Kuala Lumpur, the multi-ethnic capital of Malaysia, is a cosmopolitan city, the product, evidently, of massive infusions of foreign direct investment (FDI), from both East Asia and the West. Malaysia's current masters, the leaders of the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), have succeeded in selling their capital city as a safe haven for foreigners' money. Tall, futuristic buildings, including the twin, Petronas Towers, dominate the horizon of the city, and peoples of diverse ethnic backgrounds crowd its upscale shopping centers.
Perhaps the most noteworthy difference between the Philippine capital and the Malaysian capital is the relative abundance of businesspeople from Europe in the latter. Downtown Kuala Lumpur has the distinct feel of home for sizable communities of ex-patritots of countries such as England and the Netherlands. But perhaps it should come as no surprise. A colony of England until 1957 and a possession of the Netherlands previously, Malaysia today maintains its connections to its former, European masters. The legitimacy which governments from the West now bestow on UMNO leaders enables Malaysia's rulers to maintain their grip on power in a country in which their legitimacy is very much in question.
Petronas Towers, At Night, Kuala Lumpur City Center (KLCC), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Diners, Restaurant, Airport, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Lights at Night, Courtyard, Tune Hotel, Adjacent to Airport, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Nighttime View, Fourth Floor, Tune Hotel, Adjacent to Airport, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Lights On, Courtyard at Night, Tune Hotel, Adjacent to Airport, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Two Hotel Workers, On Break, Night,
Outside Tune Hotel, Adjacent to Airport, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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