DBKL To Launch Free Heritage Guided Walk At Dataran Merdeka From Dec 15.

Date: 11 December 2012

DBKL To Launch Free Heritage Guided Walk At Dataran Merdeka From Dec 15.

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 11 – Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) will be offering thrice a week free heritage guided walk around Dataran Merdeka in a move to promote the history and architecture of the city beginning this Saturday. Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Ahmad Phesal Talib said the tour would be jointly organised by DBKL and the Kuala Lumpur Tourism Development Council (KLTDC).

Dataran Merdeka was chosen as the pilot project due to its status as the focal point for the British Administration before the country’s independence, he added when launching the heritage walk and opening the 4th KLTDC Meeting, here, today.

He said the tour would be conducted by professional tour guides every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from 9.15am for a duration of two and a half hours, covering 11 heritage sites in the area including the Sultan Abdul Samad Building which was built in 1894, former High Court Building (1909), Federated Malay States Railway Station (1905) and the old City Hall (1896).

It also covers the Government Printing Office (1898), Chartered Bank (1919), St Mary Cathedral (1895), Royal Selangor Club (1884) and the field where the British Union Jack was lowered and the flag of an independent Federation of Malaya raised for the first time on Aug 31, 1957.

Ahmad Phesal said tourists who joined the heritage walk needed to register at pelacongan@dbkl.gov.my before taking part in the tour, and they could also log on to www.visitkl.gov.my for details on the walk. He said tourists registered under the walk would also be able to stop at the Royal Selangor Club, which is a private club, for refreshments and be entertained with a cultural dance performance at Panggung Bandaraya.

Ahmad Phesal said the decision by DBKL to organise the heritage walk at Dataran Merdeka was due to the finding of its Tourism Unit that the fascinating history of the buildings around Dataran Merdeka was not well exposed to tourists. He also said that the Dataran Merdeka guided walk programme was part of the Greater KL/Klang Valley National Key Economic Area (NKEA) under the seventh Entry Point Projects (EPP 7) on creating iconic places and attractions.

Touching on Visit Malaysia Year 2014, Ahmad Phesal said DBKL hoped to attract 12 million tourists during that period. Last year, KL attracted nine million tourists, making it the sixth most visited city in the world. “In order to reach the new target, we will look at ways to leverage on existing attractions and enhance them to maximise KL’s potential in providing  better overall ground experience for all visitors,” he said. – Bernama

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