Kuala Lumpur, Truly The Best

More than a month had gone and almost all of us had heap nothing but praises for the Federal Territories including myself! We painted rosy pictures of the Federal Territories. We “hid behind” those rosy pictures! Was that all we could do? It’s time for me to move away and voice my say.

In my first blog, I had written positively on Kuala Lumpur. My intention was clear as day. I wanted the world to be acquainted with this beautiful city of mine. To know my city better! To elevate her status higher! Simple as that! How far had I achieved that, I really do not know. I can’t imagine that anyone would want to read anything that I had written or would even remember what I wrote! I hope I am wrong!

True! I am very passionate about this city. Like any other cities in the world, it has its flaws and shortcomings. No city is perfect! The obvious bane of the city is the daily, chaotic traffic situations. Manoeuvring in and out of traffic needs skill and patience. One needs the patience of a saint to remain sane on the roads! Welcome to Kuala Lumpur!

Traffic jam is every driver’s nightmare. If your schedules are tight you must give yourself extra time. You must plan before you drive. It would save you a lot of headaches and probably save you your petrol.

The authorities must come up with plans for a system to reduce traffic congestions in the city. These often, chaotic situations had driven many drivers up against the wall! This is especially so during the mornings and evenings rush. There seemed to be no end in sight!

Public transportation doesn’t help much either! Need to improve existing public transportation. Drastic measures must be taken immediately and these could conceivably improve the city’s traffic.

For many of us, the LRT (light rail transit) and the MRT (mass rail transit) plying within the city are not much of a complement either. Widely acclaimed to be the alternative “transporter”. Maybe only to a small faction. Sometimes, you may not be able to get to your destination when you ride them. Buses and cabs fare no better either! If you have a potential customer to see or attend an interview you would want to be “in one piece” right? Get the picture?

Mother Nature is not so forgiving at times. Whenever she unleashed her wrath, be prepared for the worst. When floods hit, they hit hard. Many areas in the city would be in a sea of water. If you’re caught in the floods, make sure you know how to swim. Sadly, there’s still no solution in sight. Who do we blame? I would say: “Everybody.” If everyone can come together and do their part I’m sure we can overcome this problem. Let’s leave the “blame factor” and let the authorities figure out a way to handle that. Let’s move on to the plus factor.

Making a living, through hard work and honesty in this city isn’t very difficult. Kuala Lumpur would not be harsh on you. Whatever trade you ply, remember this: “Honesty is STILL the best policy.” I’ve been plying my small business for more than two decades. Trust me, honesty pays!

One of the most beautiful aspects of this city is that we do not need a “Berlin wall” to separate our multicultural society. We are not cantankerous in nature. You’ll find us very affable and affectionate. It would not be easy to drive a wedge between us. We can live side by side in harmony. Work together in harmony. Bedfellows? Get married first! Ha! Ha! Ha!

There are many ways to get tourists to come to Kuala Lumpur, the city that oozes charm and serenity. It is also one of the safest cities in the world! Come and see for yourself. You’ll not regret it. That’s a promise.

How would I lure the world to my city in the first place? To tell the world that Kuala Lumpur is very much “alive and kicking”? One way is to get on the offensive. Go all out. Do not leave anything to chances. Would this method work? See below.



We need to advertise in all major cities like the way some people do. Very ingenious, very creative and very illegal. Ha! Ha! Ha! Gotcha! We have ambassador for this and ambassador for that! Kuala Lumpur needs one too! But who would be the right candidate? We need a local and sadly Jean Todt cannot be short listed. Most likely, Michelle Yeoh would not approve of it. Moreover, he’s with the Ministry of Tourism. Below are two likely candidates. Very familiar and very famous. Both gentlemen are locals.



Who would you vote for? The gentleman on the left might not be suitable because he would probably say the wrong things! Bad publicity for Kuala Lumpur. Yes, we vote for the gentleman with the baseball cap. He comes cheap! He’s “low cost”. The high flying “low cost” entrepreneur who’s highly acclaimed “low cost” strategy worked marvellously for him. To the Minister of Federal Territories I would like to say to you: “Get him before he flies away.” So guys, if you want to vote for him, do click at the end of my blog! A vote for him is a vote for me. Ha! Ha! Ha! Gotcha again!

So, who says blogging needs to be all-serious, all-criticism or even all-profanities? A dash of humour goes a long way right? We need to loosen up a little now and then. We must have a good sense of humour and I have my own peculiar brand of humour. After all, life is short! Why must we fight when we can love? Why must we leave when we are welcome? Remember, my city welcomes you only if you come in good faith.

The advent of new media like the internet has touched the lives of many people, especially the younger generation. There is a price to pay. Some have even lost touch with the people dear to them. But all is not lost. Here I go again, suggesting outrageous ideas. As responsible parents, we must take the initiative to keep in touch with our “lost souls”, our children. Make plans for a family vacation and put my beautiful city next on your list. If you’ve forgotten how beautiful and unique my city is, scrolled to find my previous blog titled: “Yours Truly, Kuala Lumpur” dated 08/11/09. The truth is out there! No! No! This is not another X-File story. There are no aliens from outer space in Kuala Lumpur but there are aliens from neighbouring countries! See, how friendly my city is! An absolute knockout! Needless to say, my city, my Kuala Lumpur is a notable success. You’ll not only be infatuated with my city, you’ll fall in love with her! That’s quite something! Don’t you think so?

While you’re at it, deciding, I bid you adieu! Remember, the red carpet is still rolled out for you.











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Your's Truly, Kuala Lumpur

I'm in a quandary. I need inspirations. I'm at my wits' end worrying on how to start my blog. Initially, my hope of giving Kuala Lumpur, one of the three Federal Territories of Malaysia a boost gradually withered away. I do not expect anyone to hold the fort for me. That would be foul play. It would be a grave injustice to this city if I do not come up with something to blog on.
Kuala Lumpur, an ultra modern, dynamic and vibrant city that gives other cities a run for their money. This city never ceased to amaze locals and foreigners alike! A city that fascinates! A city to be passionate about! I do not wish to press the point, but this city is!
This commercial hub is a major tourist draw. Tourists from within and without flocked to this city like bees to honey. So, what makes this city so special? Makes it tick?

We are a multicultural society. We are people of diverse cultures but we are not a racially diverse community. We live as one. We are living in relative comfort. Our mutual respect for one another has prevailed for a long time. We can get along just fine. We've been together through thick and thin to be where we are today. We can blend well. That's no doubt about that! We're blessed. There's no bad blood among the races. Incidentally, there was the racial riots on May 13,1969. That caused a serious blot in our history. All of us learnt from that bitter experience. If everyone does their bit, I'm sure we can go a long way. Think twice before you get that crazy notion of trying to drive a wedge between us. Not anymore!

1Malaysia. Do these snapshots qualify? By the way, these were not taken under false pretences.

Take a look at the picture above. How would you rate it? It was taken at my LCCT ( low cost Chinese teashop). It is my eatery. Those smiling faces that you see are of my customers who are very close to me and my family. Some have been with me for more than ten years. They would be at my eatery five days a week without fail. They are not from my race but for many of us, R&R, sorry guys, not Rest and Recreation but Race and Religion are no issues at all! You’ll be surprise at the age gap. I’m a fatherly figure to them. Most of them are more or less half my age.

This was taken during lunch. Need I say more?

Let’s get back to my city. If my city is next on your 'hit list', you have to be ready to embark on an unforgettable adventure of absolute fun and excitement. You'd be enthralled! You'd be thrilled! You had been warned. Now let's see how to get you to start on your adventure.

My city is full to the brim with activities. Certainly you're not going to sit through the day doing nothing. You'd be amazed to see the rows and rows of shopping complexes and premier malls all within walking distance. Many are award-winning aces that are unrivalled in luxury retailing. Fashion, food and urban leisure. You name them. This city has them all. Still not satisfied? You can always make your way downtown to Chinatown. This is predominantly a Chinese enclave. There are many locally manufactured products sold here. You must always bargain here or you would end up getting more than you bargained for! Again, be warned. This is one of the many happy hunting grounds for the pickpockets. You might just be their next prey.

The food here is fabulous. There's no doubt about that. Eat whatever you fancy. The food here would not cause you a bomb. From hawker stalls to sidewalk cafes. From restaurants to fine dining in hotels. Take your pick. You'd be delighted with the savouries offered. Tickle your taste buds by savouring the variety of local foods. You may not get them elsewhere.

My city has a year-round equatorial tropical rain forest climate. Warm and sunny. So, for day outings and sight-seeings, there shouldn't be any problem! There are many interesting places to visit. But not before you take this History lesson.

Year:1957. We were fortunate. Great Britain was kind enough to let us fend for ourselves. Everyone was happy. When the 'Johns' and 'Johnnies' (that was how we addressed the British back then) left, they left us with a legacy. We learned the language of the colonial masters. Colonial masters? I begged to differ. If they were the masters, were we slaves? When we were 'freed at last' did we tear down their buildings or did we desecrate their churches? No! We did not carry out those despicable actions. In fact we maintained and preserved everything British! Their buildings and churches still stand today. Malaysians are not that bad but some chose to think otherwise! One of the best ways to dispel the myth is to pay us a visit. Don’t run away with the idea that I was pulling your legs.

Upon your arrival to my beautiful city, you’d know that I was telling you the truth from the very beginning. We have some of the tallest structures in the world. Awe-inspiring towers. For a breathtaking view of my beautiful city, you must visit the 'lookout' tower. It is situated in one of the oldest virgin forest in the world within a city. It is a 421m high telecommunication and broadcasting tower and it has a revolving restaurant at Level Two of the Towerhead. There is something very special about this tower. There would be two international sporting events yearly. One, the participants would have to start from the base of the tower and would end at the top. The second, the participants would have to start from the top and end at the bottom. You guessed right. Yes, I was talking about the KL International Towerthon Run and the KL International (BASE) Jump. This tower is one of the favourites for many athletes from all over the world.

The 'Goliath' twins are no pushovers either! Easily recognizable. Immensely tall and impressive, almost touching the sky! These structures were completed in 1997. An epic achievement! A brilliant feat of engineering, The pride of the city. This is not a flatulent boast! Even Alain Robert aka Spiderman from France could not resist the temptation to 'crawl up' to the top of one of the twins. No mean feat! Would there be another superhero? Cicakman ( our very own superhero), are you up to the challenge?

Next stop: the cultural centres, the flea market.....

When night falls, night-life begins. It's party-time! Feast your eyes on the transformation of my city in the night. Entertainment centres and nightspots would be like new buds sprouting from the trees. They are almost everywhere. There’s no shortage of razzamatazz too! Everyone is trying to outdo everybody. A convivial atmosphere, surrounding the city. It’s simply amazing!

I’m sure you’re not going to sit through the night staring at the ceilings of your rooms, right? For the red-blooded young males and females, it's time to let your hair down. Raise your hands and swing your hips! Strut your stuff! Join the jolly and rumbustious crowd. Show everyone what you got! Paint the town red! Enjoy yourselves. For the more conservative ones, there is contemporary music, the mood music for your listening pleasure. There's always something for everyone. Nobody would be left out! Jive! Jive! Jive all night long!
After a night of jiving and swinging, it would be good to take a breath of fresh air the next morning. Take a stroll in the beautiful parks in my city. Enjoy the lush greenery, the beautiful lakes and feel the atmosphere of peace and tranquillity. Do these at your own leisurely pace. You’d feel nothing but sheer exhilaration by your walks. Be cautioned. Do not violate the parks in any way. Violation is against the law. Everyone knows that! Silly me!

My city provides excellent public amenities. They are at your disposal. Use them at your own convenience. Do not show a total disregard for them.

I have blogged at length about the city and it would be appropriate to shift my attention to an individual who has won wide recognition for his achievements.

1Malaysian. This is about one young man who made it to the stars. A young man who has his life spaced out. A medical career. His social obligations and his impending marriage. Many of you would have guessed who I was referring to. We’re fortunate to have him with us. He’s our astronaut-surgeon, Dr. Sheikh Muszaphar, who shot to fame after he was shot into space two years ago. He recently opened a clinic in the city and three orphanages were picked to receive free treatments. That’s quite something!

There are many charitable organisations and social volunteers in my city. Besides fund raising campaigns, there are many who sacrificed their time to attend to the needs of the orphans, the old and homeless and the terminally ill. Their plight did not go unnoticed. Even strays and unwanted pets are not overlooked. Feel like getting rid of your arowanas? Call me!

I can go on and on and on but it’s best I leave some things for you to discover yourself. Why hummed and hawed? Decide now. While you’re at it, I bid you adieu.

My city beckons you. My country awaits you. W E L C O M E !

p/s We’ve rolled out the red carpet for you, just in case.