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 In a typical F1 Grand Prix it runs for a total of 56 laps. The track has almost no gradients and includes two very long straights where speeds are in excess of 180 mph. The track is known as a car breaker and any car with a reliability problem will most probably not see the end of this race. There are many places for overtaking on this circuit and this often leads to very compelling racing. Being the best circuit in the World, its facilities are rated superb by drivers and experts. In 1999, the inaugural Malaysian Grand Prix attracted 78,000 spectators and an estimated television audience of 600 million, and earned Malaysia more than $130 million. The debut race will always be remembered for a controversial Ferrari disqualification, when Irvine and Schumacher finished 1st and 2nd, only to have their points taken away over a disagreement about the size of the F399's bargeboards. The points were eventually reinstated after an FIA hearing in Paris, just prior to the final race of the 1999 world championship. website : http://www.malaysiangp.com.my PUTRAJAYA Putrajaya is the new Administrative Centre of the Federal Government of Malaysia taking the capital city away from Kuala Lumpur. A move by the Malaysian Government to bring the national administrative machinery from Kuala Lumpur to Putrajaya and leaving Kuala Lumpur as the country's financial and commercial capital. This is in line with the Government's policy to provide a more balanced development away from Kuala Lumpur. It is a decision motivated by life in Kuala Lumpur and ensure continued growth in the Klang Valley. Situated along the South Growth Corridor within the Multi Media Super Corridor (MSC), the development of Putrajaya marks a new chapter in the history of modern city planning in Malaysia. It is set to be a model garden city with sophisticated information network base on multimedia technologies. Termed as Malaysia's first Intelligent Garden City, Putrajaya will become a vital development catalyst due to the role it will assume as a model city as the nerve centre of the nation and an ideal place to live, work, conduct business and engage in sports and recreational activities. Supporting the MSC is a high capacity, fully digital telecommunications infrastructure designed to the highest international standards in capacity and reliability. Putrajaya will use multimedia technologies to become an electronic administrative centre. Interdepartmental communications and interactions with the public will be conducted via electronic and multimedia channels. The development of Putrajaya and its twin city, Cyberjaya, will position the MSC competitively in the international arena. Putrajaya sits on a magnificent 4,581 hectare spread. Its Master Plan is designed along an axial tangent which runs from the northeast to southeast taking full advantage of the natural surroundings. Its undulating terrain treats visitors and residents to commanding vistas of the environment. About 40% of Putrajaya is natural. Lush greenery, botanical gardens are spread across the landscape enhanced by large bodies of water and wetlands. Five confluences meet at the north forming a main waterway which flows across the city area. Putrajaya is divided into two major areas, Core Area and the Peripheral Area, where the separation is via a large lake. The Core Area of Putrajaya, covers a total area of 1069 hectares, is divided into five precincts, namely the Government Precinct, Commercial Precinct, Civic & Cultural Precinct, Mixed Development Precinct, and Sports & Recreational Precinct, linked by a distinctive 4.2km long boulevard. The boulevard will form the spine of the Core Area and will stretch across the central island linking it with the rest of the city. The boulevard will be the main venue for national celebrations, festive and cultural events. The precincts are identified by their predominant economic activities. The Peripheral comprises 15 precincts of various sizes. 12 of the 15 precincts make up the residential neighborhoods. The planning and design of Putrajaya's residential areas is intended to foster a sense of identity through the neighborhood focal points, landscaping and the treatment of the public realm. A total of 67,000 homes of varying ranges, sizes, types and densities have been planned for all income sectors. Residential living in Putrajaya will offer a new experience where nature and technology will work in harmony for the benefit of the community. Most precincts will have community and neighborhood centres, parks, places of worship and many other state-of-the-art public amenities. Among the facilities provided in the residential areas are schools, hospitals, shopping centres, mosques, multipurpose halls, learning centres and neighborhood parks. Construction began in August of 1995 and it was touted as Malaysia's biggest real-estate project and one of South-East Asia's largest. Built during the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis and opened in 1999. It is expected to be completed in 2010. The scale of the Putrajaya project is grandiose. Putrajaya sits on a magnificent 4,581 hectares in Sepang, Selangor, within the Multi Media Super Corridor. Putrajaya is located 25km south of the old capital city of Kuala Lumpur and 20km north of the new Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) at Sepang. You can reach Putrajaya using expressways, urban highways and rail. Putrajaya will be developed as a 37,000-acre Garden City metropolis. The first of three phases will cost about US$1.3bn. The final cost is projected to be US$8.1bn. On February 1, 2001, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad declared Malaysia's new administrative capital of Putrajaya a Federal Territory. A ceremony to hand over control of the Putrajaya township on Kuala Lumpur's southern verge from Selangor state authorities to the federal government. Putrajaya, is Malaysia's third federal territory. The others are Kuala Lumpur, the country's largest city with of 1.4 million people, and the eastern city of Labuan. TOURIST INFO: Putrajaya is open to the public (and tourists) from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily including Sundays. Visitors should not miss Masjid Putra (Putra Mosque), Dataran Putra (with a view of the new Prime Minister's Department), and the new Seri Perdana (Prime Minister's official residence). A tour of Seri Perdana is highly recommended. Seri Perdana is open 0900-1230 and 1400-1700 everyday (incl. Public Holidays) except Mondays and Fridays. On Fridays, Seri Perdana is open 0900-1200 and 1500-1700. The residence is closed to the public on Mondays or when official functions are being held. The entry is free but visitors are required to submit their identity cards (Malaysian citizens) or passports when obtaining the visitor's pass from the public gate. Cameras are allowed. You can call +60 (3) 8888-8800 or e-mail ppmpmr@smpke.jpm.my Website : http://www.putrajaya.net.my MULTI MEDIA SUPER CORRIDOR The Multi Media Super Corridor is an ambitious plan engaged by Malaysia to create Southeast Asia's Silicon Valley bound by a fiber-optics network, providing high-speed computer links between Cyberjaya, Kuala Lumpur and Kuala Lumpur International Airport and the new administrative capital Putrajaya. All in all, Malaysia has committed a massive RM48bn in investment for the Multi Media Super Corridor hailed as Malaysia's stepping stone to a developed-nation status by 2020. The Malaysian government has set a target of attracting 50 world-class companies to the MSC by 2003. Vendors from the information superhighway, from microchip designers and programmers to electric publishers, television and movie production houses and Internet service providers can set up shop within the corridor. Malaysia's Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir, described the corridor as "a global test-bed" for the new roles of government, new cyber laws and guarantees, collaboration between government and firms, companies and companies, new broadcasting, new types of entertainment, education and delivery of health care. The area gazetted as the Multi Media Super Corridor measures 15 kilometers wide and 50 kilometers long, roughly the size of Singapore. Located 30km south of the capital, Kuala Lumpur, this corridor stretches from the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC), down south to the the future federal administrative city Putrajaya and the site of the region's largest international airport, the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Two Smart Cities are being developed in the Corridor; Putrajaya, the new seat of government and administrative capital of Malaysia where the concept of electronic government will be introduced; and Cyberjaya an intelligent city with multimedia industries, R&D centers, a Multimedia University and operational headquarters for multinationals wishing to direct their world- wide manufacturing and trading activities using multimedia technology. Together, Putrajaya and Cyberjaya will form the nuclei of the Multi Media Super Corridor. Website : http://www.mdc.com.my WESTPORT Westport is not just a port; it is a concept. It was found on the firm believe that, just like an airport, a seaport, too, could have a landscaped environment, be highly efficient, with little or no delays, and make use of state-of-the-art technologies. Within a span of eight years, Westport has managed to revolutionise port industry, not just in Malaysia, but in the region as well. Once, there was only Singapore, which served as the load centre of Malaysia, and the transhipment hub of South East Asia. Westport changed that; for the first time there was a Malaysian port that had the facilities and capacity to reverse the trend of Malaysian cargo going via Singapore. And thanks to Westport, Port Klang, where Westport is located, became among the busiest container ports of the world, ranking 12th last year. This year, Port Klang is forecasted to handle 4.5 million TEUs. Westport has many other firsts. For instance, it was the first Malaysian port to be included in the Asia's top 10 Container Terminals list. It is also the first Malaysian Flexiport with multi-terminals, each dedicated to handling specific cargo types; first Malaysian fastport, meeting the fastport standards in 1997; and first Malaysian garden port, which has over 300 varieties of ferns, flowering plants, trees, and shrubs. Ninety five percent of the world cargo continues to travel by sea. And Malaysia, being a heavily trade dependent country that imports and exports billions of dollars worth of cargo every year, requires a heavy use of the ports. Thus far, Malaysian has made up about twenty percent of the cargo flowing through the port of Singapore. In 2001, this volume was estimated at about 3 million TEUs, a figure which elucidates the potential local cargo volumes available for Malaysian ports. In light of these opportunities, Westport has embarked on an expansion plan to remain competitive by ensuring that it has the necessary capacity, efficiency and reliability. Plans for expansion revolve around the construction of an additional 2,400 meters of container berth, to bring the total container berth length to 4,400 meters by mid 2005. Berth expansion has been augmented by the completion of two new container yards, increasing the port's total storage capacity from its present capacity of 2.4 million TEUs. Since its launch in 1994, Westport has flourished to become a facility to be reckoned with, not only within the region but throughout the world. Westport is being developed with the view of making it the transhipment megahub of the new millennium and the national gateway of Malaysia. To these end, Westport has incorporated operations that are geared towards being procedureless and paperless, hassle-free and using state-of-the-art technology to ensure all requisite elements are in place to position Westport as the Port of the Future. PROTON CARS PERUSAHAAN OTOMOBIL NASIONAL BERHAD or PROTON was incorporated on May 7, 1983 to manufacture, assemble and sell motor vehicles and related products, including accessories, spare parts and other components. PROTON produced Malaysia's first car, the Proton SAGA, commercially launched on July 9, 1985 by Malaysian Prime Minister, Dato' Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. Malaysia’s national car, the Proton Saga, is more than a motor-vehicle. It symbolises the determination of the nation to shake off its traditional status as a producer of primary commodities and to emerge as a member of the community of industrialised nations. First mooted in 1981, the project became a reality in September 1985. Today, Malaysia is the proud producer of many more models, such as the Proton Perdana, Proton Wira, Proton Iswara, Proton Satria, Proton Tiara, Kancil, Rusa and the Kenari. Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn. Bhd. was set up in 1992 to realise Malaysia’s aspiration for a second national car, an affordable, compact and practical car for the growing motoring population. The manufacture of the second national car is reflective of the country’s vision to be a fully developed nation by the year 2020, through the enhancement of the nation’s technological competency in the area of automobile manufacturing. The Main Plant which is located in Shah Alam, with an area of 923,900 sq metres, was originally designed for a capacity of 80,000 units per year. In 1997, capacity increased to 230,000 units per year with the construction of the Medium Volume Factory which is next to the Main Plant. Now the Shah Alam factory is capable of producing 240,000 vehicles per year. PROTON cars are making their mark internationally as competitive and innovative automobiles. They are now being exported to 50 countries including the highly competitive United Kingdom and continental European markets. With concerted and unswerving commitment from customers, business associates, shareholders, government agencies and employees, PROTON is realising its goal of being an internationally successful Malaysian automotive manufacturer. It is achieving this by being customer oriented and by producing competitively priced and innovative products. Thus, it is contributing to Malaysia's attainment of Vision 2020. Website : http://www.proton.com.my KUALA LUMPUR CITY LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT SYSTEM With a booming economy comes increased car ownership and traffic congestion. The Government has taken steps to alleviate this escalating problem with the implementation of the Light Rail Transit System or LRT. The LRT system will form the central feature of an integrated transportation network, combining with feeder buses and commuter rail services to offer an efficient alternative to the current limitations of road travel. The Malaysian capital has a new four line metro system. Kuala Lumpur's light rail transit (LRT) system connects some key districts where banks, offices, hotels and shopping malls are concentrated. Although it's called LRT (Light Rail Transit) it is a fully independent metro network. There are three lines operated by different companies. A company called STAR (Sistem Transit Aliran Ringan Sdn Bhd) manages the 27-km track that comprises of a north-south line and another going eastward. PUTRA (Projek Usahasama Transit Ringan Automatik Sdn Bhd) runs the 29-km line that connects the city's northeastern section to the west. The two intersect in the central financial district at Masjid Jamek. The PRT MONORAIL. a RM1.18 billion KL Monorail privatisation project is an inner-city public transit system that serves the central business, hotel and shopping district of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The 8.6km long, dual guideway, straddle-beam elevated monorail system will begin from the Pekeliling Bus Terminal in the north, pass through Kuala Lumpur's 'Golden Triangle' before reaching KL Sentral in Brickfields. Fully elevated with 11 stations, the KL Monorail is capable of handling up to 20,000 passengers per hour per direction, operating at up to 2 minutes headway between trains. PUTRA PUTRA (Projek Usahasama Transit Ringan Automatik), operates a 29 km automated LRT which looks more like a hybrid LRT-full metro. Beginning revenue service in 1998, the city's subway section opened in 1999. PUTRA claims to be the world's longest, fully automated LRT. Each of the vehicles used are powered by two linear induction electric motors, which keep noise levels to a minimum. The vast majority of the system is above ground, with 4.4 km and 5 stations in tunnel and 19 elevated. Website : http://www.putralrt.com.my STAR STAR(Sistem Transit Aliran Ringan) began revenue service in 1996. The 27 km, 25 station system is driver operated and consists of the Ampang line and the Sri Petaling line. 17.6 km of the 25 km route are at grade, the remaining 9.6 km elevated. PRT MONORAIL The RM1.18 billion KL Monorail privatisation project is an inner-city public transit system that serves the central business, hotel and shopping district of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The 8.6km long, dual guideway, straddle-beam elevated monorail system will begin from the Pekeliling Bus Terminal in the north, pass through Kuala Lumpur's 'Golden Triangle' before reaching KL Sentral in Brickfields. Fully elevated with 11 stations, the KL Monorail is capable of handling up to 20,000 passengers per hour per direction, operating at up to 2 minutes headway between trains. Website : http://www.monorail.com.my KL EXPRESS AND KL TRANSIT KL EKSPRES AND KL TRANSIT TRAIN There are two types of express train operating from Kuala Lumpur International Airport and Kuala Lumpur City( KL Sentral Station), namely KL Ekspres and KL Transit. KLIA Ekspres is designed with air travellers' needs in mind. The non-stop journey between KL Sentral and KLIA takes only 28 minutes. KLIA Ekspres departs from both terminals every 15 minutes, on the hour and every quarter of an hour, seven days a week. KLIA Ekspres' air-conditioned carriages are equipped with comfortable contoured seats, a washroom, overhead racks for light luggage and tiered racks for large luggage. Special wheelchair seat compartments have been allocated on board for the disabled. Secured containers are used to transport the check-in and check-out luggage. KLIA Transit is a rapid transit service designed specially for commuters and airport personnel. KLIA Transit started its service in June 2002. It makes 3 quick intermediate stops along key townships, Bandar Tasik Selatan, Putrajaya & Cyberjaya and Salak Tinggi. KLIA Transit intergrates with KTM Komuter and STAR LRT at Bandar Tasik Selatan and with Putrajaya Monorail at Putrajaya's Western Transport Terminal. KLIA Transit departs every half-an-hour from KL Sentral and KLIA terminals. Total journey time is 36 minutes. Fares are based on distance traveled. Tickets can be purchased through ticket vending machines and ticket counters at the terminal and stations. Phone : Customer Enquiry : 603-22678000 website : http://www.kliaekspres.com KL SENTRAL STATION A state-of-the-art transportation hub for Kuala Lumpur’s integrated rail transportation system, offering first class transportation to all residential, commercial and industrial areas. The Sentral Station is truly a gateway to Kuala Lumpur and beyond. The new Stesen Sentral Kuala Lumpur is both a physical and virtual gateway to the world. It has also been dubbed as the new global destination which will enable Malaysians to reach all corners of the world via a unique link between the station and the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). Four rail services namely KTM Komuter, KTM Intercity, PUTRA-LRT and PRT Monorail will be plying through Stesen Sentral Luala Lumpur. What is unique about Stesen Sentral Kuala Lumpur is that it not only accommodates an integrated network of rail transportation but also provides seamless airport transfer services within the Kuala Lumpur City Air Terminal (KL CAT). The services provided by Express Rail Link (ERL) are KLIA Ekspres and KLIA Transit. KLIA Ekspres is a high speed non-stop journey train ride to KLIA that takes 28 minutes. Whilst KLIA Transit will provide stop over journey between Stesen Sentral Kuala Lumpur to KLIA i.e and Bandar Tasik Selatan, Putrajaya/Cyberjaya and Salak Tinggi. Brilliantly designed and constructed, Stesen Sentral Kuala Lumpur is one of the key areas that was developed by Kuala Lumpur Sentral Sdn Bhd in the first phase of development within the Kuala Lumpur Sentral district. Other key areas being developed in Phase One include Integrated Retail Centre, Plaza Sentral, Suasana Sentral, Hotels and Office Suites. These developments are expected to be completed by year 2004. Phase Two, projected to commence in 2005 and achieving completion in 2010, would incorporate these : Arena Sentral and additional office and residential lots. Construction work for Stesen Sentral Kuala Lumpur was completed on schedule. This station features the building of 28 tracks and 12 platforms that will enable the transportation hub to accommodate a projected 50 million passengers by year 2010. Build on a 72-acre marshalling yard of Brickfields, this RM713 million Stesen Sentral Kuala Lumpur project and its related infrastructure have changed the landscape and lifestyle of the area. This project was developed by Kuala Lumpur Sentral Sdn Bhd, a consortium led by MRCB. With the completion of this station hub, Semasa Sentral Sdn Bhd, a wholly owned subsidiary of MRCB has been awarded a 15-year concession by the Government. The consortium partners are KTMB to manage Stesen Sentral Kuala Lumpur. Stesen Sentral Kuala Lumpur is part of the integrated Kuala Lumpur Sentral development which, when fully completed in 2010, will offer an integrated rail transportation network, exclusive condominiums, office blocks, convention & events arena, high-tech communication system and a central service infrastructure. Undoubtedly, Stesen Sentral Kuala Lumpur is the transportation hub of the new millennium. A culmination of the desires and aspirations of a nation, it is the epitome of man and technology being in sync. |
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