Week 107 · Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia · Petronas · Batu Caves · Monkey Attack
Kuala
The original plan was to have gone from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City — but I added two days in Chiang Mai to recover and regroup. When I got off the plane in a modern city with a high-speed train to the city and the promise of a "door-to-door" porter, I have to admit I was a bit relieved to be "back."
I was talked out of booking the "door to door" because I didn't have much stuff and it was very easy to catch a cab at the KL Sentral station to my guesthouse (which was next to a well-known hotel). The train ride was great — but then I found out that taxis in KL only accept Ringgit and all money-changing places were closed. After 20 minutes, I was able to talk a local into changing $10 USD for taxi fare. Then the taxi took me to the wrong place and I had another 20-minute walk. I put pictures of the hotel he confused — it wasn't even close.
The day of arrival in KL, the result of the investigation into Prime Minister Najib Razak's finances was announced — no wrongdoing was found despite approximately $681 million appearing in his personal bank accounts, which was attributed to a donation from a Saudi royal. The broader scandal involved 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), a state investment fund allegedly used to channel billions of dollars to connected individuals. Najib was ultimately convicted on corruption charges in 2020 and sentenced to 12 years in prison — one of the most significant corruption convictions in Malaysian history.
I have had numerous business trips to KL cancelled — mostly because of uncertainty surrounding corruption with a stakeholder. Ironically, the day I was there the result of the investigation was announced and no wrongdoing was found — somehow the prime minister got $680 million in his bank account and it was all OK. One of my taxi drivers was very upset about this finding and we had a long discussion about the payments and the linkage to the energy industry — he was impressed by my local knowledge. It was literally the only thing I knew about Malaysia.
The Petronas Twin Towers were the world's tallest buildings from 1998 to 2004, standing 452 metres. They were designed by Argentine-American architect César Pelli and built simultaneously by two separate construction teams — one from South Korea (Samsung C&T, which built the left tower) and one from Japan — competing to finish first. The towers are the headquarters of Petronas, Malaysia's national oil company, and their construction was partly a symbol of Malaysia's ambitions under Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. The skybridge connecting the towers at floors 41 and 42 is the highest two-story bridge in the world.
Malaysia is a clash of cultures — relatively well off because of oil money. Islam is the primary religion but very liberal on western lifestyle, and with a lot of Hindu influence. The drop in oil pricing is devastating — many construction projects halted. Hit all of the local sites via hop-on/hop-off bus. The bus was slow so I spent time walking in their central park — and even went to a bird park where I was attacked by a monkey. My sling saved me from re-breaking my wrist.
"Right after this picture, something hit me in the head. A baby monkey the size of a squirrel ran off."
