The Royal Museum

The Royal Museum is also called "Muzium Diraja" in Malay Language. This museum is the latest addition to the many other museums in the city since 1 Feb 2013. This place is located on a hill and you will be able to see the Petronas Twin Towers and Kuala Lumpur Tower from here.

History of Royal Museum

It used to be the royal abode of the King of Malaysia from 1957 until November 2011 when the royal family moved to the newly built palace or Istana Negara in Jalan Duta. The new Istana Negara is also located on a hill and is much bigger and modern compared to this one.

The entrance to the museum

Notice the unique architecture of the palace.

This two-storey property was built in 1928 and used to belong to Chan Wing who hailed from Guangdong China. He was a mining tycoon and built this huge house for his big family to stay. In his day, this building located on a 11.3 hectare land was one of the grandest building in Malaya. During the World War II, the Japanese army used it as one of their operation hub followed by the British Military after the war.

This palace was also the temporary abode of Sultan of Selangor from 1950 to 1957. This place was acquired by the Federal Government and became the official residence of the King in 1957.

Another view of the musem

The view of Kuala Lumpur from the compound of the museum

While here, you will be able to see the halls, bedrooms, dining rooms, offices of the King and Queen, reading room, waiting rooms and the clinic. Shoes have to be taken off before entering this museum. Most of the sections have been cordoned off and you are only allowed to see them along the walkway in the palace.

Information about the particular section is shown on an LCD Display. If you are into history and art, you will appreciate the various carvings and design of the beams and structures of the palace. Take your time to admire this place but take note that photography is not allowed inside the building.

This is a good place for history students to find out more about the Kings and Queens of Malaysia.