Telekom Museum

One of the tallest and most popular landmarks in Malaysia is the telecommunications tower called Menara Kuala Lumpur. As a tourist, chances are you might have scaled to its observation deck to enjoy uninterrupted views of the city’s surroundings. From the tower, follow the short heritage trail to Telekom Museum to learn about the organisation behind the spectacle and the history of telecommunication. The 1928 building that houses the Telekom Museum once served as a manual telephone exchange and later upgraded itself to a mechanical exchange. In the 1980s, when the city of Kuala Lumpur was undergoing a major revamp, it was marked for demolition with plans to replace it with a modern high-rise. It was upon a timely intervention by the then Malaysian Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamad that this heritage exists till date. It now hosts a variety of artifacts that depict how communication and more specifically telecommunication have evolved over the years in Malaysia. The museum records how Morse code gave way to land-based telephone and eventually to current day wireless or broadband systems.
Tips: Plan 30–45 minutes for this site and end the tour with light snacks or even a meal at the museum’s café. The museum remains closed on Malaysian public holidays.