A Malaysian Photo And Travel Blog

I did some further research on this report and uncovered some eye-catching statistics. I was shocked because Malaysia was rated as VERY POOR in handling our greenhouse gas emissions. Believe it or not! We were grouped together with China - the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitter. Click this screenshot to learn more:

Developing nations including Malaysia and Indonesia must do more to cut emissions. Our government must set a national target to cut greenhouse gas emissions ASAP! Latest News (18th December 2009): Malaysia is adopting a voluntary national reduction indicator of up to 40% in terms of GDP emission intensity by 2020 compared with 2005 levels. Source: TheStar.

Many city folks and urban dwellers are scratching their heads. More and more people are wondering how they can do their part to reduce greenhouse gas. One week ago, I've spoken to my senior colleagues about this issue. One of them suggested a visit to KL Lake Gardens to get some green ideas. That's fabulous!

Last weekend, I decided to shelve my scheduled plans and paid a full day visit to KL Lake Gardens. I wanted to see the green development and hope to get some ideas on ways to lower down our carbon emissions. It was a fruitful trip. Remember to read the whole article.

KL Lake Gardens is also known as Taman Tasik Perdana (Perdana Lake Garden). It was officially opened on 1st May 1975 by the second Prime Minister of Malaysia Tun Haji Abdul Razak Hussein. The park has an area of approximately 92 hectares.

The attractions that has been developed for public use includes:

I parked my car at National Museum in Jalan Damansara, KL. Next, I walked across the overhead bridge from National Museum to Lake Gardens. It was a refreshing walk. Along the way, I stumbled upon a group of happy tourists. A smiling face is a reflection of a relaxed mind. Our foreign friends LOVE the green attractions in KL Lake Gardens.

At first, I visited KL Butterfly Park. Finding the place is not difficult as informative signboards are placed at strategic locations. Upon entering the park, I saw loads of winged creatures (butterflies) flying around. The butterfly park is a huge man-made indoor garden with big trees, flowering plants and turtle ponds. Visitors are allowed to pour droplets of sweet sugary solution on the feeding station. In less than a minute, more than 20 butterflies flocked the station. It was a feeding frenzy. A wonderful opportunity to capture these unique creatures with my camera.

After that, I checked out the collection of insects. I saw skinny stick insects, cute dung beetles, scary tarantula and poisonous scorpions. These 'live' exhibits are AMAZING! Definitely an eye-opener for visitors. The park management did a wonderful job by putting up fun and amazing facts next to the exhibits. Another plus point is the souvenir store that is chocked full of unique butterfly and insect themed gifts.

Next, I visited KL Orchid and Hibiscus Gardens. The two gardens are located side by side. Entrance is free of charge. I was mesmerized by the vast collection of orchids. The Orchid Garden houses about 3,000 orchid species from around the world, with 800 species from Malaysia alone. So many colors, shapes and sizes. I love the smell of these flowers! The smell makes everyone enjoy walking around them and they bring a sort of cheerfulness to the atmosphere. I'm one of the guys who fell in LOVE with the floral beauties. LOL!

Along the way, I stumbled upon row of shops selling orchids. WOW! The shops were packed like sardines! The plants are cheap and beautiful. You can get a big pot of orchid plant for a mere RM4. My mum loves orchid. So, I bought two beautiful pots of orchids.

Then, I visited the hibiscus garden. The five-petaled hibiscus is Malaysia's national flower. This garden showcases more than 2,000 varieties of hibiscuses. Inside the garden, there is a building that houses the displays of different hibiscus species, hibiscus-related products and handicrafts. Remember to check out the clam-shaped hibiscus. This gigantic species is a MUST-SEE attraction. The pink colored flower is as big as my face!

Lastly, I walked 400 m to KL Bird Park. An adult ticket cost RM15. It is quite pricey by Malaysian standard. Our KL Bird Park is listed in TripAdvisor as the TOP 2 must-see attraction in KL. Source: TripAdvisor. I've read countless good reviews from travelers. So, I had high expectations.

KL Bird Park is one of the world's largest free-flight walk-in aviary. It has approximately 800 birds of 60 local and foreign species living together as a perfectly balanced community in a semi-natural, man-made environment. I was impressed seeing birds flying and walking freely in the park.

The best part of the park is that you can get very close to the beautiful birds (including the magnificent peacocks and milky storks) in the aviary - the birds are simply walking around you. That's really AWESOME! I spent two hours exploring the flamingo pond, hornbill park, world of parrots, bird gallery and exhibition centre (egg incubation room and nursery).

Overall, I had a superb time discovering the green beauty in KL Lake Gardens. I LOVE the lush gardens, breathtaking views, quiet, secluded and most of all relaxing atmosphere. A nature lover's and birder's paradise!

In addition, I saw big trees all over the lake. It's a peaceful and serene place... far away from the hustle and bustle of the big city. I did not expect KL to be so beautiful and vivid.

Greenhouse gas pollution is a serious problem. As populations expand and lifestyles change, we must keep Malaysia in good condition so that future generations will have the same natural resources that we have. This trip has inspired me to make small and big changes as much as I can to lower down our green gashouse emissions.

One of the best way to lower our carbon footprint is to help the environment by planting trees which absorb CO2 (Carbon Dioxide). Trees absorb carbon dioxide out of the air and produce oxygen as a by-product. Planting trees is a way for people to offset the damage done by their carbon foot print.

Do you know?

So, I proposed this brilliant idea to my HR and Community Department during one of our quality meeting. It was discussed and accepted unanimously. We're going to have our very first tree planting campaign. Our main objective is greening our HQ and surrounding area by planting trees. We nicknamed the project "Rising Green".

Believe me. Small changes at home and office make a big difference in climate change efforts. So, wait no more. Start greening. NOW!

I started documenting the beauty of Kuala Lumpur (KL) and Putrajaya since November last year. As of December 2009, I've explored 30 places of interest in KL and 5 places in Putrajaya.

Kuala Lumpur, the capital city, IS Malaysia, and probably the greatest city in the world. There is so much to see here, so many places to visit, so many things to do. During my one year journey, I've discovered a melting pot of of different cultures with great food, amazing people and superb entertainment. No city invites the heart to come to life as KL does. Arrival in KL is an experience in living.

"What about Putrajaya?" you might ask. Well, I fall in LOVE with Putrajaya when I first I visited the place in October 2009. So far, I had made three trips back to Putrajaya. The majestic buildings blended perfectly with the green parks and garden. A well executed intelligent city that stands tall among the great.

During the last several weekends, I've managed to sort out all my photos according to theme and location. Believe it or not?! I've captured more than 3 500 pictures of KL and Putrajaya.

These pictures brought back loads of wonderful memories, joy and laughter. I remember the great time I had in KL and Putrajaya - meeting total strangers, chatting with them and sharing common interests.

Today (16th December 2009), it's been exactly one year since I started my solo exploration to discover the two cities. I like to share with you my pictures of KL and Putrajaya. This is a collection of the 35 best pieces from my photo blog, spanning 365 days of work. I captured all these using my Nikon D60 DSLR camera.

This 365 days project is not the end, but only the beginning. I'll continue to discover more hidden gems in these wonderful cities. Thank you and enjoy.

"What is so special about Pudu Town?" you might ask. For most people, Pudu is considered one of the busiest town in KL. At night, people fear walking alone in Pudu due to widespread news of street thieves and petty thefts. According to the Malay Mail paper dated 6th July 2009 "NOBODY takes an after-dark stroll down the streets around Jalan Pudu without a heart-pounding fear of being robbed. We can now add another street to this list of unsafe places". Source: Malay Mail

Well, I wanted to see more than that. I asked myself "What does Pudu have in store for Malaysians like me?" So, I started my exploration with a different outlook of Pudu. In Pudu town, we have two historic landmarks:

Each landmark has its own story to tell. I wish to explore the deeper side of these places and find out the latest development.

The day before the trip, I was having sleepless night. I can’t stop myself from thinking and planning. My big trip is coming up! The next morning, I woke up early. I boarded a Metrobus from Jalan Ipoh to Central Market in Kuala Lumpur (KL). After that, I walked 500 m all the way to Puduraya bus station. I felt safe knowing that our police personnel were making their daily rounds. In addition, RTD officers (Road Transport Department) and traffic police were on duty ensuring smooth traffic flow along Jalan Pudu.

I spent almost one hour finding the best location to snap pictures of Puduraya building. The building is pretty much the same. The exterior of the building was recently given a new coat of paint. According to Wikipedia: The Puduraya station (Malay: Hentian Puduraya) is the main bus station terminus in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was opened in 1976 by the late former Prime Minister Tun Hussein Onn. Long-distance buses arrive and leave from Puduraya for all over Peninsular Malaysia, and also Thailand and Singapore. Source: Wikipedia

It was a wonderful morning with blue mackerel sky. I had a great day snapping pictures. Halfway, an express bus driver was honking at me. I looked at him and he gestured back to me. He opened the bus door and asked me to hop in. At first, I was a little hesitant to accept his offer. I do not want to be another kidnap victim. But the driver and his assistant look friendly to me. So, I climbed up the bus. He spoke to me in English.

He asked:

"How much is your camera?"

I answered:

"RM 2 500"

He asked again:

"You from Japan?"

I answered:

"NO! I'm a Malaysian"

He added:

"Your face and spectacle....you really look like Japanese!"

Well, I'm not surprised. This is the fifth time people look at me as a young Japanese traveler. LOL! We had a nice friendly chat. I told him I was finding the best possible location to take my pictures. I showed them the pictures I've taken earlier. The two men exclaimed together "FU-YOH!" That’s a nice start for me! I bid them goodbye and walked into the Puduraya station.

Other than that, I saw the usual 'kutu rayau' (translation: tickets tout) scouting for potential victims. Most of them were carrying walkie talkie. I ignored them. Moments later, I was surrounded by three mean looking 'kutu rayau'. These fellas were asking all sorts of questions about me and my camera. I tried to explain to them that I'm not a reporter. I’m just looking for some photo opportunities for my blog article.

Sadly, things get worse before they get better. Two uniformed guards came and asked me not to take anymore pictures. WHAT A BUMMER! Again, I tried to explain to them...but in vain. At one point, I was a bit scared surrounded with these burly people. So, I decided to walk away. I was truly disappointed.

From Puduraya, I walked almost 1 km to Pudu Jail. Along the way, I stumbled upon the unfinished Plaza Rakyat project. WOW! This RM 1.4 billion project has been abandoned for almost 15 years! Unfinished concrete slabs and steel bars are visible from afar. What an eyesore! But, I guess things will get better from now. Our Federal Territories (FT) Minister has taken a proactive approach on this matter. Recently, I stumbled upon Raja Nong Chik's (FT Minster) blog article about this problem. Here is the Q&A between our minister with StarMetro. Source: RNC (YB Raja Nong Chik's Blog)

Finally, I reached the busiest crossroad in KL. The weekend traffic was getting heavier by the minute. I was walking all the way from Puduraya bus station to Pudu Jail. Initially, I enjoyed this walking trip. But, the volume of traffic and the amount of Carbon Dioxide released from the vehicles were unbearable! Some buses were releasing thick black fumes from the exhaust pipe. OMG! This is no good for our fragile environment. RTD needs to do more - especially conducting spot checks to determine the level of toxic fumes released by our public vehicles. Our PM Najib has been talking a lot about cutting green gashouse gas emissions and greening Malaysia. So please take immediate action before it’s too late!

At the busy crossroad, I saw the faint blue and white building of 'Ibu Pejabat Polis Bukit Aman (translation: The Royal Malaysian Police Kuala Lumpur Contingent Headquarters). Also, I was standing right beneath the KL Monorial tracks. The Pudu station is just 500 m away.

After crossing the busy road, I finally reached Pudu Jail. At first, I walked to the main entrance of the jail. I was hoping to obtain some kind of permission to enter the prison for some exclusive shots. Unfortunately, the big wooden doors were locked. No guard in sight. So, I walked along the famous walls of Pudu Jail. The four walls of Pudu Jail were painted entirely by the prisoners who used over 2000 litre of paint to accomplish the task. The murals entitled the inmates to won a place in the Guinness Book of Records for painting the world's longest mural along the prison walls.

It was sad. The paintings were peeling and chipping away. In addition, parts of the concrete walls has broken off due to vandalism and lack of preservation. I also saw some strange looking graffiti on the walls. Interestingly, our Pudu Jail is not that big after all. I explored the entire four walls in less than 40 minutes. Also, I saw massive construction machinery at the back of the jail. The entrance is blocked. I guess some kind of renovation works are going on. But I was wrong! The jail is being demolish to make way for a new tunnel and road expansion. WOW! What a waste!

Overall, it was an insightful and memorable trip. This is my very first walking tour from Puduraya to Pudu Jail. I truly enjoyed the entire experience. Savvy travelers from abroad would LOVE to have similar guided trips. This little town in the heart of KL is definitely rich in history and deserves better attention.