Kuala Lumpur

File:Masjid Jamek along Klang & Gombak River (220512) 06.jpg 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).|240x240px]]

Kuala Lumpur means "muddy confluence" in Malay: kuala is the point where two rivers join, or estuary, and lumpur means "mud".{{cite web |title=Kuala |url=https://prpm.dbp.gov.my/Cari1?keyword=kuala |website=Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu |publisher=Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka |access-date=7 January 2025 |language=ms |quote=kuala (noun): Synonymous with estuary, river mouth, downstream, confluence, entrance; Derivatives: berkuala, ke kuala.}}{{cite web|url=https://glosbe.com/ms/en/kuala|title=kuala in English|work=Glosbe|access-date=3 July 2016|archive-date=17 December 2016|archive-url=https://archive.today/20161217014658/https://glosbe.com/ms/en/kuala|url-status=live }}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9a02sRJKFhMC&pg=PA83|title=Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei. Ediz. Inglese|author=Simon Richmond|publisher=Lonely Planet Publications; 10th Revised edition|date=25 November 2006|isbn=978-1-74059-708-1|page=85|access-date=3 July 2016|archive-date=30 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170330205305/https://books.google.com/books?id=9a02sRJKFhMC&pg=PA83|url-status=live }} 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.{{sfn|Gullick|2000|pages=1–2}} 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.{{sfn|Gullick|1955|page=11}} Some have argued that Sungai Lumpur extended to the confluence, therefore, the point where it joined the Klang River would be Kuala Lumpur,Abdul-Razzaq Lubis, 'Sutan Puasa: The Founder of Kuala Lumpur', Journal of Southeast Asian Architecture (12), National University of Singapore, September 2013. although this Sungai Lumpur is said to be another river joining the Klang River {{convert|1|mi|km|round=0.5|order=flip|abbr=off}} upstream from the Gombak confluence, or perhaps located to the north of the Batu Caves area.{{sfn|Gullick|1955|page=11}}

It has also been proposed that Kuala Lumpur was originally named Pengkalan Lumpur ("muddy landing place"), in the same way that Klang was once called Pengkalan Batu ("stone landing place"), but became corrupted into Kuala Lumpur. Another theory says that it was initially a Cantonese word, lam-pa, meaning "flooded jungle" or "decayed jungle". There is no firm contemporary evidence for these suggestions other than anecdotes, however.{{cite book|title=The Story of Kuala Lumpur, 1857–1939|author=J.M. Gullick|publisher=Eastern Universities Press (M)|year=1983|isbn=978-967-908-028-5}} The name may also be a corrupted form of an earlier forgotten name.{{sfn|Gullick|1955|page=11}}

{{Main|History of Kuala Lumpur}}

{{Quote box |width=23em |align=left |bgcolor=#FFE0AF

|title=Historical affiliations

|fontsize=90% |quote={{flag|Selangor|pre-1965|name=Sultanate of Selangor}} 1857–1974

{{flag|Federated Malay States}} 1895–1942; 1945–1946

{{flagdeco|Empire of Japan|1870}} Empire of Japan 1942–1945

{{flag|Malayan Union}} 1946–1948

{{flag|Malaya|name=Federation of Malaya}} 1948–1963

{{flag|Malaysia}} 1963–present

}}

Some consider Kuala Lumpur to have been founded by the Malay Chief of Klang, Raja Abdullah, who sent Chinese miners into the region to open tin mines in 1857,{{Cite book |last=The Royal Asiatic Society |url=https://archive.org/details/dli.ernet.240629/page/19/mode/2up |title=Journal Of The Malayan Branch Of The Royal Asiatic Society Vol-XI |publisher=The Malayan Branch Of The Royal Asiatic Society |year=1933 |location=Singapore |pages=19 |language=en}} 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 {{convert|10|mi|km|order=flip|abbr=off}} north of present-day Kuala Lumpur,{{sfn|Gullick|1955|pages=10–11}} and Mandailing Sumatrans led by {{ILL|Raja Asal|ms}} 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.{{cite journal|url=http://myrepositori.pnm.gov.my/bitstream/123456789/4317/1/JB1869_GOKL.pdf|title=The Growth of Kuala Lumpur and the Malay Communities in Selangor Before 1880|author=J.M. Gullick|journal=Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society|volume=LXIII|date=June 1990|issue=1|pages=15–17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160815212619/http://myrepositori.pnm.gov.my/bitstream/123456789/4317/1/JB1869_GOKL.pdf|archive-date=15 August 2016|url-status=dead}}Abdul Samad Ahmad, Pesaka Selangor, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, Kuala Lumpur, (1937 edisi Jawi), 1966.{{cite book|author=Lam Seng Fatt|title=Insider's Kuala Lumpur (3rd Edn): Is No Ordinary Travel Guide. Open Your Eyes to the Soul of the City (Not Just the Twin Towers...)|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rRCJAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA17|date=15 March 2011|publisher=Marshall Cavendish International Asia Pte Ltd|isbn=978-981-4435-39-0|pages=17–18|access-date=5 April 2018|archive-date=4 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804130120/https://books.google.com/books?id=rRCJAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA18|url-status=live}} 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 {{Circa|1857}}, when Raja Abdullah bin Raja Jaafar, aided by his brother Raja Juma'at of Lukut, raised funds from Malaccan Chinese businessmen to hire Chinese miners from Lukut to open new tin mines there.{{cite book|title=The Story of Kuala Lumpur, 1857–1939|author= J.M. Gullick|publisher=Eastern Universities Press (M)|pages=8–9|year=1983|isbn=978-967-908-028-5}}{{cite web|url=http://all.talkmalaysia.com/kuala-lumpur/kuala-lumpur-history/|title=Kuala Lumpur History|publisher=All Malaysia|access-date=15 September 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091018073627/http://all.talkmalaysia.com/kuala-lumpur/kuala-lumpur-history/|archive-date=18 October 2009|url-status=dead}} The miners landed at Kuala Lumpur and continued on foot to Ampang, where they opened the first mine.Middlebrook & Gullick, op. cit., 1983: 18. 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.{{sfn|Gullick|1955|page=10}}

{{multiple image

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| alt1 = Yap Ah Loy

| caption1 = Kapitan Yap Ah Loy, the third Chinese Kapitan of Kuala Lumpur

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credited with Kuala Lumpur's rapid growth and development

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Despite a high death toll from the malarial conditions of the jungle, the Ampang mines succeeded and exported the first tin in 1859.{{sfn|Gullick|1955|page=10}} At that time, Sutan Puasa was already trading near Ampang. Two traders from Lukut, Hiu Siew and Yap Ah Sze, arrived in Kuala Lumpur and set up shops to sell provisions to miners in exchange for tin.{{cite book|title=Kuala Lumpur: An Amalgam of Tin, Rubber, and Races : a Brief Review of the City's Historical, Physical, and Psychological Development : a Report|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=J9RLAQAAMAAJ|author=Willard Anderson Hanna|publisher=American Universities Field Staff|year=1959|access-date=5 April 2018|archive-date=3 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803194056/https://books.google.com/books?id=J9RLAQAAMAAJ|url-status=live}}{{cite book|title=Kuala Lumpur: 100 Years|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sBZwAAAAMAAJ|year=1959|publisher=Kuala Lumpur Municipal Council|access-date=5 April 2018|archive-date=3 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803211821/https://books.google.com/books?id=sBZwAAAAMAAJ|url-status=live}} 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.{{sfn|Gullick|2000|pages=7–9}} The miners formed gangs{{cite web|url=http://kiat.net/malaysia/KL/history.html |title=From tin town to tower city |publisher=kiat.net |access-date=28 September 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100727225206/http://kiat.net/malaysia/KL/history.html |archive-date=27 July 2010 }} and the gangs frequently fought in this period, particularly factions of Kuala Lumpur and Kanching, mainly over control of the best tin mines.{{cite journal|url=http://myrepositori.pnm.gov.my/bitstream/123456789/2265/1/JB1865_MBRA.pdf|title=Kuala Lumpur 1880–1895|author=J.M. Gullick|journal=Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society|volume=24|issue=4|pages=12–14|year=1955|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150528182107/http://myrepositori.pnm.gov.my/bitstream/123456789/2265/1/JB1865_MBRA.pdf|archive-date=28 May 2015|url-status=dead}} 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.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ow0pA3HchHQC&pg=PA49|title=The Consumption of Kuala Lumpur|author=Ziauddin Sardar|page=49|publisher=Reaktion Books|date=1 August 2000|isbn=978-1-86189-057-3|access-date=2 September 2017|archive-date=4 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804121030/https://books.google.com/books?id=Ow0pA3HchHQC&pg=PA49|url-status=live}} The third Chinese Kapitan of Kuala Lumpur, Yap Ah Loy, was appointed in 1868.

After the mines were opened, Raja Abdullah then sent a garrison under the command of a Bugis lieutenant to man a stockade built at Bukit Nanas. Important Malay figures of early Kuala Lumpur also included Haji Mohamed Tahir, who became the Dato Dagang ("chief of traders"). The Minangkabaus of Sumatra became another important group who traded and established tobacco plantations in the area.{{sfn|Gullick|2000|page=21}} Notable Minangkabaus included their headman, Dato' Sati, Utsman Abdullah,Nelmawarni Bungo, Nordin Hussin; Merantau ke Kuala Lumpur: Tradisi merantau dan berdagang masyarakat Minang, 2011 and Haji Mohamed Taib, who was involved in the early development of Kampung Baru.{{cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/community/2014/06/13/life-is-colourful-on-infamous-road-named-after-a-wealthy-tradesman-jalan-haji-taib-is-more-known/|title=Life is colourful on infamous road|author1=Yip Yoke Teng|author2=Muhamad Shahril Rosli|work=The Star|date=13 June 2014|access-date=13 June 2014|archive-date=19 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151219051324/http://www.thestar.com.my/news/community/2014/06/13/life-is-colourful-on-infamous-road-named-after-a-wealthy-tradesman-jalan-haji-taib-is-more-known/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://www.malaysiandigest.com/features/77922-malaysian-road-names-who-is-who.html|title=Malaysian Road Names: Who's Who?|publisher=Malaysian Digest|date=18 June 2013|access-date=13 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630181136/http://www.malaysiandigest.com/features/77922-malaysian-road-names-who-is-who.html|archive-date=30 June 2017|url-status=usurped}} 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.Mohd Nizam Sahad, Che Zarrina binti Sa'ari; Sejarah Sistem Pendidikan Islam di Kuala Lumpur, Jurnal Al-Tamaddun Bil. 6, 2011

File:Panorama of Kuala Lumpur ca. 1884.jpg. 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 {{ILL|Tengku Kudin|ms}} and the Hai San secret society, they fought against a rival secret society, Ghee Hin, who allied themselves with Raja Mahdi.{{Cite book |last=Baker |first=Jim |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iRaJAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA125 |title=Crossroads (2nd Edn): A Popular History of Malaysia and Singapore |date=15 July 2008 |publisher=Marshall Cavendish International Asia Pte Ltd |isbn=978-981-4435-48-2 |pages=124 |language=en}} 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. In late 1881, the town was severely flooded, after a fire that had destroyed the entire town in January. With the town being rebuilt a few times and having thrived, this was due in large to Yap Ah Loy.{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020902150406/http://sejarahmalaysia.pnm.my/portalBI/detail.php?section=sm02&spesifik_id=15&ttl_id=3 |archive-date=2 September 2002 |title=Sejarah Malaysia|url=http://sejarahmalaysia.pnm.my/portalBI/detail.php?section=sm02&spesifik_id=15&ttl_id=3|publisher=Sejarah Malaysia|access-date=15 December 2007}} Yap, together with Frank Swettenham who was appointed the Resident in 1882, were the two most important figures of early Kuala Lumpur with Swettenham credited with its rapid growth and development and its transformation into a major urban centre.{{cite encyclopedia|title=Kuala Lumpur|url=https://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9046321/Kuala-Lumpur|encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica|access-date=6 December 2007|archive-date=26 December 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071226004725/https://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9046321/Kuala-Lumpur|url-status=live}}

File:KITLV - 3652 - Lambert & Co., G.R. - Singapore - Governmental Office at Kuala Lumpur in Selangor - circa 1900.tif (Now the Sultan Abdul Samad Building) facing the Padang, {{circa|1900}}]]

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.{{cite book|title=The Story of Kuala Lumpur, 1857–1939|author= J.M. Gullick|publisher=Eastern Universities Press (M)|pages=35–36|year=1983|isbn=978-967-908-028-5}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://magazine.virtualmalaysia.com/content.cfm/ID/17AD5478-79E7-4E6F-B76E41D642B3F579|title=Old-World Charm|publisher=Virtual Malaysia Magazine|access-date=18 December 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080101150055/http://magazine.virtualmalaysia.com/content.cfm/ID/17AD5478-79E7-4E6F-B76E41D642B3F579|archive-date= 1 January 2008|url-status=dead}}

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.{{cite book|title=The Story of Kuala Lumpur, 1857–1939|author= J.M. Gullick|publisher=Eastern Universities Press (M)|pages=42–43|year=1983|isbn=978-967-908-028-5}} Kapitan Yap Ah Loy bought a sprawling piece of real estate to set up a brick factory for the rebuilding of Kuala Lumpur, the eponymous Brickfields.{{cite web |url=http://yapahloy.tripod.com/yap_ah_loy%27s_administration.htm |title=Yap Ah Loy's Administration |publisher=Yapahloy.tripod.com |date=12 September 2000 |access-date=5 October 2011 |archive-date=6 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306003028/http://yapahloy.tripod.com/yap_ah_loy%27s_administration.htm |url-status=live }} 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.{{cite book|author=Richard Baxstrom|title=Houses in Motion: The Experience of Place and the Problem of Belief in Urban Malaysia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JxfnMXW1K4gC&pg=PA225|date=14 July 2008|publisher=Stanford University Press|isbn=978-0-8047-7586-1|pages=225–|access-date=29 October 2015|archive-date=5 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205155723/https://books.google.com/books?id=JxfnMXW1K4gC&pg=PA225|url-status=live}} 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.{{cite book|author=Seng Fatt Lam|title=Insider's Kuala Lumpur|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7BhwAAAAMAAJ|date=1 January 2000|publisher=Times Books International|isbn=978-981-204-876-9|access-date=29 October 2015|archive-date=5 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205155723/https://books.google.com/books?id=7BhwAAAAMAAJ|url-status=live}}

File:KITLV - 79944 - Kleingrothe, C.J. - Medan - Headquarters of the F.M.S. Railways at Kuala Lumpur - circa 1910.tif (now the National Textile Museum) near the F.M.S. Government Offices in the distance, {{circa|1910}}.]]

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. As development intensified in the 1880s, putting pressure on sanitation, waste disposal and other health measures. A Sanitary Board created on 14 May 1890 was responsible for sanitation, road upkeep, street lighting, and other functions. This would eventually become the Kuala Lumpur Municipal Council in 1948.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1309&dat=19900513&id=9GJPAAAAIBAJ&pg=7010,3214969 |title=Kuala Lumpur: From a Sanitary Board to City Hall |author=Chiang Siew Lee |work=New Straits Times |date=13 May 1990 }} In 1896, Kuala Lumpur was chosen as the capital of the newly formed Federated Malay States.{{cite web|work=Nation History |publisher=National Library of Malaysia |title=The Federated Malay States (1896) |url=http://sejarahmalaysia.pnm.my/portalBI/detail.php?section=sm01&spesifik_id=437&ttl_id=60 |access-date=6 December 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040108111953/http://sejarahmalaysia.pnm.my/portalBI/detail.php?section=sm01&spesifik_id=437&ttl_id=60 |archive-date=8 January 2004 }}

File:An arcade of shops with a road sweeper at work in the street of Kuala Lumpur, 1915-1925.jpgs with a road sweeper at work in the street of Kuala Lumpur, {{circa|1915–1925}}.]]

Kuala Lumpur expanded considerably in the 20th century. It was {{cvt|0.65|km2}} in 1895, but was extended to encompass {{cvt|20|km2}} in 1903, and to {{cvt|52|km2}} by 1924. By the time it became a municipality in 1948 it had expanded to {{cvt|93|km2}}, and then to {{cvt|243|km2}} in 1974 as a Federal Territory.{{cite journal |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2226585621000017#bib2 |journal=Journal of Urban Management|title= You have to drive: Impacts of planning policies on urban form and mobility behavior in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia|volume= 10|issue =1|date= March 2021|pages= 69–83|first1=Isti |last1=Hidayati |first2= Claudia |last2=Yamu |first3=Wendy |last3=Tan|doi=10.1016/j.jum.2020.12.004 |hdl=10419/271414|hdl-access=free}}

Until 1974, Kuala Lumpur was one of the seven districts of Selangor (six before 1960).{{cite web|url=http://w.ethnia.org/polity.php?ASK_CODE=3J__&ASK_YY=1973&ASK_MM=01&ASK_DD=01&SL=en |title=Sultanate of Selangor Abode of Serenity |work=Countries and Territories since 1900 }} The Kuala Lumpur district comprises eight (later nine) mukims – Sungai Buloh, Batu, Petaling, Ampang, Ulu Klang, Kuala Lumpur (city and suburban), Setapak and (since 1953) Petaling Jaya.{{cite web |title=Map of British Malaya including the straits settlements, federated malay States and Malay States not included in the federation 1919 |url=https://collections.lib.uwm.edu/digital/collection/agdm/id/23699/ |access-date=25 January 2025}}

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.{{cite book|title=The Story of Kuala Lumpur, 1857–1939|author= J.M. Gullick|publisher=Eastern Universities Press (M)|pages=111–119|year=1983|isbn=978-967-908-028-5}} 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.

File:Japanese troops mopping up in Kuala Lumpur.jpg) in Kuala Lumpur in December 1941 during World War II.|219x219px]]

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.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cFnZCQAAQBAJ&pg=PT8|title=Rough Guides Snapshot Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur|publisher= Rough Guides|date=3 August 2015|isbn=978-0-241-24195-0}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://army.gov.au/news/armynews/special_elements/on_this_day/january.htm|title=On This Day|publisher=The Australian Army|access-date=17 December 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071218215230/http://army.gov.au/news/armynews/special_elements/on_this_day/january.htm|archive-date=18 December 2007|url-status=dead}} 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.

File:KUALA LUMPUR.png

The first municipal election in Kuala Lumpur was held on 16 February 1952. An ad hoc alliance between the Malay UMNO and Chinese MCA party candidates won a majority of the seats, and this led to the formation of the Alliance Party (later the Barisan Nasional).{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QKgraWbb7yoC&pg=PA138|title=Southeast Asia: A Historical Encyclopedia, from Angkor Wat to East Timor, Volume 1|author=Keat Gin Ooi|pages=138–139|publisher=ABC-CLIO|year=2004|isbn=978-1-57607-770-2|access-date=14 December 2016|archive-date=9 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109143301/https://books.google.com/books?id=QKgraWbb7yoC&pg=PA138|url-status=live}} On 31 August 1957, the Federation of Malaya gained its independence from British rule.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/august/31/newsid_3534000/3534340.stm|title=1957: Malaya celebrates independence|work=BBC News|date=31 August 1957|access-date=6 December 2007|archive-date=29 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190429180537/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/august/31/newsid_3534000/3534340.stm|url-status=live}} The British flag was lowered and the Malayan flag raised for the first time at the Padang at midnight on 30 August 1957,{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rRCJAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA77|title=Insider's Kuala Lumpur: Is No Ordinary Travel Guide. Open Your Eyes to the Soul of the City|author=Lam Seng Fatt|edition=3rd|publisher=Marshall Cavendish International Asia Pte Ltd|date=15 October 2011|isbn=978-981-4435-39-0|page=77|access-date=20 January 2017|archive-date=5 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805053003/https://books.google.com/books?id=rRCJAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA77|url-status=live}} 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 remained the capital 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.{{cite web|url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19631102-1.2.133|title=The big step forward|author=Felix Abisheganaden|work=The Straits Times|publisher=National Library Board|date=2 November 1963|access-date=26 June 2016|archive-date=24 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150724132140/http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article.aspx?articleid=straitstimes19631102-1.2.133|url-status=live}} The population of Kuala Lumpur expanded considerably from 1960 to 2018, doubling in size every 13 years.{{cite web |url=https://www.ehm.my/publications/articles/the-post%E2%80%931950-emergence-of-kuala-lumpur-as-a-great-southeast-asian-city |title=The post–1950 emergence of Kuala Lumpur as a great Southeast Asian city |first= Gregg |last=Huff|work=Economic History of Malaysia }}

File:Majestic Theatre Pudu Road.jpg

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.{{cite book |title=The Story of Kuala Lumpur, 1857–1939 |pages=76–78 |author= J.M. Gullick |publisher=Eastern Universities Press (M) |year=1983 |isbn=978-967-908-028-5}} The worst rioting on record in Malaysia, however, occurred on 13 May 1969, when race riots broke out in Kuala Lumpur. The so-called 13 May Incident included violent conflicts between members of the Malay and the Chinese communities, the result of Malays' dissatisfaction with their socio-political status. The riots caused the deaths of 196 people, according to official figures,{{cite web |url= http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/05/16/asia/AS-GEN-Malaysia-Race-Riot-Book.php |title=New book on 1969 race riots in Malaysia may be banned, officials warn |agency=Associated Press |work=International Herald Tribune |location= Paris |date=16 May 2007 |access-date=23 February 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071011030700/http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/05/16/asia/AS-GEN-Malaysia-Race-Riot-Book.php |archive-date=11 October 2007 |url-status=dead}} and led to major changes in the country's economic policy to promote and prioritise Malay economic development over that of other ethnicities.

File:Kuala Lumpur skyline in the 1980s.jpg was created. The race track in the foreground was replaced by the Petronas Towers and KLCC Park in 1998.{{cite web|url=https://says.com/my/lifestyle/photos-klcc-site-was-once-occupied-by-a-horse-racing-track |title=Did You Know: The Petronas Twin Towers Site Was Once A Horse Racing Track|first= Tamara |last=Jayne |date= 3 July 2020|work=Says }}]]

Kuala Lumpur achieved city status on 1 February 1972,{{cite web|url=http://travel.tourism.gov.my/consumer/destinations/history.asp?state=kl|title=Destinations: Kuala Lumpur|publisher=Tourism Malaysia|access-date=16 December 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080102232810/http://travel.tourism.gov.my/consumer/destinations/history.asp?state=kl|archive-date=2 January 2008|url-status=dead}} becoming the first settlement in Malaysia to be granted the status after independence. Later, on 1 February 1974, Kuala Lumpur became a federal territory.{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-KualaLum.html|title=Kuala Lumpur|encyclopedia=Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition 2007|publisher=Columbia University Press|access-date=6 December 2007|archive-date=28 December 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081228003338/http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-KualaLum.html|url-status=live}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.mbsa.gov.my/mbsa/shah%20alam/sejarah.htm|title=Sejarah Shah Alam|language=ms|publisher=Shah Alam City Council|access-date=14 December 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060306111920/http://www.mbsa.gov.my/mbsa/shah%20alam/sejarah.htm|archive-date=6 March 2006|url-status=dead}}

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/content/view/7524/2/|title=PJC turns focus on maintenance issues|author=Geetha Krishnan|publisher=The Malaysian Bar|access-date=14 December 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071218175812/http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/content/view/7524/2/|archive-date=18 December 2007|url-status=dead}} The administrative and judicial functions of the government were shifted from Kuala Lumpur to Putrajaya. Kuala Lumpur however still retained its legislative function,{{cite web|url=http://www.issti.gov.my/attractions.htm|title=Attractions|publisher=Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation|access-date=11 December 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071030121747/http://www.issti.gov.my/attractions.htm|archive-date=30 October 2007|url-status=dead}} and remained the home of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Constitutional King).{{cite web|url=http://www.malaysianmonarchy.org.my/portal_bi/rk7/rk7.php|title=National Palace|publisher=National Library of Malaysia|access-date=11 December 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071204030649/http://www.malaysianmonarchy.org.my/portal_bi/rk7/rk7.php|archive-date=4 December 2007|url-status=dead}}

File:Klcc park 5.jpg (KLCC) in 2020]]

From the 1990s onwards, major urban developments in the Klang Valley extended the Kuala Lumpur metropolitan area.{{cite journal |last1=Bunnell |first1=Tim |last2=Nah |first2=Alice M. |title=Counter-global Cases for Place: Contesting Displacement in Globalising Kuala Lumpur Metropolitan Area |journal=Urban Studies |volume=41 |number=12 |pages=2447–2467 |date=2004 |s2cid=143448457 |jstor=43197066 |doi=10.1080/00420980412331297627|bibcode=2004UrbSt..41.2447B }}{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hyjtCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA88 |title=Architecture and Urban Form in Kuala Lumpur |author=Yat Ming Loo |date=8 April 2016 |page=88 |isbn=9781409445975 |publisher=Routledge |access-date=1 February 2019 |archive-date=4 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804045208/https://books.google.com/books?id=hyjtCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA88 |url-status=live}} 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,{{cite web |last=Cox |first=Wendell |title=The Evolving Urban Form: Kuala Lumpur |url=http://www.newgeography.com/content/003395-the-evolving-urban-form-kuala-lumpur |url-status=live |work=New Geography |date=12 January 2013 |access-date=1 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190202042112/http://www.newgeography.com/content/003395-the-evolving-urban-form-kuala-lumpur |archive-date=2 February 2019}}{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3HrxBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA378 |title=Taiwan in Transformation: Retrospect and Prospect |last=Chun-chieh |first=Huang |date=August 2014 |page=378 |publisher=國立臺灣大學出版中心 |isbn=9789863500155 |access-date=1 February 2019 |archive-date=4 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804071008/https://books.google.com/books?id=3HrxBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA378 |url-status=live}} 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.{{cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wKbYTZciw7wC&pg=PT128 |title=Malaysia, Modernity and the Multimedia Super Corridor |first=Tim |last=Bunnell |chapter=Chapter 4: Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC): Global reorientation |date=31 July 2004 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=9780415256346 |access-date=1 February 2019 |archive-date=4 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804121519/https://books.google.com/books?id=wKbYTZciw7wC&pg=PT128 |url-status=live}} 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.{{cite web |url= https://www.dezeen.com/2021/12/13/worlds-second-tallest-skyscraper-merdeka-118-tops-out/ |title=World's second-tallest skyscraper Merdeka 118 tops out in Malaysia |first=Lizzie |last=Crook |date= 13 December 2021 |work=Dezeen}}

{{Main|Geography of Kuala Lumpur}}

File:Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Astronaut Imagery.JPG]]

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.{{cite news|publisher=Asiaweek|work=Asia's Best Cities 2000|title=Kuala Lumpur: Growing Pains|url=http://www.asiaweek.com/asiaweek/asiacities/kualalumpur.html|access-date=4 December 2007|archive-date=3 December 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071203015204/http://www.asiaweek.com/asiaweek/asiacities/kualalumpur.html|url-status=live}}

File:RAF RED ARROWS RETURN FROM GLOBAL TOUR PROMOTING UK INTERESTS MOD 45161930.jpg 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.{{cite web|url=http://ejournal.ukm.my/akademika/article/viewFile/3084/1971|title=Risk, Exposure and Vulnerability to Flood Hazards in a Rapidly Developing Country: The Case of Peninsular Malaysia|author=Chan Ngai Weng|publisher=National University of Malaysia|year=1996|access-date=29 April 2015|pages=107–137|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150429135518/http://ejournal.ukm.my/akademika/article/viewFile/3084/1971|archive-date=29 April 2015|url-status=live}} The municipality covers an area of {{convert|243|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}},{{cite web|url=http://www.statistics.gov.my/ccount12/click.php?id=2127 |title=Laporan Kiraan Permulaan 2010 |publisher=Jabatan Perangkaan Malaysia |page=27 |access-date=24 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708202650/http://www.statistics.gov.my/ccount12/click.php?id=2127 |archive-date= 8 July 2011 |url-status=dead}} with an average elevation of {{convert|81.95|m|ftin|0|abbr=on}} highest point being Bukit Nanas at 94 meters above sea level.{{cite web|url=http://www.malaysiatravel.org.uk/tourist-attraction/kuala-lumpur/location.html|title=Kuala Lumpur Location|publisher=Malaysia Travel|access-date=18 September 2010|archive-date=28 September 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100928062324/http://malaysiatravel.org.uk/tourist-attraction/kuala-lumpur/location.html|url-status=live}}

{{anchor|Climate|Weather}}

{{climate chart

| Kuala Lumpur

| 23.8 | 32.6 | 226.7

| 24.0 | 33.3 | 192.8

| 24.5 | 33.7 | 270.4

| 24.7 | 33.7 | 301.5

| 25.0 | 33.6 | 229.9

| 24.8 | 33.3 | 145.8

| 24.4 | 32.8 | 165.2

| 24.5 | 32.8 | 174.3

| 24.2 | 32.7 | 220.3

| 24.2 | 32.6 | 283.8

| 24.1 | 32.3 | 355.8

| 24.0 | 32.0 | 280.6

|float=right}}

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 {{convert|32|and|35|C|F}} and sometimes topping {{convert|38|°C|°F|1|abbr=on}}, while minimums hover between {{convert|23.4|and|24.6|C|F|1}} and have never fallen below {{convert|17.8|°C|°F|1|abbr=on}}.{{cite web|url=http://www.welcome-kl.com/kl-info/weather-in-kl/|title=Weather in KL|publisher=Welcome-KL|access-date=10 July 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130209110431/http://www.welcome-kl.com/kl-info/weather-in-kl/|archive-date=9 February 2013}}{{cite web |title=Climate of Kuala Lumpur |url=http://www.pogodaiklimat.ru/climate2/48647.htm |publisher=Weather and Climate (Погода и климат) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180323080531/http://www.pogodaiklimat.ru/climate2/48647.htm |access-date=8 October 2013 |archive-date=23 March 2018 |language=ru}} Kuala Lumpur typically receives at least {{convert|2600|mm|in|abbr=on}} of rain annually; June to August are relatively dry, but even then rainfall typically exceeds {{convert|131|mm|1}} 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.{{cite web|publisher=Kuala Lumpur City Hall|url=http://www.dbkl.gov.my/pskl2020/english/environment/index.htm|title=Kuala Lumpur Environment|access-date=12 December 2007|archive-date=1 May 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080501122136/http://www.dbkl.gov.my/pskl2020/english/environment/index.htm|url-status=dead}} 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.{{cite news|title=Hazardous haze shrouds Kuala Lumpur|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna8908221|work=NBC News|date=11 August 2005|access-date=13 December 2007|archive-date=30 September 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130930212032/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/8908221/|url-status=live}}

{{Kuala Lumpur weatherbox}}

File:Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Dewan-Bandaraya-Kuala-Lumpur-01.jpg]]

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).{{cite web|url=http://www.dbkl.gov.my/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=39&Itemid=174&lang=en|title=DBKL History|publisher=Kuala Lumpur City Hall|access-date=29 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150429151114/http://www.dbkl.gov.my/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=39&Itemid=174&lang=en|archive-date=29 April 2015|url-status=live}} 15 mayors have been appointed since then. The current mayor is Maimunah Mohd Sharif, who has been in office since 15 August 2024.{{Cite web|last=Borhan|first=Najihah|date=14 August 2024|title=[UPDATED] Maimunah named new KL mayor|url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/08/1091521/updated-maimunah-named-new-kl-mayor|access-date=15 August 2024|website=NST Online}}

The local administration is carried out by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall, an agency under the Federal Territories Ministry of Malaysia. It is responsible for public health and sanitation, waste removal and management, town planning, environmental protection and building control, social and economic development, and general maintenance functions of urban infrastructure. Executive power lies with the mayor in the city hall, who is appointed for three years by the Federal Territories Minister. This system of appointing the mayor has been in place ever since the local government elections were suspended in 1970.{{cite news|url=http://www.citymayors.com/government/malaysia_government.html|title=Malaysia's towns and cities are governed by appointed mayors|year=2006|publisher=City Mayors|access-date=9 October 2006|archive-date=14 May 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514203410/http://www.citymayors.com/government/malaysia_government.html|url-status=live}}

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.{{cite web|url=https://cloud.stats.gov.my/index.php/s/VDynFsMkxI4dxAE?path=%2F14%20W.P.%20KUALA%20LUMPUR#pdfviewer|title=14 W.P. Kuala Lumpur – Berkas|publisher=Kuala Lumpur City Hall|access-date=19 January 2023|url-status=dead|archive-date=19 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230119103806/https://cloud.stats.gov.my/index.php/s/VDynFsMkxI4dxAE?path=/14%20W.P.%20KUALA%20LUMPUR#pdfviewer}}

|

|}

File:Mukims of Kuala Lumpur.svg

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

File:Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Bangunan Parlimen Malaysia-01.jpg (Bangunan Parlimen Malaysia), located at the end of Jalan Parlimen.]]

{{Further|Politics of Malaysia}}

{{Infobox political party

|name = Members of Parliament for Kuala Lumpur
Malaysian general election, 2022
{{Maplink|frame=yes|frame-width=250|frame-height=300|zoom=11|frame-lat=3.141|frame-long=101.6757

|type=data|from=Parliamentary seats for KL 2018.map|title=Parliamentary seats for Kuala Lumpur

}}

|colorcode = {{party colour|Pakatan Harapan}}

|seats1_title = DAP (PH)

|seats1 = {{Composition bar|5|11|hex={{party color|Democratic Action Party}}}}

|seats2_title = PKR (PH)

|seats2 = {{Composition bar|5|11|hex={{party color|People's Justice Party (Malaysia)}}}}

|seats3_title = UMNO (BN)

|seats3 = {{Composition bar|1|11|hex={{party color|PPBM}}}}

}}

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).

List of Kuala Lumpur representatives in the Federal Parliament (Dewan Rakyat)

The Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) acts as the sole local government in Kuala Lumpur.

File:KL-CentralMarket pedmall.JPG]]

Kuala Lumpur and its surrounding urban areas form the most industrialised and economically, the fastest-growing region in Malaysia.{{cite web |last=Ng |first=Angie |title=New growth corridors added |url=http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/8/13/business/18553100&sec=business |work=The Star |date=13 August 2007 |access-date=14 December 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070615223303/http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2007%2F8%2F13%2Fbusiness%2F18553100&sec=business |archive-date=15 June 2007 |url-status=dead}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.embassiesabroad.com/embassies-in/Malaysia|title=Foreign Embassies and Consulates Directory in Malaysia|access-date=14 January 2015|publisher=GoAbroad.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100509080619/http://www.embassiesabroad.com/embassies-in/Malaysia|archive-date=9 May 2010|url-status=dead}} 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).{{cite web|url=http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/world2008t.html|title=The World According to GaWC 2008|work=Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network (GaWC)|publisher=Loughborough University|access-date=16 May 2009|archive-date=26 August 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110826010640/http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/world2008t.html|url-status=live}}

File:Merdeka 118 View from Kuala Lumpur Tower 2023.jpg 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.{{cite web |title=Bloomberg |url=https://www.bloomberg.com |url-status=live |publisher=Bloomberg |access-date=7 November 2021|archive-date=10 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310001045/http://www.bloomberg.com/}}

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.statistics.gov.my/portal/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=450%3Agross-domestic-product-gdp-by-state-2008-updated-17052010&catid=40%3Agross-domestic-product-by-state&Itemid=61&lang=en|title=Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by State, 2008|publisher=Department of Statistics Malaysia|access-date=15 September 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101113173426/http://www.statistics.gov.my/portal/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=450%3Agross-domestic-product-gdp-by-state-2008-updated-17052010&catid=40%3Agross-domestic-product-by-state&Itemid=61&lang=en|archive-date=13 November 2010|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://www.statistics.gov.my/portal/images/stories/files/LatestReleases/gdp/Jadual1_2008.pdf|title=GDP by State and Kind of Economic Activity, 2008|publisher=Department of Statistics Malaysia|access-date=15 September 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101113173457/http://www.statistics.gov.my/portal/images/stories/files/LatestReleases/gdp/Jadual1_2008.pdf|archive-date=13 November 2010|url-status=dead}} By 2015, the GDP had reached RM160,388 million, representing 15.1% of the total GDP of Malaysia.{{cite web|title= GDP By State – National Accounts – 2010–2015|url=https://newss.statistics.gov.my/newss-portalx/ep/epFreeDownloadContentSearch.seam?cid=27735|date=30 September 2016|website=Department of Statistics, Malaysia|access-date=3 May 2017 |pages=10, 22}} – Select "Publication GDP by State 2010–2015.pdf" to download and view data The per capita GDP for Kuala Lumpur in 2013 was RM79,752 with an average annual growth rate of 5.6 per cent,{{cite web|title=GDP by State|url=https://www.statistics.gov.my/images/stories/files/LatestReleases/gdp%20negeri/GDP_State2005-2013BI.pdf|publisher=Department of Statistics, Malaysia|access-date=13 June 2015|archive-date=16 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150616042516/https://www.statistics.gov.my/images/stories/files/LatestReleases/gdp%20negeri/GDP_State2005-2013BI.pdf|url-status=live}} and RM94,722 in 2015. Average monthly household income is RM9,073 (~$2,200) as of 2016, growing at a pace of approximately 6% a year.{{cite news |title=Median monthly household income for Malaysians has increased to RM5,228 |url=https://www.humanresourcesonline.net/median-monthly-household-income-for-malaysians-has-increased-to-rm5228/ |work=Human Resources |access-date=6 March 2019 |archive-date=1 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190301203406/http://www.humanresourcesonline.net/median-monthly-household-income-for-malaysians-has-increased-to-rm5228/ |url-status=live }} 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.{{cite web|publisher=Kuala Lumpur City Hall|url=http://www.dbkl.gov.my/pskl2020/english/economic_base_and_population/index.htm|title=Kuala Lumpur Economic Base|access-date=10 December 2007|archive-date=20 August 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080820013851/http://www.dbkl.gov.my/pskl2020/english/economic_base_and_population/index.htm|url-status=dead}} 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{{cite web|url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/survey/so/2007/CAR0919A.htm|author=Sy, Amadou|access-date=12 December 2007|date=18 September 2007|publisher=International Monetary Fund|work=Survey Magazine|title=Malaysia: An Islamic Capital Market Hub|archive-date=29 October 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071029045013/http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/survey/so/2007/CAR0919A.htm|url-status=live}} 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{{cite news|url=http://www.clickpress.com/releases/Detailed/9053005cp.shtml|title=World Largest Islamic Bank opens branch in Malaysia|publisher=ClickPress|date=13 February 2006|access-date=12 December 2007|archive-date=18 December 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071218190809/http://www.clickpress.com/releases/Detailed/9053005cp.shtml|url-status=live}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/4/10/business/17319333&sec=business |title=Malaysia needs to look beyond being hub for Islamic finance |author=Tam, Susan |work=The Star |date=10 April 2007 |access-date=12 December 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090220185124/http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2007%2F4%2F10%2Fbusiness%2F17319333&sec=business |archive-date=20 February 2009 |url-status=dead }} 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 that are listed in Forbes 2000 based in Kuala Lumpur.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.forbes.com/lists/2007/18/biz_07forbes2000_The-Global-2000-Malaysia_10Rank.html|title=The Global 2000 (Malaysia)|magazine=Forbes|access-date=15 September 2010|archive-date=10 May 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100510013609/http://www.forbes.com/lists/2007/18/biz_07forbes2000_The-Global-2000-Malaysia_10Rank.html|url-status=live}}

There has been 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.imr.gov.my/|title=Main page|publisher=Institute for Medical Research, Malaysia|access-date=12 December 2007|archive-date=5 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005172322/http://www.imr.gov.my/|url-status=live}} 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.

{{further|Tourism in Malaysia|}}

File:Kuala Lumpur. The Sultan Abdul Samad Building. Central part. 2019-12-01 23-33-18.jpg, 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.{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20151129182331/http://www.enjoyourholiday.com/2011/04/18/top-10-most-visited-cities-in-the-world/ Top 10 most visited cities in the world]}}. Enjoyourholiday.com. Retrieved on 27 September 2013.{{cite web|date=10 January 2010 |url=http://www.euromonitor.com/Euromonitor_Internationals_Top_City_Destination_Ranking |title=Trend Watch: Euromonitor International's Top City Destination Ranking |publisher=Euromonitor International |first=Caroline |last=Bremner |access-date=27 August 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100831181020/http://www.euromonitor.com/Euromonitor_Internationals_Top_City_Destination_Ranking |archive-date=31 August 2010}} 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.{{cite web|title=KL's grand makeover|url=http://www.ttgmice.com/article/kls-grand-makeover/|publisher=TTGmice|access-date=20 December 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130605151956/http://www.ttgmice.com/article/kls-grand-makeover/|archive-date=5 June 2013}} 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.

File:Muzium Negara Malaysia KL (2022-05).jpg, 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.{{cite web|title=Kuala Lumpur Travel |url=http://all.talkmalaysia.com/kuala-lumpur/kuala-lumpur-travel/ |access-date=15 September 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090827185613/http://all.talkmalaysia.com/kuala-lumpur/kuala-lumpur-travel/ |archive-date=27 August 2009 }}{{Cite web |title=Ministry of Federal Territories – Senarai Hotel / Rumah Tamu |url=https://www.kwp.gov.my/index.php/en/senarai-hotel-rumah-tamu |access-date=8 March 2022 |website=www.kwp.gov.my |archive-date=8 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220308090658/https://www.kwp.gov.my/index.php/en/senarai-hotel-rumah-tamu |url-status=dead }}

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.{{cite web|title=Sri Mahamariamman Temple|url=http://www.welcome-kl.com/sri-mahamariamman-temple|publisher=Welcome-KL|access-date=10 July 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130209092029/http://www.welcome-kl.com/sri-mahamariamman-temple|archive-date=9 February 2013}} 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.{{cite web |url=https://theculturetrip.com/asia/malaysia/articles/the-top-10-things-to-do-and-see-in-kuala-lumpurs-golden-triangle/ |website=theculturetrip.com |last=Ghurye |first=Sameer |date=15 May 2020 |accessdate=10 January 2023 |title=Kuala Lumpur's Golden Triangle District – Things to Do}}

{{further|Shopping in Kuala Lumpur|Bukit Bintang}}

Kuala Lumpur alone has 66 shopping malls and is the retail and fashion hub of both Malaysia and Southeast Asia.{{cite news |title=Did You Know? |url=http://www.visitkl.gov.my/visitklv2/index.php?r=column/ctwo&id=37 |publisher=Official Portal Visit Kuala Lumpur |access-date=22 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160826102407/http://www.visitkl.gov.my/visitklv2/index.php?r=column%2Fctwo&id=37 |archive-date=26 August 2016 |url-status=dead }} 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.{{cite web|publisher=New Straits Times, Travel News|access-date=18 December 2007|title=Wooing Indonesian shoppers|url=http://www.nst.com.my/Weekly/Travel/article/TravelNews/20050809104309/Article/|author=Shanti Gunaratnam |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071218215959/http://www.nst.com.my/Weekly/Travel/article/TravelNews/20050809104309/Article/ |archive-date = 18 December 2007}}

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.quillcitymall.com.my/|title=Home|publisher=Quill City Mall|access-date=8 April 2018|archive-date=15 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150315004024/http://quillcitymall.com.my/|url-status=live}} 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.Gurstien, P (1985) Malaysia Architecture Heritage Survey – A Handbook, Malaysia Heritage Trust. Page 65{{cite web |url=http://www.efka.utm.my/thesis/images/4MASTER/2005/2JSB-P/Part1/MUKRAMMA031077A05TT2.doc |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121209183144/http://www.efka.utm.my/thesis/images/4MASTER/2005/2JSB-P/Part1/MUKRAMMA031077A05TT2.doc |url-status=dead |archive-date=9 December 2012 |title=Google Cache Of 'Historical Buildings in Malaysia' |publisher=www.efka.utm.my |access-date=18 September 2010}}

Since 2000, the Malaysian Ministry of Tourism 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.tourism.gov.my/media/view/malaysia-s-shopping-landscape-with-main-and-new-shopping-precincts|title=Malaysia's shopping landscape with main and new shopping precincts|publisher=Tourism Malaysia|access-date=6 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180405180835/https://www.tourism.gov.my/media/view/malaysia-s-shopping-landscape-with-main-and-new-shopping-precincts|archive-date=5 April 2018|url-status=dead}}

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.

{{Bar box

|title=Ethnicities of Kuala Lumpur – 2020 Census

|titlebar=

|left1=Ethnic group

|right1=Percent

|float=right

|bars=

{{Bar percent|Bumiputras|Green|47.7}}

{{Bar percent|Chinese|#FFA07A|41.6}}

{{Bar percent|Indians|#FFCBA4|10.0}}

{{Bar percent|Others|Yellow|0.7}}

| caption = Population by percentage
excluding non-citizens which form 10.5% of KL's population

}}

Kuala Lumpur is the most populous city in Malaysia, with a population of 2.076 million in the city proper {{as of|2024|lc=y}}. It has a population density of {{convert|8157|PD/km2|/sqmi}}, and is the most densely populated administrative district in Malaysia. Residents of the city are colloquially known as KLites.{{cite news|last=Aziz|first=Su|url=http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Friday/Features/20071101171139/Article |title=Far from the madding crowd|publisher=The New Straits Times Online|access-date=4 December 2007|quote=...one of the many 30-something KLites seeking.. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071218214424/http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Friday/Features/20071101171139/Article |archive-date=18 December 2007}} Kuala Lumpur is also the centre of the wider Klang Valley metropolitan area covering Petaling Jaya, Klang, Subang Jaya, Puchong, Shah Alam, and Gombak, with an estimated metropolitan population of 7.25 million {{as of|2017|lc=y}}.{{citation needed|date=February 2025}}

Kuala Lumpur's heterogeneous populace includes the country's three major ethnic groups: the Malays, the Chinese, and the Indians, although the city also has a mix of different cultures including Eurasians, Kadazans, Ibans and other Indigenous races from around Malaysia.{{cite web|url=http://www.kuala-lumpur.ws/culture-traditions/|title=Kuala Lumpur Culture & Heritage|publisher=AsiaWebDirect|access-date=4 December 2007|archive-date=18 October 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071018035253/http://www.kuala-lumpur.ws/culture-traditions/|url-status=live}}

{{Historical populations

| 1890 |20000

| 1900 |30000

| 1931 |111418

| 1957 |316537

| 1970 |451201

| 1974 |612,004

| 1980 |919610

| 1991 |1145342

| 2000 |1305792

| 2010 |1588750

| 2020 |1982112

| source = {{my10|2020kf}}

| footnote = Kuala Lumpur expanded as a Federal Territory in 1974

| graph-pos = bottom

}}

Historically Kuala Lumpur was a predominantly Chinese city, although more recently the Bumiputera component of the city has grown substantially and they are now the dominant group. The Kuala Lumpur of 1872 beside the Klang River was described by Frank Swettenham as a "purely Chinese village", although a Malay stockade already existed at Bukit Nanas at that time. By 1875, after participation in the Selangor Civil War by Pahang Malays had ended, Swettenham noted Malay quarters near the Chinese area in a sketch map he had drawn. There were said to be 1,000 Chinese and 700 Malays in the town in this period. Many of the Malays may have settled in Kuala Lumpur after the war. The population of Kuala Lumpur had increased to around three thousand in 1880 when it was made the capital of Selangor. A significant component of the Malay population in Kuala Lumpur of this period consisted of Malays recruited by the British in 1880, mostly from rural Malacca, to establish a police force of 2–300, many of whom brought their families.{{sfn|Gullick|2000|page=43}} Many of the Malays were originally from the other islands of Malay Archipelago i.e. Sumatra and Java. The Mandailings, the Minangkabaus, Javanese, and Buginese began arriving in Kuala Lumpur in the 19th century, while the Acehnese arrived in the late 20th century.Antje Missbach, Separatist Conflict in Indonesia: The Long-distance Politics of the Acehnese Diaspora, 2011 In the following decades that saw the rebuilding of the town, it grew considerably with a large influx of immigrants, due in large part to the construction of a railway line in 1886 connecting Kuala Lumpur and Klang.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QKgraWbb7yoC&pg=PA746 |title=Southeast Asia: A Historical Encyclopedia, from Angkor Wat to East Timor, Volume 1 |editor=Keat Gin Ooi |publisher=ABC-CLIO |year=2004 |isbn=978-1-57607-770-2 |access-date=2 September 2017 |archive-date=4 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804044917/https://books.google.com/books?id=QKgraWbb7yoC&pg=PA746 |url-status=live }}

A census in 1891 of uncertain accuracy gave a figure of 43,796 inhabitants, 79% of whom were Chinese (71% of the Chinese were Hakka, but possibly over-counted), 14% Malay, and 6% Indian.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cImQBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA34 |title=Ruling the Margins: Colonial Power and Administrative Rule in the Past and Present |author= Prem Kumar Rajaram |date=19 September 2014 |pages= 34–35|publisher=Routledge |isbn=9781317621072 }} Another perhaps more accurate survey put the population of Kuala Lumpur in 1891 at around 19,000, with 73% Chinese and 12% each for both Malays and Indians.{{cite book |url=https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/28696/1/10672863.pdf |title=Politics of Accommodation: ACCOMMODATION: A Case Study of Malay Squatters in Kuala Lumpur |author=Azizah bte Kassim |year=1985 |page=72 }} The rubber boom in the early 20th century led to a further increase in population, from 30,000 in 1900 to 80,000 in 1920. In 1931, 61% of Kuala Lumpur's 111,418 inhabitants were Chinese,{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9XXJVXSHZgIC&pg=PA84 |title=Asian and Pacific Cities: Development Patterns |editor=Ian F. Shirley |editor2=Carol Neill |publisher=Routledge |year=2015 |isbn=978-1-138-81442-4 |page=84 |access-date=2 September 2017 |archive-date=11 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171011203346/https://books.google.com/books?id=9XXJVXSHZgIC&pg=PA84 |url-status=live }} and in 1947 63.5%. The Malays however began to settle in Kuala Lumpur in significant numbers, in part due to government employment, as well as the expansion of the city that absorbed the surrounding rural areas where many Malays lived. Between 1947 and 1957 the population of Malays in Kuala Lumpur increased from 12.5 to 15%, while the proportion of Chinese dropped.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9XXJVXSHZgIC&pg=PA85 |title=Asian and Pacific Cities: Development Patterns |editor=Ian F. Shirley |editor2=Carol Neill |publisher=Routledge |year=2015 |isbn=978-1-138-81442-4 |page=85 |access-date=2 September 2017 |archive-date=11 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171011203719/https://books.google.com/books?id=9XXJVXSHZgIC&pg=PA85 |url-status=live }} The process continued after Malayan independence with the growth of a largely Malay civil service, and later the implementation of the New Economic Policy which encouraged Malay participation in urban industries and business. In 1980 the population of Kuala Lumpur had reached over a million,{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p6XUOGEvEcgC&pg=PA35|title=Reassessment of Urban Planning and Development Regulations in Asian Cities|page=35|year=1999|publisher=UN-HABITAT|isbn=92-1-131419-4|access-date=2 September 2017|archive-date=4 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804040057/https://books.google.com/books?id=p6XUOGEvEcgC&pg=PA35|url-status=live}} with 52% Chinese, 33% Malay, and 15% Indian.{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=qd0SXNUbgwcC&pg=PA90 |title= Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya: Negotiating Urban Space in Malaysia |first= Ross |last= King |pages= 90–91 |publisher= University of Hawaii Press |year= 2008 |isbn= 978-0-8248-3318-3 |access-date= 2 September 2017 |archive-date= 11 October 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20171011203723/https://books.google.com/books?id=qd0SXNUbgwcC&pg=PA90 |url-status= live }} From 1980 to 2000 the number of Bumiputeras increased by 77%, but the Chinese still outnumbered the Bumiputeras in Kuala Lumpur in the 2000 census at 43% compared to 38%.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FnjMAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA17|title=The Other Kuala Lumpur: Living in the Shadows of a Globalising Southeast Asian City|publisher=Routledge|year=2014|isbn=978-0-415-73086-0|editor=Yeoh Seng Guan|pages=16{{en dash}}17|access-date=2 September 2017|archive-date=4 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804030448/https://books.google.com/books?id=FnjMAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA17|url-status=live}} By the 2010 census, according to the Department of Statistics and excluding non-citizens, the Malay population in Kuala Lumpur had increased to 44.7% (45.9% Bumiputera), exceeding the Chinese population of 43.2%. In the 2020 census, the percentage of the Bumiputera population in Kuala Lumpur had reached around 47.7%, with the Chinese population at 41.6% and Indians 10.0%.{{cite web |url=https://tableau.dosm.gov.my/t/BPPD-BahagianperangkaanpendudukdanDemografi/views/MyCenDashEnglish/STATE?%3Adisplay_count=n&%3Aembed=y&%3AisGuestRedirectFromVizportal=y&%3Aorigin=viz_share_link&%3AshowAppBanner=false&%3AshowVizHome=n|title=State > W.P. Kuala Lumpur }}

A notable phenomenon in recent times has been the increased portion of foreign residents in Kuala Lumpur, which rose from 1% of the city's population in 1980 to about 8% in the 2000 census, 9.4% in 2010, and 10.5% in the 2020 census.{{cite web|url=http://www.statistics.gov.my/portal/download_Population/files/census2010/Taburan_Penduduk_dan_Ciri-ciri_Asas_Demografi.pdf|title= 2010 Population and Housing Census of Malaysia|language=ms, en|publisher=Department of Statistics, Malaysia|access-date=17 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130205104835/http://www.statistics.gov.my/portal/download_Population/files/census2010/Taburan_Penduduk_dan_Ciri-ciri_Asas_Demografi.pdf|archive-date=5 February 2013|url-status=dead}} These figures also do not include a significant number of illegal immigrants.{{cite news |url=http://m.thestar.com.my/story.aspx?hl=Forced+out+to+suburbs+&sec=metro&id=%7B8CFEEDB2-10C7-44F5-A30C-86B8099BB626%7D |title=Forced out to suburbs |date=7 May 2015 |work=The Star |access-date=17 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205155723/http://m.thestar.com.my/story.aspx?hl=Forced+out+to+suburbs+&sec=metro&id=%7B8CFEEDB2-10C7-44F5-A30C-86B8099BB626%7D |archive-date=5 February 2016 |url-status=dead}} Kuala Lumpur's rapid development has triggered a huge influx of low-skilled foreign workers from Indonesia, Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia into Malaysia, many of whom enter the country illegally or without proper permits.{{cite news|title=Malaysia to reduce number of foreign workers to 1.5 mln|publisher=People's Daily Online|access-date=15 December 2007|date=2 September 2006|url=http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200609/02/eng20060902_298925.html|archive-date=21 December 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071221151138/http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200609/02/eng20060902_298925.html|url-status=live}}{{cite news|title=A Growing Source of Fear for Migrants in Malaysia|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/10/world/asia/10malaysia.html|date=10 December 2007|work=International Herald Tribune|access-date=15 December 2007|first=Seth|last=Mydans|archive-date=18 April 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090418154253/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/10/world/asia/10malaysia.html|url-status=live}}

Birth rates in Kuala Lumpur have declined and resulted in a lower proportion of young people – the proportion of those below 15 years old fell from 33% in 1980 to slightly less than 27% in 2000. On the other hand, the working age group of 15–59 increased from 63% in 1980 to 67% in 2000. The elderly age group, 60 years old and above has increased from 4% in 1980 and 1991 to 6% in 2000.

{{bar box

|title=Religion in Kuala Lumpur – 2020 Census

|titlebar=

|left1=Religion

|right1=Percent

|float=right

|bars=

{{bar percent|Islam|Green|45.3}}

{{bar percent|Buddhism|Yellow|32.3}}

{{bar percent|Hinduism|Orange|8.2}}

{{bar percent|Christianity|Blue|6.4}}

{{bar percent|Others|Gray|1.8}}

{{bar percent|No Religion|Black|6.0}}

}}

{{Further|Religion in Malaysia|Languages of Malaysia}}

Kuala Lumpur is pluralistic and religiously diverse. The city has many places of worship catering to the multi-religious population. Islam is practised primarily by the Malays, the Indian Muslim communities, and a small number of Chinese Muslims. Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism are practised mainly among the Chinese. Indians traditionally adhere to Hinduism. Some Chinese and Indians also subscribe to Christianity.{{cite web|publisher=Adherents.com|title=Religion by Location: Malaysia|url=http://www.adherents.com/adhloc/Wh_193.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010305094917/http://www.adherents.com/adhloc/Wh_193.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=5 March 2001|access-date=15 December 2007}} Kuala Lumpur is one of the three states where less than 50% of the population are self-identified Muslims, the other two being Penang and Sarawak. As of the 2020 Census, the population of Kuala Lumpur was 45.3% Muslim, 32.3% Buddhist, 8.2% Hindu, 6.4% Christian, 1.8% of other religions, and 6.0% non-religious.

File:Places of worship in KL.png, Thean Hou Temple, Sri Mahamariamman Temple, St. John's Cathedral]]

Statistics from the 2010 Census indicate that 87.4% of the Chinese population identify as Buddhists, with significant minorities of adherents identifying as Christians (7.9%), Chinese folk religions (2.7%) and Muslims (0.6%). The majority of the Indian population identifies as Hindus (81.1%), with significant minorities of identifying as Christians (7.8%), Muslims (4.9%) and Buddhists (2.1%). The non-Malay bumiputera community are predominantly Christians (44.9%), with significant minorities identifying as Muslims (31.2%) and Buddhists (13.5%). All bumiputera Malays are Muslim{{cite web|url=http://www.statistics.gov.my/portal/download_Population/files/census2010/Taburan_Penduduk_dan_Ciri-ciri_Asas_Demografi.pdf |title=2010 Population and Housing Census of Malaysia |language=ms, en |access-date=17 June 2012 |publisher=Department of Statistics, Malaysia |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116214433/http://www.statistics.gov.my/portal/download_Population/files/census2010/Taburan_Penduduk_dan_Ciri-ciri_Asas_Demografi.pdf |archive-date=16 January 2013 |page=96 }} due to the criterion in the definition of a Malay in the Malaysian constitution that they should adhere to Islam.{{cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DZV6BAAAQBAJ&pg=PT141 |title=The Constitution of Malaysia: A Contextual Analysis |first=Andrew |last=Harding |chapter=Chapter 8 – Religion and the Constitution |isbn=9781847319838 |publisher=Hart Publishing |date=27 July 2012 |access-date=7 December 2019 |archive-date=6 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200106154614/https://books.google.com/books?id=DZV6BAAAQBAJ&pg=PT141 |url-status=live }}

Bahasa Malaysia is the principal language in Kuala Lumpur. Majority of local Malays speak Selangor dialect (read as Johor-Riau dialect) but Malays from other parts of the state such as Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu, as well as Sarawak and also Brunei Malay that was spoken by those from Sabah/Labuan, are significantly using their respective dialect varieties of Malay.

Kuala Lumpur residents are generally literate in English, with a large proportion adopting it as their first language, especially among younger and certain adult generations. Malaysian English is widely used.{{cite book|author=Lam Seng Fatt|title=Insider's Kuala Lumpur (3rd Edn): Is No Ordinary Travel Guide. Open Your Eyes to the Soul of the City (Not Just the Twin Towers ...)|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rRCJAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA9|date=15 March 2011|publisher=Marshall Cavendish International Asia Pte Ltd|isbn=978-981-4435-39-0|pages=9–|access-date=29 October 2015|archive-date=5 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205155723/https://books.google.com/books?id=rRCJAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA9|url-status=live}} It has a strong presence, especially in business, and is taught as a compulsory language in schools.

In addition, the Cantonese dialect group forms the majority among the local Chinese population, Hokkien and Mandarin are prominent, as they are also widely spoken among the Chinese communities.{{cite web|publisher=Kuala Lumpur Hotels & Travel Guide|title=Kuala Lumpur Culture & Heritage: Traditions, Races, People|url=http://www.kuala-lumpur.ws/culture-traditions/|access-date=16 February 2008|archive-date=18 October 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071018035253/http://www.kuala-lumpur.ws/culture-traditions/|url-status=live}} Another major Chinese dialect spoken is Hakka.

While Tamil is dominant among the local Indian population, other Indian languages spoken by minorities include Telugu, Malayalam, Punjabi, and Hindi.{{cite book|author=Ziauddin Sardar|title=The Consumption of Kuala Lumpur|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ow0pA3HchHQC&pg=PA120|year=2000|publisher=Reaktion Books|isbn=978-1-86189-057-3|pages=120–|access-date=29 October 2015|archive-date=5 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205155723/https://books.google.com/books?id=Ow0pA3HchHQC&pg=PA120|url-status=live}}

Besides Malay, there are a variety of languages spoken by people of Indonesian descent, such as MinangkabauAslinda, Noviatri, Reniwati; The Trace of Minangkabau-Wise in Malaysian Language, 2015 and Javanese.

There are also various foreign speakers of Arabic, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Spanish etc, as well as diverse indigenous languages of Semai, Iban, Kadazandusun, Bidayuh and other languages.

{{wide image|Sunset_at_Kuala_Lumpur.jpg|1200px|{{center|Panorama view of Kuala Lumpur in 2020}}|alt=Panorama view of Kuala Lumpur in 2020}}

{{Main|Architecture of Kuala Lumpur}}

File:Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin (Damansara Road) (south), central Kuala Lumpur.jpg (right) contrasts with Keretapi Tanah Melayu (left) Administration Building, a darker, similarly Mughal-styled building. Both were designed by A. B. Hubback]]

The architecture of Kuala Lumpur is a mixture of old colonial influences, Asian traditions, Malay Islamic inspirations, modern, and postmodern architecture.{{cite news|publisher=New York Times, Travel|access-date=18 December 2007|date=23 September 1990|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE6DC143AF930A1575AC0A966958260|title=Landmarks of Kuala Lumpur|first1=Barbaralee|last1=Diamonstein|first2=New|last2=Jersey|archive-date=24 February 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090224123833/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE6DC143AF930A1575AC0A966958260|url-status=live}} A relatively young city compared with other Southeast Asian capitals such as Bangkok, Jakarta and Manila, most of Kuala Lumpur's notable colonial-era buildings were built toward the end of the 19th and early 20th centuries. These buildings were designed in a number of styles – Mughal/Moorish Revival, Mock Tudor, Neo-Gothic or Grecian-Spanish style or architecture.{{cite book|title=British Colonial Architecture in Malaysia 1800–1930|last=Ahmad|first=A. Ghafar|publisher=Museums Association of Malaysia|location=Kuala Lumpur|year=1997}}[http://www.hbp.usm.my/conservation/British/britishcolonial1.htm extract] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071219211707/http://www.hbp.usm.my/conservation/British/britishcolonial1.htm |date=19 December 2007 }} Most of the styling has been modified to use local resources and adapted to the local climate, which is hot and humid all year around. A significant architect of the early period is Arthur Benison Hubback who designed a number of the colonial-era buildings including the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station and Jamek Mosque.

Before the Second World War, many shophouses, usually two stories with functional shops on the ground floor and separate residential spaces upstairs, were built around the old city centre. These shop-houses drew inspiration from Straits Chinese and European traditions. Some of these shophouses have made way for new developments but there are still many standing today in the Medan Pasar Besar (Old Market Square), Chinatown, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Jalan Doraisamy, Bukit Bintang and Tengkat Tong Shin areas.

File:Masjid Jamek.jpg (Masjid Jamek) is one of the oldest mosques still standing in Kuala Lumpur, built in 1909.|left]]

Independence coupled with rapid economic growth from the 1970s to the 1990s and with Islam being the official religion in the country, has resulted in the construction of buildings with a more local and Islamic flavour around the city. Many of these buildings derive their design from traditional Malay items such as the songkok and the keris. Some of these buildings have Islamic geometric motifs integrated into the designs of the building, due to Islamic restrictions on imitating nature through drawings.{{cite book|title=World Architecture: An Illustrated History|author=Copplestone, Trewin|page=[https://archive.org/details/worldarchitectur00copp/page/149 149]|publisher=London, Hamlyn|year=1976|isbn=978-0-600-03954-9|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/worldarchitectur00copp/page/149}} Examples of these buildings are Telekom Tower, Maybank Tower, Dayabumi Complex, and the Islamic Centre.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t0cqkU5RxwgC&pg=PA71|title=Malaysia, Modernity and the Multimedia Super Corridor: A Critical Geography, page 74|access-date=14 December 2007|isbn=978-0-203-64736-3|date=12 March 2004|last1=Bunnell|first1=Tim|publisher=Taylor & Francis }} Some buildings such as the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia and National Planetarium have been built to masquerade as a place of worship, complete with dome and minaret, when in fact they are places of science and knowledge. The {{convert|452|m|ft|adj=on}} Petronas Towers are the tallest twin buildings in the world and were the tallest buildings in the country until being surpassed by The Exchange 106 by 1.7 meters in 2019.{{cite web|url=http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/world/A0909775.html|title=Petronas Towers|work=Pearson PLC|access-date=11 December 2007|publisher=Infoplease|archive-date=20 December 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071220223229/http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/world/A0909775.html|url-status=live}} They were designed to resemble motifs found in Islamic art.{{cite web|author=Henry, Brandi|title=Petronas Towers|url=http://illumin.usc.edu/article.php?articleID=54|publisher=USC Viterbi, School of Engineering|work=illumin|access-date=10 December 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071126002622/http://illumin.usc.edu/article.php?articleID=54|archive-date=26 November 2007|url-status=dead}}

Late modern and postmodern architecture began to appear in the late-1990s and early-2000s. With economic development, old buildings such as Bok House have been razed to make way for new ones. Buildings with all-glass shells exist throughout the city, with the most prominent examples being the Petronas Towers and Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. Kuala Lumpur's central business district today has shifted to the Kuala Lumpur city centre (KLCC) where many new and tall buildings with modern and postmodern architecture fill the skyline. According to the World Tallest 50 Urban Agglomeration 2010 Projection by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, Kuala Lumpur ranks 10th among cities that have most buildings above 100 metres with a combined height of 34,035 metres from its 244 high-rise buildings.{{cite web|url=http://www.ctbuh.org/HighRiseInfo/TallestDatabase/50TallestAgglomerations/tabid/1006/language/en-GB/Default.aspx|title=The Worlds Tallest 50 Urban Agglomerations|work=CTBUH Journal|access-date=14 January 2012|publisher=Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113191405/http://www.ctbuh.org/HighRiseInfo/TallestDatabase/50TallestAgglomerations/tabid/1006/language/en-GB/Default.aspx|archive-date=13 November 2013|url-status=dead}}

File:2016 Kuala Lumpur, Park KLCC, Fontanna na jeziorze Symphony (01).jpg is a 50-acre urban park located in the city centre.]]

The Perdana Botanical Garden or Lake Gardens, a {{convert|92|ha|acre|adj=on}} botanical garden, was the first recreational park created in Kuala Lumpur. The Malaysian Parliament building is located close by, and Carcosa Seri Negara, which was once the official residence of the British colonial administration, is also sited here. The park includes a butterfly park, deer park, orchid garden, a hibiscus garden, and the Kuala Lumpur Bird Park, which is the world's largest aviary bird park.{{cite news|newspaper=The Age|title=Top five ways to enjoy Kuala Lumpur|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/take-five/top-five-ways-to-enjoy-kuala-lumpur/2005/02/19/1108709483546.html|access-date=14 December 2007|location=Melbourne|date=20 February 2005|archive-date=10 December 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071210161325/http://www.theage.com.au/news/take-five/top-five-ways-to-enjoy-kuala-lumpur/2005/02/19/1108709483546.html|url-status=live}} Other parks in the city include the ASEAN Sculpture Garden, KLCC Park, Titiwangsa Lake Gardens, Metropolitan Lake Gardens in Kepong, Taman Tasik Permaisuri (Queen's Lake Gardens), Bukit Kiara Botanical Gardens, the equestrian park and West Valley Park near Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI), and Bukit Jalil International Park.

There are three forest reserves within the city, the Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve in the city centre, the oldest gazetted forest reserve in the country {{convert|10.52|ha|acre|abbr=on|disp=or}}, Bukit Sungai Putih Forest Reserve ({{convert|7.41|ha|acre|disp=or|abbr=on}}) and Bukit Sungai Besi Forest Reserve ({{convert|42.11|ha|acre|disp=or|abbr=on}}). Bukit Nanas, in the heart of the city centre, is one of the oldest virgin forests in the world within a city.{{cite web|url=http://www.targetwoman.com/articles/kuala-lumpur.html|title=Oldest Primary Forest within a City|access-date=4 December 2007|publisher=TargetWoman Directory|archive-date=6 December 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071206014306/http://www.targetwoman.com/articles/kuala-lumpur.html|url-status=live}} These residual forest areas are home to a number of fauna species, particularly monkeys, treeshrews, pygmy goats, budgerigars, squirrels and birds.

{{wide image|Kuala Lumpur - Titiwangsa - Panorama 0002.JPG|1100px|The view of Kuala Lumpur from Titiwangsa Lake Gardens}}

{{see also|Education in Malaysia}}

According to government statistics, Kuala Lumpur had a literacy rate of 97.5% in 2000, the highest rate in any state or territory in Malaysia.{{cite press release|title=Education and Social Characteristics of the Population, Population and Housing Census 2000.|date=August 2002|access-date=10 December 2007|publisher=Department of Statistics, Malaysia|url=http://www.statistics.gov.my/English/news/pressedu.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071211060855/http://www.statistics.gov.my/English/news/pressedu.htm|archive-date=11 December 2007}} In Malaysia, Malay is the language of instruction for most subjects while English is a compulsory subject, but {{as of|2012|lc=y}}, English was still the language of instruction for mathematics and the natural sciences for certain schools. Some schools provide instruction in Mandarin and Tamil for certain subjects.{{cite web|url=http://www.hometutormalaysia.com/Home-Tuition-in-Malaysia.html|title=Get experienced and qualified home tutors in KL|work=who can deliver inspiring lessons and see improvement within one month|publisher=Home Tutor Malaysia|access-date=5 January 2014|archive-date=14 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140214072758/http://www.hometutormalaysia.com/Home-Tuition-in-Malaysia.html|url-status=live}}

Kuala Lumpur contains 14 tertiary education institutions, 79 high schools, 155 elementary schools, and 136 kindergartens.{{cite web|url=http://www.dbkl.gov.my/pskl2020/english/community_facilities/index.htm#13_2_4|title=Existing situation of Educational facilities|work=Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2020|publisher=Kuala Lumpur City Hall|access-date=12 December 2007|archive-date=1 May 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080501121425/http://www.dbkl.gov.my/pskl2020/english/community_facilities/index.htm#13_2_4|url-status=dead}}

File:University of Malaya City View.jpg City View.]]

Kuala Lumpur is home to the University of Malaya (UM). Established in 1949, it is the oldest university in Malaysia, and one of the oldest in the region.{{cite press release|title=Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz School to Offer Professional Master's Degree at University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur in New Collaboration|url=http://www.icarnegie.com/about/pr/pr_19jan06.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071213025647/http://www.icarnegie.com/about/pr/pr_19jan06.html|archive-date=13 December 2007|publisher=Carnegie Mellon University|access-date=13 December 2007}} It was ranked the best university in Malaysia, the 22nd-best in Asia, and third in Southeast Asia in QS World University Rankings 2019.{{cite web |title=QS World University Rankings 2019 |url=https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2019 |url-status=live |access-date=20 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180608073254/https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2019 |archive-date=8 June 2018}} In recent years, the number of international students at the University of Malaya has risen, as a result of increasing efforts made to attract them.{{cite web|url=http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/7/2/nation/18189116&sec=nation |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070704180036/http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2007%2F7%2F2%2Fnation%2F18189116&sec=nation |url-status=dead |archive-date= 4 July 2007 |title=UM out to woo foreign students |work=The Star |date=2 July 2007 |access-date=18 December 2007}}

Other universities located in Kuala Lumpur include Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR), University of Malaya-Wales (UM-Wales), International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Tunku Abdul Rahman University College (TARUC), UCSI University (UCSI), Taylor's University (TULC), International Medical University (IMU), Open University Malaysia (OUM), Kuala Lumpur University (UniKL), Perdana University (PU), Wawasan Open University (WOU), HELP University and the branch campus of the National University of Malaysia (UKM) and University of Technology Malaysia (UTM). The National Defence University of Malaysia is located at Sungai Besi Army Base, in the southern part of central Kuala Lumpur. It was established to be a major centre for military and defence technology studies. This institution covers studies for the army, navy, and air force.{{cite web|url=http://www.upnm.edu.my/en/index.php?req=7|title=Background|publisher=National Defence University of Malaysia|date=19 March 2013|access-date=30 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150404164346/http://www.upnm.edu.my/en/index.php?req=7|archive-date=4 April 2015|url-status=dead}}

Greater Kuala Lumpur covers an even more extensive selection of universities including several international branches such as Monash University Malaysia Campus, University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus and Xiamen University Malaysia.

{{see also|Culture of Malaysia}}

File:KLNationalMuseumFrieze.JPG.]]

Kuala Lumpur is a hub for cultural activities and events in Malaysia. Among the centres is the National Museum, which is situated along the Mahameru Highway. Its collection comprises artefacts and paintings collected throughout the country.{{cite web|url=http://www.museum.gov.my/?lang=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080101125611/http://www.museum.gov.my/?lang=en|archive-date=1 January 2008|title=Main Page|publisher=Muzium Negara Malaysia|access-date=11 December 2007}} The Islamic Arts Museum, which houses more than seven thousand Islamic artefacts including rare exhibits and a library of Islamic art books, is the largest Islamic art collection in Southeast Asia.{{cite web|title=Main |url=http://www.iamm.org.my/main.php |publisher=Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia |access-date=11 December 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071218060811/http://www.iamm.org.my/main.php |archive-date=18 December 2007 }} The museum's collection not only concentrates on works from the Middle East but also includes work from elsewhere in Asia, such as China and Southeast Asia. Kuala Lumpur has a craft complex coupled with a museum that displays a variety of textile, ceramic, metal craft, and weaved products. Information on the production process is portrayed in diorama format complete with historical facts, techniques, and traditionally engineered equipment. Among the processes shown are pottery making, intricate wood carving, silver-smithing, weaving songket cloth, stamping batik patterns on cloth, and boat-making.{{cite web|url=http://kualalumpurcityguide.com/366/craft-cultural-complex-kuala-lumpur-kompleks-budaya-kraf|title=Craft Cultural Complex Kuala Lumpur – Kompleks Budaya Kraf|access-date=19 November 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110224212511/http://kualalumpurcityguide.com/366/craft-cultural-complex-kuala-lumpur-kompleks-budaya-kraf/|archive-date=24 February 2011}}

File:Saloma at Sunset (49570270217).jpg seen at dusk, with the Petronas Tower behind it.|left]]

The premier performing arts venue is the Petronas Philharmonic Hall located underneath the Petronas Towers. The resident orchestra is the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO), consisting of musicians from all over the world, and features regular concerts, chamber concerts, and traditional cultural performances.{{cite web|title=Meet the MPO|publisher=Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra|url=http://www.malaysianphilharmonic.com/orc_members.php|access-date=11 December 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070828210827/http://www.malaysianphilharmonic.com/orc_members.php |archive-date = 28 August 2007}} The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPac) in Sentul West and Damansara Performing Arts Centre (DPac) in Damansara Perdana are two of the most established centres in the country for the performing arts, notably theatre, plays, music, and film screening. It has housed many local productions and has been a supporter of local and regional independent performance artists.{{cite web|title=Main page |publisher=Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre |access-date=18 December 2007 |url=http://www.klpac.com/Welcome.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071225130903/http://www.klpac.com/Welcome.asp |archive-date=25 December 2007 }} The Future Music Festival Asia has been held in the city since 2012, featuring local and international artists.{{cite web|url=http://www.livescapegroup.com/fmfa|title=Future Music Festival Asia|publisher=Livescape|access-date=8 April 2018|archive-date=7 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180407223551/http://www.livescapegroup.com/fmfa|url-status=dead}}

The National Art Gallery of Malaysia is located on Jalan Temerloh, off Jalan Tun Razak on a {{convert|5.67|ha|acre|adj=on}} site neighbouring the National Theatre (Istana Budaya) and National Library. The architecture of the gallery incorporates elements of traditional Malay architecture, as well as contemporary modern architecture. The National Art Gallery serves as a centre of excellence and is a trustee of the national art heritage. The Ilham Tower Gallery near Ampang Park houses exhibitions of works by local and foreign artists.{{cite web |url=https://theartling.com/en/artzine/city-art-guides/kuala-lumpur/ |title=City Art Guides—Kuala Lumpur |accessdate=18 January 2022 |date=18 January 2018 |last=Ong |first=Jo-Lene |website=theartling.com}}

Kuala Lumpur holds the Malaysia International Gourmet Festival annually.{{cite web|title=Main|url=http://www.migf.com/home.html|publisher=Malaysia International Gourmet Festival|access-date=13 December 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012015752/http://www.migf.com/home.html |archive-date=12 October 2007}} Another event hosted annually by the city is the Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week,{{cite web|title=Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week 2005|publisher=People's Daily Online|url=http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200505/04/eng20050504_183700.html|access-date=13 December 2007|archive-date=4 March 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080304172124/http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200505/04/eng20050504_183700.html|url-status=live}} which includes international brands and local designers. Also, Kuala Lumpur was designated as the World Book Capital for 2020 by UNESCO.{{cite web |last= |date=17 September 2018 |title=UNESCO World Book Capital 2020 |url=https://en.unesco.org/world-book-capital-city-2020 |access-date=19 April 2022 |website=UNESCO}}

File:National Stadium Bukit Jalil 2014 AFF Suzuki Cup final.jpg is an all-seater multi-purpose stadium that was built in January 1995.]]Kuala Lumpur has numerous parks, gardens and open spaces for recreational purposes. Total open space for recreational and sports facilities land use in the city has increased significantly by 169.6 per cent from {{convert|5.86|km2|acre}} in 1984 to {{convert|15.8|km2|acre}} in 2000.{{cite web|url=http://www.dbkl.gov.my/pskl2020/english/community_facilities/index.htm#13_2_3|title=Community Facilities|work=Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2020|publisher=Kuala Lumpur City Hall|access-date=12 December 2007|archive-date=1 May 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080501121425/http://www.dbkl.gov.my/pskl2020/english/community_facilities/index.htm#13_2_3|url-status=dead}}

Kuala Lumpur was touted as one of the host cities for the Formula One World Championship from 1999 to 2017.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/circuit_guide/4244253.stm|title=Circuit Guide: Sepang, Malaysia|work=BBC Sport|access-date=13 December 2007|date=17 February 2006|archive-date=15 October 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071015174939/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/circuit_guide/4244253.stm|url-status=live}} The open-wheel auto racing A1 Grand Prix{{cite web|url=http://www.a1gp.com/(S(1i3rbrmttvedn03utuqdy155))/Circuit/circuitInfo.aspx |title=Season 2007/08 |publisher=A1GP |access-date=13 December 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071221035725/http://www.a1gp.com/%28S%281i3rbrmttvedn03utuqdy155%29%29/Circuit/circuitInfo.aspx |archive-date=21 December 2007 }} was held until the series folded in 2009. The Motorcycle Grand Prix{{cite news|title=2004 MotoGP Sepang Results|publisher=MotorcycleUSA|access-date=3 May 2012|date=10 October 2004|url=http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/451/5884/Motorcycle-Article/2004-MotoGP-Sepang-Results.aspx|archive-date=25 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130825213031/http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/451/5884/Motorcycle-Article/2004-MotoGP-Sepang-Results.aspx|url-status=live}} races are held at the Sepang International Circuit in Sepang in the neighbouring state of Selangor. The Formula One event contributed significantly to tourist arrivals and tourism income to Kuala Lumpur. This was evident during the Asian financial crisis in 1998. Despite cities around Asia suffering declining tourist arrivals, in Kuala Lumpur tourist arrivals increased from 6,210,900 in 1997 to 10,221,600 in 2000, or 64.6%.{{cite web|url=http://www.dbkl.gov.my/pskl2020/english/tourism/index.htm|work=Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2020|publisher=Kuala Lumpur City Hall|access-date=12 December 2007|title=Tourism|archive-date=20 August 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080820014513/http://www.dbkl.gov.my/pskl2020/english/tourism/index.htm|url-status=dead}} In 2015, the Kuala Lumpur Street Circuit was constructed to host the Kuala Lumpur City Grand Prix motor racing event.

Football is one of the most popular sports in Kuala Lumpur. The Merdeka Tournament is mainly held at Stadium Merdeka. The Stadium Negara is also located right next to it which is also one of the oldest indoor stadiums in the country. The city is also the home of Kuala Lumpur City, which plays in the Malaysia Super League. Kuala Lumpur hosted the official Asian Basketball Championship in 1965, 1977 and 1985. The city's basketball supporters cheered Malaysia's national basketball team to a Final Four finish in 1985, the team's best performance to date. Further, the city is home to the Kuala Lumpur Dragons, 2016 Champions of the ASEAN Basketball League.{{cite web|url=http://aseanbasketballleague.com/news/roar-dragons-westports-malaysia-wins-first-ever-abl-crown/|title=Roar of the Dragons: Westports Malaysia Wins First Ever ABL Crown|publisher=ASEAN Basketball League|access-date=13 April 2016|archive-date=29 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160329035442/http://aseanbasketballleague.com/news/roar-dragons-westports-malaysia-wins-first-ever-abl-crown/|url-status=dead}} The team plays its home games in the MABA Stadium.

KL Grand Prix CSI 5*, a five-star international showjumping equestrian event, is held annually in the city.{{cite web|url=http://www.klgrandprix.com/main.php|publisher=Kuala Lumpur Grand Prix 2007|title=Main page|access-date=12 December 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080501041841/http://www.klgrandprix.com/main.php |archive-date = 1 May 2008}} Other annual sport events hosted by the city include the KL Tower Run,{{cite web|url=http://www.kltowerjump.com/|title=KL Tower International BASE Jump 2007|access-date=12 December 2007|archive-date=23 December 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071223111603/http://www.kltowerjump.com/|url-status=live}} the KL Tower International BASE Jump Merdeka Circuit and the Kuala Lumpur International Marathon. Kuala Lumpur is also one of the stages of the Tour de Langkawi cycling race.{{cite web|url=http://www.tdl.com.my/|title=Tour de Langkawi|publisher=Ministry of Youth and Sports, Malaysia|access-date=12 December 2007|archive-date=23 December 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071223071828/http://www.tdl.com.my/|url-status=dead}} The annual Malaysia Open Super Series badminton tournament is held in Kuala Lumpur.

Kuala Lumpur is also the birthplace of Hashing, which began in December 1938 when a group of British colonial officers and expatriates, some from the Selangor Club, began meeting on Monday evenings to run, in a fashion patterned after the traditional British Paper Chase or "Hare and Hounds".{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rRCJAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA65 |title=Insider's Kuala Lumpur |author=Lam Seng Fatt |edition=3rd |page=65 |publisher=Marshall Cavendish International Asia Pte Ltd |date=15 October 2011 |isbn=978-981-4435-39-0 |access-date=17 December 2016 |archive-date=3 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803020422/https://books.google.com/books?id=rRCJAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA65 |url-status=live }}

Kuala Lumpur hosted the 128th IOC Session in 2015 where the IOC elected Beijing as the host city of the 2022 Winter Olympics{{cite web|url=http://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/16218/kuala-lumpur-set-to-be-city-where-2022-winter-olympics-are-decided|title=Kuala Lumpur set to be city where 2022 Winter Olympics decided|author=Duncan Mackay|publisher=Inside the Games|date=13 March 2012|access-date=30 April 2015|archive-date=6 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906035443/http://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/16218/kuala-lumpur-set-to-be-city-where-2022-winter-olympics-are-decided|url-status=live}} and Lausanne as the host city of the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics.{{cite web|url=http://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1024209/lausanne-and-brasov-shortlisted-to-host-2020-winter-youth-olympic-games|title=Lausanne and Brașov shortlisted to host 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games|author=Nick Butler|publisher=Inside the Games|date=6 December 2014|access-date=30 April 2015|archive-date=12 August 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150812185819/http://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1024209/lausanne-and-brasov-shortlisted-to-host-2020-winter-youth-olympic-games|url-status=live}}

{{Main|Transportation in Kuala Lumpur|Klang Valley Integrated Transit System}}{{wide image|Rukun Negara Wall at Merdeka MRT station.jpg|1000px|The decorative relief wall portraying the Rukun Negara, the Malaysian national pledge, at the Upper Concourse Level of Merdeka MRT station.}}

File:Jalan Kuching traffic, Kuala Lumpur (240110).webm

As in most other Asian cities, driving is the main commuting choice in Kuala Lumpur. Every part of the city is well connected with highways. Kuala Lumpur has a comprehensive road network with more transportation development planned.{{cite web|url=http://www.dbkl.gov.my/pskl2020/english/transportation/|title=KL20 Transportation|publisher=Kuala Lumpur City Hall|access-date=6 April 2018|archive-date=21 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180421195304/http://www.dbkl.gov.my/pskl2020/english/transportation/|url-status=dead}} Public transportation covers a variety of transport modes such as bus, rail and taxi. Despite efforts to promote public transport, utilisation rates are low, 16 per cent of the population in 2006.{{cite web|url=http://besonline.rtm.net.my/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=65671|title=Headline: Percentage usage of public transport to be increased to 40 percent|author=Azlan|publisher=Radio Televisyen Malaysia|date=13 October 2006|access-date=22 October 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930190929/http://besonline.rtm.net.my/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=65671|archive-date=30 September 2007|url-status=dead}} However, public transport utilisation will increase with the expansion of the rail network,{{cite web|url=http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/kl-suburbs-get-25-new-lrt-stations|title=KL, suburbs get 25 new LRT stations|agency=The Star/Asia News Network|work=The Straits Times|date=2 July 2016|access-date=3 July 2016|archive-date=2 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160702143853/http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/kl-suburbs-get-25-new-lrt-stations|url-status=live}} operated by Prasarana Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley via its subsidiaries Rapid Rail and Rapid Bus, using the Rapid KL brand name.{{cite speech|title=Launching of the Cyberjaya Dedicated Transportation System|author=Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop (Minister of Finance II)|url=http://www.treasury.gov.my/index.php?ch=36&pg=126&ac=2128|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071218184229/http://www.treasury.gov.my/index.php?ch=36&pg=126&ac=2128|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 December 2007|date=10 September 2007|location=Cyberjaya|access-date=14 December 2007}} Since the take over from Intrakota Komposit Sdn Bhd, Prasarana Malaysia has redrawn the entire bus network of Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley metropolitan area{{cite web|url=http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-70087.html|title=Rapid KL to revamp network|publisher=Cleanairnet.org|date=14 November 2008|access-date=18 September 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080306062800/http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-70087.html|archive-date=6 March 2008|url-status=dead}} to increase passenger numbers and improve Kuala Lumpur's public transport system. Prasarana Malaysia has adopted the hub and spoke system to provide greater connectivity, and reduce the need for more buses.{{cite web|url=http://www.thesundaily.my/news/1070248|title=Newly improved bus hub to transform urban transport system|author=Adrian Phung|work=The Sun|date=6 June 2014|access-date=6 April 2018|archive-date=6 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180406041501/http://www.thesundaily.my/news/1070248|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/community/2015/04/06/ticket-to-clearer-roads-planned-brt-system-will-help-ease-traffic-congestion-on-federal-highway/|title=Planned BRT system will help ease traffic congestion on Federal Highway|author=Sheila Sri Priya|work=The Star|date=6 April 2015|access-date=6 April 2018|archive-date=6 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180406040906/https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/community/2015/04/06/ticket-to-clearer-roads-planned-brt-system-will-help-ease-traffic-congestion-on-federal-highway/|url-status=live}} KL Sentral was added on 16 April 2001 and served as the new transport hub of the Klang Valley Integrated Transit System.

{{Main|Rapid KL|KTM Komuter}}

{{multiple image

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| image1 = MRT SBK Semantan station2.jpg

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| image4 = 170323 Innovia Metro 300 at Lembah Subang.jpg

| image5 = 160316 KL Monorail leaving Raja Chulan station (cropped).jpeg

| footer = Major urban rail transportation in Kuala Lumpur. Left from top: MRT Kajang Line, MRT Putrajaya Line, LRT Ampang/Sri Petaling Line, LRT Kelana Jaya Line, KL Monorail Line and KTM Komuter

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| image6 = KTMB Class 92 SCS 18 KL Sentral Junction.jpg

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The KTM Komuter, a commuter rail service, was introduced in 1995 as the first rail transit system to provide local rail services in Kuala Lumpur and the surrounding Klang Valley suburban areas. Services were later expanded to other parts of Malaysia with the introduction of the Northern and Southern sectors.{{cite web|url=http://www.ktmb.com.my/article.asp?id=49|title=Intercity services|publisher=Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad|access-date=19 December 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071214084449/http://www.ktmb.com.my/article.asp?id=49|archive-date=14 December 2007|url-status=dead}} KTM Komuter's 175 km (109 mi) network in the Central Sector has 53 stations. It consists of two cross-city routes, namely the Port Klang Line (Tanjung Malim to Port Klang) and Seremban Line (Batu Caves to Pulau Sebang/Tampin). Transfers between the two main lines can be made at any of the four stations on the central core: KL Sentral, Kuala Lumpur, Bank Negara and Putra.

Light Rapid Transit (LRT) Malaysia is the medium-capacity rail lines in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. The first LRT line was opened in 1996 and the system has since expanded to three lines, which opened in 1998 and 1999. Along with the MRT, the LRT is constructed and owned by the Prasarana, with operating concessions currently run by Rapid KL and Rapid Rail. In 2006, the government announced the Sri Petaling Line and Kelana Jaya line extension projects.{{Cite web |url=http://www.thesundaily.my/news/451594 |title=George Kent-Lion Pacific JV gets Ampang Line extension job |access-date=7 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170912144533/http://www.thesundaily.my/news/451594 |archive-date=12 September 2017 |url-status=dead }} Unlike the original line, which used the fixed-block signalling block system, the extension uses the communications-based train control (CBTC) signalling system.{{Cite web |url=http://english.astroawani.com/business-news/month-long-free-ride-four-new-lrt-stations-prasarana-78345 |title=Month-long free ride at four new LRT stations – Prasarana |access-date=12 December 2020 |archive-date=7 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200607081119/http://english.astroawani.com/business-news/month-long-free-ride-four-new-lrt-stations-prasarana-78345 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |url=http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2016/03/28/sri-petaling-lrt-line-up-and-running/ |title=Prasarana announces partial opening of Sri Petaling LRT line |access-date=12 December 2020 |archive-date=28 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181128072253/https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2016/03/28/sri-petaling-lrt-line-up-and-running/ |url-status=live }}

File:Entrance B of Tun Razak Exchange MRT station.jpg. The station is designed to look more business-friendly, located in and named after a new financial district under development, TRX.]]

Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Malaysia is a heavy rail rapid transit system that constitutes the bulk of the railway network in Kuala Lumpur and the rest of the Klang Valley. The first section of the MRT opened on 16 December 2016, and the network has since grown rapidly following Malaysia's aim of developing a comprehensive rail network as the backbone of the country's public transportation system. The network consists of three lines – the {{Rint|my|13}} MRT Circle Line, looping around Kuala Lumpur, the {{Rint|my|9}} MRT Kajang Line and the {{Rint|my|12}} MRT Putrajaya Line, covering a 20 km radius in the southeast–northwest direction from the city centre, will integrate the current rapid transit system and serve high-density areas which are currently not serviced by any rapid transit system. About 90 new stations are planned in this "wheel and spoke" concept, out of which 26 in the city centre will be underground. Ridership capacity will be two million passengers per day.{{cite news| title=KL to get landmark MRT in world-class city bid| url=http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/kl-to-get-landmark-mrt-in-world-class-city-bid/| publisher=The Malaysian Insider| date=10 June 2010| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100619041035/http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/kl-to-get-landmark-mrt-in-world-class-city-bid/| archive-date=19 June 2010}}

The KL Monorail opened on 31 August 2003 with 11 stations running {{convert|8.6|km|0|abbr=on}} on two parallel elevated tracks. The line is numbered {{Rint|my|8}} and coloured light green on official transit maps. It connects the KL Sentral transport hub in the south and Titiwangsa in the north with the "Golden Triangle", a commercial, shopping, and entertainment area comprising Bukit Bintang, Imbi, Sultan Ismail, and Raja Chulan.{{Cite web|url=http://www.visitkl.gov.my/visitklv2/index.php?r=column/cthree&id=26&place_id=472|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201203223506/http://www.visitkl.gov.my/visitklv2/index.php?r=column%2Fcthree&id=26&place_id=472|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 December 2020|title=RapidKL Monorail|website=Official Portal Visit Kuala Lumpur|publisher=Tourism Unit, Kuala Lumpur City Hall|access-date=21 September 2019}}

{{multiple image|align=left|perrow=2|total_width=300

|image1=Bandar Tasik Selatan station (KLIA Transit), Klang Valley.jpg

|image2=Skypark Link train at Terminal Skypark 13 Dec 2018.jpg

|footer=Airport rail link in Kuala Lumpur: ERL (left) and Skypark Link (right)}}

Kuala Lumpur is served by two airports. The main airport, Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) at Sepang, Selangor, which is also the aviation hub of Malaysia, is located about {{convert|50|km}} south of city. The other airport is Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, also known as Subang Skypark, and served as the main international gateway to Kuala Lumpur from 1965 until KLIA opened in 1998.

KLIA connects the city with direct flights to destinations on four continents around the world,{{cite press release|publisher=National Geographic|url=http://www.ngcasia.com/press/megacities.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080206130643/http://www.ngcasia.com/press/megacities.aspx|archive-date=6 February 2008|title=Malaysia Airlines Takes Flight to MEGACITIES on National Geographic Channel|access-date=19 December 2007}} and is the main hub for the national carrier, Malaysia Airlines and low-cost carrier, AirAsia. KLIA can be reached using the KLIA Ekspres, an airport rail link service from KL Sentral, which takes twenty-eight minutes and costs RM 55 (roughly US$13.50),{{cite web|url=http://www.kliaekspres.com/index3_klia_ekspres.html|title=KLIA Ekspres|publisher=Express Rail Link Sdn Bhd|access-date=13 December 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071208182658/http://www.kliaekspres.com/index3_klia_ekspres.html |archive-date = 8 December 2007}} while travelling by car or bus via highway will take about an hour but cost a lot less. Direct buses from KLIA to the city centre are plentiful (every 10 to 15 minutes during peak hours), air-conditioned and comfortable with fares ranging from RM 11 (roughly US$2.70) to RM 15 (roughly US$3.70). Air Asia and other low-cost carrier flights do not fly out of KLIA main terminal, but from KLIA2, which is two kilometres from KLIA. KLIA2 is served by an extension of the KLIA Ekspres and by a free shuttle bus service from KLIA. {{as of|2018}}, Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport is only used for chartered and turboprop flights by airlines such as Firefly and Malindo Air.{{cite news|url=http://www.asianewsdesk.com/2007/11/27/subang-only-for-turbo-props/ |title=Subang only for turbo-props |publisher=Asian News Desk |date=27 November 2007 |access-date=13 December 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071218141156/http://www.asianewsdesk.com/2007/11/27/subang-only-for-turbo-props/ |archive-date=18 December 2007 }}

{{Main|Rapid Bus|Kuala Lumpur Mini-Bus Service}}

File:Volvo B8L 300.jpg]]

Bas Mini KL or Kuala Lumpur Mini-Bus Service was one of the oldest and most popular Malaysia public bus service, having served Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley region. The buses were primarily painted pink with a white stripe on the sides, and had a capacity of only 20–30 passengers, due to their smaller size. The buses operated on a commission basis, with service operators paid according to the fares they collected. The mini-bus service was from 23 September 1975 and discontinued on 1 July 1998, to be replaced by the Intrakota bus service and later, Rapid Bus in 2005.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/2016/12/198929/bas-mini-yesteryear|title=The 'bas mini' of yesteryear|author=B. Suresh Ram|work=New Straits Times|date=23 December 2016|access-date=12 December 2020|archive-date=14 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200814024630/https://www.nst.com.my/news/2016/12/198929/bas-mini-yesteryear|url-status=live}}

Rapid Bus began the first phase of the revamp of its bus network in January 2006, introducing 15 City Shuttle bus routes which serve major areas in the Central Business District (CBD) of Kuala Lumpur. In 2008, Rapid Bus operated 167 routes with 1,400 buses covering 980 residential areas with a ridership of about 400,000 per day.{{cite news|title=RM4.9b to boost urban,rail transport systems | url=http://www.theedgedaily.com/cms/contentPrint.jsp?id=com.tms.cms.article.Article_c810b93f-cb73c03a-c8c7d600-360bce9e&paging=0 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402112032/http://www.theedgedaily.com/cms/contentPrint.jsp?id=com.tms.cms.article.Article_c810b93f-cb73c03a-c8c7d600-360bce9e&paging=0 | url-status=dead | archive-date=2 April 2015 | author = Surin Murugiah | date= 27 June 2008| access-date=28 June 2008}} The buses run between four hubs at the edge of the central business district, namely KL Sentral, Titiwangsa, Kuala Lumpur City Centre, Maluri, and Medan Pasar in the city centre. These bus hubs also serve as rail interchanges, with the exception of Medan Pasar, although it is at a walking distance from Masjid Jamek LRT station. On 18 June 2020, Rapid Bus released a new feature: real-time location of bus in Google Maps, via collaboration with Google Transit.{{Cite web|url=https://www.myrapid.com.my/corporate-information/media/media-releases/aplikasi-google-maps-untuk-bantu-rancang-perjalanan-dengan-bas|title=Aplikasi Google Maps Untuk Bantu Rancang Perjalanan Dengan Bas|access-date=21 June 2020|archive-date=22 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200622170647/https://www.myrapid.com.my/corporate-information/media/media-releases/aplikasi-google-maps-untuk-bantu-rancang-perjalanan-dengan-bas|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=http://english.astroawani.com/malaysia-news/google-maps-app-help-rapid-bus-users-plan-trips-247819|title=Google Maps app to help Rapid bus users plan trips|access-date=21 June 2020|archive-date=19 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200619064304/http://english.astroawani.com/malaysia-news/google-maps-app-help-rapid-bus-users-plan-trips-247819|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2020/06/19/rapid-bus-collaborates-with-google-maps-app-to-help-users-plan-trips-view-r/1876830|title=Rapid Bus collaborates with Google Maps app to help users plan trips, view real-time location of buses|date=19 June 2020 |access-date=21 June 2020|archive-date=23 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200623063708/https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2020/06/19/rapid-bus-collaborates-with-google-maps-app-to-help-users-plan-trips-view-r/1876830|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://themalaysianreserve.com/2020/06/19/rapidkl-users-can-now-plan-bus-trips-via-google-maps/|title=RapidKL users can now plan bus trips via Google Maps|date=19 June 2020|access-date=21 June 2020|archive-date=22 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200622170641/https://themalaysianreserve.com/2020/06/19/rapidkl-users-can-now-plan-bus-trips-via-google-maps/|url-status=live}}

Effective 10 April 2019, all RapidKL buses are implementing a fully cashless journey for all routes by stages, in which the bus accepts Touch n Go cards only for user convenience. These systems were fully implemented by 27 May 2019.{{Cite web|title=Rapid KL Buses to Implement Full Cashless from 15 April – Media Releases {{!}} MyRapid Your Public Transport Portal|url=https://www.myrapid.com.my/corporate-information/media/media-releases/rapid-kl-buses-to-implement-full-cashless-from-15-april|access-date=2 August 2020|website=myrapid.com.my|archive-date=25 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925000940/https://www.myrapid.com.my/corporate-information/media/media-releases/rapid-kl-buses-to-implement-full-cashless-from-15-april|url-status=dead}} Almost 170 RapidKL bus routes are covered with the real-time feature, which was expanded to the MRT feeder bus service. Rapid Bus is however not the only bus operator in Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley. Other bus operators are Selangor Omnibus, Setara Jaya Bus, and Causeway Link.

{{Main|Taxicabs of Malaysia}}

File:2010-2013 Proton Persona (CM) 1.6 sedan, Teksi (2014-01-03).jpg

In Kuala Lumpur, most taxis have distinctive white and red liveries. Many companies operate and maintain pools of different model of cars in their brands. Before local car production began, the Mercedes-Benz 200, Mazda 323/Ford Laser, Toyota Mark II X80 series and the Opel Kadett were used.{{Cite web |url=http://epaper.mmail.com.my/2017/05/04/glimpse-into-growth-of-taxi-services-in-malaysia/ |title=Glimpse into growth of taxi services in Malaysia |access-date=12 December 2020 |archive-date=25 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191025123444/http://epaper.mmail.com.my/2017/05/04/glimpse-into-growth-of-taxi-services-in-malaysia/ |url-status=dead }} Most were scrapped and replaced by Protons, but there are still a large number of these models running the roads. Kuala Lumpur is one of the major ASEAN cities with taxis extensively running on natural gas. Taxis can be hailed from taxi stands or from the streets. Taxis may be flagged down at any time of the day along any public road outside of the Central Business District (CBD). However, increased usage of ridesharing services like Grab, MyCar and JomRides has resulted in a decrease in taxi use.{{cite web|url=https://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/cover-story-disrupting-taxi-industry|title=Cover Story: Disrupting the taxi industry|publisher=The Edge Malaysia|date=8 September 2016|access-date=9 December 2020|archive-date=27 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227180709/https://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/cover-story-disrupting-taxi-industry|url-status=live}}

Nevertheless, the London-based website, LondonCabs.co.uk has claimed that taxis in the city charge passengers high rates, refusing to turn on their meters and offering instead over-priced flat-rate fares,{{cite news|url=http://www.therakyatpost.com/news/2015/07/03/kl-taxi-drivers-tops-list-of-worst-drivers-in-10-cities/|title=KL taxi drivers top list of worst drivers in 10 cities|author=Arfa Yunus|newspaper=The Rakyat Post|date=3 July 2015|access-date=8 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180408141244/http://www.therakyatpost.com/news/2015/07/03/kl-taxi-drivers-tops-list-of-worst-drivers-in-10-cities/|archive-date=8 April 2018|url-status=dead}} although other passengers contradict such claims. The heads of some taxi associations came out and distanced themselves from taxi drivers who had given the taxi industry a bad name, promising the public that not all taxi drivers were like that.{{cite web|url=http://malaysiandigest.com/frontpage/282-main-tile/563983-here-s-what-local-users-and-foreign-tourists-think-of-kl-taxi-drivers.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150805093701/http://www.malaysiandigest.com/frontpage/282-main-tile/563983-here-s-what-local-users-and-foreign-tourists-think-of-kl-taxi-drivers.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 August 2015|title=Here's What Local Users And Foreign Tourists Think of KL Taxi Drivers|publisher=Malaysian Digest|date=4 August 2015|access-date=8 April 2018}}

{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Malaysia}}

File:Isfahankualalumpur.jpg Street (formerly Jalan Selat, Straits Road) in Kuala Lumpur (above) and Kuala Lumpur Avenue in Isfahan (below)]]

Kuala Lumpur is twinned with:

{{div col|colwidth=18em}}

• Ankara, Turkey{{cite web|title=Ankaranın Kardeş Şehirleri|url=https://www.ankara.bel.tr/genel-sekreter/genel-sekreter-yardimcisi-faruk-cinki/dis-liskiler-daire-baskanligi/ankaranin-kardes-sehirleri/|website=ankara.bel.tr|publisher=Ankara|language=tr|access-date=14 December 2020|archive-date=25 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201025172312/https://www.ankara.bel.tr/genel-sekreter/genel-sekreter-yardimcisi-faruk-cinki/dis-liskiler-daire-baskanligi/ankaranin-kardes-sehirleri/|url-status=dead}}
• Casablanca, Morocco{{cite web|title=Jumelages|url=http://casablanca.ma/Page_Centrale.aspx?Id_Page=5277|website=casablanca.ma|publisher=Casablanca|language=fr|access-date=14 December 2020|archive-date=23 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201023120146/http://casablanca.ma/Page_Centrale.aspx?Id_Page=5277|url-status=live}}
• Chennai, India{{cite web|title=Chennai has six 'sister cities', but few benefits have flowed|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/chennai-has-six-sister-cities-but-few-benefits-have-flowed/articleshow/68998638.cms|website=timesofindia.indiatimes.com|publisher=The Times of India|date=23 April 2019|access-date=14 December 2020|archive-date=1 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210601155420/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/chennai-has-six-sister-cities-but-few-benefits-have-flowed/articleshow/68998638.cms|url-status=live}}
• Dubai, United Arab Emirates{{cite web|title=6 Bandar Di Malaysia Yang Berkembar Dengan Bandar Lain di Seluruh Dunia|url=https://iluminasi.com/bm/5-bandar-kembar-di-negara-lain-yang-mempunyai-hubungan.html|website=iluminasi.com|publisher=Iluminasi|language=ms|date=24 April 2018|access-date=14 December 2020|archive-date=27 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127095251/https://iluminasi.com/bm/5-bandar-kembar-di-negara-lain-yang-mempunyai-hubungan.html|url-status=live}}
• Isfahan, Iran{{cite web|title=شهرهای خواهر|url=https://new.isfahan.ir/Index.aspx?page_=form&lang=1&sub=52&tempname=tem93&PageID=4020|website=isfahan.ir|publisher=Isfahan|language=fa|access-date=14 December 2020|archive-date=18 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200618113813/https://new.isfahan.ir/Index.aspx?page_=form&lang=1&sub=52&tempname=tem93&PageID=4020|url-status=live}}
• Karachi, Pakistan{{cite web|title=Islamabad to get new sister city|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1230842|website=dawn.com|publisher=Dawn|date=5 January 2016|access-date=14 December 2020|archive-date=18 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180318182531/https://www.dawn.com/news/1230842|url-status=live}}
• London, United Kingdom{{cite web|title=The Twin Cities of Oxford, Cambridge and London|url=https://www.oxford-royale.com/articles/twin-cities-oxford-cambridge-london/|website=oxford-royale.com|publisher=Oxford Royale Academy|date=16 February 2017|access-date=14 December 2020|archive-date=19 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200619210923/https://www.oxford-royale.com/articles/twin-cities-oxford-cambridge-london/|url-status=live}}
• Malacca City, Malaysia
• Mashhad, Iran{{cite web |url=http://eurasia.ro/?p=2687 |title=Mashhad-Kuala Lumpur Become Sister Cities |work=Mircea Birca |publisher=Eurasia Press and News |date=14 October 2006 |access-date=20 December 2015 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304094417/http://eurasia.ro/?p=2687 |url-status=live }}

{{div col end}}

• Cyberjaya
• Gorgeous Geeks
• Greater Kuala Lumpur
• Klang Valley
• Putrajaya
• Selangor
• Sri Garden

{{clear}}

{{notelist}}

{{reflist}}

{{refbegin}}

• {{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8ffzlwEACAAJ|title=Kuala Lumpur at War, 1939-1945: A History of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor During World War Two|first=Andrew|last=Barber|publisher=Karamoja Press|year=2012|isbn=9789834337247}}
• {{cite report |last=Fleming |first=Tom |date=May 2021 |title=Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur and Wider Klang Valley |url=https://www.britishcouncil.my/sites/default/files/malaysia_cultural_cities_profile_kuala_lumpur.pdf |series=Cultural Cities Profile East Asia |location=Kuala Lumpur |publisher=British Council Malaysia |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240331195016/https://www.britishcouncil.my/sites/default/files/malaysia_cultural_cities_profile_kuala_lumpur.pdf |archive-date=31 March 2024 |access-date=8 April 2025}}
• {{cite journal|url=http://myrepositori.pnm.gov.my/bitstream/123456789/2265/1/JB1865_MBRA.pdf|title=Kuala Lumpur 1880–1895|first=J.M. |last=Gullick|journal=Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society|volume=24|issue=4|pages=10–11|year=1955|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150528182107/http://myrepositori.pnm.gov.my/bitstream/123456789/2265/1/JB1865_MBRA.pdf|archive-date=28 May 2015|url-status=dead}}
• {{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L_hwAAAAMAAJ|title=A History of Kuala Lumpur 1856–1939|first=J.M. |last=Gullick|publisher=The Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society|year=2000|isbn=9789679948158}}

{{refend}}

{{Commons category}}

{{Wikivoyage}}

• [http://www.visitkl.gov.my/ Official website of Kuala Lumpur] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130727205434/http://www.visitkl.gov.my/ |date=27 July 2013 }}
• [https://www.malaysia.travel/ The Official Tourism Website of Malaysia – Malaysia Truly Asia]
• [https://www.tourism.gov.my/ Official website of Tourism Malaysia Corp]
• [https://www.dbkl.gov.my/en/ Official Portal of Kuala Lumpur City Hall]
• {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20160507133156/http://pathfindercity.com/kuala-lumpur/ An Insider's Guide to Kuala Lumpur]}} – {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20161118163200/https://pathfindercity.com/ Pathfinder City]}}
• {{osmrelation-inline|2939672}}

{{Geographic location

| North = Rawang
Batu Caves

| Northwest = Sungai Buloh

| West = Petaling Jaya

| Centre = Kuala Lumpur

| Southwest = Subang Jaya
Puchong

| South = Serdang
Putrajaya

| Southeast = Kajang
Cheras

| East = Ampang
Pandan Indah

| Northeast = Gombak
Ulu Klang

}}

{{Greater Kuala Lumpur}}

{{Kuala Lumpur}}

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