Malaysia Tourism Centre (MaTiC)

On a recent trip to Kuala Lumpur I visited the Malaysian Tourism Centre building on Jalan Ampang as part of the research for the book-in-progress which is set in Malaya during WW2.

The MaTiC building is endowed with a rich and colourful past. It was built in the British Colonial styel in the 1930s to serve as the residence of a wealthy Chinese tycoon named Eu Tong Sen.  He was an influential businessman in Malaya who served as a vice-president of the Anti-Opium Society and a member of the Kinta Sanitary Board (Perak State).

After his death in 1941, the building housed the War Office of the British Army (Malaya Command). When the British retreated from Kuala Lumpur it then became the headquarters for the Japanese Imperial Army for the rest of the Second World War.  As the building is now surrounded by tower blocks it is hard for the imagination to conjure up images of what the atmosphere must have been like in 1941.

Going inside I was delighted to find a happy and colourful atmosphere in the small auditorium. MaTiC hosts a traditional dance show most afternoons there (at 3PM when I visited), for which entrance is free.  The dancers performed many of the traditional dances (some of which take place during the 'Merdeka' story) before finishing with a truly wonderful rendition of the song 'Malaysia Truly Asia'.



If you visit Kuala Lumpur don't miss this show.  For more information on MaTiC visit http://www.matic.gov.my/en/