Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Kuala Lumpur Today
The general election of 2013 saw the BN coalition retain control of the country as well
as KL, where the city council is centrally appointed. The opposition PK coalition re-
mains in the driver's seat for Selangor. Now it's full speed ahead on major infrastruc-
ture developments for the capital, including a new mass rapid transit (MRT) line and
the River of Life urban regeneration project.
Best in Print
Urban Odysseys
(ed Janet Tay & Eric Forbes) Short stories that capture KL's multifaceted cultural flavour.
KL Noir
Three volumes of short stories zoning in on the city's sinister and spooky underbelly.
My Life as a Fake
(Peter Carey) Reworking of Frankenstein evokes the sultry side of KL.
Found in Malaysia
(The Nut Graph) Compilation of 50 interviews with notable Malaysians from the news and
analysis website (
www.thenutgraph.com
)
.
The Consumption of Kuala Lumpur
(Zaiddin Sardar) How the once-sleepy capital has evolved into a modern
economic marvel.
Best on Film
Entrapment
(1999) The climax of this Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones thriller takes place at KL's Petro-
nas Towers.
Septet
(2004) Chinese boy falls for Malay girl in Yasmin Ahmad's romantic comedy.
GE13 & After
In the months leading up to the 5 May 2013 general election (GE13), opposition parties,
political commentators and the public had been calling attention to irregularities and unfair-
ness in Malaysia's electoral system. Unbalanced constituency sizes, lack of access to the
media for campaigning, and possibility of gerrymandering were the main concerns. Major
rallies in KL saw tens if not hundreds of thousands marching for fair and free elections.
Once votes had been cast and counted, BN had lost seven seats in the national parliament
but emerged as the majority winner, thus again able to form a government with Najib
Razak back as prime minister. The opposition parties in PK won a majority of votes over-
all, but this counted for little given Malaysia's first past the post election system. PK did,
however, hold onto government in Selangor, the state surrounding the federal territory of
KL, which it had first captured in the 2008 election.
