Putrajaya is one of the most significant cities in Malaysia. It is gazetted as a Federal Territory together with Kuala Lumpur and Labuan and is managed under the federal government through the Ministry of Federal Territories. The Federal Territory of Putrajaya occupies a large area and is the main administrative center of Malaysia. Here is where most of the government ministries, agencies and departments are located in modern buildings and state-of-the-art structures.
One of the most well-planned cities in Malaysia
One of the most modern cities in Malaysia is Putrajaya, which is said to be one of the most well-planned cities in the region. It is the primary administrative centre of Malaysia which houses most of the government ministries and offices as well as the Putrajaya.
Iconic structures in Putrajaya
Apart from that, Putrajaya is one of the 3 Federal Territories in the country where it is the current seat of the government. Here, there are some very modern architectural wonders, places of interest and many other attractions for the visiting tourist.
- Perdana Putra – This would be the iconic building that greets anyone who comes into Putrajaya. It is the complex where the Prime Minister of Malaysia sits. As it sits atop the main hill here, you cannot miss the building with green domes that symbolizes the leadership of the country.
- Putra Bridge – This is the main bridge in Putrajaya which connects the main administrative centre with the other locations around the city. It is known to be the most prestigious and one of the main bridges here.
- Mercu Tanda – The Mercu Tanda plays an important role in Putrajaya where there is the plaque that commemorates the launch of this iconic city by the then Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. A time capsule containing official documents of Putrajaya is planted here.
- Cruise Tasik – One of the best ways to see most of Putrajaya is through the lake where you can take the Cruise Tasik which takes you around the man-made lake that cover a large portion of Putrajaya.
- Dataran Putra – This is the town square of Putrajaya which is a common place for events and festivals. There are the flags of the states in Malaysia here while the surroundings are beautiful crafted and landscaped to welcome anyone to stop and take photographs of the beautiful city.
Religious and Royal structures
There are 2 very prominent places here for worship and which is the official residence of the Sultan of Selangor. They are:
- Putra Mosque – Located just next to the Perdana Putra is another iconic structure, the Putra Mosque. Here is where thousands of Muslims come here for their prayers and it is most packed on Fridays where the rose-tinted granite structure is able to fit up to 15,000 people at any time.
- Darul Ehsan Palace – The Darul Ehsan Palace is the royal residence of the Sultan of Selangor. This beautiful palace occupies a large space with beautiful gardens and articulately landscaped surroundings.
Facts about Putrajaya
- Currency: MYR (Malaysian Ringgit)
- Dialling code: Putrajaya shares the same dialling code with the Klang Valley which is 603 for land lines.
- Airport: the Federal Territory of Putrajaya does not operate its own airport as it is very near to the KLIA and klia2 airports
- Airport Tax: applies for both domestic and international flights
- Distance from airport to city centre: KLIA and klia2 airports are about 45kms away from the city centre
- Temperature: Putrajaya enjoys temperature between 25 and 36 degrees Celsius annually
- Climate and Weather: Tropical with high humidity
- Common languages: Bahasa Malaysia, English Language, Chinese and Tamil
Transportation in Putrajaya
Getting from the airports to Putrajaya is possible via taxis which starts from RM80 per trip. Grab and Uber services are available from RM65 (Grab). You can get here through the KLIA Transit train service as well. To get around the city center, you can use the bus services operated by the Nadiputra line.
Highlights in Putrajaya
There’s a lot to see around Putrjaya which might not be possible on foot. Hence, you should take the bus or taxi to get around. Among that which you must check out include:
- Architecture – in fact, almost every building here is a wonder in itself. Particularly, you should check out the likes of Perdana Putra (Prime Minister’s Office), the Putra Mosque, the Istana Melawati and Istana Darul Ehsan, the Perdana Leadership Foundation and others.
- Taman Putra Perdana – one of the gardens which is very picturesque and peaceful.
- The Millennium Monument
- Putrajaya Boulevard – A 4km walkway which is the main road here
- Go for a cruise – See the best of Putrajaya from a different perspective
- Shopping – Head out to Alamanda Shopping Center or IOI City Mall
- Events – because of its beautiful surroundings, there are quite a lot of events here including like the MyBalloonFiesta, among others.
Foods around Putrajaya
As one of the modern cities, there are not many traditional local favourites here. However, you can easily find food outlets and restaurants in major locations like:
- Eat At Sri Teja Food Court – Located in Precinct 9. It is among the local favourites who come here for dishes like the Nasi Lemak Anak Dara
- Taman Warisan – The Satay here is one of the major attractions
- Medan Selera – a food court which is open air and spacious.
- Besides these, you can find a lot of other food options at the shopping malls or you can head out to nearby cities of Puchong and Cyberjaya. Dengkil is a sleepy town not far out with great seafood and traditional foods.
Modern city within the Klang Valley
Putrajaya is located about 25 kilometers from Kuala Lumpur and is easily accessed through most major expressways here. There are many types of residential homes here which are primarily catered for civil servants who work here. However, in recent years, Putrajaya has been growing rapidly with more locations opened for private companies while institutes of higher learning have set up their branch campuses here as well.
Town Center of Putrajaya
The main town is located around Putra Square which has government buildings lined up on both the road leading here which is Persiaran Pardana. One can find almost every government department along this road while at Putra Square, there are eateries, public parks and shops that sell clothes and other items. Located not far from the town center is the Alamanda Shopping Complex which houses a hypermarket, cinemas and retail stores.
Education and Places for rent
Apart from the public schools here which are primarily catered for the civil servants, there are a few private institutes of higher learning which have established their branches here like the John Hopkins University and the Perdana University-Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (PU-RCSI) while a latest addition to the education sector in Putrajaya is the Heriot-Watt University which is located in Menara PjH in Precinct 2.
Designed for public servants and students
Putrajaya has a modern persona to it in which the areas are coined as precincts. Apart from offering places to stay for students in the institutions within Putrajaya, students and people working in nearby cities like Cyberjaya comes here for its close proximity and high quality of life. Not all places are rentable in Putrajaya as some are exclusively reserved for civil servants.
However, there are many options available around the Federal Territory like Puteri Palma 3 apartments which can be rented for RM3,000 per month for a furnished unit. In Precinct 16, a whole house can be rented from RM2,000 per month while it is the same for locations like Precinct 15 and Precinct 8 which is nearer to the town center.
One of the three Federal Territories
Putrajaya is the federal administrative center of Malaysia. Located in the south of capital Kuala Lumpur, it houses most of the government offices in Malaysia including the Prime Minister’s office. Although Putrajaya is the administrative center, the former Kuala Lumpur is still the national and legislative capital.
Like Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya is a federal territory. It got its name from the country’s first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra. The development of the city was first envisioned by the then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad together with IT Hi-Tech city Cyberjaya. Apart from the very modern architecture where the government ministries are housed, there are also other landmarks like bridges and tourists attractions that are designed, developed and built by internationally renowned architects.
Built on the previous land of Prang Besar in Selangor, Putrajaya is connected with other parts of the state via various highway including the newly launched KL-Putrajaya highway. It is also connected via the KLIA express which comes here from KL Sentral to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
Tourist Attractions in Putrajaya
Tourists attractions in Putrajaya include the Putra Mosque, Putrajaya Indendence Square, Perdana Putra, Putra Bridge, Millennium Monument, Seri Perdana and the bridge, the Wetlands Park and the Putrajaya International Convention Center.
The Intelligent Garden City
It is also known as the ‘Intelligent Garden City’ which was previously pre-dominantly made up from palm plantations before the area was purchased by the federal government from Selangor. Even with the rapid development and enactment of the modern buildings occupying most of the territory, there are still a large area of natural surroundings still habituating Putrajaya.
Facts about Putrajaya
The Putrajaya project was first initialized back in 1993 and started operations in 1999. Up to recent days, the territory is still yet to be completed which was declared as a federal state 2 years after that. There are currently 2 other federal territories in Malaysia, the capital of Kuala Lumpur and the island of Labuan in East Malaysia.
The population of Putrajaya is more than 50,000 which is still a far cry from the nearer Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur and while constructions are still underway, and the announcement of more ministries to set up their offices there, the number is expected to increase in the coming years.
