Kuala Lumpur - WikiHQ

Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a federal territory of Malaysia. It is the most populous city in the country, covering an area of with a population of 2,075,600 . Greater Kuala Lumpur, which itself includes the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 8.81 million people as of 2024. It is among the fastest growing metropolitan regions in Southeast Asia, in terms of both population and economic development.

The city serves as the cultural, financial, tourism, political and economic centre of Malaysia. It is also home to the Malaysian parliament (consisting of the Dewan Rakyat and the Dewan Negara) and the Istana Negara, the official residence of the monarch (Yang di-Pertuan Agong). Kuala Lumpur was first developed around 1857 as a town serving the tin mines of the region, and important figures such as Yap Ah Loy and Frank Swettenham were instrumental in the early development of the city during the late 19th century. It served as the capital of Selangor from 1880 until 1978. Kuala Lumpur was the founding capital of the Federation of Malaya and its successor, Malaysia. The city remained the seat of the executive and judicial branches of the Malaysian federal government until these were relocated to Putrajaya in early 1999. However, some sections of the political bodies still remain in Kuala Lumpur. The city is one of the three Federal Territories of Malaysia, enclaved within the state of Selangor, on the central west coast of Peninsular Malaysia.

Since the 1990s, the city has played host to many international sporting, political and cultural events, including the 1998 Commonwealth Games, 2001 Southeast Asian Games, 2017 Southeast Asian Games, Formula One, Moto GP and 1997 FIFA World Youth Championships. Kuala Lumpur has undergone rapid development in recent decades and is home to the tallest twin buildings in the world, the Petronas Towers, which have since become an iconic symbol of Malaysian development. Kuala Lumpur is well connected with neighbouring urban metro regions such as Petaling Jaya via the rapidly expanding Klang Valley Integrated Transit System. Residents of the city can also travel to other parts of Peninsular Malaysia as well as to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) via rail through Kuala Lumpur Sentral station.

Kuala Lumpur was ranked the 6th most-visited city in the world on the Mastercard Destination Cities Index in 2019. The city houses three of the world's ten largest shopping malls. Kuala Lumpur ranks 70th in the world and second in Southeast Asia after Singapore in the Economist Intelligence Unit's Global Liveability Ranking and ninth in Asia-Pacific and second in Southeast Asia after Singapore in KPMG's Leading Technology Innovation Hub 2021. Kuala Lumpur was named World Book Capital 2020 by UNESCO. In 2025, Kuala Lumpur was ranked second for the best outstanding city in Southeast Asia, after Singapore, and 79th in the world by the Oxford Economic Papers Global Cities Index.

Etymology

left|thumb|[[Jamek Mosque at the confluence of the Gombak (left) and Klang rivers. The earliest settlement of Kuala Lumpur developed on the eastern side of the river bank (to the right in this picture).]]

Kuala Lumpur means "muddy confluence" in Malay: kuala is the point where two rivers join, or an estuary, and lumpur means "mud". One suggestion is that it was named after Sungai Lumpur ("muddy river"); in the 1820s, a place named Sungei Lumpoor was said to be the most important tin-producing settlement on the Klang River. However, Kuala Lumpur lies at the confluence of the Gombak and Klang rivers and therefore should be called Kuala Gombak, since the kuala is typically named after the river that joins a larger river or the sea. Some have argued that Sungai Lumpur extended to the confluence, therefore, the point where it joined the Klang River would be Kuala Lumpur. This Sungai Lumpur is speculated to be Treacher Valley Stream that joined the Klang River upstream from the Gombak confluence near Bukit Nanas, although it is unclear who the first settlers were since there were likely settlements at the Gombak-Klang river confluence before that in the 1820s. Chinese miners were known to be involved in tin mining up the Selangor River in the 1840s about north of present-day Kuala Lumpur, and Mandailing Sumatrans led by and Sutan Puasa were also involved in tin mining and trade in the Ulu Klang region before 1860, and Sumatrans may have settled in the upper reaches of Klang River in the first quarter of the 19th century, or possibly earlier. Kuala Lumpur was originally a small hamlet of just a few houses and shops at the confluence of the Sungai Gombak and Sungai Klang (Klang River). Kuala Lumpur became established as a town , The miners landed at Kuala Lumpur and continued on foot to Ampang, where they opened the first mine. Kuala Lumpur was the furthest point up the Klang River to which supplies could conveniently be brought by boat and therefore became a collection and dispersal point serving the tin mines.

The town, spurred on by tin-mining, started to develop around Old Market Square (Medan Pasar), with roads radiating out towards Ampang as well as Pudu and Batu (the destinations became the names of these roads: Ampang Road, Pudu Road, and Batu Road), where miners had also begun to settle in, and Petaling and Damansara. The miners formed gangs and the gangs frequently fought in this period, particularly factions of Kuala Lumpur and Kanching, mainly over control of the best tin mines. Leaders of the Chinese community were conferred the title of Kapitan Cina (Chinese headman) by the Malay chief, and Hiu Siew, the early Chinese trader, became the first Kapitan of Kuala Lumpur. The third Chinese Kapitan of Kuala Lumpur, Yap Ah Loy, was appointed in 1868. and Haji Mohamed Taib, who was involved in the early development of Kampung Baru. The Minangkabaus were also significant socio-religious figures, for example Utsman bin Abdullah was the first kadi of Kuala Lumpur, as well as Muhammad Nur bin Ismail.

Beginning of modern Kuala Lumpur

thumb|upright=1.7|left|Part of a panoramic view of Kuala Lumpur . To the left is the [[Merdeka Square, Kuala Lumpur|Padang. The buildings were mostly constructed of wood and atap before regulations enacted by Swettenham in 1884 required buildings to use bricks and tiles. The appearance of Kuala Lumpur transformed rapidly in the following years due to the building regulations.]]

Early Kuala Lumpur was a small town that suffered from many social and political problems – the buildings were mostly made of wood and 'atap' (palm frond thatching). The buildings were prone to catching fire, and due to a lack of proper sanitation, the town was plagued with diseases. It also suffered from a constant threat of flooding due to its location. The town became embroiled in the Selangor Civil War in part over control of revenue from the tin mines. Yap Ah Loy allied himself with and the Hai San secret society, they fought against a rival secret society, Ghee Hin, who allied themselves with Raja Mahdi. Raja Asal and Sutan Puasa switched sides to Raja Mahdi, and Kuala Lumpur was captured in 1872 and burnt to the ground. Yap escaped to Klang where he assembled another fighting force and recaptured Kuala Lumpur in March 1873, defeating Raja Mahdi's forces with the help of fighters from Pahang. The war and other setbacks, such as dropping tin prices, led to a slump. A major outbreak of cholera caused many to flee. The slump lasted until late 1879, when rising prices for tin allowed the town to recover.

thumb|upright=1.1|The Government Offices of the [[Federated Malay States (Now the Sultan Abdul Samad Building) facing the Padang, ]]

The early Chinese and Malay settled along the east bank of the Klang River. The Chinese mainly settled around the commercial centre of Market Square. The Malays, and later Indian Chettiars and Muslims, resided in the Java Street area, now Jalan Tun Perak. In 1880, the colonial administration moved the state capital of Selangor from Klang to the more strategically advantageous Kuala Lumpur, and British Resident William Bloomfield Douglas decided to locate the government buildings and living quarters to the west of the river. Government offices and a new police headquarters were built on Bukit Aman, and the Padang was initially created for police training. The Padang, now known as Independence Square, would later become the centre of the British administrative offices when the colonial government offices moved to the Sultan Abdul Samad Building in 1897.

Frank Swettenham, on becoming the British Resident, began improving the town by cleaning up the streets. He also stipulated in 1884 that buildings should be constructed of brick and tile so that they would be less flammable, and that the town be rebuilt with wider streets to reduce fire risk. Demolished atap buildings were replaced with brick and tile buildings, and many of the new brick buildings had "five-foot ways" and Chinese carpentry work. This resulted in a distinct eclectic shop house architecture typical to this region. Kapitan Yap Ah Loy expanded road access, linking tin mines with the city with the main arterial routes of the present Ampang Road, Pudu Road and Petaling Street. As Chinese Kapitan, he held wide powers on a par with Malay community leaders. Law reforms were implemented and new legal measures were introduced to the assembly. Yap also presided over a small claims court. With a police force of six, he was able to uphold the rule of law, constructing a prison that could accommodate sixty prisoners at a time. Yap Ah Loy also built Kuala Lumpur's first school and a major tapioca mill in Petaling Street, in which the Selangor's Sultan Abdul Samad held an interest.

thumb|upright=1.1|The construction of railway spurred the growth of the city. The first headquarters of the [[Federated Malay States Railways (now the National Textile Museum) near the F.M.S. Government Offices in the distance, .]]

A railway line between Kuala Lumpur and Klang, initiated by Swettenham and completed in 1886, increased access and resulted in rapid growth. The population grew from 4,500 in 1884 to 20,000 in 1890. In 1896, Kuala Lumpur was chosen as the capital of the newly formed Federated Malay States.

20th century–present

thumb|left|An arcade of [[shophouses with a road sweeper at work in the street of Kuala Lumpur, .]]

Kuala Lumpur expanded considerably in the 20th century. It was in 1895, but was extended to encompass in 1903, and to by 1924. By the time it became a municipality in 1948 it had expanded to , and then to in 1974 as a Federal Territory.

Until 1974, Kuala Lumpur was one of the seven districts of Selangor (six before 1960). The Kuala Lumpur district comprises eight (later nine) mukims – Sungai Buloh, Batu, Petaling, Ampang, Ulu Klang, Kuala Lumpur (city and suburbs), Setapak and (since 1953) Petaling Jaya.

The development of a rubber industry in Selangor fuelled by the demand for car tyres in the early 20th century led to a boom, and the population of Kuala Lumpur increased from 30,000 in 1900 to 80,000 in 1920. The commercial activities of Kuala Lumpur had been run to a large extent by Chinese businessmen such as Loke Yew, who was then the richest and most influential Chinese in Kuala Lumpur. The growth of the rubber industry led to an influx of foreign capital and planters, with new companies and industries becoming established in Kuala Lumpur, and other companies previously based elsewhere also found a presence here.

thumb|Japanese troops advancing up High Street (now [[List of roads in Kuala Lumpur|Jalan Tun H S Lee) in Kuala Lumpur in December 1941 during World War II.]]

During World War II, Kuala Lumpur was captured by the Imperial Japanese Army on 11 January 1942. Despite suffering little damage during the battle, the wartime occupation of the city resulted in significant loss of lives; at least 5,000 Chinese were killed in Kuala Lumpur in just a few weeks of occupation by Japanese forces, and thousands of Indians were sent as forced labour to work on the Burma Railway where many died. They occupied the city until 15 August 1945, when the commander in chief of the Japanese Seventh Area Army in Singapore and Malaysia, Seishirō Itagaki, surrendered to the British administration following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Kuala Lumpur grew during the war, and continued after the war during the Malayan Emergency (1948–1960), during which Malaya was preoccupied with a communist insurgency and New Villages were established on the outskirts of the city. On 31 August 1957, the Federation of Malaya gained its independence from British rule. The British flag was lowered and the Malayan flag raised for the first time at the Padang at midnight on 30 August 1957, and on the morning of 31 August, the ceremony for the Declaration of Independence was held at the Merdeka Stadium by the first Prime Minister of Malaya, Tunku Abdul Rahman. Kuala Lumpur officially became the capital of the Malayan federation under the Federal Capital Act 1960 remained still after the formation of Malaysia on 16 September 1963. The Malaysian Houses of Parliament were completed at the edge of the Lake Gardens in 1963. The population of Kuala Lumpur expanded considerably from 1960 to 2018, doubling in size every 13 years.

thumb|left|The Majestic Theatre on Pudu Road was an early pioneer in Kuala Lumpur's cinema scene. It was converted into an amusement park in the 1990s and demolished in 2009.

Kuala Lumpur has seen several civil disturbances over the years. A riot in 1897 was a relatively minor affair that began with the confiscation of faulty dacing (a scale used by traders), and in 1912, a more serious disturbance called the tauchang riot began during the Chinese New Year with the cutting of pigtails and ended with rioting and factional fighting lasting several days. The worst rioting on record in Malaysia, however, occurred on 13 May 1969, when race riots broke out in Kuala Lumpur. and led to major changes in the country's economic policy to promote and prioritise Malay economic development over that of other ethnicities.

City, Federal Territory, Greater Kuala Lumpur

thumb|Kuala Lumpur cityscape in 1987 before [[Kuala Lumpur City Centre|KLCC was created. The race track in the foreground was replaced by the Petronas Towers and KLCC Park in 1998.]]

Kuala Lumpur achieved city status on 1 February 1972, becoming the first settlement in Malaysia to be granted the status after independence. Later, on 1 February 1974, Kuala Lumpur became a federal territory. The territory of Kuala Lumpur expanded to 96 square miles by absorbing the surrounding areas. Kuala Lumpur was ceded by Selangor to be directly controlled by the central government, and it ceased to be capital of Selangor in 1978 after the city of Shah Alam was declared the new state capital.

On 14 May 1990, Kuala Lumpur celebrated the centennial of the local council. The new federal territory Kuala Lumpur flag and anthem were introduced. Putrajaya was declared a Federal Territory on 1 February 2001, as well as the seat of the federal government. The administrative and judicial functions of the government were shifted from Kuala Lumpur to Putrajaya. Kuala Lumpur however still retained its legislative function, and remained the home of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Constitutional King).

thumb|The [[Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) in 2020]]

From the 1990s onwards, major urban developments in the Klang Valley extended the Kuala Lumpur metropolitan area. This area, known as Greater Kuala Lumpur, extends from the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur westward to Port Klang, east to the edge of the Titiwangsa Mountains as well as to the north and south. The area covers other administratively separate towns and cities such as Klang, Shah Alam, Putrajaya and others, and is served by the Klang Valley Integrated Transit System. Notable projects undertaken within Kuala Lumpur itself included the development of a new Kuala Lumpur City Centre around Jalan Ampang and the Petronas Towers, once the world's tallest buildings. The Petronas Towers has since been superseded as the tallest buildings in Kuala Lumpur by The Exchange 106 and Merdeka 118, which is the second tallest building in the world after the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

Geography

thumb|A satellite view of Klang Valley or [[Greater Kuala Lumpur]]

The geography of Kuala Lumpur is characterised by the huge Klang Valley, bordered by the Titiwangsa Mountains in the east, several minor ranges in the north and the south, and the Strait of Malacca in the west. Kuala Lumpur is a Malay term that translates to "muddy confluence" and is located at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak rivers which flow into the Selangor River.

thumb|The British [[Red Arrows flying over the city in 2016]]

Located in the centre of Selangor state, Kuala Lumpur was a territory of Selangor State Government. In 1974, Kuala Lumpur was split off from Selangor to form the first Federal Territory governed directly by the Malaysian federal government. Its location in the most developed state on the west coast of peninsular Malaysia, which has a wider stretch of flat land than the east coast, has helped it develop faster than other cities in Malaysia. The municipality covers an area of , with an average elevation of highest point being Bukit Nanas at 94 meters above sea level.

Climate

Protected by the Titiwangsa Range in the east and Indonesia's Sumatra Island in the west, Kuala Lumpur is sheltered from strong winds and has a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen climate classification Af), hot, humid and sunny, with abundant rainfall, especially during the northeast monsoon season from October to March. Temperatures tend to remain constant. Maximums hover between and sometimes topping , while minimums hover between and have never fallen below . Kuala Lumpur typically receives at least of rain annually; June to August are relatively dry, but even then rainfall typically exceeds a month. Kuala Lumpur is highly prone to severe thunderstorms and lightning strikes. The Klang Valley, including Kuala Lumpur, is one of the places where thunderstorms are most frequently observed on Earth.

Floods are frequent in Kuala Lumpur after heavy downpours, especially in the city centre, because irrigation structure lags behind the intense development in the city. Smoke from forest fires in nearby Sumatra and Kalimantan sometimes casts a haze over the region, and is a major source of pollution, along with open burning, motor vehicle emissions, and construction.

{|style="text-align:center;" class="wikitable mw-collapsible"

!Colspan=14|Climate data for Kuala Lumpur

!Month

!Jan

!Feb

!Mar

!Apr

!May

!Jun

!Jul

!Aug

!Sep

!Oct

!Nov

!Dec

!style="border-left-width:medium"|Year

!Mean daily daylight hours

|style="background:#FFFF33;color:#000000;"|12.0

|style="background:#FFFF33;color:#000000;"|12.1

|style="background:#FFFF33;color:#000000;"|12.2

|style="background:#FFFF33;color:#000000;"|12.3

|style="background:#FFFF33;color:#000000;"|12.2

|style="background:#FFFF33;color:#000000;"|12.1

|style="background:#FFFF33;color:#000000;"|12.0

|style="background:#FFFF33;color:#000000;"|11.9

|style="background:#FFFF33;color:#000000;border-left-width:medium"|12.1

!Average Ultraviolet index

|style="background:#6b49c8;color:#000000;"|6

|style="background:#6b49c8;color:#000000;"|7

|style="background:#6b49c8;color:#000000;border-left-width:medium"|7

!Colspan=14 style="background:#f8f9fa;font-weight:normal;font-size:95%;"|Source: Weather Atlas

Governance

thumb|[[Kuala Lumpur City Hall]]

Kuala Lumpur was administered by a corporation sole called the Federal Capital Commissioner from 1 April 1961, until it was awarded city status in 1972, after which executive power transferred to the Lord Mayor (Datuk Bandar). 15 mayors have been appointed since then. The current mayor is Maimunah Mohd Sharif, who has been in office since 15 August 2024.

Local government

The local administration is carried out by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall, an agency under the Federal Territories Ministry of Malaysia.

Districts

Kuala Lumpur's eleven parliamentary constituencies, with 2020 population, area, density and percentage of the total are congruent with administrative subdivisions under the authority of the Kuala Lumpur City Hall authority.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto 1em auto; width:100%; font-size:smaller; text-align:center"

| rowspan=14 style="font-size:larger" align="center" |

{| class="wikitable sortable" style=text-align:center

! colspan=2 | Local authority

! rowspan=2 | Population

! rowspan=2 | Area (km²)

! rowspan=2 | Density

! rowspan=2 | Code

! rowspan=2 | Name

| P.114

| Kepong

| 106,199 (5.36%)

| 12 (4.9%)

| 8,850

| P.115

| Batu

| 219,132 (11.06%)

| 20 (8.2%)

| 10,956

| P.116

| Wangsa Maju

| 215,870 (10.89%)

| 16 (6.6%)

| 13,491

| P.117

| Segambut

| 253,715 (12.89%)

| 51 (21%)

| 4,974

| P.118

| Setiawangsa

| 147,095 (7.42%)

| 16 (6.6%)

| 9,193

| P.119

| Titiwangsa

| 122,096 (6.16%)

| 15 (6.2%)

| 8,139

| P.120

| Bukit Bintang

| 120,259 (6.07%)

| 21 (8.6%)

| 5,726

| P.121

| Lembah Pantai

| 148,094 (7.47%)

| 20 (8.2%)

| 7,404

| P.122

| Seputeh

| 322,511 (16.27%)

| 31 (12.8%)

| 10,403

| P.123

| Cheras

| 135,823 (6.85%)

| 16 (6.6%)

| 8,488

| P.124

| Bandar Tun Razak

| 191,318 (9.65%)

| 25 (10.3%)

| 7,652

! colspan=2 style="text-align:center" | Total

! 1,982,112 (100%)

! 243 (100%)

! 8,156

Mukims

thumb|right|Mukims of the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur

For land administration purposes, the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur is divided into eight mukims, and several mukim-level towns (pekan/bandar):

{| class="wikitable"

!Mukim

!Corresponding parliament

!Areas included

|Bandar Kuala Lumpur

Bukit Bintang
Titiwangsa (partial)
Lembah Pantai (partial)
Cheras (partial)
Batu (partial)
Setiawangsa (federal)

Kuala Lumpur central business district

Kampung Baru

Titiwangsa

Sentul

Maluri

Pudu

Brickfields

Mid Valley City

Bukit Tunku

Perdana Botanical Gardens and Cenotaph

|Mukim Kuala Lumpur (Suburban district)

Cheras
Bandar Tun Razak (partial)
Lembah Pantai (partial)
Segambut (partial)
Seputeh (partial)

Cheras

Shamelin Perkasa (partial)

Bandar Tun Razak

Salak South

Bangsar

University of Malaya

Pantai Dalam

Jalan Klang Lama (Taman Desa)

Bukit Damansara

Sri Hartamas and Taman Duta

Istana Negara

Taman Tun Dr Ismail

Kampung Sungai Penchala

|Mukim Petaling

Seputeh
Bandar Tun Razak
Cheras (partial)

Jalan Klang Lama (Taman OUG & Kuchai Lama)

Sri Petaling

Bukit Jalil

Bandar Tasik Selatan

Sungai Besi

|Mukim Batu

Batu
Kepong
Segambut (partial)

Kepong

Jinjang

Segambut

Mont Kiara

Batu

Jalan Ipoh

Sentul (partial)

Taman Wahyu

|Mukim Setapak

Wangsa Maju
Setiawangsa

Setapak

Wangsa Maju

Taman Melati

Setiawangsa (partial)

|Mukim Ampang

Titiwangsa
Cheras (partial)

Kampung Pandan

Ampang

Kampung Datuk Keramat

Cochrane (partial)

Maluri (partial)

Cheras (partial)

|Mukim Ulu Kelang

Setiawangsa

|Setiawangsa

|Mukim Cheras (Alam Damai)

Cheras
Bandar Tun Razak

Alam Damai

Taman Connaught

Politics

thumb|The [[Malaysian Houses of Parliament|Malaysia Parliament House (Bangunan Parlimen Malaysia), located at the end of Jalan Parlimen.]]

Kuala Lumpur is home to the Parliament of Malaysia. The federal Constitution stipulates the three branches of the Malaysian government: the Executive, Judiciary and Legislative branches. The Parliament consists of the Dewan Negara (Upper House / House of Senate) and Dewan Rakyat (Lower House / House of Representatives).

Despite the relocation of federal government administration to Putrajaya, certain government institutions such as Bank Negara Malaysia (National Bank of Malaysia), Companies Commission of Malaysia and Securities Commission as well as most embassies and diplomatic missions have remained in the city. The city remains the economic and business hub of the country. Kuala Lumpur is a centre for finance, insurance, real estate, media and the arts of Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur is rated the only global city in Malaysia, according to the Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network (GaWC).

thumb|upright|The [[Merdeka 118 is the tallest building in Southeast Asia; it is also the second-tallest building in the world, after the Burj Khalifa.]]

Bursa Malaysia, or the Malaysia Exchange, is based in the city and forms one of its core economic activities. As of 5 July 2013, the market capitalisation stood at US$505.67 billion.

The gross domestic product (GDP) for Kuala Lumpur is estimated at RM73,536 million in 2008 with an average annual growth rate of 5.9 per cent. By 2015, the GDP had reached RM160,388 million, representing 15.1% of the total GDP of Malaysia. The per capita GDP for Kuala Lumpur in 2013 was RM79,752 with an average annual growth rate of 5.6 per cent, and RM94,722 in 2015. The service sector, comprising finance, insurance, real estate, business services, wholesale and retail trade, restaurants and hotels, transport, storage and communication, utilities, personal services and government services form the largest component of employment, representing about 83.0 per cent of the total. The remaining 17 per cent comes from manufacturing and construction.

The large service sector is evident in the number of local and foreign banks and insurance companies operating in the city. Kuala Lumpur is poised to become the global Islamic financing hub with an increasing number of financial institutions providing Islamic financing and the strong presence of Gulf financial institutions such as the world's largest Islamic bank, the Al-Rajhi Bank and Kuwait Finance House. Apart from that, the Dow Jones & Company is keen to work with Bursa Malaysia to set up Islamic Exchange Trade Funds (ETFs), which would help raise Malaysia's profile in the Gulf. The city has a large number of foreign corporations and is also host to many multi national companies' regional offices or support centres, particularly for finance and accounting, and information technology functions. Most of the country's largest companies have their headquarters here, and as of December 2007 and excluding Petronas, there are 14 companies listed in Forbes 2000 based in Kuala Lumpur.

There has been a growing emphasis on expanding the economic scope of the city in other service activities, such as research and development, which support the rest of the economy of Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur has been home for years to important research centres such as the Rubber Research Institute of Malaysia, the Forest Research Institute Malaysia and the Institute of Medical Research. A new financial district for Kuala Lumpur is currently under construction: the Tun Razak Exchange (TRX), formerly known as Kuala Lumpur International Financial District (KLIFD). The TRX's landmark and prominent building is The Exchange 106 tower. The 70-acre development will be situated in the heart of Kuala Lumpur and will serve international finance and business opportunities. The new financial hub is a strategic enabler of the Malaysian government's Economic Transformation Programme (ETP), an initiative by the Malaysian government to turn Malaysia into a high income economy nation.

Tourism

thumb|[[Sultan Abdul Samad Building, a historic building designed in the Moorish style and formerly housed various government offices.]]

Tourism plays an important role in the city's service-driven economy. Many large worldwide hotel chains have a presence in the city. One of the oldest hotels is the Hotel Majestic. Kuala Lumpur is the sixth most visited city in the world, with 8.9 million tourists 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 93,000 square meter-size MATRADE Centre in 2014. The MATRADE agency is also the owner of the Malaysia International Trade And Exhibition Centre (MITEC), the largest trade and exhibition centre of Malaysia, which is a component of the larger KL Metropolis development situated in the suburb of Segambut. Another notable trend is the increased presence of budget hotels in the city.

thumb|The [[National Museum (Malaysia)|National Museum of Malaysia, located along Jalan Damansara.]]

The major tourist destinations in Kuala Lumpur include the Petronas Towers, the Bukit Bintang shopping district, the Kuala Lumpur Tower, Petaling Street (Chinatown), the Merdeka Square, the Kuala Lumpur railway station, the House of Parliament building, the National Palace (Istana Negara), the National Planetarium, the National Science Centre, the National Art Gallery (Balai Seni Negara), the National Theatre (Istana Budaya), the National Museum, the Royal Museum, the National Textile Museum, Islamic Arts Museum, Telekom Museum, Royal Malaysian Police Museum, the National Mosque of Malaysia (Masjid Negara), Federal Territory Mosque (Masjid Wilayah), Sultan Abdul Samad Building, DBKL City Theatre (Panggung Bandaraya), Medan Pasar, Central Market, KL Bird Park, KL Butterfly Park, Aquaria KLCC, Saloma Link (Pintasan Saloma), the National Monument, and religious sites such as the Sultan Abdul Samad Jamek Mosque, Thean Hou Temple and Buddhist Maha Vihara in Brickfields.

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 Batu Caves in the neighbouring Gombak, Selangor. The primary entertainment and shopping district of the city is mainly centred in the Golden Triangle encompassing Jalan P. Ramlee, Jalan Sultan Ismail, Jalan Bukit Bintang, Ampang Road and Bintang Walk.

alt=Bukit Bintang 26|thumb|upright|Bukit Bintang area taken from the Pavillion complex 9 May 2026

Retail

Kuala Lumpur alone has 66 shopping malls and is the retail and fashion hub of both Malaysia and Southeast Asia. Shopping in Malaysia contributed RM7.7 billion (US$2.26 billion) or 20.8 per cent of the RM31.9 billion tourism receipts in 2006.

Suria KLCC is one of Malaysia's premier upscale shopping destinations due to its location beneath the Petronas Towers. Apart from Suria KLCC, the Bukit Bintang district has the highest concentration of shopping malls in Kuala Lumpur. It includes: Pavilion KL, Fahrenheit 88, Plaza Low Yat, Berjaya Times Square, Lot 10, Sungei Wang Plaza, Starhill Gallery, Lalaport BBCC, Quill City Mall and Avenue K. Changkat area of Bukit Bintang hosts various cafes, alfresco dining outlets, illegal activities such as prostitution and more. It is best known as one of the red-light districts in Kuala Lumpur. Bangsar district also has a few shopping complexes, including Bangsar Village, Bangsar Shopping Centre, KL Gateway Mall, Bangsar South, KL Eco City Mall, The Gardens, and Mid Valley Megamall.

Apart from shopping complexes, Kuala Lumpur has designated numerous zones in the city to market locally manufactured products such as textiles, fabrics, and handicrafts, especially at Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman. Traditional clothing of ethnic Malays, such as baju Kurung and baju kebaya can be found here. 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.

Since 2000, the Malaysian Ministry of Tourism has introduced a mega sale event for shopping in Malaysia. The mega sale event is held three times a year – in March, May and December – in which all shopping malls are encouraged to participate to boost Kuala Lumpur as a leading shopping destination in Asia, which has been maintained until present with new mega sales.

File:KL - Changkat Bkt Bintang St Patrick's Day 2012.JPG|Changkat Bukit Bintang, an upmarket gastronomy area and red light district in Kuala Lumpur at night.

File:Downtown Kuala Lumpur at Night (49125936143).jpg|Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur's retail cluster.

File:2016 Kuala Lumpur, Park KLCC i Suria KLCC.jpg|Suria KLCC, located between the Petronas Twin Towers.

File:PavilionKLfountain.jpg|Pavilion KL, one of the city's iconic shopping centres.

File:Central Market 6 June 2014.JPG|Pasar Seni (Central Market), known for its art and craft souvenirs based on Malaysian culture.

File:The Twins SE Asia 2019 (49171985716).jpg|The Carigali Tower, Petronas Twin Towers, Maxis Tower and Four Seasons Place KL from left.

File:KL city skyline April 2024.jpg|Four of the tallest structures in Kuala Lumpur in a single panorama, April 2024.

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Etymology

Beginning of modern Kuala Lumpur

20th century–present

City, Federal Territory, Greater Kuala Lumpur

Geography

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Retail

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