Putrajaya
Continued from the monkeys and fireflies of Kuala Selangor
The Prime Minister’s Office
My interest to visit Putrajaya was piqued when Mimi of SleeplessinKL posted about a glimpse to it. I thought that it is simply a counterpart of Malacanang Palace. But after enough googling and finding out that it is a planned city which currently serves as the federal administrative center of Malaysia, the more I got interested. A slice of my current job is somehow related to the planning for the entire Emirate of Abu Dhabi towards 2030 and the ongoing establishment of Capital District will have resemblance to the premise of Putrajaya.
Located in South of Kuala Lumpur, you need to drive at least 40 minutes from there to reach Putrajaya. The word “putra” was based on the name of the first prime minister of Malaysia Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra, while “jaya” means victory.
There are seven beautiful bridges in this entire federal territory and Seri Wawasan Bridge turned out to be the most fascinating to me.
We stopped for a few minutes to “feel” the lake. When our driver started trailing along the stretch towards the Prime Minister’s office, I cannot stop clicking the camera. Every angle is worth the shot.
Through the window, I took random shots of the remarkably designed government offices.
The mosque-like Ministry of Justice
I found the Ministry of Finance complex as the most well-thought of because of the symbolisms. The columns represent the number of states and federal territories.
At the back is the Promenade Shopping Mall.
It is interesting to note that the Federal government paid a substantial amount of money to Kuala Selangor for approximately 11 320 acres (46 km²) of land in Prang Besar, Selangor. I can only imagine how more beautiful this territory could have been had it not been affected by the Asian Financial crisis in late 90s.
The Putra Mosque is one of the main attractions, aside from the Putra Square and Perdana Park.
To the left is the foodcourt, counting in Secret Recipe (abundant in Kuala Lumpur).
The cruise tasik is a good way to marvel the sights and landmarks.
A visit to Putrajaya is a must if you are swinging by Kuala Lumpur. It is amazing how they combined the European and Islamic feel in the architecture.
To save on time, it is best to drop by here from or to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) due to its proximity. Aside from going for a tour or hiring a driver, you can go to Putrajaya by taking the buses or rail.
[Buses]
Parkmay (Cityliner No. 868) Route : Sinar Kota-Komuter Serdang-Putrajaya-Cyberjaya
Frequency : 20 minutes interval
Sepang Omnibus (No. 536B) Route : Sepang-Banting-Dengkil-Cyberjaya-Putrajaya
Frequency : Every 3 hours
Kenderaan Kelang-Banting (No. 131) Route : Kelang-Banting-Dengkil-Cyberjaya-Putrajaya
Frequency : Every 2 hours
Sum Omnibus (No. 186) Route : Kajang Terminal Bus-UNITEN-Putrajaya-Cyberjaya, frequency : Every 1-2 hours
[Rail]
Express Rail Link (ERL), Route : KL Sentral / Bandar Tasik Putrajaya / Cyberjaya / Salak Tinggi KLIA, frequency : every half an hour (peak hours), every hour (off peak hours)
From Sentral/From KLIA: First service 5.33 am 5.18 am, last service 12.03 am 12.08 am
Fare : RM 9.50 RM 6.20, estimated traveling time : 20 minutes
Next entry: Historical State of Malacca
wow…really great photography. i also love the seri wawasan bridge shot.
Thanks, Kayni.
wow, thanks for sharing this place. i haven’t seen it previously in other blogs. did you go to the food court?
Yes, we got a quick bite from the food court. I forgot the name of the food stall. We tried (the good) chicken rice bowl.
wish to experience putrajaya soon.
…we’ve tried a couple of cakes from secret recipe here in penang last week; taste better than pinas but service is otherwise both in manila and here. i don’t know with other branches but i’m beginning to develop aversion.
I’ve never tried Secret Recipe in Malaysia. But in Putrajaya, I noticed that there were only few diners in that branch that time.
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It’s quite obvious how Islam has influenced architecture of buildings in Malaysia. Very Arabesque.On the other hand, its bridges are products of modern approaches – as if saying these are their bridges to western concepts in design.
It looks to me like you’re in a work-related trip to Malaysia, am I correct?
No, it was not a work-related trip.
Although, I can’t help to associate some slices of my current job during the entire trip to SIngapore and Malaysia (e.g. checking the train system and other aspects of urban planning). But in my mind, I thought I stayed away from the job. And well, I immensely enjoyed the trip.
hi jo! naka fish eye lens ka? nice shots!
Thanks, Dyanie. I used more than one type of lens. But the shots there with fish eye effect were actually taken with wide angle lens. Gladly, there’s a little fish eye capability.
one thing I notice Ms. Jo, it is very clean, I hope that I will see manila and all Philippines as clean as other countries. Even the water seems to be crystal clear.
Yes, Philippines had its golden days. But right now, Malaysia in general is cleaner. But it’s not too late for our country to reclaim its glorious days.
stunning shots of the mosque! i like the dome’s details and i really wonder how they make it that intricate.
I regret that I did not peek in the mosque due to limited time. I guess it is open to public.
Nice shots Jo. It’s inspiring naman that you’re exploring Asia. I was in awe with the structures, the buildings and bridges. Was there a time that the Philippines is way ahead Malaysia in economy? It would be wonderful sana if we too can have constructions like those. Sigh!
You know what, whenever I go to a foreign place, I cannot help but compare such to Philippines. And over and again, I realize that our country is more beautiful. It is just that sustainability was lacking. But there’s still hope.
oo nga jo this is a different side of KL. nice shots. i really admire the architectures of their government offices. ganda.
Thanks. Putrajaya is not so often visited by the tourist probably because of its distance from Kuala Lumpur or with the assumption that there is not much to see here. But it offers a lot especially if you are into aesthetics. This is really a must-visit.
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Bigla akong na inggit at na dismaya. If these people, who are mostly ethnic Malays just like us, can transform their country into something like this, why can’t we?
We could have had a planned city, too, like this. But we do not have adequate urban planning in the Philippines. We are equipped with good urban planners, but the mandate and sincere commitment must come from the government. And a big factor to consider right now is the sufficiency of funds.
The views are impressive. And thanks for the travel guide info. Question: How are the road signs? May English ba?
Most of the road signs have English translation. It is easy to relate, too, since some terms have similarities to Filipino words (e.g. bayaran, restoran, buka, etc.).
wow, fish eye effect?
we’ve been to putrajaya too, but your photos look more inviting than mine.. hehe
I used wide angle lens.