|
|
|
| | |
|
|
Known more commonly today as KL, Kuala Lumpur quickly grew after Chinese settlers established a tin-mining camp in 1857, and by the 1860s it had become a flourishing village. Civil wars quickly erupted, however, with other settlers making claims over mining rights, and wars, fires and pestilence marred any great leap for a number of years. The British thankfully came on the scene in 1873 and properly established the area as a centre of tin and rubber production. Thirteen years after their arrival, the British had completed an important rail line from Kuala Lumpur to the port of Klang (Kelang) over on the Stair of Malacca side, which had a knock-on effect and drastically increased trade and prosperity in the region. In 1895, KL would become the capital of the British-protected Federated Malay States. Times were hard during the Japanese invasion of WWII, however, with the consequent invasion of British Malaya. Kuala Lumpur would soon fall to the Japanese and many of the Chinese inhabitants were tortured or killed, while numerous Indians were sent to work on the 'Death Railway' in Burma. After the Japanese were eventually defeated, the British returned for a time and KL became the headquarters of the Federation of Malaya. Malaysians in general were not happy that the British had returned to power and sought independence, which they finally achieved in 1957 in Dataran Merdeka (Freedom Square). Kuala Lumpur would eventually be established as State Capital of Selangor and many people from surrounding towns and villages decided to make Kuala Lumpur their home. An aggressive leader, particularly in the name of Asian values, Mahathir engineered KL’s and Malaysia’s rise to riches and prosperity. As a result, many monumental structures were erected in the city and roads and public transport were significantly upgraded. Things took a turn for the worse during the Asian crash of 1997 and Malaysia’s economy faltered slightly. Kuala Lumpur still continued to grow at a tremendous rate, however, and the hosting of the Commonwealth Games in 1998 was certainly a boost for the city and nation. KL, today, is one of Asia’s most visited cities and continues to grow both economically and by populace and is a superb tourist haven. | |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
