KL Survival Guide

survival guide

for kuala lumpur

Hello

Kuala Lumpur is a diverse, exciting, and high-energy city!

So, we've created a survival guide to help you get acquainted with the culture here and make your extended stay as comfortable as possible.

Kuala Lumpur is a diverse, exciting, and high-energy city!

So, we've created a survival guide to help you get acquainted with the culture here and make your extended stay as comfortable as possible.

Booking accommodations

If you're coming to Kuala Lumpur from out of town, welcome! We have a few recommendations on choosing a place to stay:

It's ideal to stay within walking distance of the office! Generally, you can find the best prices on Booking.com and Agoda. AirBnb has some options as well, but tends to be more expensive.

For example, we found this one within a 15 minute walk: Arte Mont Kiara
If you're coming as a team, there are also plenty of 2/3-BR options nearby as well. Consider rooming together to save on costs.

If not, ask on the Campus TG if anyone is looking for a roommate.
When choosing a residence, think about the things you need such as Wi-Fi, air conditioning, and laundry.

If you're coming to Kuala Lumpur from out of town, welcome! We have a few recommendations on choosing a place to stay:

It's ideal to stay within walking distance of the office! Generally, you can find the best prices on Booking.com and Agoda. AirBnb has some options as well, but tends to be more expensive.

For example, we found this one within a 15 minute walk: Arte Mont Kiara
If you're coming as a team, there are also plenty of 2/3-BR options nearby as well. Consider rooming together to save on costs.

If not, ask on the Campus TG if anyone is looking for a roommate.
When choosing a residence, think about the things you need such as Wi-Fi, air conditioning, and laundry.

Emergency hotline (aka malaysia emergency response services)

Malaysia's emergency number is 999.

Malaysia has a centralised hotline which combines all five agencies for emergency services.

Dialing “999” will connect you to the agencies. These agencies include:

Royal Malaysian Police (RMP)
Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia (FRDM)
Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH)
Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA)
Department of Civil Defence (DCD)

Malaysia's emergency number is 999.

Malaysia has a centralised hotline which combines all five agencies for emergency services.

Dialing “999” will connect you to the agencies. These agencies include:

Royal Malaysian Police (RMP)
Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia (FRDM)
Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH)
Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA)
Department of Civil Defence (DCD)

healthcare services

This section will be broken down into 3 methods on how Malaysians seek healthcare based on the severity of the illness (low, moderate, high).

Low (i.e. common cold, sore throat, nasal congestion, etc.)

Visit your nearest pharmacy to seek for advice from registered pharmacists. Most malls would generally have a pharmacy.

Reputable pharmacies include:

Note: Not all Guardian/Watsons have a pharmacy section

Moderate (i.e. rashes, prolonged fever, infection, etc.)

Visit a clinic or hospital doctor.

Some nearby clinics include:

High

Visit a nearby hospital.

Some nearby hospitals include:

This section will be broken down into 3 methods on how Malaysians seek healthcare based on the severity of the illness (low, moderate, high).

Low (i.e. common cold, sore throat, nasal congestion, etc.)

Visit your nearest pharmacy to seek for advice from registered pharmacists. Most malls would generally have a pharmacy.

Reputable pharmacies include:

Note: Not all Guardian/Watsons have a pharmacy section

Moderate (i.e. rashes, prolonged fever, infection, etc.)

Visit a clinic or hospital doctor.

Some nearby clinics include:

High

Visit a nearby hospital.

Some nearby hospitals include:

Payments

In general, Malaysia has adopted advanced payment rails.

Payment transactions are contactless — with QR codes being the primary gateway.

Most users rely solely on their mobile phone for payments, including street food vendors.

Touch ‘n’ Go

The most widely used payment app is Touch ‘n’ Go. TnG is generally used for paying food, utilities, groceries, toll, parking, and even financial instruments.

Note:

You will need to get a Malaysian or Singaporean number for this.
If you do not have Malaysian or Singaporean bank account, you will need to get reload PINs to reload your app balance.

Getting started with TnG:

Download the app
Register your information.
Deposit money into e-Wallet to start using the app

Grab

Grab is also available to be used as a payment app. Simply reload into your app’s e-Wallet and you should be able to make payments to vendor who accepts QR code.

In general, Malaysia has adopted advanced payment rails.

Payment transactions are contactless — with QR codes being the primary gateway.

Most users rely solely on their mobile phone for payments, including street food vendors.

Touch ‘n’ Go

The most widely used payment app is Touch ‘n’ Go. TnG is generally used for paying food, utilities, groceries, toll, parking, and even financial instruments.

Note:

You will need to get a Malaysian or Singaporean number for this.
If you do not have Malaysian or Singaporean bank account, you will need to get reload PINs to reload your app balance.

Getting started with TnG:

Download the app
Register your information.
Deposit money into e-Wallet to start using the app

Grab

Grab is also available to be used as a payment app. Simply reload into your app’s e-Wallet and you should be able to make payments to vendor who accepts QR code.

Getting around

Grab will be your best friend here.

Some things to note about Grab:

Sometimes drivers will cancel on you. Just rebook.
Unlike Uber, you can cancel on the driver as long as they have not arrived.
Sometimes Grab drivers will call you to tell you about their whereabouts. Conversing with them in English is often never an issue. You can also hang up and tell them that you are only convenient to text via app (but it might be hard for them to respond while driving).

Public Transportation:

Would generally advice against taking the bus. The heavy traffic and occasional weather challenges (rain) in KL makes it impossible for buses to be punctual.
The best form of public transportation is the train (LRT, MRT, Monorail, etc.)
To take the public transportation, you can do it by:
- Paying with cash at token dispensing machine, and get a small NFC token that you will need to tap at the departing station. You will need to drop the token at the arrival station for exits.
- Touch ‘n’ Go cards. These cards are linked to your app. You can tap these cards at train stations without hassle of buying the train tokens. (Heads up, you would need a minimum of I think MYR10 preloaded in order to tap at departing station)
Here is the Integrated Transit Map

Grab will be your best friend here.

Some things to note about Grab:

Sometimes drivers will cancel on you. Just rebook.
Unlike Uber, you can cancel on the driver as long as they have not arrived.
Sometimes Grab drivers will call you to tell you about their whereabouts. Conversing with them in English is often never an issue. You can also hang up and tell them that you are only convenient to text via app (but it might be hard for them to respond while driving).

Public Transportation:

Would generally advice against taking the bus. The heavy traffic and occasional weather challenges (rain) in KL makes it impossible for buses to be punctual.
The best form of public transportation is the train (LRT, MRT, Monorail, etc.)
To take the public transportation, you can do it by:
- Paying with cash at token dispensing machine, and get a small NFC token that you will need to tap at the departing station. You will need to drop the token at the arrival station for exits.
- Touch ‘n’ Go cards. These cards are linked to your app. You can tap these cards at train stations without hassle of buying the train tokens. (Heads up, you would need a minimum of I think MYR10 preloaded in order to tap at departing station)
Here is the Integrated Transit Map

online shopping culture

If you want the convenience of shopping without the traveling hassle, Shopee or Lazada are the best options.

Most common sale days are:

Dates when days and a month coincide (5/5, 6/6, 7/7, etc.)
Pay day (which is usually 25th on every month)

These platforms also offer a gamified experience in shopping where you can collect native app currency and discount vouchers.

If you want the convenience of shopping without the traveling hassle, Shopee or Lazada are the best options.

Most common sale days are:

Dates when days and a month coincide (5/5, 6/6, 7/7, etc.)
Pay day (which is usually 25th on every month)

These platforms also offer a gamified experience in shopping where you can collect native app currency and discount vouchers.

Bugs!

Malaysia is a tropical country, expect lots of bugs — especially mosquitoes.

ALWAYS carry mosquito repellent with you, especially when out at parks or at night.

Dengue (carried by Aedes mosquitoes) is one of the most common diseases in Malaysia.

In severe situations, you may be bed ridden with high fever for a long time.

Malaysia is a tropical country, expect lots of bugs — especially mosquitoes.

ALWAYS carry mosquito repellent with you, especially when out at parks or at night.

Dengue (carried by Aedes mosquitoes) is one of the most common diseases in Malaysia.

In severe situations, you may be bed ridden with high fever for a long time.

Key local phrases

Malaysian Language (Bahasa Malaysia)

Hello/Hi — Hai (Hai)
Thank you — Terima Kasih (Teh-ree-muh kah-seh)
Good morning — Selamat Pagi (Suh-lah-mud pah-gee)
Good afternoon/evening — Selamat Petang (Suh-lah-mud puh-tang)
Eat — Makan (Mah-khan)

Chinese Language

Hello/Hi — Ni Hao

Thank you — Xie Xie (See-yeh see-yeh)
Good morning — Zhao An (Jao Ahn)
Good afternoon/evening — Wu An (Woo Ahn)

Malaysian Language (Bahasa Malaysia)

Hello/Hi — Hai (Hai)
Thank you — Terima Kasih (Teh-ree-muh kah-seh)
Good morning — Selamat Pagi (Suh-lah-mud pah-gee)
Good afternoon/evening — Selamat Petang (Suh-lah-mud puh-tang)
Eat — Makan (Mah-khan)

Chinese Language

Hello/Hi — Ni Hao

Thank you — Xie Xie (See-yeh see-yeh)
Good morning — Zhao An (Jao Ahn)
Good afternoon/evening — Wu An (Woo Ahn)

Weather

Malaysia is humid and hot year-round.

Average temperature: 21 - 32°C

Tips to navigate the weather:

Always carry a small foldable/portable umbrella with you
If grey clouds start building up, you can expect high chances of rain
Dress light
Stay in malls