asked to intervene when a rift developed within Selangor’s royal family over tin-mining profits. As a result of the British rule, KL expanded and became the capital of Selangor in 1880 and in 1896 was made into the capital of the British-protected Federated Malay States.

Sir Frank Swettenham, the British Resident of Selangor, chose KL as his administrative centre. Swettenham is known as an architect of British Malaya because he drew up the first town plan for KL. Meanwhile, successful miners and merchants began building bungalows along Jalan Ampang and when construction on the KL-Port Klang Railway began, the city never looked back.

Malaysia gained Independence (or Merdeka) from the British on Aug 31, 1957 and KL was made the country’s capital. In 1972, KL was accorded city status and on Feb 1, 1974 the city ceded from Selangor and was declared a Federal Territory.

Since then KL, which is also a cultural, racial and national melting pot, has been gaining prominence in the eyes of the world. The city even hosted the 1998 Commonwealth Games, becoming the first Asian city to do so. KL is not merely the capital city of Malaysia; it is also the pride of the nation.

1998 Commonwealth Games