The capital city of Kuala Lumpur has a population of almost 1 and half million, and is the largest city in Malaysia.

With it's orgins as a tin mine, Kuala Lumpur has no great history nor distinctive and attractive physical features, but is characterised by its dynamism and colorful mix of people resulting in a stimulating and exciting enviroment in which to do business and live.

A focus on modernization, resulting in the replacement of traditional food stalls with Western foast food outlets and the world's tallest buildings has transformed this once ugly duckling of South East Asia into a metropolis aping Singapore, but at the expense of some loss of the color of this friendly city.

But the people of Kuala Lumpur are what makes this town, and people have been known to provide a stamp of authority obstinate to attempts by city planners to control and placate

Kuala Lumpur is characterised by Malay and Chinese culture, with a good serving of Indian culture on the side. While Islam is the state religion, Malaysia is tolerant of other faiths, and along with mosques, you can see many temples and churches in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysian food is typically Malay or Chinese (the latter covering all Chinese cuisines including Hainan and Hakka food). While certain foods such as pork and alchohol are not consumed by the majority Malays, they are still readily available in restaurants that do not have the Halal certification, and bars. Almost all tourist or 4 to 5 star hotels generally serve halal food only, apart from specialized Chinese restaurants.

The business style in Kuala Lumpur is simultaneously relaxed and formal - deadlines are "fuzzy", service is generally relaxed, and business is governed by a set of informal and sometimes (to the casual business visitor at least) subtle rules. These often relate to paying a higher respect to those with high positions than Westerners are often accustomed to. Informal getting-to-know sessions are usually long-term and frequent, aided by the diverse venues for such that Kuala Lumpur offers - from local food open air restaurants to ostentatious clubs and karaoke bars to informal golf and sporting clubs.

Last Cache Update: January 16, 2005 05:59 PM