Magnificent Malaysia

- R Srinivasan

The name ‘Malaysia’ as per one school of thought is believed to have been derived from the word ‘Melayu’ in Malay, supposedly from the Tamil words ‘Malai’ (mountain) and ‘Ur’ (city). The country’s third-largest source of foreign exchange is tourism and it was quite recently listed as ‘one of the best places to retire in the world’. With such credentials, let’s take a look at some of the sight-seeing options it offers for avid travellers. So here goes...

Petronas towers

An iconic landmark of Kuala Lumpur, the 88-storeyed Petronas twin towers house the headquarters of national oil company Petronas. Designed by architect Cesar Pelli, the towers with an overall Islamic minaret design are constructed largely of reinforced concrete with a steel and laminated glass façade. Some other wellknown companies such as Bloomberg, Boeing, IBM, etc, reportedly have their offices in tower 2. To cater to shoppers, one of the largest shopping malls in Malaysia, the Suria KLCC features mostly imported luxury items and international brands. A double-decker sky-bridge connects the two towers on the 41st and 42nd floors and is designed to slide in and out of the towers during high winds to prevent it from breaking. Since tickets for the sky-bridge are limited to about 1000 people per day on a first-come, first-served basis, ensure that you get there early. In fact the climax scene of a Hollywood Sean Connery starrer (Entrapment), which was set on the sky-bridge, showcases its resplendent beauty. Try to catch a glimpse of its magnificence at dusk when it is fully lit up and it dominates the Kuala Lumpur (KL) skyline.