It may come as a surprise but Kuala Lumpur is no longer the capital of Malaysia. That honor belongs to the new township of Putra Jaya, Selangor, which is located in the heart of the Multi-Media- Super- Corridor(MSC).
It is being talked about as Malaysia’s loveliest intelligent city. Such hype is a wee bit premature for although the Prime Minister’s Department and a number of other key government agencies have already relocated to Putra Jaya, it is still very much in the early phases of development. The early developments are impressive. One of the first sights that greet you are the lovely royal and champagne palms and the architecture, which has Moorish overtones. The landscaping of the main buildings is very good indeed.Clearly the landscaping budget is a big one. A few residential areas have been constructed and the housing is undeniably of a high quality, It might be added it is also pretty expensive.A clever touch can be found in the lamp posts in the new town-they are in the shape of wan bulan, or giant kite, and the designers certainly are trying to display Malaysia’s cultural heritage at Putra Jaya. The mosque is a fine example of Islamic architecture and the Prime Minister’s house is also a luxurious building, From a tourist perspective the major attraction, apart from the architecture, has to be the Putra Jaya Wetlands. These cover a total of 650 hectares and consist of constructed marsh areas and lake systems. The Wetlands offer attractions such as nature trails, 3-storey look out towers, artificial water bird ponds, viewing decks, a wetland plant nursery and shelter huts. The reserve is actually said to be the largest constructed freshwater wetland in the tropics and contains over 12 million plants from some 70 exclusively indigenous species.
Visitors are able to gain an educational hands-on experience through a visit to the Nature Interpretation Centre (NIC), which is located at the Putra Jaya Wetland Park. The NIC- Malaysian’s love abbreviations-provides slide and video presentations, wetland flora and fauna exhibits, poster displays, a wetland plant herborium, murals and houses wetland products. There is also a souvenir shop and a cafetaria. It is already proving to be a resounding success and more and more Malaysians and some foreign tourists are putting it on their list of must see sights.
Not far away is Cyberjaya which is being developed as the nucleus of the MSC and the planners are seeking to make it an intelligent township with a symbiotic harmony between the Creator, man, environment and technology. A major emphasis is to be given to the sustenance of an eco-friendly environment. Some 40 per cent Of Cyberjaya is reputedly going to be given over to green lung and public areas. As yet, however, apart from the highly attractive resort hotel, The Cyberview Lodge, the MSC Headquarters and some impressive new buildings, there is a not great deal to see.