Merdeka Monuments Tour
Dates: 11 to 15 June 209 (5 days 4 nights)

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The Singapore Heritage Society proudly presents Merdeka Monuments, a journey in Kuala Lumpur’s independence architecture led by local scholar and architect, Dr Lai Chee Kien. Within a decade of its independence in 1957,
Malaysia commissioned and constructed 10 major architectural projects in Kuala Lumpur. These remarkable nation-building projects has been studied and documented by Dr Lai in his 2007 book, Building Merdeka: Indepedence Architecture in Kuala Lumpur, 1957-1966 which was launched in conjunction with a special exhibition on the same subject at the Galeri Petronas in Kuala Lumpur.

Tour Programme
Day 1: Thursday (12 June)
8.00 am Assemble at Newton Food Centre Car Park
8.30 am Depart Singapore for Kuala Lumpur
12.30 pm Lunch (location TBC). Lunch on your own.
3.00 pm Arrive in Kuala Lumpur. Check into the Federal Hotel, Jalan Bukit Bintang.
Evening Free & Easy. Dinner on your own.

Day 2: Friday (12 June)
Breakfast at Hotel
9.20 am Assemble in Hotel Lobby for day’s tour
9.30 am Depart for morning tour. Key sights will
include: Lake Gardens • Merdeka Clock •National Monument • Parliament House
12.30 pm Lunch on your own at Pavilion Shopping Centre.

2.30 pm Leave Pavilion Shopping Centre for Badan Warisan.
3.30 pm Arrive at Badan Warisan. Fellowship with compatriots at Badan Warisan and tour Rumah Penghulu
4.30 pm Tea break (traditional kueh-kueh; tea & coffee)
5.00 pm Talk by Badan Warisan officials for SHS
6.00 pm Talk by Dr Lai Chee Kien on Merdeka Monuments for Badan Warisan
7.30 pm Head back to hotel via Pavilion Shopping Centre and KLCC. You are free to alight at any of the two locations or go back to the hotel.

Day 3: Saturday (13 June)
Breakfast at Hotel
9.20 am Assemble in Hotel Lobby for day’s tour
9.30 am Depart for morning tour. Highlights: Muzium Negara • National Mosque (Masjid Negara) • Railway Station & Heritage Hotel
12.30 pm Lunch at Railway Station
2.00 pm Reassemble for afternoon tour. Drive to Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka for brief stop. Tour Stadium Negara & Merdeka Stadium with Badan Warisan. Visit Chin Woo Athletic Stadium
5.00 pm Return to hotel via Petaling Street. You are free to alight here or follow the bus back to the hotel.
Dinner on your own.

Day 4 Sunday (15 June)
Breakfast at Hotel
9.20 am Assemble in Hotel Lobby for day’s tour
9.30 am Depart for morning tour. Drive through Kampung Bahru, past Sultan Sulaiman Club to the Padang. Visit Masjid Jamek & National History Museum
12.30 pm Lunch – location TBC
2.30 pm Tour of Petronas Tower and view from sky bridge
4.00 pm Bus departs for hotel. You may return to the hotel or continue shopping at KLCC.
Dinner on your own.

Day 5: Monday (15 June)
Breakfast at Hotel
Morning Free & Easy
Lunch on your own
2.00 pm Assemble in Hotel Lobby for departure for Singapore
7.30 pm Arrive in Singapore

Cost of Tour
SHS Members:
S$430 per person (Twin-sharing)
S$655 per person (Single)
Non-members:
S$510 per person (Twin-sharing)
S$735 per person (Single)
Cost includes all breakfasts, hotel, entrance fee, transportation, guides, tips, transportation by bus from Singapore
to Kuala Lumpur, and all local transportation.

The following are not included: meals other than breakfast and tea at Badan Warisan, telephone, laundry and all other sundry expenses.

About Our Guide
Dr Lai Chee Kien is Assistant Professor at the Department of Architecture, National University of Singapore. He graduated with an M.Arch. by research from NUS in 1996, and from University of California, Berkeley with a PhD in
History of Architecture and Urban Design, in 2005. He is a registered architect in Singapore. He researches on the histories of art, architecture, landscapes and urban environments in Southeast Asia. His publications include A Brief History of Malayan Art (1999), Building Merdeka: Independence Architecture in Kuala Lumpur, 1957-1966 (2007) and Singapore: Towards Another Botanical Age (2008).

Flyer: Merdeka Monuments a tour of Kuala Lumpur | 2009 by Dr Lai Chee Kien ^[2]