World City Guide

Culture

Over the last few years, traditional arts and culture have made a comeback in Kuala Lumpur. All over the city, small-scale performances are rubbing shoulders with the more slick revues at theatres and at the Central Market, Jalan Hang Kasturi (tel: (03) 2274 9966) the scene of tourist-orientated fortune telling, shadow puppets and batik painting demos. The city is also home to the nation’s most renowned orchestra, the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, which performs regularly. Despite this renaissance in local culture, Western cinema and music still dominate, especially among the younger generation.

The monthly Vision KL Magazine gives listings on events and performances taking place in the city. It is available free of charge from four and five-star hotels and in some bars. There is no umbrella ticketing agency for cultural events in Kuala Lumpur. Tickets are purchased direct from the venue.

Music: For classical music concerts, the main venue in town is Dewan Filharmonik Petronas, in the Petronas Twin Towers complex (tel: (03) 2051 7007; fax: (03) 2051 7077; e-mail: dfp_boxoffice@petronas.com.my; website: www.dfpmpo.com). Malaysia’s first classical concert hall, this is home to the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra and also hosts other major classical concerts as well as cultural performances.

Theatre: The move of Malaysia’s Panggung Negara (National Theatre) to the massive new Istana Budaya theatre, Jalan Tun Razak (tel: (03) 4025 5932; fax: (03) 4025 5975; e-mail: info@istanabudaya.gov.my; website: www.istanabudaya.gov.my), has revolutionised Kuala Lumpur’s theatre scene. With seating for almost 1,500 people, the RM210-million state-of-the-art venue is amongst the best in the world. On a smaller scale, the Actor’s Studio Theatre at the Bangsar Shopping Centre (tel: (03) 2094 0400/1400; fax: (03) 2093 8400; website: www.theactorsstudio.com.my), is a flexible space with all sorts of performances and even some comedy. Two of the most innovative theatre groups are Dramalab (website: www.emuang.org/Dramalab) and Instant Café (tel: (03) 2148 5192).

Dance: Traditional dance, such as Menora (all masked men) or Mak Yong (all masked women), is sometimes performed. However, there is no one venue or organisation taking charge of this. Some hotels and the Central Market, Jalan Hang Kasturi (tel: (03) 2274 9966), also stage visiting regional dancers.

Film: Kuala Lumpur has many cinemas spread throughout the city, most of which are located in big shopping malls and have performances in English. Cinema Online (website: www.cinema.com.my) gives a comprehensive listing in English for the following cinemas: GSC Mid Valley (tel: (03) 8312 3456), GSC Capital Selayang (tel: (03) 6138 6311), GSC Cheras Leisure Mall (tel: (03) 8312 3456), TGV Suria KLCC and TGV Mines (tel: (03) 7492 2929), ISWARIA Odeon Theatre (tel: (03) 2694 4995) and UE3 Complex (tel: (03) 9285 4970).

Cultural Events: Owing to the large number of ethnic groups, there are various cultural and religious events around the city throughout the year. Hindus celebrate Thaipusam at the Batu Caves in February, with the bizarre spectacle of kavadi bearers who push skewers into their bodies to demonstrate their religious devotion. Chinese New Year, also at this time of year, is characterised by two weeks of loud street festivities and the ubiquitous lion dances. Unsurprisingly, the epicentre is around Jalan Petaling, with many ethnic Chinese ignoring the government efforts to limit festivities to a two-day holiday and instead taking four or five days off. Buddhists have the less flashy celebration of the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha, with Wesak Day in May. The Jalan Gasing or the International Buddhist Temple are the places for one to witness this. The Muslim majority’s main event is Ramadan, in the Muslim month of the same name (falling in October in both 2003 and 2004), the period of fasting that culminates in Hari Raya Aidilfitri, where Muslims throw open their homes and feast on an array of home-cooked Malay dishes. Dates for all of the religious festivals can change markedly depending on the dictates of each religion’s calendar. All creeds and religions come together to celebrate Malaysian independence on 31 August, with a massive parade that brings the city centre to a halt.

Literary Notes: As a relatively new city, there is a distinct lack of English-language fiction set in Kuala Lumpur. Paul Theroux’s Consul’s File (1977) is an excellent collection of short stories set just outside the city. A Malaysian Journey (1993) is an engaging insight into modern Malaysia. Written by an ex-pat Malaysian journalist, Rehman Rashid, it is the story of his return to his native country. The story follows his travels around Malaysia, examining a plethora of issues as he goes and culminating in his emotive return to modern Kuala Lumpur. Steve and Lee Bristow’s Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur (1994) examines Chinatown’s eclectic history and boasts some excellent photographs. Also delving deep into Malaysia’s intriguing past is the Malayan Trilogy (1984) by Anthony Burgess, where the author examines the state of post-war Malaysia and its struggle towards independence from Britain in 1957. For a general historic overview of Malaysian history, Jim Baker’s Crossroads – A Popular History of Malaysia and Singapore (1999) is comprehensive and easy to digest, compared to some of the more scholarly studies of Malaysian history. Giving a unique insight into the most powerful man in Malaysia, the newly retired Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad (Mohamad handed over power to his deputy on 31 October 2003 after an epic 22 years as Prime Minister), is his own Voices of Asia (1995), which looks at his pro-Asian views and his controversial opinions on the world economy and where it should be heading. Stephen Lee’s Outside Looking In – Kuala Lumpur (2000) is a collection of photographs taken at the end of the 1990s that encapsulate life in the city.