Malaysia / Kuala Lumpur / The City

Photo: The impressive skyline of Kuala Lumpur.

Kuala Lumpur is the capital of Malaysia. From its centralized position which spans 243.6 sq. kilometres, this ultra-modern nerve centre of Malaysia expands outwards to embrace the world.

Discovering KL (as locals affectionately call it) is like travelling through a time tunnel. Here, vivid traces of history continue to influence and inspire a country set on becoming a fully industrialized nation by the year 2020.You will see ultra-modern skyscrapers standing magnificently next to rows and rows of quaint old shophouses. Haute cuisine beside hawker stalls.

To the avid shopper, KL is paradise. From world-renowned designer labels and brands to exquisite made-in-Malaysia items, the highly competitive environment that exists among traders is a blessing in disguise to shoppers. While department stores practice a fixed price policy, bargain hunters can test their skills at smaller retail establishments or at any one of KL's famous night markets. KL will enthrall you. It will capture your heart and mind in a way no other city will.

The largest public transportation operator in Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley is RapidKL. Since the take over from Intrakota Komposit Sdn Bhd, RapidKL has redrawn the entire bus network of Kuala Lumpur and Klang Valley metropolitan area to increase ridership and improve Kuala Lumpur's public transportation system. The management of RapidKL has adopted the hub and spoke system to provide greater connectivity, and cut down the need of more buses. RapidKL is also the operator of three rapid transit rail lines in Kuala Lumpur, namely Ampang Line, Sri Petaling Line and Kelana Jaya Line. However, in many parts of the city, the Rapid KL system is a mess, and undisciplined drivers are part of the problem.

For example, the line U86 that runs between One Utama and the Kepong Sentral KTM commuter station has a scheduled frequency of one bus per hour. However, this works only in the direction from One Utama to Kepong Sentral. The back leg, drivers prefer to go without any stop (to increase their leisure time at the One Utama hub). With every second trip empty and non-stop, the waiting time for the back journey from Kepong Sentral can easily be two hours. No passenger will do that on a regular basis, so commuters switch to other buses, or give up on public transport altogether even though U86 buses are usable in the direction OneUtama to Kepong Sentral.