‘ The local government is taking steps to capitalise on the city ’ s new position as an international commercial and financial hub with the Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2020 ’
CITY FOCUS | KUALA LUMPUR
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Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia ’ s capital and the hub of its financial , economic and cultural industries , is one of Southeast Asia ’ s most prominent and iconic cities . Ranked by the Economic Intelligence Unit in 2017 as the region ’ s second most liveable city behind Singapore and the 31st safest in the world , Kuala Lumpur boasts exceptional infrastructure , tourist hotspots and cultural touchstones . Known locally as KL , the city has grown from humble beginnings as a small village in the 1800s to one of the most dynamic metropolises in Southeast Asia . As of 2017 , the city is home to over 1.8mn people across 243 sq km . As with the rest of Malaysia , the city ’ s official religion is Islam and its official language is Malay , although English is also a recognised language across the country .
Today , the local government is taking steps to capitalise on the city ’ s new position as an international commercial and financial hub with the Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2020 . As economies around the world become increasingly reliant on digitalised operations and smart technologies , the city government ’ s plan focuses on empowering Kuala Lumpur ’ s knowledge economy ( K-economy ) capabili-
‘ The local government is taking steps to capitalise on the city ’ s new position as an international commercial and financial hub with the Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2020 ’
JULY 2018