Kuala Lumpur - traditional, yet modern

With a per capita income of $4,240, Malaysia is the thrid strongest economy in south east Asia. The Malaysian Ringitt (RM), while still trying to recover from the 1997 south east Asian economic crisis, stands now at RM3.8 to the US$, still far from the powerful RM2.5 of the pre crisis years. In light of the progress made since the crisis, the ''Wawasan'' program being pursued by the Prime Minister, Dr. Mahathir, may not appear too ambitious. This plan essentially aims at making Malaysia into a developed nation from its present developing nation status. The nation has already taken the first few giant leaps towards it, and has done this in great style. And, if there is one place that captures the essence of this vision completely, it is the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, almost universally known as KL. In this city, vivid traces of history continue to influence and inspire a country that is set on becoming a fully industrialised nation. The contradictions are there for all to see, with ultra-modern skysrapers standing magnificently next to rows and rows of quaint old shophouses.

Kuala Lumpur is young and is growing to such an extent that it is today, a modern, dynamic and bustling city. Kuala Lumpur - muddy confluence in local parlance - gets its name from its situation midway along the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, at the confluence of the Klang and Gombek rivers. Read it against this vital piece of historical fact - KL came into being only in the 1860s, that''s just about a 140 years ago.

The fact that KL is still very young, has not stopped it frombeing bold. Actually, extremely bold. Having built the world''s tallest twin buildings - the 451.9 meters high Petronas Towers - there is little the world can argue about. These 88-storey towers, completed in 1998, are an arresting sight. Inspired by the five pillars of Islam, these distinctive silver spires turn absolutely mesmerising by night, making for a near ethereal experience.

The towers are only matched in equal brilliance by the year and a half old new Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). Situated about 60 kms away from the city, this stunning architectural edifice - sprawling across a massive 10,000 hectares - is another bold statement to the world, of Malaysia''s rising economic stature and intentions. With a thoughtfully conceived ingenious merge of man-made technology and ecology, it showcases nature in a symbiotic relationship with steel and concrete. Believed to be among the best international airports in the world today, it has been built with clearly the future in mind. Surely, the proud nation didn''t spend the whopping RM10.50 billion on it for nothing.

It is only in the last decade or so that the fledgling Malaysian infrastructure has transformed itself into a world class platform. Today, KL has an efficient local transport service in the form of buses, commuter trains, taxis and light rail transits. By the end of the year 2000, KL will also have its monorail services in place. In a matter of years, the city''s public transport system has evolved from slow, chaotic, and crowded to speedy, comfortable and extremely sophisticated.

KL, despite all this progress and very high standards, is still an extremely affordable place. Add to that the of travel. Little wonder then that tourism is the third biggest revenue generator for the government. KL is being sported as a popular venue for international events, conventions and exhibitions in South East Asia. In 1998, KL became the first Asian city to host the Commonwealth Games. With the ultimate aim to promote KL as a shopping paradise, Shopping Carnival, a nation-wide annual sale is held every October/ November. For indefatigable shoppers, this is the time to be there.

That Kuala Lumpur is ultra modern is an understatement. But what comes as a greater joy is that unlike Singapore, this city has much more to it than its fair share of skyscrapers, shopping malls, and modern roads. It is the unmistakable local flavour which makes all the difference. And yes, KL is also extremely green.

Though it scores rather low on the presence of the so called places-of-historic-interest, this capital city of an Islamic State does have an interesting mix of the traditional and the modern. The old colonial structures still stand out proudly right in the centre of the city. These co-exist with the mosques and other Moorish spires and domes, and names, which give Kuala Lumpur its characteristic flavour. The sprawling Malay dominated Chow Kit Market and the busy and vibrant Chinatown, with its street vendors and night markets in the heart of the city define the Malaysian ethos further. Chinatown is a crowded colourful melange of signs, shops, activity and noise. It is most spectacular at night, with it''s combination of street stalls, food, haggling and bright lights. To complete the cultural mix, there''s also a bustling Little India, which looks more Indian than any of our towns today.

Walking is the best way to explore KL. The city is surprisingly small, and each new walk throws up more enchanting facets of the colourful and vibrant Malaysian culture. It is also one of the best ways to discover a whole range of exciting cuisine, at the innumerable eateries and small joints lining the roads and major streets. The exotic Malaysian cuisine may be broken down into three main groups - Malay, Chinese and Indian, each having its distinctive taste and style of cooking. There are also cuisines that have evolved from the meeting of cultures. The best recognised are the Nyonya and the Indian Muslim cuisines. For the spice wary visitors, the Continental and Mediterranean fare is readily available besides the Big Macs and KFCs which dot the map of the city.

Kuala Lumpur symbolises the country''s brilliant eclectic ethos. It is a harmonious blend of diverse ethnic groups - the Malays (mostly Muslims), Chinese (mostly Buddhists), Indians (mostly Tamil Hindus), and the indigenous tribes. It is indeed the people of KL (and Malaysia), who stay on in our minds much after leaving that place. Call it their warmth, their pleasantness, or their simplicity, they succeed in casting an enchanting spell on our minds. One of the things which the speedy modernisation has not been able to destroy is their intrinsic goodness. And that''s precisely why KL has not ended up as yet another concrete jungle, at least for the moment. At the very heart of it''s existence lies it''s soul, the people.