Shopping malls and complexes in

Kota Kinabalu has a surprisingly high mall-count considering its modest size.

There are enough bargains and surprises in the shops for visitors to not totally shun the Sabah shopping experience.

Malaysia, a country with wide, perfectly flat roads, tall, smartly designed buildings, swaths of greenery, speeding trains, and bustling industry and a population of 28 million i

Malaysia underwent long and painful periods of colonial rule with Portuguese, Dutch, British, and Japanese invaders successively lording it over the land. When Malaysia declared its independence in 1957, many thought of country as a backwater good for little more than rubber trees.

Putrajaya, Malaysia’s gleaming new federal capital district just outside KL. Like many things Malaysian, Putrajaya was thoroughly planned, and incorporates cutting-edge green technology.

In 2011, Malaysia earned 58.8 billion ringgit from tourism, the third-largest dollar-earning sector of the Malaysian economy. About a third of that was accounted for by shopping.

Except for a few items like cars (which are highly taxed to encourage the use of mass transit), shopping is largely duty-free in Malaysia, and you don’t have to go to the international airport to get the best prices.

Malaysia may be best known to outsiders for its resorts, beaches and nature walks in Penang, Langkawi, Kota Kinabalu, and the Genting Highlands — the kind of dreamy getaways you see on those distressingly effective “Malaysia, Truly Asia” ads (which scuttlebutt has it were conceived by a Filipino) — but shoppers around the region equally appreciate the fact that Malaysia has 300 shopping malls and centers covering 90 million square feet. Including office space, its biggest mall —Berjaya Times Square in KL — sprawls across 7.5 million sqft.

The malls serve the full range of clienteles and price points, from the upscale Starhill and Pavilion in downtown KL to the more pedestrian-friendly BB Plaza a few blocks away. Even the landmark 88-story Petronas Towers have an in-house mall. Within a one-kilometer radius in Bukit Bintang are 3,000 shops.

Three generations of malls have now been built since the first mall, Ampang Park, was built in 1973. The four-star Boulevard Hotel in Mid Valley, a KL suburb that sprang up 15 years ago apparently for one main purpose: shopping, and the hotels to house the shoppers in.

The Boulevard is connected to its two sister hotels — the Cititel and the Garden — by an underground walkway that is in fact the basement level of the huge Mid Valley Megamall.

The Mega Sale’s formal launch was held at the Sunway resort complex, another example of private enterprise turning a hole in the ground — in this case a lagoon left by a disused tin mine — into a business opportunity. Sunway is a water theme park, hotel, and mall all in one, and if it’s a bit over the top — it’s Egypt, Vegas, and Versailles altogether — the locals don’t seem to mind, trooping to the resort in family-size droves.

Malacca, two hours away by van — a city of 20 museums, a busy night market on Jonker Street, a river cruise, and a spectacular view from a revolving tower more than 300 feet high.

Sabah is home to an abundance of pearls. This exquisite harvest FROM the sea is collected and either sold raw or arranged into jeweler pieces such as necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings. Many stores in Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan offer some great buys. The prices are lower than that in many other countries and the quality just as good if not better. Apart from Sabah Pearls, gold and diamond jeweler in Malaysia are generally inexpensive compared to other places around the globe. A trip to any local goldsmith will get you jeweler that is both international in design and uniquely Malaysian, with its own styles and motifs. And like everything else, each different ethnic group in Malaysia has stamped its own cultural facet on the styles of gold jewelry sold. Text adapted from Malaysia Shopping Guide Vol. 2 2004

Kedai Emas Ban Loong - One the locals' favorite stores, even the Queen of Malaysia has been here. Offers a wide range of Sabah pearls, diamonds and precious and semi-precious stones. AG 53, Ground Fir, Wisma Merdeka 088 237 126.

• Lazo Diamond - With dozens of branches all over Malaysia, this chain of stores features affordable South African diamonds and Italian white gold. Lot BG 53B & BG 54, Ground Floor, Wisma Merdeka Ph 2. T: 088 272 881

• KK Diamond Centre Lot P33B, 4'" Fir. Palm Square, Centre Point Sabah. T: 088 253 157

• Thien Sang Goldsmith & Jewelry AG60. Wisma Merdeka I: 088 237 733 • Kedai Emas Kinabalu AG48 Ground Floor, Wisma Merdeka 088 234 022

BORNEO Books
Discover more about Sabah and Borneo through myths and legends, history, wildlife and culture from a wide range of locally-published books. Available at most bookstores, they are perfect for your reading pleasure or as gifts for family and friends! Look out also for beautiful coffee table books such as Sipadan Mabul Kapalai- Sabah's Underwater Treasure and Sabah Malaysian Borneo - People & Places - the perfect accessory for your living room

BOOKSTORES:

• Zenithway S/B (Formerly known as The Penguins Bookstore) No. 29, Jalan Pantai. T: 088 264 830

• Borneo Books Services AG33, Ground Floor. Wisma Merdeka. T: 088 241 050 • Iwase Bookshop Lot No, AG03/05, Ground Floor, Phase I, Wisma Merdeka, T: 088 233 757» Eaton's Lot C1-C7. 3'« Floor, Centre Point Sabah, T: 088 237 855

• Signature Superstore 1st Floor, Block A, Karamunsing Complex, T: 088 236 181/ 258 490 • Popular Book Co. (M) Suites 1-5, W1-W3&E1, 5m Floor CPS Tower, Centre Point Sabah, T: 088 265 192

• My Bookstore Lot 19. Level 2. Public Concourse. Main Terminal 3uildmg. Kota Kinabalu International Airport. T: 088 224 898

SABAH Seafood
Sabah is well-known in the region for its abundance of fresh and cheap seafood. For the enjoyment of your family friends back home, frozen items such as tiger prawns, sea cucumber and wide variety of fishes such as garoupa and snapper can be neatly-packed for you to bring along on your flight (of not more than 12 hours' long) with ease and convenience!

WHERE TO BUY:

•Malaysia Fresh (FAMA) Level 2. Kota Kinabalu International Airport Terminal 1, T: 088 225 741

• Tamoi Seafood Lot 1 7, Main Terminal Building, Departure Level, Kota Kinabalu International Airport Terminal 1. T: 088 313 228, H/P: 0168817517, 0168488828

• J.K.L. Enterprise (Sabah) Lot 1, Saban State Railway Department. Jalan Kepayan. Tel : 088 318 666 H/P: 013-8555558. 013-8555515

• Far East Seafood Centre Lot 5. Ground Floor, Wlsma Yakim (Opp. Hyatt Regency Kinabalu Hotel), T: 088 240 393

Shopping malls and complexes in Kota Kinabalu City
	1-Borneo - Borneo Island Largest Shopping Mall
	Suria Sabah http://www.suriasabah.com.my/
	Centre Point Sabah
	City Mall
	Kompleks Karamunsing
	KK Plaza
	Mega Long Mall - Sabah Longest Shopping Mall http://www.megalong.com.my
	Wawasan Plaza
3	Warisan Square
4	KK Times Square
5	Star City
6	Asia City
8	Wisma Merdeka
13	Habour City http://www.harbourcity.com.my
16	Lintas Complex
17	Tanjung Aru Plaza
19	1-Place Mall
20	1 Sulaman