Colonial history on free Dataran Merdeka walk

The area around Dataran Merdeka is dotted with historic buildings, such as the Sultan Abdul Samad Building. — Photos: KAMARUL ARIFFIN/The Star

For all the years I spent telling outstation family and friends that I am a KL-ite (it’s a stretched truth – home is in Puncak Alam), I’d never set foot on the city’s iconic independence square – Dataran Merdeka. But then again, most KL-ites, have good reasons to avoid the heart of Kuala Lumpur: traffic and expensive parking.

Those excuses were not going to deter yours truly from signing up for the free Dataran Merdeka Walk, though. It was high time to visit the square and its surroundings – the cradle of the city’s colonial past.