Kuala Lumpur, often regarded as one of the most hyped and vibrant cities in Malaysia, recently found itself at the centre of controversy after a tourist claimed that the city is trying too hard to resemble America.
A recent social media discussion sparked widespread attention when a tourist, using the handle @twomadexplorers on the Threads app, shared their opinion about Kuala Lumpur.
It all started when the tourist shared a post listing cities they liked, disliked, found overrated, considered underrated and more.
What caught the eye of many Malaysians was when Kuala Lumpur appeared under the “disliked” category.
“It feels more American”
According to a screenshot shared by an X user, @thelast_demigod, a Malaysian who was triggered by the post, commented asking, “What made you hate Malaysia so much? Because it’s an Islamic country?”
The tourist, however, was quick to clarify that they did not hate Malaysia or its people.
They responded, “Look at you trying to start an argument. We absolutely love Malaysia and Indonesia, but we don’t like KL. It feels more American than Malaysian, with Starbucks, McDonald’s, Dunkin’ Donuts, and horrible chains everywhere. The real Malaysia is in places like Terengganu, Melaka, Kedah, Pahang, Sarawak, Sabah, Penang, Georgetown.”
According to the tourist’s comment, it can be seen that their point of view in listing Kuala Lumpur as the city they dislike stems from its commercialisation, driven by the overwhelming presence of international chains.
M’sians shared their thoughts
Following the post, several Malaysians joined the thread, offering their thoughts on the tourist’s opinion.
One Malaysian wrote, “Malaysian here. I apologise for those rude comments, because we Malaysians are usually proud of our country, but they didn’t realise that dislike and hate are two different things. Even I, who live in KL, think other places in Malaysia are better.”
Another echoed similar thoughts, stating, ” I’m a Malaysian who personally also dislike KL. It’s always jammed, and driving there is always stressful.
However, other Malaysians felt offended by the tourist’s remarks, with one writing, “Hating KL suddenly means hating Malaysia? Malaysia is more than just KL, you know!”
On the other hand, one commenter said, “I beg to differ. KL is a big city, and you’ve only visited the tourist areas. Try exploring the back alleys and street-side areas like Kampung Attap, old Chinatown, and Chow Kit. Check out the ‘old malls’ and Pasar Seni, and you’ll see a completely different side of KL.”
What are your thoughts on this? Do you agree with the tourist’s perspective, or do you think KL’s growth reflects a necessary progression? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section.
Here is the post:
Tepat dan padat.
— BerhalaKuning (@thelast_demigod) October 9, 2024
Kuala Lumpur is a soulless city. pic.twitter.com/wwAJt3A32H
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