Tuesday, 3 February 2026

ONCE UPON A TIME


Hotel Merlin, Kuala Lumpur
The hotel opened its doors in the same year it gained independence. For decades, it was a place to be seen, hosting royalty, celebrities, and even Michael Jackson during his 1996 world tour. 
After over 30 years as the Merlin, it was sold and rebranded as the Concorde Hotel.

SELANGOR TURF CLUB
A major landmark in Malaysia's horse racing history, with a legacy spanning over 130 years. Founded in 1896, the club was originally established under the patronage of the British Resident of Selangor. 
The club occupied 100 acres of prime land where the Petronas Twin Towers and KLCC Park stand today. The last race at the Jalan Ampang was held in August 1992. The club moved to its current home in Sungei Besi (near Serdang Raya/Seri Kembangan). It officially opened there in April 1994. 


The dredge ship, or "Kapal Korek", a 4,500-tonne floating factory, and the last of its kind, is at the Tanjung Tualang Tin Dredge No. 5, affectionately known as TT5. 
Hundreds of these giants once roared across the Kinta Valley; TT5 is the final survivor or an era that literally built the foundation of modern Malaysia.
The Tin Dredge was built in England in 1938 by F.W. Payne & Son. After 44 years of service, it finally stopped its buckets in 1982 when the global tin market collapsed and deposits began to dry up. 
Today, it serves as a museum in Batu Gajah, Perak, allowing people to walk through its iron belly and experience the grit of the industry that turned Ipoh into the "City of Millionaires". 


SYARIKAT KOPI HAJI ARSHAD
A well-known coffee merchant in the 1970s, located at Taman Greenwood, Batu Caves, Selangor. The "Motorcycle Brand"—in those days many local coffee roasters used simple, relatable icons. The motorcycle logo is because the founder of Kopi Arshad used to sell coffee around homes and villages on a motorcycle. My family and I lived in Greenwood Park from 1970 to 1979.


AMPANG PARK, KUALA LUMPUR
As the country's first-ever shopping mall (opened in 1973), it wasn't just a building; it was a landmark that defined the Jalan Ampang skyline for decades before the Petronas Twin Towers even existed. 
Sadly, the Ampang Park closed its doors on 31 December 2017 to make way for the Ampang Park MRT station. The demolition process happened in stages throughout 2018. While the physical building is gone, it remains a "first love" for many KLites who grew up in the 70s, 80s, and 90s.


CARREFOUR HYPERMARKET
Carrefour entered Malaysia in 1994 via its subsidiary, Magnificent Diagraph Sdn Bhd. It was one of the first international retailers to introduce the hypermarkat format to Malaysians, combining a supermarket and department store under one roof. It was then the fourth-largest retailer in the country, competing with Giant and Tesco. 
On 1 November 2012, the Japanese retail giant AEON Co. Ltd announced it had acquired 100% of Carrefour Malaysia. Following the takeover, all Carrefour stores were rebranded as AEON Big, a separate entity from the existing "AEON" (formerly JUSCO) department stores already operating in Malaysia. 



ESSO & MOBIL MALAYSIA
Esso fuelled Malaysia for over 100 years; the first Esso service station was opened in Kuala Lumpur in 1921 at Foch Avenue (now Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock) under the name Stanvac (Standard-Vacuum Oil Company). Esso Standard Malaysia was officially established in 1961. 
In 1999, Exxon and Mobil merged globally to form ExxonMobil in Malaysia; this brought the two rival brands under one roof.
In 2011, San Miguel Corporation (via its subsidiary Petron Corporation) reached an agreement to buy ExxonMobil's downstream business. 
In 2012, the acquisition was finalised. Over the next three years, more than 550 Esso and Mobil stations were repainted and rebranded to Petron. 


PEKELILING FLATS
Wikipedia: Pekeliling Flats
Also known as the Tunku Abdul Rahman Flats, they were a defining landmark of Kuala Lumpur's skyline for nearly 50 years. Located at the intersection of Jalan Tun Razak and Jalan Pahang, built between 1964 and 1967, they were the second high-rise public housing project in KL after the Suleiman Courts. 
By 2006, it's the end of an era where Blocks A and B were demolished first. And by 2008, the last tenants were evacuated to new housing projects in Setapak.
2014-2015: The remaining blocks (C-G) were finally torn down. 


HANKYU JAYA
A Japanese-Malaysian joint venture, established in March 1984, it was a collaboration involving the Japanese retail giant Hankyu. 
Hanky Jaya faced heavy competition from other rising giants like Jaya Jusco (now AEON) and Parkson. The 1997 Asian Financial Crisis dealt a final blow to many older retail chains, and Hankyu Jaya eventually exited the Malaysian market, leaving behind only these nostalgic photos. 


JAYA JUSCO
JUSCO (Japan United Stores Company) was first established in Malaysia in 1984, and the first store opened in Dayabumi, Kuala Lumpur, in 1985. The photo above was taken at JUSCO Tebray City on 26 February 2012, only a few weeks after the JUSCO brand officially began its transforming into AEON in March 2012. 
Even though it’s been over a decade since the rebranding, many Malaysians still affectionately refer to the mall as "JUSCO" or "JJ".


The iconic "Rumah Biru" (Blue House), also known as Master Mat's House, is located in Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur. It is a symbol of the "David vs. Goliath story of Kampung Baru, a 100-year-old traditional Malay enclave that sits stubbonly in the shadow of the world's tallest skyscrapers. 
It was built in 1921 by Ahmad Mohamed, a respected headmaster of an English school in Setapak. His students and neighbours called him "Master Mat". 
Kampung Baru was gazetted as a Malay Agricultural Settlement in 1899. It is arguably the most photographed home in Malaysia and has also been used as a filming location for various local dramas and films because of its unique aesthetic. 


The Klang Bus Stand in Kuala Lumpur during its heyday—a place that was the heartbeat of the city's commute for nearly four decades. 
Built in the 1970s, it served as the primary terminus for buses travelling between Kuala Lumpur and the western parts of the Klang Valley. The station officially ceased operations on November 1, 2011. 


The Lee Rubber (Selangor) Ltd, Chinese (南益 - Nan Yi), was once a major landmark in the Gombak/Setapak area of Kuala Lumpur. Located near the 6th Mile of Gombak, the Lee Rubber empire was founded by Lee Kong Chian, often called the "Rubber King" of Southeast Asia.
This factory, however, closed its doors in the early 2000's to make way for urban development. The site has largely been redeveloped into modern commercial and residential projects such as Residensi Gombak 126 and Ong Tai Kim (OTK) Supermarkat and nearby plazas like Plaza Idaman. 


One of the massive hits of nostalgia for anyone who lived in Malaysia during the 90s and early 2000s. Makro entered the Malaysian market in 1994 with its first store in Shah Alam. It was strictly cash and carry. 
However, in 2007, the retail landscape changed. Tesco Malaysia acquired all 8 Makros outlets in the country. The stores were rebranded as Tesco Extra. However, today, you won't find the Tesco name either. In 2020, Tesco sold its Southeast Asia business to the CP Group (a Thai conglomerate). By 2021, all those old Makro/Tesco Extra were rebranded again as Lotuses. 


For many Malaysians, Mimaland (Malaysia in Miniature Land) is the ultimate nostalgia trip. Opened in 1971 in Gombak, it was the country's first true theme park and a massive cultural landmark before it closed its gates forever in 1994. 
A tragedy in 1993: a Singaporean tourist tragically passed away after an accident on the giant slides. Later a minor landslide caused damage to the pool area, leading to safety concerns. While it closed for "renovations" in 1994, it never reopened, and the jungle slowly reclaimed the site. 


Today it is a popular spot for "urban explorers" and paranormal enthusiasts. The dinosaur statues are still there, hidden under thick vines and moss, looking like a real-life Jurassic Park movie set. 


The Pudu Prison, an iconic but sombre landmark that stood in the heart of Kuala Lumpur for over a century. Completed in 1895, built by the British Colonial using convicts for labour. It became famous not just for its grim history but also for the massive, colourful mural painted on its exterior walls, which once held the Guinness World Record for the longest mural in the world. 
In 1984, an inmate named Khong Yen Chong used over 2,000 litres of paint to transform the grey walls into a lush tropical jungle scene. 
Despite many calls for it to be preserved as a heritage site, the prison was largely demolished in 2010 and 2012 to make way for urban development. The site has since been transformed into the Bukit Bintang City Centre (BBCC), which includes the Mitsui Shopping Park LaLaport. 



The "Stubborn House" (Rumah Degil), nicknamed for being the last traditional Malay house to stand its ground on Jalan Chow Kit, Kuala Lumpur, refusing to budge for decades while concrete skyscrapers and modern shop-lots literally grew up around it.
The house was built in 1926 by Haji Jaafar Sultan Sinombar, a descendant of Sultan Puasa (who many historians credit as the true founder of Kuala Lumpur).
For nearly 90 years, the house survived the Japanese occupation, the 1969 riots, and intense urban development. The last resident, Nenek Norma, lived there from her birth in 1932 until the land was eventually sold in 2013. 
The house was dismantled in 2015 rather than being let to be demolished and was reconstructed at its current location in 2018 at the grounds of the National Art Gallery (Balai Seni Negara). 



The Suleiman Court and SOGO
The Suleiman Court holds a special place in Malaysian history as the first high-rise apartment building in Kuala Lumpur. Constructed in 1957, just as Malaysia was gaining independence. It was commissioned by Malaysia's first prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, who wanted to provide affordable, low-cost housing for people in the city. 
In 1986, the Suleiman Court was demolished to make way for modern commercial development, the SOGO Department Store, which opened its doors in 1994. 



TESCO MALAYSIA
Tesco entered the Malaysian market in 2001 through a joint venture with local conglomerate Sime Darby Berhad. The very first Tesco Hypermarket opened in Puchong, Selangor, in 2002.
In 2005, Tesco introduced the Clubcard, one of Malaysia's first truly successful retail loyalty programmes.
In 2017, Tesco acquired the Malaysian operations of Makro and rebranded them as Tesco Extra. 
In 2020, Tesco PLC announced it was selling its entire Southeast Asian business (Malaysia and Thailand) to focus on its core UK market. 
Starting February 2021, the iconic blue and red "TESCO" signs began coming down and were renamed Lotus Malaysia. 



ProJET was established in 1999 as a joint venture between the American oil giant ConocoPhillips and Malaysia's Sime Darby Bhd. It was the first foreign company in 30 years to be granted a licence to operate petrol stations in Malaysia, breaking the long-standing presence of Shell, Esso, Mobil, and Petronas. 
The image above is the ProJET at Wangsa Maju (Section 5), located next to Carrefour Wangsa Maju (now AEON Big Wangsa Maju). 
Destina, a ProJET in-house convenience store brand, was a popular hangout spot for cars until 2005, when many Destoma stores were converted into 7-Eleven outlets to improve profitability. 
By late 2007 and 2008, every ProJET station was repainted and rebranded as a Shell Station. 



The Auntie Kopitiam, located at Wangsa Walk Mall, Wangsa Maju, Kuala Lumpur, is one of my favourite spots for breakfast or lunch. Looking back at the photo, you can almost smell the traditional Hainanese coffee and toasted kaya bread. 
The Auntie Kopitiam were well-known for their classic Malaysian staples—Nasi Lemak, Curry Noodles, and, of course, the signature Kopi and half-boiled eggs.
The legacy of Auntie Kopitiam began in 1935 at Kuala Selangor. The name "Auntie Kopitiam" specifically honours Foo Ah Yong (famously known as Auntie Foo). She took over the business after her father passed away and ran the original shop in Kuala Selangor for over 30 years. 
Sadly, the Auntie Kopitiam outlet at Wangsa Walk closed its doors around 2014 or 2015. The original shop at Jalan Sultan Ibrahim, Kuala Selangor, remains a popular destination. Auntie Foo's daughter, Leong Hui Ching, continues the family legacy by operating the nearby Auntie Foo Cafe in 2012. 


Kedai Rakyat 1 Malaysia (KR1M)
A nostalgic attempt to tackle the cost of living by providing essential goods like rice, cooking oil, and flour at lower prices. Launched in 2011, KR1M was designed to help lower-income groups (B40) access affordable groceries. 
However, in 2017, the government terminated the contract with the main operator, Mydin, following concerns over product pricing and quality. 
A revamped version was launched in early 2018, with a new business model, partnering with KK Supermart and Tunas Manja. However, with the change of government in the 2018 General Election (GE14), the programme was phased out and replaced by other cost-of-living initiatives. 

Others:

Compiled by:
Hj Zulheimy Maamor
Lembah Keramat, KL
3 February 2026: 8.45 p.m.

By Hj Zulheimy Maamor at
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