Malaysian tourism publication v23 final pdf

Malaysia Discover Asia

Well Travelled Publishing

Author’s Note Following the success of Discovering Asia China and Japan we now bring you Discovering Asia Malaysia. This country is a fantastic place to visit and we hope that this short guide can give both the wannabe traveller and the curious reader a sense of what Malaysia has to offer. The country is full of vibrant sights and punctuated by a rich historical and cultural past. In this book we will not only look at Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur, but also at famous cities such as Penang and amazing tourist attractions such as the Batu Caves.

Contents 02

Contents and Author’s Note

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Kuala Lumpur

14

Batu Caves

18

Malacca

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Cameron Highlands

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Penang

- Rob Stratton

Well Travelled Publishing

Front cover images; Petronas Towers by Hadi Zaher, butterfly by zsoolt, beach by yeowatzup and boy by Man Him - all images from Flickr. Manakins by Rob Stratton.

Contents page images; Petronas Towers by enshadhi with dfrunk damager and kuala lumpur tower montage image by enshadhi with dfunk damager. Both on Flickr.

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4 Š Phalinn Ooi on Flickr

Kuala Lumpur

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Kuala Lumpur Tourism plays an important role in the city’s service-driven economy. Many large worldwide hotel chains have a presence in the city. Kuala Lumpur is the sixth most visited city in the world, with 8.9 million tourist per year.Tourism here is driven by the city's cultural diversity, relatively low costs, and wide gastronomic and shopping variety. MICE tourism, which mainly encompasses conventions— has expanded in recent years to become a vital component of the industry, and is expected to grow further once the Malaysian government's Economic Transformation Programme kicks in, and with the completion of a new 93,000m2-size MATRADE Centre in 2014.

Another notable trend is the increased presence of budget hotels in the city.

Tourist Destinations The major tourist destinations in Kuala Lumpur include the Merdeka Square, the House of Parliament, the Petaling Street, the National Palace (Istana Negara), the Kuala Lumpur Tower, the National Museum, the Central Market, the National Monument,and religious sites such as the Jamek Mosque and Batu Caves. Kuala Lumpur plays host to many cultural festivals such as the Thaipusam procession at the Sri Mahamariamman Temple. Every year during the Thaipusam celebration, a silver chariot carrying the statue of Lord Muruga together with his consort Valli and Teivayanni would be paraded through the city beginning at the temple all the way to the Batu Caves.

The entertainment hub of the city is mainly centred in the Golden Triangle encompassing Jalan P. Ramlee, Jalan Sultan Ismail and Ampang Road. Trendy nightclubs, bars and

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lounges, such as the Beach Club, Espanda, the Hakka Republic Wine Bar & Restaurant, Hard Rock Cafe, the Luna Bar, Nuovo, Rum Jungle, the Thai Club, Zouk, and many others are located here.

Kuala Lumpur alone has 66 shopping malls and is the retail and fashion hub for Malaysia. Shopping in Malaysia contributed RM7.7 billion (USD 2.26 billion) or 20.8 percent of the RM31.9 billion tourism receipts in 2006.

Climate & Weather Protected by the Titiwangsa Mountains in the east and Indonesia’s Sumatra Island in the west, Kuala Lumpur has a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen climate classification Af), which is warm and sunny, along with abundant rainfall, especially during the northeast monsoon season from October to March. Temperatures tend to remain constant. Maximums hover between 32 and 33 °C (90 and 91 °F) and have never exceeded 38.5 °C (101.3 °F), while minimums hover between 23.4 and 24.6 °C (74.1 and 76.3 °F) and have never fallen below 14.4 °C (57.9 °F).Kuala Lumpur typically receives minimum 2,600 mm (100 in) of rain annually; June and July are relatively dry, but even then rainfall typically exceeds 131 millimetres (5.2 in) per month.

Flooding is a frequent occurrence in Kuala Lumpur whenever there is a heavy downpour, especially in the city centre and downstream areas. Smoke from forest fires of nearby Sumatra sometimes cast a haze over the region.

© Jay Zhang on Flickr

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Kuala Lumpur Tower Its construction was completed on 1 March 1995. It is used for communication purposes and features an antenna that reaches 421 metres (1,381 feet). The roof of the pod is at 335 metres (1,099 feet). The rest of the tower below has a stairwell and an elevator to reach the upper area, which also contains a revolving restaurant, providing diners with a panoramic view of the city.

Races are held annually, where participants race up the stairs to the top. The tower also acts as the Islamic falak observatory to observe the crescent moon which marks the beginning of Muslim month of Ramadhan, Syawal, and Zulhijjah, to celebrate fasting month of Ramadhan, Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Aidiladha. The tower is the highest viewpoint in Kuala Lumpur that is open to the public.

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Tourists visit KL Tower to have a 360-degree view of the city. The lift takes only 54 seconds going up to the observation deck and takes 52 seconds to come down.

Kuala Lumpur alone has 66 shopping malls and is the retail and fashion hub for Malaysia. Shopping in Malaysia contributed RM7.7 billion (USD 2.26 billion) or 20.8 percent of the RM31.9 billion tourism receipts in 2006.

The KL Tower is the seventh tallest telecommunication tower in the world (after Tokyo Sky Tree in Japan, the Guangzhou TV & Sightseeing Tower in China, CN Tower in Canada, the Ostankino Tower in Russia, the Oriental Pearl Tower in China, and the Borj-e Milad in Iran). Built to enhance the quality of telecommunication services and the clarity of broadcasting, KL Tower is a symbol of Kuala Lumpur.

Š wikipedia.org

Š W.K.Woo on Flickr

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Petronas Towers The Petronas Towers are twin skyscrapers in Kuala Lumpur. According to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH)'s official definition and ranking, they were the tallest buildings in the world from 1998 to 2004 and remain the tallest twin towers in the world replacing the World Trade Center in New York. The buildings are a landmark of Kuala Lumpur, along with nearby Kuala Lumpur Tower.

The towers were designed by Argentine American architect CĂŠsar Pelli. They chose a distinctive postmodern style to create a 21st-century icon for Kuala Lumpur.

Planning on the Petronas Towers started on 1 January 1992 and included rigorous tests and simulations of wind and structural loads on the design. Seven years of construction followed, beginning on 1 March 1993 with the excavation, which involved moving 500 truckloads of earth every night to dig down 30 metres (98 ft) below the surface.

The towers feature a double decker skybridge connecting the two towers on the 41st and 42nd floors, which is the highest 2-story bridge in the world. It is not attached to the main structure, but is instead designed to slide in and out of the towers to prevent it from breaking, as the towers sway several feet in towards and away from each other during high winds. It also provides some structural support to the towers in these occasions. The bridge is 170 m (558 ft) above the ground and 58 m (190 ft) long, weighing 750 tons.The same floor is also known as the podium, since visitors going to higher levels have to change elevators here. The skybridge is open to all visitors, but tickets are limited to about 1000 people per day, and must be obtained on a first-come, first-served basis.

Initially, the visit was free but in 2010,

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the tickets started being sold by Petronas.

Visitors can choose to opt for package one which is just a visit to the skybridge or go for package two to go to the skybridge and all the way to level 86.Visitors are only allowed on the 41st floor as the 42nd floor can only be used by the tenants of the building.

The Petronas Towers were the tallest buildings in the world for six years, until Taipei 101 was completed in 2004. The height of the towers is measured to the top of their structural components such as spires, but do not include antennas.Spires are considered actual integral parts of the architectural design of buildings, to which changes would substantially change the appearance and design of the building, whereas antennas may be added or removed without such consequences. The Petronas Towers still remain the tallest twin buildings in the world.

The Petronas Towers feature a diamond-faceted facade consisting of 83,500 square metres (899,000 sq ft) of stainless steel extrusions. In addition, a 33,000-panel curtain wall cladding system resides within the towers. While the stainless steel element of the towers entices the illustrious sun, highlighting the magnificent towers, they are composed of 55,000 square metres (590,000 sq ft) of 20.38-millimetre (0.802 in) laminated glass to reduce heat by reflecting harmful UV rays.

The interiors of the towers highlight the Malaysian cultural inspiration to the design through traditional aspects such as fabric and carvings typical of the culture, specifically evident in the foyer of the entrance halls in the towers.

Š Thomas Wanhoff on Flickr

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Shopping Malls & Entertainment Suria KLCC is a upmarket retail center at the feet of the Petronas Towers. It features mostly foreign luxury goods and high-street labels. Its attractions include an art gallery, a philharmonic theatre, an underwater aquarium and also a Science center. Suria KLCC is one of the largest shopping malls in Malaysia.

Apart from Suria KLCC, Bukit Bintang district has the highest concentration of shopping malls in Kuala Lumpur. It includes: Pavilion, Fahrenheit 88, Plaza Low Yat, Berjaya Times Square, Lot 10, BB Plaza, Sungai Wang Plaza. Changkat area of Bukit Bintang hosts various cafes, alfresco dining outlets and illegal activities. Bangsar district also has a few shopping complexes, including Bangsar Village, Bangsar Shopping Centre, and Mid Valley Megamall. The Damansara subdivision north-west of Kuala Lumpur, though not in the city-proper, is the home of the only IKEA outlet in the country, and a cluster of locally operated malls like Cathay Multi Screen Cinemas, The Curve with KidZania, Ikano Power Centre and One Utama.

Apart from shopping complexes, Kuala Lumpur has designated numerous zones in the city to market locally manufactured products such as textiles, fabrics and handicrafts.

The Chinatown of Kuala Lumpur, commonly known as Petaling Street, is one of them.

Chinatown features many pre-independence buildings with Straits Chinese and colonial architectural influences.

In 2000, the Malaysian Ministry of Tourism introduced the mega sale event for shopping

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in Malaysia. The mega sale event is held three times a year — in March, May and December — during which all shopping malls are encouraged to participate to boost Kuala Lumpur as a leading shopping destination.

The entertainment hub of the city is mainly centred in the Golden Triangle encompassing Jalan P. Ramlee, Jalan Sultan Ismail and Ampang Road. Trendy nightclubs, bars and lounges, such as the Beach Club, Espanda, the Hakka Republic Wine Bar & Restaurant, Hard Rock Cafe, the Luna Bar, Nuovo, Rum Jungle, the Thai Club, Zouk, and many others are located here.

Central Market is a shopping area dedicated to local arts and crafts. It sells a multitude of colourful batiks, the traditional dressing of ethnic Malay Malaysians and other souvenirs. Besides that, Central Market also sells sarees and cheongsams among other cultural legacies of Malaysia’s diverse ethnic minorities.

Sunway Pyramid (middle) is a humongous Egyptian-themed retail mall nestled in a mixed integrated resort which features a wet/ dry Wild West-inspired theme park. The retail podium can be reached through the Federal Highway and is located in Bandar Sunway. The mall has distinct Egyptian aesthetics including pyramids, sphinx, its walls in-scripted with hieroglyphics. The clothes sold here are more towards the young and trendy. The mall is zoned into various themed sections including Asian Avenue and Marrakesh. The brands sold here are a mix of high street brands like Dorothy Perkins, Marks and Spencer, GUESS, Springfield, Timberland, ZARA, PUMA, Lacoste, MANGO and Coach with lesser-known local and regional brands. Malaysia’s first ice-skating rink located here. © lets.book on Flickr

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14 Š Alec Bowman Flickr

Batu Caves

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Batu Caves Batu Cave is a limestone hill that has a series of caves and cave temples in the Gombak district, 13 kilometres (8 miles) north of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It takes its name from the Sungai Batu or Batu River, which flows past the hill. Batu Caves is also the name of the nearby village.

The cave is one of the most popular Hindu shrines outside India, and is dedicated to Lord Murugan. It is the focal point of Hindu festival of Thaipusam in Malaysia.

History The limestone forming Batu Caves is said to be around 400 million years old. Some of the cave entrances were used as shelters by the indigenous Temuan people (a tribe of Orang Asli).

As early as 1860, Chinese settlers began excavating guano for fertilising their vegetable patches. However, they became famous only after the limestone hills were recorded by colonial authorities including Daly and Syers as well as American Naturalist, William Hornaday in 1878.

Batu Caves was promoted as a place of worship by K. Thamboosamy Pillai, an Indian trader. He was inspired by the ‘vel’-shaped entrance of the main cave and was inspired to dedicate a temple to Lord Murugan within the caves. In 1890, Pillai, who also founded the Sri Mahamariamman Temple, Kuala Lumpur, installed the murti (consecrated statue) of Sri Murugan Swami in what is today known as the Temple Cave. Since 1892, the Thaipusam festival in the Tamil month of Thai (which falls in late January/early February) has been celebrated there.

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Wooden steps up to the Temple Cave were built in 1920 and have since been replaced by 272 concrete steps. Of the various cave temples that comprise the site, the largest and best known is the Temple or Cathedral Cave, so named because it houses several Hindu shrines beneath its high vaulted ceiling.

Rock Climbing Batu Caves is also the centre of rock climbing development in Malaysia for the past 10 years. Batu Caves offers more than 160 climbing routes. The routes are scattered all around the side of Batu Caves, which is made up of limestone hills rising to 150 m.

These climbing routes are easily accessed, as most crags start from ground level. These climbing routes often start from the North Eastern side of the cave complex whereas the staircase and temple entrance faces South.

This North eastern area is known as the Damai caves. Abseiling and spelunking trips can be organised with some local adventure companies.

Ecosystem There are various undeveloped caves which contain a diverse range of cave fauna, including some unique species, such as Liphistiidae spiders and Eonycteris and fruit bats.

The site is also well known for its numerous macaques, which visitors feed — sometimes involuntarily. These monkeys may also pose a biting hazard to tourists (especially small children) as they can be quite territorial.

© Alec Brown on Flickr

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18 Š Pietro Ferreira on Flickr

Malacca

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Malacca Malacca (Malay: Melaka), dubbed "The Historic State", is the third smallest Malaysian state after Perlis and Penang.

It is located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, next to the Straits of Malacca. It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and Johor to the south. The capital is Malacca City, which is 148 kilometres (92 miles) south east of Malaysia's capital city Kuala Lumpur, 235 kilometres (146 miles) north west of Johor's largest city Johor Bahru, and 95 km (59 miles) north west of Johor's second largest city, Batu Pahat. This historical city centre has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 7 July 2008.

Malacca Sultanate Although it was the location of one of the earliest Malay sultanates, the local monarchy was abolished when the Portuguese conquered it in 1511. The head of state is the Yang di-Pertua Negeri or Governor, rather than a Sultan.

Malacca City is well known for its historical uniqueness. The history of this city began when Parameswara, a royal prince from Palembang was involved in the struggle for the throne of Majapahit government towards the end of the 14th century.

Once he was defeated by Majapahit, he ran for protection to Temasek (now Singapore) which was then dominated by the Siamese.

After being evicted out of Temasek by the colonists from Siam, in 1396, he and his followers withdraw to Muar and later to Sening Ujung before stopping by at Bertam which is close to the Melaka River estuary.

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Upon arrival in Bertam, he witnessed his hunting dog being kicked by a white mouse deer. He was so impressed with the bravery of the white mouse deer and decided to set up a state there.

He asked about the name of the tree which he was leaning under and his followers had replied by stating that it was the Malacca tree. Therefore he decided to name his state after that tree.

Palace of Malacca’s Malay Sultanate Parameswara had made the right choice as Malacca is strategically located amid the Straits of Malacca banks which connect China to India and the East, making it a really suitable venue as a trading centre. The arrival of Arabs traders as well as traders from the East and West had developed Malacca as a bustling entrepot with hundreds of ships stopping by every year.

Parameswara embraced Islam through a scholar from Jeddah in 1414 and that was the starting point for the development of Malacca as the premier commercial centre and spreading of Islam in this region. Malacca continued to be known as the Malay trading centre in the East.

Among the commodity goods available in Malacca were silk and porcelain from China, cloths from Gujerat and Coromandel in India, camphor from Borneo, sandalwood from the East, nutmeg and cloves from Moluccas, gold and black pepper from Sumatera as well as tin from Malaya.

Š Hanadi Traifeh on Flickr

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Key Locations

Francis Xavier Church This Gothic church was built by a French priest, Rev. Fabre, in 1849, to commemorate St. Francis Xavier who is also known as the “Apostle of the East”. St. Francis Xavier is credited for his Catholic missionary work in Southeast Asia during the 16th century.

Fort A Famosa: Constructed by the Portuguese in 1511, it suffered severe structural damage during the Dutch invasion. The plan by the British to destroy it was aborted as a result of the intervention of Sir Stamford Raffles in 1808.

© Christopher Chan on Flickr

© Wasin Waeosri on Flickr

St. Peter’s Church

Cheng Hoon Teng Temple

Constructed in 1710 under the Dutch administration, the church is the oldest Catholic church in Malaysia. Its façade and decorative embellishment is a mix of both eastern and western architecture. Its bell was delivered from Goa in 1608.

Cheng Hoon Teng Temple: Located along Jalan Tokong (formerly Temple Street) in the core zone of the Malacca Unesco World Heritage Site. It is the oldest functioning temple in Malaysia and grandest temple in Malacca.

© allenmock on Flickr

© Yun Huang Yong on Flickr

St. Pauls Church

Kampung Kling Mosque

Constructed by the Portuguese captain, Duarte Coelho, this church was named “Our Lady of The Hill”, but was later turned into a burial ground by the Dutch for their noble dead, and renamed “St. Paul’s Church”. Currently the church is part of the Malaccan Museums Complex.

The body of St. Francis Xavier was interred here temporarily before it was taken to Goa, India.

Kampung Kling Mosque is one of the oldest mosques in Malaysia. It was built around 1784 with the influence of Sumatran architecture. Firstly, there’s no Byzantium dome around. It was replaced by a tiered pyramidal roof. Secondly, just look at the minaret which is structured like a pagoda. There are even Chinese characters carved on the side roof of the mosque. © Ken Marshall on Flickr

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© PrettyKateMachine on Flickr

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24 Š Khairil Faizi on Flickr

Cameron Highlands

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Cameron Highlands The Cameron Highlands (Malay: ''Tanah Tinggi Cameron'') is one of Malaysia’s most extensive hill stations. The size of Singapore, it occupies an area of 712 square kilometres (275 sq mi). To the north, its boundary touches that of Kelantan; to the west, it shares part of its border with Perak.

Sumatran serow, Mountain Peacock-Pheasant and Malayan Whistling-Thrush are listed in the 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Geographically, the resort is located on the highland “spine” of Peninsular Malaysia. Its height varies from 1,070 metres (3,510 ft) to 2,031 metres (6,663 ft).

Mountains There are eight mountains at the retreat.

Mountains Climate The Cameron Highlands is unlike any other Batu Brinchang constituency in Malaysia; it is not only home to hundreds of floral species that are rare to Mount Berembun the tropics; it is also an area with a substantially different ecosystem.

Mount Irau

Height (metres)

Located on the Main Range (Banjaran Titiwangsa), about 75 percent of the division is over a 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) above sea level. The humidity is high with no marked dry seasons. Its wettest months are from October to November; its “driest” period is from January to February.

Mount Jasar

1,696

Mount Mentigi

1,563

Mount Perdah

1,576

Mount Siku

1,916

The “Camerons” is one of the few places in Malaysia that serves as a habitat for a wide variety of flora and fauna. There are more than 700 species of plants that grow here. The vegetation changes as one ascends the mountain. The ward is known for its tea growing, vegetable farms and flower nurseries. Its woodlands form the prevailing natural ecosystem within and around the prefecture.

Mount Swettenham

1,961

2,031 1,840 2,091

At the top of Mount Batu Brinchang is a radio and television station. It was constructed by the British in the early 1950s. Close to it is the mossy forest. The trail to the forest starts from the Sungei Palas Boh Tea Plantation. It takes about 15 minutes to reach the cloud forest by road.

Besides its flora, the district is also noted for being a shelter for a wide variety of animals, birds, reptiles and insects. Of these, the

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© Sam Antonio on Flickr

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28 Š fighteden-d5k4utz on deviantart.com

Penang

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Penang Penang Island is part of the state of Penang, on the west coat of Peninsular Malaysia. It was named Prince of Wales Island when it was occupied by the British East India Company on 12 August 1786, in honour of the birthday of the Prince of Wales, later King George IV. The capital, George Town, was named after the reigning King George III. History Penang was originally part of the Malay Sultanate of Kedah. On 11 August 1786, Captain Francis Light of the British East India Company landed in Penang and renamed it Prince of Wales Island in honour of heir to the British throne.

Unbeknownst to the Sultan, Light had acted without the approval of the East India Company when he promised military protection.

When the Company failed to aid Kedah when Siam attacked it, the Sultan tried to retake the island in 1790. The attempt was unsuccessful, and the Sultan was forced to cede the island to the Company for an honorarium of 6,000 Spanish dollars per annum.

This was later increased to 10,000 dollars, with Province Wellesley on the mainland of the Malay Peninsula being added to Penang in 1800.

The island was a free port until 1969.

Despite the loss of the island’s free-port status, from the 1970s to the late 1990s the state built up one of the largest electronics manufacturing bases in Asia, in the Free Trade Zone around the airport in the south of the island.

On 7 July 2008, George Town, the historic capital of Penang, was formally inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site alongside with Malacca. It is officially recognized as having a unique architectural and cultural townscape without parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia.

Malaysia has another island called “Pulau Pinang”, which is a diving site located in South China Sea and part of the Johor Marine Park, which consists of a group of islands: Pulau Aur, Pulau Dayang, Pulau Lang, and Pulau Pinang itself.

The eastern portion of the island facing the mainland is highly urbanised and built-up with either industrial, commercial or residential areas. The western portion is generally more rugged/hilly and less developed than the rest of the island.

In 1826, Penang, along with Malacca and Singapore, became part of the Straits Settlements under the British administration in India, moving to direct British colonial rule in 1867. In 1946 it became part of the Malayan Union, before becoming in 1948 a state of the Federation of Malaya, which gained independence in 1957 and became Malaysia in 1963.

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© Kah-Wai Lin on Flickr

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Kek Lok Si Temple The Kek Lok Si Temple is a Buddhist temple situated in Air Itam in Penang and is one of the best known temples on the island. It is said to be the largest Buddhist temple in Southeast Asia. The temple is heavily commercialised with shops at every level and inside the main temple complexes.

Most visitors approach the temple as they ascend a stairway, roofs of which provide shelter to a multitude of shops selling souvenirs and other - mostly secular - commodities. They pass by a so-called Liberation Pond, following the buddhist tradition of merit-making, turtles may be released into freedom, albeit a limited one.

The temple itself consists of several large halls for assembly and prayer, here, statues of Buddha, various Bodhisattvas as well as Chinese gods are being venerated.

Intricate woodwork, often brightly painted and a plethora of lanterns add to the visual impression.

There is an inclined lift to carry pilgrims and visitors further uphill. On the elevated platform, you can find a pond filled with Koi and the towering statue of Kuan Yin, Goddess of Mercy, which can also be regarded as Avalokitheshvara, Bodhisattva of Universal Compassion.

The primary benefactor of the Kek Lok Si Temple in 1906 was Kapitan Chung Keng Quee.

In 1930, the seven storey main pagoda of the temple or the Pagoda of 10,000 Buddhas, was completed. This pagoda combines a Chinese octagonal base with a middle tier of Thai design, and a Burmese crown; reflecting the temple’s embrace of both Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism.

In 2002, a 30.2-metre (99 ft) bronze statue of the Kuan Yin was completed and opened to public. It replaced the previous white plaster Kuan Yin statue which was damaged due to a fire a few years earlier. The bronze statue is located on the hillside above the pagoda while the head of the previous statue which survived the fire is preserved and placed on the right hand corner of the new statue.

The temple is a focal point of festivals of the Chinese community in Penang. The Chinese New Year celebrations are particularly impressive. For 30 days following Chinese New Year, the temple remains open until late at night whilst thousands of lights turn the scenery into a sea of light.

The construction of the temple began in 1893 and was inspired by the chief monk of the Goddess of Mercy Temple at Pitt Street.

With the support of the consular representative of China in Penang, the project received the sanction of the Emperor Guangxu, who bestowed a tablet and gift of 70,000 volumes of the Imperial Edition of the Buddhist Sutras.

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Š wikipedia.org

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Š Hagen_world on Flickr

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