Shopping Malls in Kuala Lumpur and Klang Valley.

Kuala Lumpur and the rest of the Klang Valley are home to some of Southeast Asia's biggest shopping malls. This is a testament to Kuala Lumpur's popularity as a shopping destination among locals and international visitors alike. Below are some of the most prominent modern shopping spots in the Klang Valley.

Lot 10 and Starhill

Located in Bukit Bintang, the Lot 10 shopping centre is a popular haunt for mid-market shoppers. The main tenant is Isetan, a Japanese department store that stocks a good range of goods from groceries to electronic appliances and clothes to tools, many of them being Japanese brands. However, there are many other retail shops selling things from gifts to books inside.

Next door is the Starhill Plaza, an upmarket shopping centre that's run by the same management of Lot 10. The plaza has a distinct level of luxury and class in its trimmings, décor and choice of shops which include famous designer brands in watches, jewellery, fashion and leather good. A large chandelier hangs from the ceiling, overlooking the many levels of shops below giving this place the feel of richness.

Mid Valley Megamall

The Mid Valley Megamall is an extremely popular mall that's also one of the biggest in Southeast Asia. Located near Bangsar facing the Federal Highway, the mall has an area that is 4.5 million square feet in total, which consists of the mall, office blocks, a boulevard and two hotels. Since opening in 1999, it has attracted droves of visitors and shoppers for its wide variety of shopping outlets, entertainment features and dining opportunities.

Its anchor tenants include big department stores and hypermarkets such as Jusco, Metrojaya and Carrefour. There also two large food courts while the boulevard area has some nice international restaurants. Retail outlets inside Mid Valley cover a wide scope which includes but is not limited to; fashion, electronics, computers, gifts, souvenirs, groceries, appliances and much more. Many famous designer brands have shops here, as well as popular names in watches and diamonds. Mid Valley truly offers a great shopping experience to both locals and visitors.

Suria KLCC

The Suria KLCC shopping mall is nestled between the world's second tallest structures, the Petronas Twin Towers. An upmarket shopping mall, the choice and standard of shops here reflect its classy atmosphere but the mall still attracts many locals, wealthy or not. The mall has six levels of retail outlets that include big names in categories fashion and accessories. These include Marks & Spencer, Tiffany & Co, DKNY, Calvin Klein and Polo. The famous Japanese department store Isetan has a branch here along with a Japanese book store called Kinokuniya.

The Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra Theatre is also located inside, along with a nice range of cafes, dining establishments and Cineplex theatres. Besides shopping, visitors can also visit a nice, landscaped park that fronts the mall from the back which is complete with fountains, jogging trails and mini pool. The mall is connected via a tunnel to Aquaria KLCC and a LRT station.

Berjaya Times Square

Times Square in Bukit Bintang is one of the latest shopping malls to hit the Klang Valley. With a massive 3.4 million square feet in total build-up area, the mall is stacked with shops galore. However its sheer size is not so evident from outside, as most of the space comes from having many floors, making into a tower-like mall. An adjoining hotel and office block completes its architecture, giving the appearance of a modern, European-like twin tower block.

The mall accommodates up to 1,000 retail outlets with 65 of them being restaurants. In addition, there is an indoor theme park called the 'Cosmo's World Theme Park' and a massive 2D and 3D cinema theatre dubbed the 'Imax Experience'. Stores within the building range from fashion to toys and books to musical instruments. Avid bookworms will be delighted with the Borders bookstore, the largest in Southeast Asia.

Bukit Bintang Plaza and Sungai Wang Plaza

These two plazas located in Bukit Bintang have a long history in Kuala Lumpur. They are both connected and housed within the same structure, though the administration is different. Today, it remains one of KL's most popular shopping malls for its sheer number of establishments and trendy shops with a culture for bargaining.

These two malls are the place to look for wild and unorthodox fashion with a distinct Chinese flavour. You can also get a good number of electronics, especially cell phones and other mobile accessories.

In addition, there are a large number of Chinese restaurants and avant-garde cafes where you can feast on some delicious food. Otherwise, you can binge in fast food outlets such as McDonald's and Kentucky Fried Chicken. As the space is tight, weekend visits can get pretty claustrophobic with the sheer amount of local shoppers.

Pavilion

The Pavilion Kuala Lumpur is the latest shopping mall to open in the Bukit Bintang area. This posh and trendy shopping mall has a European design and contemporary environment, with classic grey hues to the walls. At seven storeys-high, the Pavilion has over 1.37 million sq ft of shopping space with an exciting array of designer brands and fashion goods among the retail outlets.

The luxurious surroundings are evident in the fine marble floors, stone pillars and columns that permeate the building. The bottom floor has a wide range of dining outlets that include local food and international cuisine housed in fancy restaurants and posh food courts. In addition, the mall has a wide-open public space fronting its entrance, complete with al-fresco cafes and modern landscapes lining the surroundings, providing a feel of walking in a street of 20th century Europe.

One Utama

The One Utama shopping centre in Bandar Utama, is one of Petaling Jaya's largest and popular malls. It consists of two wings connected directly to each other over a wide road. With a total build-up area of over 5 million sq feet, One Utama has over 600 shops that cater to a wide range of shoppers retailing fashion accessories, electrical appliances, pets, knick-knacks and other merchandise.

The mall has several prominent sections meant to entertain visitors, including a Rainforest House, which is a zone planted with over 100 species of flora and dotted with al-fresco cafes and restaurants. The entertainment section on the other hand, has cinemas, a bowling alley, karaoke lounge and indoor rock climbing gym. As the mall is extremely wide, be prepared to walk quite a distance to cover all the shops!

Sunway Pyramid

Sunway Pyramid, located in Sunway of Petaling Jaya, has a distinct Egyptian architecture in its outlook. When it was first built, it was one of the biggest and most popular shopping centres in the Klang Valley, but it has been superseded by more recent mega-malls. With a total build-up area of over 2.5 million sq feet, the mall houses more than 350 outlets that retail fashion clothing, accessories, shoes, jewellery, timepieces, music, videos, gifts, souvenirs, leathers, books and electrical products.

For entertainment, Sunway Pyramid was the first mall to incorporate an ice-skating rink which is still popular today. In addition, the mall has a 48-lane bowling alley and cinema halls. The boulevard outside the mall entrance has some fine restaurants, cafés and pubs, some of which are al-fresco. During the night, many young people flock to this area to enjoy the entertainment opportunities.

Environment- Part 2 :Endangered Plants in Malaysia

1. Durio Kutejensis

Durio kutejensis, commonly known as durian pulu, durian merah, nyekak, or lai, is a primary rainforest substorey fruit tree from Borneo. It is a very attractive small- to medium-sized tree up to 30 m tall. It has large, glossy leaves, numerous large red flowers that emit a strong carrion smell at anthesis . It has been reported that this species is pollinated by giant honey bees and birds as well as bats. The large durian fruit it bears has thick, yellow flesh with a mild, sweet taste and creamy texture similar to that of Durio zibethinus. It bears fruit late in the season. It is cultivated in East Kalimantan and has been introduced to Queensland. In Brunei, the fruit of D. kutejensis is preferred by local consumers over that of D.zibethinus, even though the latter is the only durian species available in the international market.


2. Pitcher Plants

Pitcher plants are carnivorous plants whose prey-trapping mechanism features a deep cavity filled with liquid known as a pitfall trap. It has been widely assumed that the various sorts of pitfall trap evolved from rolled leaves, with selection pressure favouring more deeply cupped leaves over evolutionary time. However, some pitcher plant genara (such as Nepenthes) are placed within clades consisting mostly of flypaper traps: this indicates that this view may be too simplistic, and some pitchers may have evolved from the common ancestors of today's flypaper traps by loss of mucilage.






3. Shorea


Shorea is a genus of about 196 species of mainly rainforest trees in the family Dipterocarpaceae. The genus is named after Sir John Shore, the Governor-General of the British East India Company\, 1793-1798. They are native to southeast Asia, from Northern India to Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines . In west Malesia and the Philippines this genus dominates the skyline of the tropical forest. The tallest documented tropical angiosperm is a 88.3-metre-tall Shorea faguetiana in the Tawau Hill National Park, in Sabah on the island of Borneo, and in that park at least five other species of the genus have been measured to be over 80 m tall: S.argentifolia, S.gibbosa, S.johorensis, S.smithiana and S.superba. Borneo is also the hotspot of Shorea diversity with 138 species, of which 91 are endemic to the island.


4. Rafflesia Kerrii

Rafflesia kerrii is a member of the genus Rafflesia. It is found in the rainforest of southern Thailand and peninsular Malaysia, with the most famous population in the Khao Sok National Park. The local Thai names are Bua Phut (บัวผุด) and Bua Tum (บัวตูม). The red flowers have a diameter of 50–90 cm and smell awfully of rotten meat to attract flies for pollination. The plant is a parasite to the wild grapes of the genus Tetrastigma (T. leucostaphylum, T. papillosum and T. quadrangulum). , but only the flowers are visible. Small buds appear along the trunk and roots of the host, which after 9 months open the giant flowers. After just one week the flower dies. The species seems to be flowering seasonally, as flowers are only reported during the dry season, from January to March, and more rarely till July.The flower is endangered. Though already naturally rare, tourists trying to get close to the flower for photos easily trample the host plant or young buds. Also the locals collect both buds and flowers both as a delicacy as well as for its claimed medical powers. A concoction of cooked buds or flowers is used as a general tonic, to help for fever or backache or even as a sexual stimulant. However western medicine doesn't recognize any medical power of the flower.


4. Dipterocarpus gracili


Dipterocarpus gracilis is a species of tree in the family Dipterocarpaceae. The species is found in Bangladesh, India( The Andaman and Nicobar Island, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Tripure), Indonesia( Java, Kalimantan, Sumatra), Peninsular Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and the Philippines. This large tree is found in lowland seasonal semi-evergreen and evergreen dipterocarp forest. Often used as a commercial grade plywood, it is one of the most important sources of keruing timber.








We live in this wonderful world which is fulfillled with trees, jungles and forest. We live together harmony. We can't live without one another. Why must human beings destroy mother nature? Floras and faunas are going to extinct. Why should we suffer like this ? Our next generations should be experiencing the beauty of nature through their senses but not by pictures. Hence, human beings must be responsible to save the earth, for a better future.


Ways to overcome this problem:

• Stop wasting paper. (Use more recycle paper and use both pages)
• Practicing concept 3R. ( Recycle, reuse and reduce)
• Stop using tissue paper.

Have you done it ?

Environment- Part 1: Endangered Animals in Malaysia

1. Black Shrew

Black Shrew has rarely been seen by human and there is no official record on its size. However, witnesses have estimated the size to be 20 – 100 mm. One recorded specimen was found in Mount Kinabalu in Sabah, Malaysia. Nobody knows whether this creature has extinct or still occupy a small area in the Sabah state of Malaysia. They tend to be aggressive towards each others and are mostly solitary creatures.

Estimated number left in the world = Critically endangered. Might already been extinct. 

2. Sumatran Rhinoceros

Sumatran Rhino is the smallest rhinoceros measuring about 250 centimeters in length and 120-145 centimeters tall (shoulder). It is also much lighter than other rhinos, weighing about 500-800 kilograms. The 2-horned rhino can normally be found in swamps and rainforests of Asia countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and India. However, these solitary animals are facing the threat of extinction due to the poaching of their horns.

Estimated number left in the world = 300

3. Malayan Tapir

Tapir is a pig-like animal with a short snout. They inhabit the forest regions of South America, Central America and South East Asia. Their closest relatives are the horses and rhinoceroses, and all 4 species have been classified as endangered. In Malaysia, only 1 of the 4 species of tapir exists – the Malayan Tapir. Tapir mainly survive on the forest’s resources such as berries, leaves and fruits. They have not many natural predators in the forest thanks to their thick skin and ability to run fast. As for Malayan Tapir, its strange body colour is often misunderstood as a large rock when lying down. This serves as a good camourflage for the creature. However, their numbers are fast declining due to their habitat loss (establishment of plantations, forest burning and logging), and the hunt for their meat and hide.


Estimated number left in Malaysia (Malayan Tapir) = about 369

4. Mouse Deer

Mouse Deer or better known as Sang Kancil in one of Malaysia’s folklores, is a small creature about 70 centimeters long, 30-35 centimeters tall (shoulder), and around 5-8 kilograms in weight. That’s the estimated size of the Greater Mouse Deer while the Lesser Mouse Deer species is estimated to weight around 2 kilograms. Mouse deers can only be found in Malaysia, Borneo and parts of Indonesia. They survive mostly on fruits and leaves. They are also believed to be nocturnal creatures.

Estimated number left in the world = No population estimate has been made, but has been classified as Endangered

5. Orang Utan

There are basically 2 species of Orang utan – the critically endangered Sumatran species and also the endangered Bornean species. Both these species could only be found in the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. The name Orangutan is actually derived from the Malay language Orang Hutan which means “forest man”, due to the similarity between the Orangutans’ behavior and those of the human beings. Orangutans are very intelligent creatures, said to be the smartest creature on Earth after human. However, their numbers have been on a decline in the past few decades due to active logging activities and forest fires.

Estimated number left in the world (Sumatran species) = about 7000

Estimated number left in the world (Bornean species) = about 45000 – 69000

6. Malayan Tiger

The Malayan Tiger, along with the Sumatran tiger, is perhaps the smallest extant subspecies of tiger. Its stripe pattern is similar to the Indochinese tigers but its size is closer to the Sumatran tigers, with an average weight of 120kg for adult males and 100kg for females. Male Malayan Tigers measures around 237cm in length from head to tail and female Malayan tigress around 200cm in length.

Estimated number left in the world = about 500

Animals have their right to live in peace and harmony. They should not be treated like that. They deserve a better life.

Ways to help endangered animals:

• Stop buying leather products. (Like handbags, footwear, bags, and belts )
• Starting concept 3R. ( Recycle, reuse, and reduce )
• Stop using herbicides and pesticides. 

Are you going to save the animals?