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PP 15585/10/2012(031264)

The grande dame reawakens

Colonial Cuisine • The Majestic Spa • Of Gin Pahits & MoreContents
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84

61

61

YTL Life speaks to The
Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur’stalented new Executive Chef,
Mohammad Ali Kunhi.

66

For connoisseurs, oenophiles
and lovers of the finer thingsin life, one of the highlightsof The Majestic Hotel Kuala
Lumpur has to be its unrivalled
collection of Opus One wines– a magnificent vertical flightthat spans from 1980 to 2008.

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22

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68
30
53

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Bar Life

John Yap, the new custodianof The Majestic Hotel Kuala
Lumpur’s bar, shares the story
behind the colonially-influenced
cocktails he and his team will
be serving up.

Life Feature

The Majestic Hotel Kuala
Lumpur lives up to its nameand reputation as the premier

96
hotel in the city, with atmospheric,luxurious suites designed forpure indulgence.
78 Once the place where the city’selite played and partied, The
Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur
is poised to become the city’s
foremost events venue
once again.
82 The Smoke House is more thana venue for a post-prandial cigar.
You can also enjoy bespoke
tailoring, grooming services andeven a private dinner with a chefon-call.
84 The Majestic Hotel Kuala
Lumpur’s Majestic Wing offers
the full glory of butler service-onlysuites – a wonderful luxury intoday’s world.
86 YTL Life speaks with Edmund
Ser, one of Malaysia’s top names

in fashion design, to find out theinspiration behind his collectionof colonial-inspired yet timelesslychic uniforms for The Majestic
Hotel Kuala Lumpur’s team.

Spa Life

90 Marrying colonial charm with Art
Nouveau chic, The Majestic Spa
offers a distinctive experience
with a British-influenced wellness
flavour – a respectful nod to thebuilding’s colonial heritage.

Life Feature

96 The Majestic Hotel Kuala
Lumpur’s stunning new orchid
conservatory is a celebrationof a stunning local variety – thePhalaenopsis.

Last Look

120 A moment in the lives of two
unique musical personalities;
each a Malaysian legend in his
own right.

Editorial Team
Editorial Director
Izan Yusuff Wilson
Editor-in-Chief
Diana Khoo

A Note fromTan Sri (Dr) Francis Yeoh

Sub Editor
Christy Yoong
      

Built in 1932 as one of colonial Malaya’s finest hotels, The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur,
regarded, in its heyday, as one of the great hotels in Asia, is now poised to rejoin
the ranks of the world’s legendary properties, like The Peninsula in Hong Kong,
Singapore’s Raffles and New York’s Waldorf Astoria. It is a great honour to have been
entrusted with restoring this grande dame to its former glory and majesty. A national
heritage building and an intrinsic part of Malaysia’s history, it has been privy to thechanging tides of the country; from witnessing its proclamation of Independence
to the tremendous growth of the nation. YTL Hotels, with our consistent trackrecord in spearheading vision and creating value, has successfully seen to thepainstaking restoration of The Majestic – from the exquisite and original fivestory building to a beautiful annexe that complements the property’s muchtreasured historicity.

Art
T h e

Y T L

L u x u r y

M a g a z i n e

Creative Director
Eireen Ooi
Art Director
Sheila Cheah

Published By
YTL Hotels
11th Floor, Yeoh Tiong Lay Plaza, 55,
Jalan Bukit Bintang,
55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Graphic Designer
Yvonne Low
Photographers
Yong Keen Keong, CH Lei

Produced By
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Sales

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Publishing Services
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Contributors
Shanti Ganesan, Priscilla Rajan,
BH Tan, Errol de Cruz, Tan Hui Ling,
Chua Siew Ching, Marcus Wong,
Danny Lee, Law Soo Phye,
Damien Khoo, Jacob Termansen

Tan Sri (Dr) Francis Yeoh
Managing Director,
YTL Corporation

Our efforts have earned the new Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur a coveted
listing in the Leading Hotels of the World – the only hotel in Kuala Lumpur
to bear this badge of honour, an accolade only other landmark hotels
like The Ritz in London and, in Paris, Le Bristol possess. The restorationof this colonial icon is in-line with YTL’s vision, which has included thetransformation of Bintang Walk in Kuala Lumpur and encouraging
duty-free shopping in the 1990s, all of which have been the catalyst
in the city’s transformation. This move, I am happy to report, hasrecently led to Kuala Lumpur being awarded the world’s fourth-best
shopping destination by CNN, and the second-best shopping city
in Asia-Pacific by the Globe Shopper Index.
It is not often that one has the privilege to be part of arenaissance. From spearheading growth in the city’s retail
scene to being able to usher in a glorious new era for
The Majestic Hotel, I am pleased at YTL’s contribution in
reaffirming Kuala Lumpur as a truly great city of the world.
I look forward to welcoming new generations of guests towhat I hope to be the city’s finest hotel – a truly luxurious
property that combines the best of past and present, ina way that is uniquely YTL. I also wish to thank my Lord
Jesus Christ for all His bountiful blessings. Welcome to
the new Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur.

life feature //in, to the stay and check out. Every area of the hotel comes under
scrutiny, from front-of-house to back-of-house and everything
in between.
LHW is always thinking ahead, staying one step ahead ofcustomer behaviour and expectations. Recently, it re-evaluatedits standards criteria, taking into account the present environment,
customers’ changing expectations and purchasing patterns ofhigh-end consumers. Behavioural and intuitive interactions also
have to be considered, in addition to the physical aspects ofthe stay.
Ted Teng, president and chief executive officer of LHW, said that
this re-evaluation of the organisation’s standards criteria will ensurethat members continually deliver even more outstanding luxury
experiences to their guests. “By enhancing and further defining
product standards, and adding staff behavioural factors, wehave substantially raised the bar when it comes to demanding
and delivering excellence. In order to attain higher scores, hotels
definitely have to pay even greater attention to precision, andfocus closely on personnel training and empowerment,” he said
in a press release.

An artist's impression of the lobby at The
Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur, the latest addition
to the ranks of the Leading Hotels of the World.

Only The Best
When it comes to luxury experiences, only the highest standards
will do at The Leading Hotels of the World. Find out what it is thatmakes membership so exclusive.
For more than 80 years, The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd(LHW) has been meticulously curating a list of members thatexemplifies the best of luxury hospitality. Today, it represents
more than 430 of the finest hotels, resorts and spas in over 80
countries. With its headquarters in New York City, it has a networkof 24 offices in key cities around the world.

1971, as the world opened up and international travel continued
to grow in leaps and bounds, the organisation decided to include
members from around the world. By the 1980s, its numbers had
grown to 235, serviced by offices in Europe, Asia, Australia andthe Americas.

In 1928, a group of European hoteliers established LHW as away to connect directly with the travellers and the then-crucial
travel agencies in the North American market. There were
38 members in the beginning, mostly in Europe and Egypt,
including the renowned Hotel Negresco in Nice and Mena Housein Cairo. To become a member, a hotel must adhere to thestrictest standards of quality and master the art of extraordinary
hospitality, a standard that has continued to the present day. In

Potential and existing members are evaluated against the highest
benchmarks of the luxury hospitality industry. These standards arealso periodically reviewed and revised as the landscape of traveland guest expectations change. Product and service standards are
established through Leading Quality Assurance, an organisation that
conducts anonymous spot checks for the world's most prestigious
hospitality organisations. With a detailed point system, the checks
cover all aspects of the guest experience, from reservation to check6

THE YTL LUXURY MAGAZINEHigh Standards

Trent Walsh, managing director of Leading Quality Assurance, saysthat it has amassed a comprehensive set of global benchmarking
data in the industry through evaluating noted luxury brands
like Mandarin Oriental, Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton. With
this information, along with a revised and more stringent set of
inspection standards, LHW offers its members a great and distinct
advantage. Membership at the LHW means instant recognitionand prestige, as its strict standards allow its members to raise their
quality profiles to match the competition.
Every member is periodically inspected to ensure adherence tothe said standards. A directory of its member hotels is publishedevery two years. In addition, it also provides marketing and public
relations support to its members through exclusive programmes
for their guests. LHW doesn’t solicit members; rather, hotels
wanting to join the ranks of the LHW must apply for admission. To
be considered, the hotel must be in the luxury category and meetthe highest standards in the areas of accommodations, service,cuisine, employee behaviour and facilities. Only the best is allowedin this inner circle, ensuring exclusivity and quality.

Continuous Innovation

LHW’s members are very innovative and forward thinking whenit comes to creating a wonderful experience for their guests.
Recently, many of its member hotels introduced the VIP Airport
Experience for high-flying guests. To combat crowded flights,
traffic jams, long lines at airport security and crowded terminals,
these luxury hotels have come up with the ultimate VIP assistance.
Tortuga Bay in the Dominican Republic, for example, welcomesits guests right at the airplane, whisking them through immigration“By enhancing andfurther defining productstandards, and adding
staff behavioural factors,
we have substantiallyraised the bar when it
comes to demanding anddelivering excellence. ”
and taking them directly to the resort vehicle waiting outside. At Le
Royal Monceau – Raffles in Paris, guests are met at the gate andbrought to a VIP-only “Express” desk to clear immigration, after
which an agent will take care of their luggage before escortingthem to the awaiting limousine. Guests of the Taj Mahal in
Mumbai have access to a one-point contact at the airport,
who will expedite immigration, luggage and hotel transfers,leaving them stress-free.
Other LHW hotels that offer similar experiences are The
PuLi Hotel & Spa in Shanghai, Copacabana Palace in Rio,
The Saxon Boutique Hotel, Villas & Spa in South Africa,
La Mamounia in Marrakech and, most-recently, thenewly-opened The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur.

Award-Winning Effort

In the recently-published 25th Annual Condé Nast
Traveler Readers Choice Awards, 118 hotels thatwere selected were LHW hotels. That is the highest
among all other luxury brands. A total of 46,476
readers participated in the survey and LHW hotels
were rated with scores above 90. This is a true
testament to the company’s commitment toquality and excellence.
What is it that customers can expect when theywalk into a LHW hotel? This set of discerningclientele would be used to the best thatlife has to offer, therefore nothing less thanspectacular will do. This group demands acertain level of quality that they have cometo associate with all LHW hotels. They seek
authentic and enriching travel experiences
and that is what LHW hotels go above andbeyond the call of duty to fulfil.
For reservations, visit www.LHW.com.
THE YTL LUXURY MAGAZINE

7

life on the cover //life on the cover //Majestic
AcrossTime
As the Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur
reopens, we look back at its colourful
past and the prominent and memorable
role it played in our capital’s – andcountry’s – history.

Image from Star Publications (M) Bhd

Text Priscilla Rajan Illustration Chew Shing Yi

Artist’s impression of Hotel
Majestic in its heyday – a place
where people made memories.
Facing page: Then Ministerof Education Tun Hussein
Onn launching a conference
organised by the Tropical
Biology District Centre at
The Majestic in 1971.

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9

life on the cover //The hotel would have been the first
choice for many a traveller entering
the capital city. The hotel itself was nothuge – it measured 150 feet in length,
70 feet high and was designed by Dutch
architect Van Leangeanderg of the firm
Messrs Keys & Dowdeswell in a mix of
neo-Renaissance and Art Deco, built at a
cost of 500,000 Straits dollars. Reviewers
called it “the favourite hotel of the discerningThis first premier-class hotel became an
immediate hit with the local nobles andcolonial elite of the 1930s as well as theperfect location for important governmentand state occasions. Guests at the hotel
included the Chinese actress Tze Loh Lin,who stayed at the hotel during the releaseof her movie Dark Heaven, Mrs Buxton,
the secretary to the High Commissioner
Sir Gerald Templer, and theatre buff andauthor Donald Davies. The Rotary Club
had its weekly luncheon meetings there,
as did the Kuala Lumpur Musical Society,which invited European artistes to the hotel
to perform.
More than just a venue, The Majestic had
character, and it attracted a fair menagerieof oddball characters. There was an
Irish novelist who locked herself in herroom, living only on orange juice until her
book was finished – it took her 10 days.
Then, there was an elderly man who
kept telling the other guests that he was
the illegitimate son of Sherlock Holmes,
no less. Possibly an early proponentof biodiversity conservation, there wasalso an Englishman who scurried about
surveying the dragonfly population thathe claimed was on a decline. He walked
around with an ultrasonic recorder hoping
to pick up dragonfly activity for his census.
Such characters took nothing away fromThe Majestic but, instead, made it the
beloved of so many. It was said to havea “great sense of comfort” that allowed
for relaxing and for giving its guests the10

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Image from National Archives

Yet, what was it that made The
Majestic just so special? Throughthe years, what stood out mostfor the hotel was its pivotal role inthe social tapestry that was Kuala
Lumpur; it was a place where
people made memories. Patrons
were said to have called The
Majestic “unpretentious”, “best place
pre-war” and talk about how, every
Wednesday and Saturday, there
would be dancing, after which thepatrons would adjourn to the Selangor
Club to “continue with revelries until theearly hours.”

visitor to Kuala Lumpur”, with its gorgeous
roof garden where many of the parties took
place. The lodgings itself constituted morethan 50 rooms with modern sanitation, 18
of which had long baths and boasted hot
and cold showers, no doubt a great luxury
at the time of its opening.

Image from Star Publications (M) Bhd

It was said to be truly
majestic; a beacon for
travellers, comfort for
expatriates and stage toartistes of the global showbiz
fraternity. The Hotel Majestic
was recognisable, desirable
a n d , m o r e i m p o r t a n t l y,memorable. First opening its
doors on 15 August 1932, thehotel would play a significant
role in many events – big andsmall – in the many months
and years to come, before
finally closing its doors on 31
December 1983. Its closing was
met with great sorrow as many
viewed it as an irreplaceable
national treasure.

Clockwise from above: The
re-opened Hotel Majestic
Kuala Lumpur; Hotel Majestic
in 1981; Then Deputy Prime
Minister Tun Abdul Razak

speaking at a National Union
of Journalists Malaya’s dinnerat The Majestic
on 9 October 1965.

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11

breathing space so manyof them sought, away fromthe hustle and bustle of theirown lives. It also gave a great
deal of attention to the easeof the guest, a characteristicthat is now often hard to findas hotels have gone the wayof business and not quite thatof seamless service.
Among the many traditions
linked to the hotel, the uniquerijstaffel stands out – it means‘rice table’ and is an extensive
Padang meal adapted by the
Dutch in West Sumatra. Eaten
with rice, side dishes may
number 30 to 40, including
sambal, fish, pickles and nuts.
The Sunday rijstaffel lunch
was typically washed downwith homemade shandy in the
1960s, and was much en vogue.
As the city around it continued to
grow and expand, other hotels
began to crop up in Kuala Lumpur.
One was the 40-room Capitol
Hotel, which was said to have notimpressed the more stylish andurbane segment of KL society. The
Europeans, too, were more likely tohave remained with The Majestic as
it saw to their creature comforts. Intothe mid-1950s, the nine-storey Federal
Hotel made its appearance, playing a
big part in being home for the who’s
who that had arrived to see Malaysia
claim her independence. Still, The
Majestic remained forefront and would
continue to do so well into the 1970s.

Although The Majestic was classified
under the Antiquities Act 1976, which
provides for the preservation of places and

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life on the cover //Image from The New Straits Times (Malaysia) Press

life on the cover //structures of historical and architectural
significance, it didn’t stop its closure in
1983. And when the hotel’s last guests
checked out that fateful New Year’s Day,the hotel had survived for some 50-odd
years and had acquired layers upon layersof history.
Now, nearly 30 years later, a revival isafoot. The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur
was recently unveiled in early December
2012 as a YTL Classic Hotel. With therestoration of the five-storey Hotel Majestic,
now christened the Majestic Wing, YTL
Hotels has given new life to a Malaysianicon. Its rooms have been converted to48 luxurious suites that radiate the history
and stature of the building. As service
has always been part of The Majestic, therooms in the Majestic Wing will be offered
full butler service.
YTL Hotels owns and manages hotels of
luxury and prestige and, with its collectionof award-winning hotels and Spa Villages
in South-East Asia, China, Japan, France
and the UK, the company was the perfect
partner to revive the splendour of old
Malaya. It has always strived to embraceand highlight the true culture and characterof every site it develops, and the newlybranded The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur

Clockwise, from top: University of Malaya ViceChancellor Dato’ Sir Alexander Oppenheim
proposing a toast to the Yang di-Pertuan Agongat the university’s convocation dinner held at
Hotel Majestic in 1963; The new Bar flanked
by the Colonial Café; The Colonial Suite in therestored Majestic Wing.

THE YTL LUXURY MAGAZINE

13

Image from Star Publications (M) Bhd

Image from Star Publications (M) Bhd

life on the cover //“More than justa venue, The
Majestic had
character, andit attracted afair menagerieof oddballcharacters.”

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is no different. The architect and builders
have kept the external facade as intact as
possible, sticking to its original hybrid of
neo-classical and Art Deco, where simple
lines are married with Roman columns andintricate cornices.
YTL Hotels has further developed the landsurrounding the original Hotel Majestic tocomplement the building and add to its
appeal. On the right of the Majestic Wingis the Majestic Spa, offering an array of
rejuvenating experiences amidst styleand opulence. On the left of the Majestic
Wing, by means of a walkway that goespast the orchid conservatory, is the newlybuilt Tower Wing. Designed by architect
Zaidan Tahir, the Tower Wing has taken theprominent elements of the Majestic Wing
but included modern touches to makethe hotel more attractive and welcoming
to the discerning palate of the 21stcentury guest. The new wing will house

253 plush guest rooms and suites, andharmonises with the older wing beautifully.
Together, the Majestic Wing and theTower Wing make The Majestic Hotel
Kuala Lumpur a sight to behold and, more
importantly, it is set to be the star of thecapital once again. With its two full-service
restaurants, tea lounge, reading room,
drawing room and pool, the latest in gym
equipment, the Majestic Spa, meetingrooms and a pillar-less ballroom that canseat up to 1,200 guests, The Majestic
Hotel Kuala Lumpur will no doubt shine in
the months and years to come.
Now, the story of Hotel Majestic has always
been that of family. Back in the day, theLim family originally managed it, although
the Lokes, a prominent philanthropic
family in British Malaya, owned thebuilding. Interestingly, in those early days,
the hotel had a close association with the

Hainanese community in Malaysia, whoused to be dressed in starched white
cotton suits trimmed with red stripes.
Building on its character of serving its
guests’ every need, it was recorded thatthe hotel used to hire the wives of hotel
staff to babysit expatriate children for
RM2 an hour, with the year-end festivities
being a peak period for the babysitters.
Another interesting point about the hotel
is the term Majestic itself, which seemed
rather popular with the older set; quite anumber of Majestic Hotels are foundworldwide, with all of them spoken of
fondly. One such example is the Hotel
Majestic in Barcelona, Spain, which is amajor historic hotel located not far from
Gaudi’s La Pedrera. The hotel has been
in existence for more than 90 years andwas originally named the Majestic Hotel
Inglaterra, and had 100 rooms. Then,
there’s the Hotel Majestic in San Francisco

From far left: Voon Chin
Keng wiping down the barat The Majestic in 1983;
A photograph from 1981
showing the gardens near
the entrance of The Majestic;
Chinese actress Tze Loh Lin at
The Majestic; The present-day
Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur
retains some of the colonial
touches of its predecessor,
including a doorman dressedin a pith helmet.

THE YTL LUXURY MAGAZINE

15

life on the cover //Image from National Archives

Image from Star Publications (M) Bhd

Image from Star Publications (M) Bhd

that was built by the Schmitt Family; it was
four-storeys high, had 57 guest rooms, 25bathtubs, 30 water closets and 29 washbasins! Majestic Hotels can be found in
New South Wales, Australia, in Santorini,
Greece, and even in Tunis, Tunisia.

Clockwise, from top left: The empty lounge-cumrestaurant the day after The Majestic closed in 1984;
The Drawing Room of the new Majestic Hotel Kuala
Lumpur; Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin with The Majesticin the background in the 1970s; Dato’ Sir Onn Ja’afarannouncing his resignation from UMNO at the Roof
Garden of The Majestic on 25 August 1951.

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history, a piece of theirmemory. Bathtubs with castiron lion’s feet, chandeliers,
teak furniture and, in somecases, whole rooms wereauctioned off to make way forthe building’s new incarnation:
The National Art Gallery.

Furthermore, Majestic Hotels haveappeared in two Agatha Christie novels— in Peril at End House, the Imperial isrenamed Majestic Hotel, while in Body in
the Library, the amateur sleuth Miss Marple
spends the night at the Majestic Hotel,
Danemouth. There seems to be a special
connection between guests and theirhotels Majestic; with YTL’s revitalising of
the site, The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpurthat continues to sit lovingly opposite theMoorish-designed Railway Station, will
once again join its worldwide namesakesin being first in hearts.

Certainly, this was a sad time
for many. Some called theauctioning of the furniture andfittings rape, with rubbish strewn
under the dome-shaped roof;
others still signed petitions toprevent the hotel being turned
into an art gallery. Architect
Hajeedar Haji Abdul Majid wasquoted as having said: “An old
man without memories is not an
old man, is he? A city like ours
needs buildings like the Majestic.
They are a measure, a physicalform by which we measure time
and the progress we have made”.

History will always be embedded in thishotel and its significance will not change
despite it getting a makeover. During WorldWar II, this grande dame found herself inthe midst of much intrigue, with former
patrons claiming that Allied forces used to
exchange information at the height of the
war at the hotel; no doubt their enemies
did the same. Political conspiracies werealso discussed over tea and scones, as
new parties were formed behind closed
doors. The idea for UMNO is said tohave been conceived at the hotel, andthe party later chose to hold a number of
its general assemblies there as well. The
inaugural meeting of the Independence of
Malaya Party, founded by Onn Jaafar after
he left UMNO in 1951, in fact had its firstmeeting at The Majestic Hotel according
to historians.

As the National Art Gallery, thebuilding that housed the Hotel
Majestic would undergo minor
interior refurbishment to fit its newrole. The gallery was housed there
for 14 years, where it held some
60 exhibitions, before the call camefor it to move as well. In the end of
July 1992, the government beganconsidering a proposal by Syarikat
Yeoh Tiong Lay (YTL); in exchange fora new art gallery, the former Majestic
Hotel would be handed over to YTL toconvert into an exclusive hotel. And,so, this is where a new chapter begins,
where new memories will be made.
Three decades later, The Majestic Hotel
Kuala Lumpur has come full circle.

Memories being what they are, many
wanted to preserve their association withthe hotel. Many former patrons made it
to the auction that was held before theofficial closing to get themselves a bit of

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life feature //life feature //New Start for
a National Icon

Architect Zaidan Tahir shares the challenges he faced while
refurbishing the iconic Hotel Majestic for its new incarnation as
The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur.
Text Priscilla Rajan

It would have been a daunting task already for any architectasked to refurbish a national icon; to design and build a building
to complement it as well, now, that would have been nervewracking, not to mention stressful. Yet that was exactly what
Zaidan Tahir was tasked with by YTL Hotels on the site thatformerly housed the Hotel Majestic in Kuala Lumpur.
Reopened in December 2012, The Majestic Hotel Kuala
Lumpur, compromising the Majestic Wing, Tower Wing,
Majestic Spa and The Smoke House, aims to bring backthe nostalgia of a bygone era where hotels were truly
homes away from homes, where service was of utmost
quality and loyal guests were a hotel’s best advertisement.
More than a decade ago, however, all Zaidan had were 3.2
acres of land, the original Hotel Majestic building that
had been left unused for a number of years and acouple of smaller annexe buildings to work with, tocreate the masterpiece that is set to be a YTL Classic.
Interestingly, Zaidan was familiar with the site, having
visited it during his college days. “I paid a visit to thebuilding when it housed the National Art Gallery.
I enjoyed walking around, appreciating the small
details of the building, its style and architecture,”says the Texas Tech University graduate.
Designed by Dutch architect Van Leangeanderg,the building’s high ceilings, neo-classicalstyle with splashes of Art Deco made fora memorable visit, with many of its guests
enjoying the hotel’s simple sophistication. “Ihave always had keen interest in historical18

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buildings with good spatial quality and interesting architecturaldetails, and this hotel was certainly one of them.”
The original building that housed the Hotel Majestic was made upof an entrance hall, a lounge and dining hall, cloak rooms, kitchens,
a separate grill room and bar, and a management office. The
dining hall and lounge had teak floors that made dancing fabulous
entertainment and had also facilities for cabaret entertainment.
The hotel had a roof garden which was a big hit with guests andwhere many functions were held. The hotel had a decidedly oldworld feel, where the style was a mixture of simplicity and function,
which was what guests enjoyed the most and what Zaidan, in his
refurbishment, hoped to preserve.
What Zaidan and his crew have created in the old building – theMajestic Wing – is truly remarkable. Walk through the doors and one
can see what it would have been like in the 1930s: the domed roof,
the wooden bar, the light streaming in through the windows anddoors… “We wanted to maintain the look and feel of the place but, atthe same time, give it new life. For example, we kept the dome roof
in the entrance hall but we added gold leaf, which has livened up
the room,” he says.
Another beautiful sight at the Majestic Wing is the lampshades
sitting on side tables across the lobby and light fittings on the walls.
Based on articles of the auction that took place when the Hotel
Majestic closed in the early 1980s, some of the original light fittings
included vintage wrought-iron ceiling lamps that were suspended
by pulleys and a counterweight. In the refurbishment, light fixtures
were specially designed to recreate a similar aura and transporting
guests to a bygone era. This theme runs throughout the Majestic
wing and can be found in the guest suites, too. The original“We wanted to maintainthe look and feel of theplace but, at the sametime, give it new life.”
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life feature //life feature //staircase, with its unique albeit old-fashioned design of little squares
cut into the solid frame, still leads up to the guest rooms, andwhile its floorboards have been changed, they maintain the samestyle idea.
Zaidan is no stranger when it comes to giving old buildings new
life. He has been instrumental in working on a number of YTL
Hotels projects, one being Cameron Highlands Resort, where
he refurbished the former Merlin Hotel and created a two-storey
structure that harmonises perfectly with the rugged terrain andgreenery of the highlands. He also worked on The Majestic
Malacca project that saw it undergo a roughly USD10million
renovation. Again, like the Cameron Highlands property, the YTL
Hotels element of emphasising the culture and tradition of theproperty was foremost in the brief.
With these among many other experiences, Zaidan was able
to bring out the best of The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur site,
especially as he was cognisant of the existing architecture of thearea and the feel of the surroundings. “There were many challenges
in designing the hotel, mainly with regard to the Majestic Wing,
which falls under the Antiquities Act 1976. We had to be very
sensitive to its original design architecturally and structurally, andcould only do minimal changes to the interior space and ensure we
maintained the architectural elevation of the original design.”

Contango, the Tower
Wing's contemporaryinteractive restaurant.

The rooms in the Majestic Wing are stylish and opulent, withadjoining sitting room and bathroom. Furnishings were picked by
Zaidan and his team and approved by the hotel owners, which hesays helped the whole concept of the hotel merge well: a perfectmarriage of architectural and interior design. The bathrooms arelovely spaces, with claw foot bathtubs, handheld deck-mountedclassic mixer showers, as well as separate shower areas fitted withdelightfully powerful rain showers – perfect examples of old world
meeting new amenities, which suits the hotel perfectly. This, theolder wing, has 48 suites in the five-storey building and comes withfull butler service that guarantees a fantastic guest experience.
Back down the stairs, we find the lounge, reading room and bar,with the Majestic Spa building to the right. There’s an infinity poolin the Majestic Spa, which also carries the styling details of theMajestic Wing.
The new addition – the Tower Wing – is on the left of the oldbuilding and consists of 253 beautifully-designed rooms, a fullservice restaurant, swimming pool, gymnasium, 16 meeting rooms
and a pillar-free ballroom that can seat up to 1,200 guests.
“The Art Deco period represents luxury, glamour, exuberance andtechnological progress, which I found would be the best concept
for the interior of this new building, elements of which are found in
the old building,” says Zaidan. “Therefore, we included elements
such as mirrors, polished chrome, stainless steel and dark ebony
veneer in the concept for the Tower Wing. In designing the new
portion of the hotel, I was very careful to make sure that the building
has the same architectural language, rhythm and proportion in
respect to the old building, with the neo-classical and Art Deco

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architecture, and, at the same time, staying true to the original
design of Van Leangeanderg.”
The lobby of the Tower Wing also has elements of gold leaf in its
ceiling, with a gorgeous chandelier providing dazzling lighting.
Similar chandeliers light up the ballroom, creating a magnificent
venue for weddings, product launches, conferences andmeetings. The newer wing also has function rooms thatare serviced by a separate set of lifts, so as not to disrupt
the convenience of the hotel’s live-in guests. The groundfloor houses a interactive dining concept restaurant andwine cellar.
“In my opinion, The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur isalready an iconic hotel in the city; it is the only hotel in
Kuala Lumpur with a strong historical background,” says
Zaidan, referring to the many major events and functions
that have taken place here from the 1930s, through tothe independence of Malaya and even the changing
landscape of Kuala Lumpur in the 1980s.
“Being the grandest hotel in its day, on par with the
Raffles Hotel in Singapore, we feel that we havesuccessfully brought back its old world charm andgrandeur; the hotel is certainly back to its glory days.
As architects, we always hope that the building will
stand the test of time and be appreciated by the
public in the future,” says Zaidan, looking like aproud father at this beautiful creation. That’s surely
one test The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur isready to pass, with flying colours no less.

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life feature //The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur opens in grand stylewith three consecutive weekends of world-class musicalentertainment, featuring the Mills Brothers, Freddy Coleand The Original Rat Pack.
Text Errol de Cruz

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life feature //life feature //included Their Majesties King George V
and Queen Mary.
While performing in England, John Jr
became ill. It took him months to recoverfrom battling pneumonia. Before hecompletely recovered, the Brothers
returned to England, where John Jr
once again became sick and died in
the beginning of 1936. The remaining
brothers considered breaking up, but
their mother convinced them that John
Jr would want them to continue. They
followed her suggestion and their father,John Sr, came on board as the baritone
and to play the tuba. At this time, Norman
Brown also joined the Mills Brothers as
their guitar player.
In 1943, the Mills Brothers were anxious fora hit and recorded I’ll be Around. Donald
chose Paper Doll as the B-side of therecord. I'll Be Around became a popular hit,
until a disc jockey turned the record over.
Paper Doll, recorded in 15 minutes, soldsix million copies and became the group's
biggest hit.

Gratifying Music

It’s not often my heart skips a beat but theMills Brothers seem to do that just with
their music. To be honest, I didn’t realise
the band was still around. They’d beenplaying for a long, long time already when I
first heard them back in the 1980s.

The Mills Story

Grammies, gratifying music and so much
more from the legendary Mills Brothers.

John Jr, Harry, Herbert and Donald Mills
began their starry career in 1922, as an
American jazz and pop vocal quartet
who went on to make more than 2,000
recordings that sold a combined 50 million
copies, and garnering at least three dozen
gold records. In 1934, the Mills Brothers
became the first African-Americans togive a command performance before
British royalty. They performed at theRegal Theatre for a special audience that

The Mills Brothers, from Piqua, Ohio,
40km north of Dayton, were inducted into
the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998. Of
the three original Brothers, however, tenor
Herbert died on 12 April 1989, baritone
Harry on 28 June 1982 and lead tenor
Donald on 13 November 1999.
Still, the magic of the Mills Brothers’ honeydripping vocalising continues unabatedtoday under the leadership of John Mills III,
who recreates the band’s inimitable sounds
while vocalising the multitude of hit songs
that made the family famous. John started
performing with his father, Donald – thelast surviving original – in 1982, and now
brings to stage the newest generation of
the Mills Brothers. This new duo includes
and highlights the beautiful voice andcompelling stage presence of the talented
Elmer Hopper, who spent 21 years with therenowned Platters.

Hopper was 19 in 1974 when he wastrained personally by Paul Robi, the baritoneof the original Platters. Hopper accompanied
Robi on an international tour in what wassaid to be the best ensemble of The Platterssince the group's inception. Hopper andRobi were best of friends for more than 15
years before the latter succumbed to cancer
in 1989. Hopper continued touring the world
with The Platters until 1999, when he joined
John Mills III in the latest incarnation of theMills Brothers.

On The Road

On tour, Hopper and John have combined
their unique talents to present theincomparable music of the Mills Brothersin the original keys and with the originalscores, embracing a high level of vocal
musicality and integrity that is rare in this day
and age. Hopper is a truly gifted singer whosays that performing as the Mills Brothershas been extremely gratifying, as there arefew endeavours that compare with his priorillustrious musical achievements. Capacity
crowds singing along to familiar songs,

rising to their feet cheering through multiple
standing ovations... there's nothing like theMills Brothers when they play.
With their impeccable musicology andthe priceless Mills Brothers discographyof smash recordings, John and Hopper
present a singular recreation of musicthat has been universally embraced byaudiences since 1922, when the originalquartet first stepped onto a stage, at theMays Opera House in Piqua, Ohio, morethan two generations ago.
The band’s distinctive sound captured the
fancy of audiences, earning them a Grammyfor Lifetime Achievement in 1998, and thatmusical mystique still continues today. Classic
hits include Tiger Rag, Cab Driver, GlowWorm, Lazy River, Yellow Bird, Basin Street
Blues, Opus One, Paper Doll and manyothers, a tradition that continued into the1990s, when John and his father, Donald,released their own recording, Still… There’s
You, a compilation of some of the original
group’s greatest songs and new material.

This page:
The Mills
Brothers (fromleft) Herbert,
Donald, Harry,and John Jr
appearingin the 1935
musical film
'Broadway
Gondolier.'
Facing page:(from right)
Herbert,Harry andDonald Mills
with a guitar
accompanist.
Donald's son,John, is now
carrying thetorch for thefamily.

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25

life feature //life feature //Conservatory of Music and spent several
months on the road as a member of an Earl
Bostic band, which at that time included
Johnny Coles and Benny Golson.

As part of The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur’s star-studded line-up ofmusical greats for its gala opening, Lionel Frederick Cole oozes the same
jazz greatness as his better-known brother, Nat 'King' Cole.
Lionel Frederick Cole doesn't apologise forsounding like his brother, Nat 'King' Cole.
There are certain unmistakable similarities.
Cole plays the piano and sings, andperforms live with guitar and upright bass,
just like Nat did; yet, his voice is raspier,smokier, jazzier even. That was obvious
when he performed solo at the Dewan
Filharmonik Petronas in Kuala Lumpur a
few years ago, an evening of crooning andivory tinkling that made you swoon.
Jazz maestro Freddy Cole will
be performing at The Majestic's
grand opening.
Facing page: Cole's brother,Nat, was another jazz great.

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THE YTL LUXURY MAGAZINEThis Cole, however, has emerged fromthe awesome shadow cast by his elder
brother. In truth, his phrasing is far closer

to that of Frank Sinatra or Billie Holiday thanthat of his brother. His timing swings a little
more and his vocals are among the mostrespected in jazz, with more colour than his
sibling.
Cole, who began playing piano before
he was six, still records and performs liveat the ripe age of 81. His album, Freddy
Cole Sings Mr B, earned him a Grammy
nomination last year. Born on 15 October
1931, the youngest of Edward and Paulina
Nancy Cole’s five children, his three elder
brothers, Eddie, Ike and Nat (12 years
Freddy’s senior) were all musicians.

“He began playing and singing in
Chicago clubs as a teenager andwent on to become a fantastic
recording artiste and performer.”“Music was all around me,” he said, as his
Chicago home received regular celebrity
visitors like Duke Ellington, Count Basie andLionel Hampton. Cole, however, credits
Billy Eckstine as a major influence: “He wasa fantastic entertainer. I learned so muchfrom just watching and being around him.”
It was obviously the psyche of Eckstine’s
presence that invaded his musical soul.
Like most red, white and blue Americans,Cole wanted to play football but a hand
injury put an end to that. Football’s loss
was music’s gain, as he began playing andsinging in Chicago clubs as a teenager andwent on to become a fantastic recording
artiste and performer.
When he was a teenager, wanting to hit
the road at 18, there was a snag: Paulina
Nancy insisted otherwise: “Go to college!”Thankfully, it was music college that Mama
Cole was referring to and Cole soon foundhimself getting a proper music foundation
at the Roosevelt Institute in Chicago. He
moved to New York in 1951, where hestudied at the Juilliard School of Music andbecame greatly influenced by John Lewis,
Oscar Peterson and Teddy Wilson. He got
a Master’s degree at the New England

In New York, this entertainer laid thegroundwork for his still-flourishing career,developing a wide repertoire in Manhattan
bistros and supplementing his live
performances with TV and radio commercial
jingle work. An Atlanta resident since 1972,
Cole leads a quartet comprising himself,
guitarist Randy Napoleon, drummer Curtis
Boyd and bassist Elias Bailey that regularly
tours the United States, Europe, the Far
East and South America.
On the recording front, Cole’s first single,
The Joke’s on Me , was released by an
obscure Chicago-based label in 1952.
He quickly followed with a host of albums
for European and British companies
in the 1970s, which helped develop aloyal overseas following. “Becoming aninternational favourite made me widen myscope a little bit,” he said, admitting that
he developed a stand-up act to create abetter rapport with audiences and learned
to sing in other languages. “It made me
much more of a performer.”If you want to keep him on your CD racks,
look for Freddy Cole Sings Mr B , The
Dreamer in Me , Music Maestro Please ,Because of You, This Love of Mine, I Wanta Smile for Christmas, Le Grande Freddy(The Music of Michele Le Grande) , theGrammy-nominated Merry Go Round, Talk
To Me and, of course, I’m Not My Brother,
I’m Me.

life feature //Old Hollywood grooving returns to Kuala Lumpur for the re-launchof The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur.

“They were the coolest
cats of their time, ruling theroost and going all out in alifestyle that could only becalled hedonistic.”
They were the coolest cats of their time,
ruling the roost and going all out in a lifestylethat could only be called hedonistic.
Carousing was the word and they – thebad boys of Hollywood, Frank Sinatra,
Sammy Davis Jr, Dean Martin, Joey Bishop
and Peter Lawford, better known as the
Rat Pack – got away with it. They ruled
Las Vegas and Hollywood in the 1960s.
Of the five, however, the ones who cashedin on the concept of the Rat Pack were
Martin, Sinatra and Davis, simply because
they were the talented ones, singing andstanding up for everything funny.

Mark Adams, Stephen Triffitt and George DanielLong will be recreating the Rat Pack experiencethat the original members (clockwise, from left:
Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Peter Lawford, Joey
Bishop and Sammy Davis Jr) created in the 1960s.

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They appeared together in films, including
1960s Ocean’s 11, and on stage, sellingout all their concerts and packing Las
Vegas with fans who wanted to be a partof the Rat Pack experience. While theoriginal members have all died – Lawford
in 1984, Davis in 1990, Martin in 1995,

Sinatra in 1998 and Bishop in 2007 – theRat Pack experience lives on, thanks to
Stephen Triffitt, George Daniel Long andMark Adams, who have spent more than
10 years faithfully recreating that era as The
Original Rat Pack.
The trio have performed all over the world
and The Original Rat Pack are some of
the world’s finest interpreters of Frank
Sinatra (Triffitt), Dean Martin (Adams) andSammy Davis Jr (Long). Hear the artists
sing classics songs such as: Fly Me To
The Moon, You Make Me Feel So Young,My Kind of Town, My Way, New York New
York, The Lady is a Tramp, That’s Amore,
Volare , Sway , Ain’t That a Kick in the
Head, King of the Road, Everybody Loves
Somebody , That Old Black Magic , Mr
Bojangles, Too Close for Comfort, Once ina Lifetime, Come Back To Me, What Kindof Fool and Me and My Shadow.

life feature //life feature //Living Up to
the Legacy
Family ties and a hereditary gift for making beautiful music keep
the Solianos at their top spot as Malaysia’s most musical family.
Text Errol de Cruz Photography Marcus Wong Art Direction Sheila Cheah Assistant Yvonne Low

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31

life feature //“The Solianos are theonly family in Malaysianshow business who canclaim a heritage of jazzthat dates back into thenation's history.”
The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur will resound with some truly
musical magic when it reopens in grand style in December
2012, what with the slew of talent from Malaysia, the United
Kingdom and the United States. The thing all the acts have incommon is that they all boast hereditary music genius, namely
the Mills Brothers, Freddy Cole (brother of renowned Nat), theRat Pack and Malaysia's very own the Solianos, whose father,
Alfonso, incidentally, once performed at the same venue with
Freddy Cole.

Previous page,from left: Rizal,
Don Alfonso,
Isabella andConrado Soliano.
This page, far left:
Valentino Soliano
making music.
Below: The late
Alfonso Soliano
performing with
Valentino Soliano
and a singer at
the Chao Phraya
Hotel, Bangkok, inthe 1960s.

and founding the Radio Malaya Orchestra which evolved into
Orkes RTM. His nephew Tony, on the other extreme, was thelive wire, life of the party, leading local musicians in one jazz
ensemble or another in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Bangkok,
playing alongside other gifted performers like Ahmad Wan Yet,
Zain Azman, Julie Sudiro, P Ramlee and Saloma.
Alfonso and Tony died, months apart, in 1990, and it has been
their children and families who have kept things together, with theformer’s son-in-law, saxophonist extraordinaire Salvador Guerzo,
taking the lead. Today’s Solianos remember the heydays. “If you
went to any of our homes after dad passed away, there'd be a
portrait of him above the piano and, as we practised, we'd get
his echo: ‘No bluffing, ah’,” says Valentino.
This generation’s Solianos performed all over the country formore than 15 years, before individual talent and creativity
nudged them into forming their own groups. And, instead of

There is a joke that says if you don't want to become a millionaire,
all you need to do is become a jazz musician. It's probably what
used to happen in the early 1900s, what with so many talented
jazz and blues musicians succumbing to occupational hazards
like sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. Today, however, jazz musicians
have come a long way and some have even made a big namefor themselves. Jazz itself has come a long way, finding its way
into pop, rock and ethnic fusion, and it is not surprising to find pop
artistes who have matured, so to speak, turning back to their roots
and hitting jazz joints with sets that include songs by Porter, Sinatra,
Streisand, Charles, Ellington, Cole, Fitzgerald, Simone and Jobim.
The Solianos are the only family in Malaysian show business
who can claim a heritage of jazz that dates back into thenation's history, thanks to Alfonso and Tony Soliano, who were
living legends in their time. The family legacy has its roots in the
British occupation, when Rufino Soliano and Dominado Tirona
arrived from the Philippines to play in the Constabulary Bandin Malaya.
Alfonso and his nephew Tony came later: Alfonso was theserious one, leading and writing for the orchestras of the time32

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33

life feature //life feature //Below: Vocalist Irene Soliano.
Right: The late Alfonso Soliano leading theOrkes Radio Malaya in a 1961 concert in
Dewan Tuanku Abdul Rahman on Jalan
Ampang in Kuala Lumpur.

“I believe my father
brilliantly orchestrated
the move to makeall his children
musicians even
before we wereborn. The vision that
he foresaw in hischildren becamea reality and theSoliano family band
was formed.”- Isabella Soliano

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just one family ensemble plying the trade, there were at one
time, at least six outfits flying the Soliano flag from Bangkok
and Langkawi to Singapore, and with many venues in
between as they were always welcomed for one-nighters or
weekend gigs.
The entire family would get together at Christmas and often takeover Langkawi for two whole weeks during that festive season.
And when they did get together, it was the late Salvador who
would lead them. Familiarly known as Ado, he was the elderthat the Solianos looked up to and, like Alfonso in his time, Adowrote and arranged for the RTM Orchestra and also played asoften as he could with any of the Soliano outfits.
“Times have changed,” Ado’s daughter, the pianist Rachel, says.
“I used to follow him; now I have his music to inspire me.” It'sa tough job leading the entire clan when they get together, but
Ado wore the mantle well and his hope that he would, one day,be instrumental in making some Soliano dreams come true didmaterialise when the family band released Pusaka, an albumof Alfonso's tunes, while Alfonso’s son Conrado, along with hisson, Wynton, and nephew Jared Cheow, launched SolianoSound Solutions, a music and studio and school, in Taman Tun
Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur.

Pusaka: Remembering Alfonso Soliano covers suchclassics as Getaran Jiwa , Tudung Periuk , Widuri , Gadis
Idamanku and Tanah Pusaka, all given new vibrant arrangements
by Ado, who passed away early this year, and the tearjerker Airmata
Berderai. The music studio and school has also been a longtime in the making. It offers recording services, album and voiceover production, fully-equipped rehearsal and recording studios,
composition arrangement services, music classes, artiste andband management, supply of musicians, instruments and soundsystems, concert consultation and management.
“These are our dreams,” Ado had said before he passed away
early this year. “I know we can do it if we put our heads andtalent together.” Considering the reputation the Soliano clan has
earned over half a century and more, the realisation of such
dreams would only be fitting. Rizal puts it right: “Dad didn't leave
us any wealth because making music was more important thanmaking money; but he did leave us with a big name and it’s up to
us to do something with it.”
The Solianos – Isabella (piano), Irene (vocals), Valentino (bass), Conrado(drums and trumpet), Rizal (drums) and Don Alfonso (bass) – will rotate
as a quartet for evening performances at The Majestic Hotel Kuala
Lumpur nightly. Tristano (piano) will also be making regular appearances.

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35

view of life //Unsung
Hero

Musical marvel: sprightly
septuagenarian Ooi Eow Jin.

The affable and hugely-talented
Ooi Eow Jin will be tinkling theivories at The Majestic Hotel
Kuala Lumpur as resident pianist.

That, however, was only the start of a careerthat would be a good half century in the making,during which he composed the scores for threefull-length movies – Dia Ibuku (1980), Ali Setan II(1986) and Hati Bukan Kristal (1989). Singer
and composer M Nasir, who sang the title trackfrom Dia Ibuku, also has the talented musician
to thank because it was Ooi who co-produced
his first recording for Polygram Singapore
in 1979.

Text Errol de Cruz Photography Marcus Wong

You might not realise it, but there’s a living legend playing the
piano at the newly-reopened The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur.
Now into his seventh decade, Ooi Eow Jin has had a long listof credits as the creative force behind some of Malaysia’s mostpopular songs of the last 40 years.
The unassuming Ooi, for example, was the composer/arranger
for the late Sudirman’s first hit, Teriring Doa, in 1975 as well as
1979’s Gerimis Di Lautan and Seniman Tua. He also wrote themusic for Yassin Salleh's 1981 blockbuster, Dia Ibuku , which
produced the hit theme song by M Nasir and Yunizar Hussein.
In 1975, Ooi was behind Salamiah Hassan’s tearjerker, Masa
Berlalu, and Dahlan Zainuddin’s Lagu Untuk Mu, for whom healso wrote Mungkin Esok and Dalam Diri in 1982.
Ooi's talents were not just recognised on these shores – hecomposed Dengan Senyumku Rasiahkan Hati for Filipino singer
Flora Santos in 1982 and Gigi Villa’s Hilangmu Tiada Ganti in
1983. Other singers that Ooi wrote for included Zulkifli Ahmad,
Derwina, Rafeah Buang, Yunizar Hussein, Rahimah Rahim,
Frances Yip, Jennifer Yen, the Alleycats, Salimah Mahmud, Mirza
Eleno D'Souza and Eddynoor Ali – a roll call of some of SouthEast Asia’s finest voices of the 1970s and 80s.
You’d be hard-pressed, though, to find any kind of tribute to Ooi’s
contribution to Malaysian music. At best, there is a home-madecompilation that he titles 19 Of My Best Compositions (19751983), which he occasionally duplicates for friends and fans.

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Born in Penang, Ooi studied and taught English there until 1963,
when the late, great Filipino pianist and composer, Alfonso
Soliano, invited him to play in the RTM Orchestra that he founded
and helmed. “Under the guidance of Alfonso, I slowly began
helping with music arrangements and my most treasured time
was when we toured 21 army bases and forward areas in Sabah
and Sarawak in 1965 with veteran stars like P Ramlee, Saloma,
Kamariah Noor, SM Salim and violinist Hamzah Dolmat for three
weeks," Ooi recollects of the time at the RTM Orchestra, withwhich he performed from 1963 to 1967 and again from 1970 to1984. “It was an honour performing alongsidethem; they were the cream of the crop then.”“Ooi's talents were notjust recognised on theseshores – he composed
Dengan Senyumku
Rasiahkan Hati for
Filipino singer Flora
Santos in 1982.”

Ooi went on to play in Japan, Korea, Dubai,
the Netherlands, Kuwait, Australia and Taiwan,
and made personal performances for a host of
dignitaries from around the world when he wasresident performer at several elite nightspots,
including Suasa on the Sixth at The Regent
Hotel Kuala Lumpur and Carcosa Seri Negara,
the former official residence of the British
High Commissioners in Malaya-turned-luxury
boutique hotel. He also led the RTM Combo
that accompanied all the contestants in thenational talent competition, Bakat TV, until 1984
and, when you note the array of genres that theperformers sang in, you can well imagine what
a complete artiste Ooi is.
It's a life he has enjoyed to the fullest and, asked
how he feels at not having been recognised witha national award for his services to country, Ooi
says: “It would have been nice but when you're
doing what you love most, you don't reallythink about such things.” And it is this love thatwill continue to shine when this consummate
performer takes on his new role as the resident
pianist of The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur.

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37

life people //life people //My
Majestic
MOMENTFor many years, Hotel Majestic offered
unparalleled service to its guests.
Everyone took back a warm memory asa keepsake. Today, as the hotel reopens
as The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur,
YTL Life uncovers the stories thatonce made it the talk of the town.

Text Shanti Ganesan & Diana Khoo

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39

life people //life people //One of the country’s most wellknown educators, Dato’ Ted had
arrived in Malaysia at the age of
24 and began his career by, first,
teaching at a Methodist English
school, before setting up Bentong’s
first boarding school. “I just continued
staying on after that,” he says. For
many Malaysians, Dato’ Ted is best
remembered as the principal of thefamous Taylor’s College – a position
he held from the 1970s all the way up
to 1997. Among Dato’ Ted’s students
were a royal prince and it was the Sultan ofPahang himself who conferred the honorary titleof 'Dato’ to the by-now thoroughly Malaysian
Ted Miles.

Dato’ Ted Miles
Retired Educator

A familiar name among Malaysians and ahousehold figure in the town of Bentong, Pahang,
the American-born Dato’ Ted Miles is as Malaysianas they come. Living alone in a pre-war mansionthat he bought in 1964, the house is now a havenfor him and his gaggle of pets ever since he retiredin 1997. Bordering a patch of jungle, it is herethat Dato’ Ted writes (he is the author of several
books on his life and times in Malaysia as well ascompilations of his popular column in The New
Straits Times) and reminisces. Having lived in the
country since 1961 and accepting citizenship,
the slightly-frail but still sprightly octogenarian isa living annals of Malaysian history. He has beenprivileged to have been present at some of thecountry’s iconic moments, including attending the40

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ceremony of the proclamation of independence at
Stadium Merdeka on 31 August, 1957, occupying
Seat 389, to be precise. Dato’ Ted also remembers
enjoying the refinement of the Hotel Majestic, as it
was then known, on several occasions. “People
remember the Majestic, you know,” he says in
his soft voice. “But The Majestic holds special
significance for me as it was the first place in which
I saw television for the first time ever. I still remember
the year. It was 1964 and there was a black andwhite television set in the hotel’s dining room andit was only switched on between 6pm and 11pm.
There was also one channel only, which showed
the news. I remember it being about the Vietnam
War and seeing President Lyndon Johnson’s face
for the first time.”

Dato’ Ted also remembers checking in for an
entire week at the landmark hotel. “It was during
the school holidays – I was a teacher then – and I
wanted someplace where I could get away fromit all.” Recalling his stay, Dato’ Ted notes that“the dining area was the main hive of activity”
and that “the tablecloths were always crisp andwhite, and a small bouquet of flowers, usually,
Vanda orchids, would be placed perfectly in the
middle of each table.” Although over 80 years

waiter being a thin, stern-looking Chinese man
who was always dressed in black.”
Design-wise, he also remembers the hotel’s elevator
then, which had “a very noisy old gate” and the ensuite bathrooms in the hotel rooms, which always
had a bathtub and a wooden latticed platform
upon which one stood for their toilette, so that theirfeet could stay dry. “It was a very lovely place tostay and I remember the days being a pleasurable
routine of having tea and cake at around 4.30pm,

I still remember the year. It was“
1964 and there was a black and whitetelevision set in the hotel’s dining room
and it was only switched on between
6pm and 11pm.
of age, Dato’ Ted’s memory is excellent, sharing
little details and recollections: dinners at The
Majestic were always formal affairs, beginningwith soup, fish, the main course and dessert,
before ending with cheese and coffee. “It wasformal but a regular type of meal,” explains Dato’
Ted. “You also weren’t required to dress up fordinner, unless there were a lot of expatriates,
particularly the British, who were always quite
formally-attired. But I do remember the head”

before sitting down to dinner at 8pm. And, in thosedays, the menus at the restaurant were preparedand typed out daily for each single table. Can you
imagine?” says Dato’ Ted. “There was also a café
called The Oasis then, along Batu Road. I remember
going there sometimes to have a hamburger. It
helps that I kept a very detailed diary from thosedays. But it’s lovely YTL is reopening The Majestic.
I have many fond memories of it.” And it seems, so
will a whole new generation and beyond.

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life people //Tan Sri Dato’ Seri
Dr M Mahadevan

Former Chief Psychiatrist to the Government and Founderof the Malaysian Psychiatric Association“The Hotel Majestic was upmarket and exclusive,”
Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr M. Mahadevan, the former
Chief Psychiatrist to the Government, recalls. “Myfriends and I used to have dinner there and I loved
the steak. We’d always get dressed up after ourpolo game and head to Hotel Majestic for foodat the restaurant and then drinks at the bar.” Theonce-avid polo player remembers how he andhis friends would put on their bowties and theirbest attire, knowing it was the norm to be stylish
and well-groomed when patronising the hotel inthe evenings.
“During lunch time, it was more of a working
crowd and it was always busy. They were
mostly expatriates having their lunch there andtea too,” he says. He also remembers, as most
do about Hotel Majestic, the excellent waiters.
“It was a classy place and people who dined,
partied or stayed at the hotel expected the best
and the waiters provided that kind of service. It
was, however, another reason some locals felt it
was only a place for the expatriate community.”
According to Tan Sri Mahadevan, some locals had
a complex where Hotel Majestic was concerned.
“But to me, it was simply majestic and most of theupper echelon felt right at home there. They felt
they belonged.”“It was a classy place and people who dined, partiedor stayed at the hotel expected the best and theMajestic waiters provided that kind of service.”

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Alan
FosterAuthorAlan Foster and his wife arrived in Kuala Lumpur
from Bangkok as part of their extended honeymoon
in July 1975. Not having made any advance hotel
reservations, the couple asked around and werepointed to the Hotel Majestic. Checking in, they
admired the beautiful gardens and the calm, peacefulgrounds. “Our room, at the very back of the hotel, wasspacious, with a large bathroom and long bathtub.
The rear window opened directly onto untouchedrainforest. Being something of a nature lover, I opened
the window the first day we arrived so that, as I soakedin the bath, I could hear the sounds of the rainforest,”
Foster remembers. “The sound I heard soon after I
climbed into the tub was, however, not of monkeys orother forest creatures but my wife JoAnn screamingat the top of her lungs,” Foster scrambled out of thebath and rushed into the main room, where she sat,
terrified, on the bed. “She stammered: 'Don't you hearit?' I listened but didn’t hear anything. Her eyes were as
big as one of the coffee cups in the hotel restaurant as
she told me: 'There's a bug in here as big as a 747!'
There was, indeed, a bug present, zooming aroundthe room, one of Malaysia's beautiful beetles, thoughsomewhat smaller than a jumbo jet. I shooed it out andmy wife immediately had me close the window. So
much for the sounds of the rainforest,” he laughs.
The following morning proved just as interesting for
Foster’s wife. “She woke me up and said: “Do you
hear that?” Again I listened, but this time I immediately
recognised the sound. "That's the muezzin in the
nearby mosque calling the faithful to prayer,” I explained.
I could feel her staring at me in the darkness: “At fouro'clock in the morning?” I shrugged and turned over togo back to sleep. “'First call',” I told her.”
The couple ended up having a wonderful time in the
Hotel Majestic and another clear memory this writerof novel versions of many films, including such wellknown productions as Star Wars, the first three Alien
films, Alien Nation, The Chronicles of Riddick, Star Trek,
Terminator: Salvation, and both Transformers films, has
is of the headwaiter at the hotel. "He was the mostdignified gentleman I had ever met. I’m sure he's longsince passed on by now, but I used him as the model
for an industrialist in my novel Cachalot. As a writer, I'm
always making use of people I meet and places I visit in
my writings,” he says.

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life people //I thought it was the only place in Kuala
Lumpur that was grand enough for ourwedding,” says Mrs Wong.
Mr Wong, on the other hand, had
always looked out for the celebrations
that took place in the hotel when he wasin his teens. He was born and raisedin Scott Road in Brickfields and, fromhis home, he could see Hotel Majestic.
“Every Christmas and New Year, there
would be celebrations on the rooftop of
the hotel. The English officials would go
dancing there and there would be loudmusic from the band. I would always imagine what
it would be like to be part of that celebration,”
he says.
When the day came to plan their wedding, it
was inevitable that Hotel Majestic would be thevenue of choice. They recall the area being big,long and grand, while the waiters who served
their guests were experienced Hainanese waiters.
“They were professional, kind and treated us
well,” remembers Mrs Wong. “I think if I had todescribe the hotel in just a few words it would
be: ‘splendid, grand and majestic’. Having mywedding at The Hotel Majestic definitely fulfilled
my dream,” Mr Wong says.

When I was getting married,“
I thought the Hotel Majestic
was the only place in Kuala
Lumpur that was grandenough for our wedding.

”

Mr & Mrs EH Wong

Retired Businessman & Former Secondary School Teacher
For EH Wong and his wife, stepping into the
Hotel Majestic was a dream come true. The
couple, who has now been married for morethan five decades, celebrated their wedding in
the rooftop garden with a high-tea reception in
1960. “I always passed by the hotel back thenand wondered what it would be like to walk in.
I always thought the steps leading up the hotel
looked impressive. When I was getting married,

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life people //Wairah Marzuki
Former Director General, National Art Gallery

Ingeborg
McNicoll

Senior Partner at Environmental
Resource Management Malaysia
It’s strange what we remember as children andin Ingeborg McNicoll’s case, she has warm
memories of having scrambled eggs and chilli
sauce at Hotel Majestic when she was just five
years old. “I was born in Batu Gajah, Perak. My
father came to Malaya as a rubber planter afterWorld War II. Every three years, my father would
get leave and we would all fly back to the UK for aholiday. Kuala Lumpur was the central point for us
before a really long, 24-hour trip to or from the UK,
and we would stay in the Hotel Majestic before orafter the flight.”

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Former Director General of the National Art Gallery,
Wairah Marzuki not only experienced Hotel Majestic in
its heyday, but also spent time working in the building
when it was the National Art Gallery from 1984 to
1998. “It was a great move for us as it was a bigger
space; there were more rooms for our exhibitions andeducation programmes,” she recalls. “When it wasa hotel, it was where many ‘big’ guests stayed. The
restaurant, I believe, was what attracted many people
to the hotel. I remember the western set lunch menu
was RM6, which came with soup, bread and chicken
chop. That was very popular.”Ingeborg remembers Hotel Majestic for manythings: how close it was to the train station andbeing in her father’s station wagon driving thehigh little path up to the entrance of the building.
“Inside, the hotel had lovely wooden floors, dark
doors and big beds. We had adjoining rooms.
That’s what I remember,” she says. “All placesin Malaysia had special food that we liked and I
always remember getting scrambled eggs andchilli sauce at 3am because we’d be jetlagged andneeded something to eat.” She also remembers
little things like how she always drank soya bean
milk from a glass bottle with a straw in it andhow the building was white, matching the railway
station across the road.
Ingeborg said that the service in those days wasunbelievable. There weren’t that many expatriates
living in Malaya then and she and her two siblings– all blondes – were quite the hit. “You can imagine
the kind of attention we got from the staff. People
just loved looking after us. My parents, of course,
enjoyed that very much because they could rest,”
she smiles. The hotel’s surrounding, she recalls,
was always lush, “the colonial type of lush, withlots of trees, and there were a lot of cicak (geckos)
too. It was a little haven to come back to after themiserable journey and weather in the UK.”
With her wonderful experiences at the Hotel
Majestic behind her, Ingeborg has always kept an
eye on it since she returned to Malaysia in 2007. “Ijust find it fascinating that it is being revived. I thinkit’s a very graceful building. It has that balance ingeometry and style. It is very stylish and now awhole new generation is going to enjoy it.”

The service at the restaurant was another memorable
thing. “The waiters
were experienced andsophisticated and werein colonial-inspired
uniforms. The tables
were covered in heavilystarched linen and I
used to have Bombe
Alaska and coffee in atiny cup for dessert,”
she remembers.

The tables were“covered in heavily-

starched linen and I
used to have Bombe
Alaska and coffee ina tiny cup for dessert.

”

Hotel Majestic was
W a i r a h ’s f a v o u r i t emeeting place, as it wasfor many of her friends.
She also recounts
many VIPs staying in
the hotel during theMerdeka celebrationsin 1957. According
to her, it was the place to stay not only because of
its central location but because of its classy feel andattention to detail, including the room keys, which wereold-fashioned and had the room number etched on thezinc plate that hung on the chain from it. “The hotel’sname says it all, really. It was a great landmark for Kuala
Lumpur. It was fantastic and created enjoyment… it
was the greatest joy to have the hotel then and I believe
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life people //life people //But what was quite exciting for me were the
New Year parties and Victoria Institute Old Boys
Association gatherings on the rooftop.”

Lim Heng Suan
Former bookkeeper at the Hotel Majestic
It was the Lim family that ran the Hotel Majestic
from the moment it was launched right up till it
closed. For Lim Heng Suan, whose father Lim
Thye Hee was the Managing Director of the hotel
from 1932, The Majestic will always be an indelible
part of him. “There’s no other word that describes
the hotel better than ‘grand’,” Lim says. “It was
the biggest hotel and most of the guests had
certain standards we had to adhere to. Most of thepeople who came to our hotel were regulars andthey were mostly top government servants.”
It was the food, he said, that kept bringing people
back. The breakfast was famous and only cost48

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RM2.75 for orange/tomato juice, fried ham, halfboiled eggs, bacon/sausages, omelette and toast.
The home-made coffee was also a hit. “Lunch was
RM3.75 and there was an option of fish, chickenor lamb chops and minute steaks, which was thefavourite, and came with green peas, French fries,
tomatoes, carrots and broccoli.”
Having lived in the hotel for many years, Lim clearlyrecalls what the hotel and its surroundings looked
like, even today, at the age of 81. “The first thing
you pass is the reception area and it was always
kept tidy. The surroundings were complemented
by lush green plants – roses and palm trees, whichwere all well-trimmed,” he says. “After you walkpast the reception, you come to the restaurant andbar on your left and a lift right in front of you. That
lift was self-operated, while the lift on the other endof the hall was manned and only went up to therooftop garden.”
The rooftop garden was a popular venue for manyoccasions. “It was mostly used for tea parties andwedding ceremonies. Guests would have to forkout RM2.75 per head for a tea party with cake,curry puffs, sandwiches, ice cream and such,”
he recalls. “There were also a lot of government
department meetings during the British time there.

For Lim, living in a hotel can be very interesting
because of the different kinds of people who
check in. “There was a funny character, actor
Donald Davies who stayed at our hotel on amonthly basis. He walked around with a lion’s tail,”
he remembers. “There was once when we set
off a big packet of fire crackers just before dinnerat the car park outside our hotel. It upset Davis,
who gave my father a telling-off. I was furious andI hung a cracker on a fruit tree right outside his
room window, attached a mosquito coil to it and lit
it. Needless to say, the cracker gave him a fright inthe middle of the night,” he smiles.
“Unfortunately, my father got the brunt of it the nextmorning when Davies screamed at him. Confused,
my father asked me what had happened and,after I confessed, he scolded me and told me tonever ever annoy a customer again, no matterthe situation. He was right as that was our policy:
the customer is always right. And we kept to thatpolicy until the time we closed down the hotel.”

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life people //Datin Paduka Sister
Enda Ryan FMM &Sister Letitsia Yang FMM
Nuns, Assunta Convent“It was so long ago… but I still remember thisclassy hotel,” says Sister Letitsia from Assunta
Convent about Hotel Majestic in the 1960s. The
nun, who hails from Sichuan, China, was thrilled
to talk about her experience of the hotel when
she discovered it was going to be restored andrelaunched as The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur.
“It was the wedding of a teacher who came froma well-to-do family. I initially didn’t want to go
because I felt it was like a queen’s palace and I
would not fit in,” she laughs. “It was a huge building(for that time) and I thought to myself that anyone
who could afford to stay here was great. The
reception area was simple; I remember orchids
there and I felt it was all very classy. Everything
was done in an orderly manner and people were
well-behaved.”
Sister Letitsia attended a high-tea reception,
which was very popular back then, in the rooftop

garden. She still recalls the serene atmosphereand romance that filled the air. “I liked the quiet
and peaceful feeling of the hotel. Guests had toconcentrate on the couple and pray for them,” shesays. “I remember the bride walking down a long
aisle. The venue wasn’t very big but I think it waslong. It looked like a concert hall and the floor was
maroon,” she recalls. “I think people will be very
pleased that the hotel is going to be revived. So
many sweet memories have been made there.”
Irish-born Sister Enda’s account of the hotel,
although brief, is a little unique: she was at thehotel building for a prayer meeting before it
became the National Art Gallery. “It was an unusualexperience, in a sense. There were mixed feelings
as I walked up the steps to the hotel. I was invited
to join a charismatic prayer group and I usually
prefer a quiet prayer. But I joined in to appreciate it.
It was certainly a spiritual experience of a different
kind,” she says.

I liked the quiet and serene“
feeling of the hotel. Guests had toconcentrate on the couple andpray for them.

”50

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life people //life people //Dato’ Maria
MenadoFormer actress and model

A Taste ofColonial Malaya
Old Kuala Lumpur lives on in its culinary offerings, little bites influenced byhistory, cultures and an East-West mix of peoples and palates.
Text BH Tan

The ever-graceful ex-actress andonce hailed as the most beautiful
woman in Malaya, Dato’ Maria
Menado has only fond memories
of Hotel Majestic. In its heyday,
the hotel hosted many dignitaries
as well as celebrities, and Dato’
Maria was one of those who
had a real taste of the hotel. The
Sulawesi-born talent went toSingapore in 1950 for a fashion
show, where she was spottedand signed up as an actress by Cathay Cinema
Production. This launched her career that would,
literally, take her places, including to the Hotel
Majestic for a film festival in 1959. “It was likea fairytale. I had never stayed in a hotel like the52

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Majestic. It was, indeed, a majestic hotel andthere was nothing else like it,” she remembers.
“We had a big room and a long bath but there
was no time to get into it. We were too busy as
there were so many things going on; besides, wewere too excited as we were surrounded by somany stars and friends… we even had tea with
the Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman duringthat trip,” Dato’ Maria reminisces.
She also remembers how the hotel was always
cool inside and of having breakfast in the restaurant
every morning. What lingers in her mind, though,was wearing a batik wiron kebaya and walking up
the famous Hotel Majestic steps leading into thehotel with much difficulty. “The kebaya was so tightthat I had to walk up sideways,” she laughs.

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life cuisine //life cuisine //Few countries can boast of a richer tapestry of foreign influences
woven into the very fabric of its cuisine than Malaysia. Chineseand Indian migrants brought recipes from their motherlands, while
visitors and traders from the Middle East, Indonesia, Japan andbeyond all added to the growing repertoire of culinary delights.
When the Dutch, Portuguese and British claimed parts of thecountry as colonies, they left lasting influences on the local
cuisine while appropriating what they liked to add to their own.
This has resulted in a cuisine that is neither European nor Asian,but a unique mélange called colonial cuisine.

The Portuguese

Although they were the first to arrive, it was the Portuguese rather
than the Dutch who left a stronger cultural and culinary legacy,
which has endured to the present day. Their descendants,
especially those who intermarried with locals, had adapted
original recipes to reflect their assimilation into the local culture.
They were mainly seafarers and fishermen, so seafood featureslargely in their daily meals, while meat is considered festive fare.
Fisherman's stew, gerago pikkadel (krill fritters), cari papair cungsiput chupaku (sea snail and papaya soup) and pesce kertouk(fish parcels) are some of the daily fare, accompanied by sambal

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Top left: The Majestic
Hotel Kuala Lumpur's
adepation of an oldclassic, the Swiss roll.
Top right: Oldie but
goodie, the chicken chop.

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life cuisine //The British were also partial to tiffins, a practice they alsoborrowed from India, where workers brought along their lunch inmulti-tiered carriers called ‘dabba’. This led to the Sunday curry
tiffin lunch, a leisurely meal eaten outdoors after the family camehome from church. As rice was the main source of carbohydrates
in Asia, the British added it to their meals and even createddesserts with it, such as rice pudding. The popular kedgeree,said to have originated from the Indian dish khichri (a dish ofrice with spices and pulses), was adapted for British tastes withthe addition of eggs and smoked fish. Roti John, thick slices ofbread spread with minced meat that are dipped in egg and fried,
was so called as, in those days, all British men were invariablyreferred to as John. The Peranakans, or Straits Chinese, createdtheir own version of Roti John, called Roti Babi – instead ofbeef, they used minced pork and added their preferred herbs
and spices.

belacan and steamed rice. For Sunday luncheon, families would
gather after church service for a meal of rice, curry, semur (oxtongue and beef stew), feng (minced pork and innards curry,eaten with crusty bread) and the fiery debel (devil) curry.
Christmas, or Natal, is the time to show off recipes that have been
handed down for generations, with galinhia (chicken pie), mohlyu(seafood in spicy coconut gravy), pork vindaloo (an import from
Portuguese-ruled Goa in India), teem (soup), beer-boiled ham,pickles and salad, as well as savouries and sweets like pineapple
tarts, bolu cocu (coconut cake baked in a brass mould), pangsusie (savoury meat buns) and, of course, sugee cake.

The Dutch

The Dutch, on the other hand, were more interested in theeconomy rather than assimilating with the locals. So, despite
occupying Malacca for over 180 years, the Dutch left a relatively
small impact on local culture, customs and cuisine. In any case,since the Portuguese were already firmly rooted and could cater

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A need for comfort food or, perhaps, nostalgia also meant thatthe British held on firmly to the Sunday roast tradition, where
they served roast beef with Yorkshire pudding, Beef Wellington
or saddles of mutton with roast potato on the side, all washeddown with glasses of sherry. They also insisted on afternoon
tea with cakes and scones with strawberry jam, followed by“stengahs” (whisky and soda on ice) in the early evening
before dinner.
to Western palates, the Dutch were more than happy with theexisting fare. They did leave behind a few delicacies, though,including bergedel, the minced beef-filled potato patty, which theDutch, in turn, picked up from their time in Indonesia.

The British

The British first arrived in Malaya in the late 18th century, when the
East India Company set up a trading post in Penang. Gradually,
the company and, subsequently, the British government
expanded their presence and, as their area of influence
expanded, more British families settled in Malaya, bringing withthem their own culture and cuisine. It was not always easy to get
ingredients from home, however, so the British had to find othersources of food. Also, because of climatic differences, some
British dishes proved disastrously heavy when combined with our
hot, equatorial humidity. In any case, the British adapted quickly
and were soon relishing local cuisine, and were more than happy
to allow their amahs (servants) free rein in the kitchen or employed

Hainanese cooks (usually men) whose wives took care of otherdomestic chores.
Many of the British in Malaya at the time came from India as
employees of the East India Company, where they had acquireda taste for spices and curry. Curry Kapitan, for instance, was amild curry adapted to suit British palates. It is said that the namecame about because, when the servants announced the dinner
menu, they would say, “Curry, Captain”.

English afternoon tea at around 4pm became a daily ritual andsoon was associated with genteel society. Who else could afford
the luxury of spending an hour or two in the middle of the day to
indulge in cups of golden tea sweetened with honey or sugar,
while nibbling on cakes, tarts and dainty sandwiches filled withsardine, cucumber, watercress and even sambal? The English
afternoon tea ritual today is still considered an indulgence andis usually served in multi-tiered fine bone china plates filled with

“The Hainanese nevertheless played a huge role indeveloping colonial cuisine as they were the preferredchoice of cooks.”
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life cuisine //life cuisine //“The British adapted quickly andwere soon relishing local cuisine,
and were more than happy to allow
their amahs free rein in the kitchen”
beautifully-arranged scones, cakes, pastries, tarts and curry puffs
and served with pots of Darjeeling or Earl Grey, as found in highend hotels like the newly-opened Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur’s
Tea Lounge.

The HainaneseWhile they were not colonialists, the Hainanese neverthelessplayed a huge role in developing colonial cuisine as they were thepreferred choice of cooks and houseboys. The “mems” eagerly
handed over kitchens to them with instructions so broad that
it was nothing short of amazing that these cooks managed tocreate dishes that met the approval of their bosses. They learned
to keep an eye on the clock to turn out perfectly-roasted meats,
made fluffy omelettes and cream soups, as well as kneaded flour
for pastries and mixed batter for cakes, cookies and puddings.
They also had flashes of ingenuity, creating, for instance, Swissrolls filled with local kaya instead of fruity jams. They also madetheir own versions of steak and kidney pie, chicken chop andpork chop, which developed into a cuisine of its own – Hainanese
western food.

Some British larders incolonial Malaya wereconsidered incomplete
without essentials
like Lea & Perrins
Worcestershire sauce.

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Hainanese chicken or pork chop comprises thick slices ofmeat pounded tender before being dipped in a batter anddeep-fried. These are almost always “drowned” in a browngravy of cloudy origins and served with green peas and fries.
Occasionally, there’s also a side dish of vegetables (usuallypotato or broccoli). Macaroni pie was another pride of Hainanese
cooks but this was peculiar to Penang only. Unlike the original
Scottish invention of plain cheese and macaroni, the colonial
version is far more interesting, probably because Hainanese
cooks thought they'd perk up the dish by adding ingredients such

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life
life cuisine
cuisine //as chicken, mushroom, leek, carrot, onion to the pre-cooked
macaroni, cooking them slowly in a rich, creamy cheese sauce.
Then everything was put in a deep dish and topped with an eggwhite meringue before being baked to a golden brown. The lasttime I ate an authentic macaroni pie was two decades ago, in a
restaurant named Hollywood in Tanjung Bungah, Penang.
One thing that these Hainanese cooks learned from the ‘mems’ –and later helped to popularise – was Lea & Perrins Worcestershiresauce. No other brand would do and this tangy sauce, known to
the Chinese as ang-moh tau eu, or English soya sauce, soongrew to be an indispensable item in both the kitchen and on thedining tables as a marinade and dipping sauce.
When the sun set on the British empire and the colonists
went home, the Hainanese were re-employed inrich households, especially the Peranakans, while the moreenterprising set up restaurants to offer these westernised
dishes to the public. Some of these restaurants are still open forbusiness, with the culinary legacy being passed on from father toson and grandson, including Yut Kee and Sin Seng Nam in Kuala
Lumpur, and Hollywood, Loke Thye Kee and Sin Kheng Aun
in Penang.

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THE YTL LUXURY MAGAZINEThe Right Recipe
Hainanese chicken
rice (top) from theColonial Café at
The Majestic Hotel
Kuala Lumpur.

The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur takes guests on a culinary adventure,
giving them the opportunity to experience the old and the new all under
one roof, thanks to its Executive Chef Mohammad Ali Kunhi.
Text Shanti Ganesan Photography Danny Lee, Law Soo Phye & Yong Keen KeongTHE YTL LUXURY MAGAZINE

61

life cuisine //life cuisine //“At the café, the menu
has been designed tooffer only classic colonial
dishes, including chicken
chop, seafood platter,
prawn cocktail andweekend roasts.”
Mohammad Ali Kunhi, Executive Chef of the recently launched
The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur, can certainly take the heat,so he’s definitely not getting out of the kitchen. In fact, today,
he’s on a quest to entice guests to head to the hotel for its
culinary delights. After all, you could say the gastronomic
experience here is nothing short of an extravaganza and Chef
Mohammad has made sure of this.
The young and dynamic Singaporean-born chef, who
decided at the age of 13 that he was going to create culinary
masterpieces, has experience in five-star properties in Asia,
Europe and the Middle East under his belt. Having had theopportunity to head the F&B outlets during the opening of newhotels like The Ritz-Carlton, Doha and The Four Seasons in
Dubai Festival City, Chef Mohammad was more than thrilled
to hear he was going to have a hand in the reopening of The
Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur.
“The hotel is divided into two sections; the old building, which
we’re calling the Majestic Wing, is where we decided to keep asense of colonialism, even in terms of food,” says the 35-yearold chef. “We have the Colonial Café, which seats 120, andthe Tea Lounge, which seats 40, here. At the café, the menu
has been designed to offer only classic colonial dishes,
including chicken chop, seafood platter, prawn cocktail andweekend roasts.”
In keeping with the colonial touch, even the chefs are
Hainanese, a throwback to the kitchen traditions of the time.
As for the Tea Lounge, expect afternoon tea, scones and finger
sandwiches with influences of Malaysia. “We thought we’d give62

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Facing page: Prawn cocktail
and escargot with garlictoasties are among theofferings at the Colonial Café.

This page: Contango,
located in the hotel's Tower
Wing, offers a wide variety ofinternational cuisine.

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life cuisine //our sandwiches a real Malaysian twist, like with our serunding(meat floss) sandwiches, but we’ll also have classics like thechicken pie as well,” says Chef Mohammad.
Food apart, the interiors of both the Colonial Café and the Tea
Lounge exude a sense of the old in a refurbished setting, withclassic furniture which gives the café a certain warmth andcosiness. “The Majestic experience is about going back to acertain era. We have definitely recreated that with our Colonial
Café. It’s a historical place, somewhere you need to visit,”
he says.
Complementing the Majestic Wing is the entirely new, 15-storey
Tower Wing, where Contango, The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur’scontemporary interactive restaurant, is located. Chef Mohammad
says: “Contango seats 250 and is an interactive dining experience.
This is what I am really excited about: a restaurant where diners
get to see their food being prepared there and then, and talk to
the chefs about it.” The restaurant has a juice bar, patisserie andgelato counters, and a Western section with a pizza oven andchurrasco grill. “There is also an Asian zone, where you have theChinese wok, the sushi bar, as well as robatayaki, Malay andThai sections.”

Clockwise, from left: The pizza oven at
Contango; The Colonial Café is where
the menu reflects The Majestic's
glorious past; Afternoon tea at the Tea
Lounge with sandwiches and scones;
Trifle from the Colonial Café.

“It’s an international dining experience and the chefs are going tobe the ones selling their dishes. They will explain the concept of
their dishes, the ingredients and even why it is so special,” Chef
Mohammad explains. “We are also particular when it comes tothe quality and freshness of the ingredients. We buy most of ouringredients locally, except for our steaks.”
Apart from the food, the atmosphere in Contango also plays a
big part in creating the experience for diners. It has a simple,
modern setting, and guests can choose either the dining area or
the booths and the vast area is suitable for interactive dining. As
for presentation, Chef Mohammad is keeping that under wraps
for now. “We are thinking of presenting the food in a special way,especially in the Colonial Café,” he says. “You will just have tocome and experience it for yourself to find out.”

Opening hours
Colonial Café: 11am to 10.30pm
Tea Lounge: 3pm-6pm
Contango: 6.30am to 10.30am; 11.30am to 2.30pm;
6.30pm to 10.30pm

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life cuisine //Magnum Opus
For connoisseurs, oenophiles and lovers of allthings fine, one of the highlights of The Majestic
Hotel Kuala Lumpur has to be its unrivalled Opus
One collection, a magnificent vertical flight ofwines that span from 1980 to 2008.
Text Diana Khoo

One of the great wines of the world, it
is no secret that Opus One is the resultof a brainwave collaboration between
the great European winemaking family,
the Rothschilds, and the pioneering
American winemaker and Napa Valleylegend, Robert Mondavi. Having enteredinto the partnership in 1979, Opus
One was jointly created by Chateau
Mouton Rothschild’s winemaker Lucien
Sionneau and Mondavi’s chip-off-theold-block winemaking son, Timothy.
The 1979 and 1980 vintages were
simultaneously unveiled in 1984 as
Opus One’s first release and it didn’t
take long for the wine to assume cultlike status, with oenophiles waxing
lyrical about it and proclaiming it to be
the United States’ first ultra-premium
wine, which was, in fact, spot on – aunique and delicious blend of iconic
Bordelaise varieties, including Cabernet
Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Francand even, depending on the vintage,
Malbec and Petit Verdot. However,
it is almost always a Cabernet
Sauvignon-driven wine and, as can beseen in two vintages, can comprise of
up to 97 per cent of that wonderfully
flavoursome grape.
From then on, Opus One began,slowly but surely, bridging the image
gap between Old and New Worldwines, with quality and prices that often
matched or exceeded some of theaugust European houses as well. By
the 1990s, Opus One was more thanwell established as one of the premierlabels to savour, and cases upon cases
soon began finding their way into thewine lists and cellars of the world’s
best hotels, restaurants and collectors.
“Opus One, as you are also aware, isa musical expression that means ‘thefirst masterwork of a composer’,” shares
Johann Ong, The Majestic Hotel Kuala
Lumpur’s Executive Assistant Manager
of Food & Beverage and the custodianof its 6,000-bottle strong cellar. “I’d read
that, initially, the plan was to name the66

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usually recommend an Italian wine as I
am particularly partial to Italian reds like
Ornellaia and those by Gaja, but, one day,he brought out a bottle of Opus One. The
vintage escapes me but I remember liking
it immediately! As I began working with YTLHotels, I made a conscious decision on the
hotels’ part, especially for our city hotels,
to have a special offering for our guests
and I am pleased to say that the Opus
One collection at The Majestic Hotel Kuala
Lumpur will be a signature and premium
offering for us and one that will go a longway in enhancing the overall experience forour guests.”

wine just ‘Opus’ but Sionneau andTim Mondavi decided to add ‘One’
to the name a few days later.” Dato’
Mark Yeoh, the Executive Directorof YTL Hotels and a connoisseurof fine wines himself, adds: “Oneof the things we researched on for
The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur
was also the music of that period.
As a child, one of my favourite
sources of entertainment was
RTM radio’s English channel, theBlue Network, and one of thetunes I loved most was the Mills
Brothers’ Opus One. Tommy
Dorsey made the instrumental
version a big hit and, later on,
the Mills Brothers put lyrics to it.
Also, the Mills Brothers will be theopening act for Contango, thehotel’s contemporary interactive
restaurant, starring John Mills andElmer Hopper, former lead singer
of The Platters, and backed upby the Mills Brothers All-Star Big Band
jazz ensemble. I thought it’d be the perfectcoming-together of a multitude of details;
from the song Opus One, the wine itself,
the various facets of the restaurant and theidea of all these elements coming together
in one venue. A perfect composition!”

For connoisseurs and those who appreciatelife’s finer things, it certainly looks set to bea hit. After all, as the Mills Brothers oncesang: There’s never a doubt, you’ll knock
yourself out, whenever you get near Opus
One. Music to our ears, indeed. Oh, andour palate as well.

On how the hotel managed to amass
such a coveted collection of wines, Dato’
Mark just grins and says: “We have ourways.” Here, it must be noted that YTL
Hotels has been collecting fine wines enprimeur for the past two decades and its
canny may be reflected in the stunning,
beautifully put-together wine lists of its
award-winning Shook! restaurants in Kuala
Lumpur and Shanghai, which boasts
amazing collections of Chateaux MoutonRothschild, Yquem and Cheval Blanc.
“I’d first encountered Opus One in an
Italian restaurant in London,” Dato’
Mark volunteers. “I’d been frequenting
this restaurant called Montpeliano, along
Montpelier Street, in Knightsbridge
since young and the maitre d’ had
become a good friend of mine. He’d

Opposite page: Opus One has entrenched itself
in the world’s best wine lists.
This page, top: Johann Ong, Executive AssistantManager – Food & Beverage of The Majestic Hotel
Kuala Lumpur; A precious case of Opus One.

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bar life //Below: John Yap is the newcustodian of The Majestic
Hotel Kuala Lumpur's
history-soaked bar.

A Series of
Stengahs
And the rain my drink? Not quite. Olde
Malaya wasn’t without its fair shareof thirst-quenching, slightly-fortified
refreshers. John Yap, the dapper
Bogart-esque barman of The Majestic
Hotel Kuala Lumpur, shares a few of
his favourite colonial cocktails and thestories behind them.
Text Diana Khoo Photography Yong Keen KeongIf you lived in colonial Malaya, circa the 1940s or 1950s, you’dhave discovered it to be a jolly place. where gents of all shapes
and sizes would, once the day has cooled down a little, converge
around the nearest bar for a little imbibing – tropical-style, ofcourse. It can, of course, be tawdry, rowdy and not without its
fair share of hardship. In those days, inconveniences could range
from something as minor as a prickly heat rash to running for coverfrom an ambush by communist insurgents. If you’ve ever readJohn Dodd’s hilarious and blush-inducing memoir, A Company
of Planters: Confessions of a Colonial Rubber Planter in 1950s
Malaya, you’d be well-familiar by now with the languid, sometimes
roué-like lifestyle of expatriates in colonial Malaya. More often thannot, it involved a series of drinks that has, by now, firmly entrencheditself into the history and culture of the country.
“Those looking for a taste of old Kuala Lumpur would do well tolook for me at the bar,” grins John Yap, the barman and go-to

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person for some of the most delicious cocktails in town. A veteranof the F&B industry, Yap, 47, has chalked up over 14 years ofexperience and is immersing himself into his new role as custodianof The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur’s Bar – a reworking of thehotel’s original watering-hole but with an elegant, slightly-modern
look and feel. The long bar itself is crafted out of fine nyatoh andspans 22 feet in length, while Yap holds court in style from behindthe counter, working in an environment crafted out of panels,
mirrors, brass fittings and a marvellous gold-leafed dome ceiling;
the décor a respectful nod to when The Majestic was in its heyday.
It was said that author Graham Greene used to pop by for a cuppa,
while actor David Niven preferred to take his drinks on the rooftop
bar. “It’s a classic bar in every sense,” notes Yap. “We wanted tocapture the history and spirit of the old Majestic and, in those days,
the bar was the focal point of the hotel. We’ve modernised it, ofcourse, but its classic soul still remains. You can see it even in themenu, which is focused on all the classic cocktails of yesteryear.

Forget about all the modern, newfangled molecular cocktails.
What we serve here is designed to be simple, fresh, delicious
and unfussy.”
Certainly, the menu is a tempting read; particularly if you’ve spent
the day trawling Kuala Lumpur’s exciting streets, the nearby
Chinatown with its colourful temples, street food stalls and flower
markets or trekked about the expansively-verdant Lake Gardens.
If you’re in luck, Yap and his team will have something cold andrefreshing waiting for you. It could be a stengah, half-measuresof whisky and soda served over ice (the name itself derives fromthe local Malay word for ‘half’) and quite possibly the most populardrink among the British in the early 20th century, or perhaps agin pahit – another contender for the title of most popular colonial
cocktail and is itself a lovely blend of gin and bitters (pahit being
Malay for ‘bitter’). The celebrated writer W Somerset Maugham
was particularly fond of it, mentioning it in several of his books,“Those looking for a tasteof old Kuala Lumpur
would do well to look forthe dashing tuxedo-ed
attendants at the bar.”
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bar life //bar life //Clockwise, from left: Tanqueray
Blue, Gin Pahit, Malayan Colada
and Jungle Bird.

including Footprints in the Jungle and The Letter, both of whichwere set in Malaya.
To the nostalgic soul, the mere mention of these names evokes
images of coconut trees, local attendants in crisp white uniforms,
cheong sam-ed lovelies and black and white-tiled floors. Should
you wish to, however, get acquainted with these colonial
quenchers in the comfort of your own home, once you’ve checkedout of The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur, here are four recipes from
Yap’s own notebook for your mixing pleasure.

Tanqueray Blue

Created by the barman, this exotic cocktail is based on an infusionof blue ginger, native to Malaysia. Reflecting the delicate flavour of
this wild rhizome, this drink is tempered with sugar syrup, cranberry
juice and a generous squeeze of lemon.
45ml Tanqueray 10
30ml blue ginger syrup
20ml cranberry juice
20ml freshly-squeezed lemon juice
20ml Gomme syrup
20ml Blue Curacao
1. Shake and strain into glass filled with one large and crushed ice.
2. Garnish with ice cup filled with diced mango and lime zest.

Gin Pahit

The de rigueur drink of the colonial days, its name is in fact a
direct translation of the Malay word for ‘bitter’. It features in severalof W Somerset Maugham’s stories and offers a perfect taste ofold Malaya.
45ml Hendrick’s gin
Dash of Angostura Bitters
1. Mix in glass and serve immediately.

Jungle Bird

This tiki drink, a term often used to describe exotic cocktails,
was said to have been created in 1970s Malaysia. A potent but

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tasty blend of rum, lime, sugar, pineapple juice and Campari, thisobscure Malaysian cocktail looks set to be a popular new classic.
45ml Gold rum
20ml Campari
10ml lime juice
10ml sugar syrup
45ml pineapple juice
1. Shake and strain into ice-filled glass. Serve immediately.

Malayan Colada

A local twist on the classic Piña Colada, this is the barman’sinterpretation of the popular cocktail and is enriched with coconut
cream, golden rum and sweet chunks of pineapple.
40ml Gold Rum
15ml coconut cream
5ml double cream
90ml honey pineapple juice
Dash of Angostura Bitters
Pinch of Salt
1. Shake all the ingredients together and strain into crushed icefilled glass. Serve immediately.

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life feature //life feature //A Perfect
hideout
Clockwise, from above: Art Deco nuances
give the Colonial Suite a vintage charm;
The Colonial Suite features a separate
sitting room; The Majestic Wing is a fullbutler service hotel.

72

THE YTL LUXURY MAGAZINEThe Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur lives up
to its name and reputation as the premierhotel in the city, with atmospheric, luxurious
suites designed to indulge in.
Text Tan Hui Ling Photography Yong Keen KeongTHE YTL LUXURY MAGAZINE73

life feature //life feature //for two people plus bags. Showing me
straight to my room, where the checkin process is done quickly and expertly,
and within the comfort of my suite, I takea moment to soak up the pleasure ofsuch discreet and attentive service.

Reviving the past

When Mohammed leaves, I cannot help
but channel my intrepid traveller alter-ego
circa 1930s again – it is impossible not
to be caught up by the ambience of thisplace. I wonder which illustrious guest
had stayed in this same room beforeme? Did the founding fathers of Malaysia
contemplate the future of the nation while
they sipped coffee and looked out at thegorgeous Moorish-inspired train station?
Did one of the sultans rest here after along journey from his home state to meetwith other rulers?
Guests like Mrs Buxton, secretary to
Sir Gerald Templer, the British HighThis page: A four-poster takes centre stage of
the Junior Suite in the Tower Wing.
Facing page: Dual vanities flank thestandalone bath tub in the Junior Suitebathroom. Plush carpeting and tastefulfurnishing give the Junior Suite a premium feel74

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Exuding old world elegance, the newlyrestored Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur
sits atop a little hillock in the heart ofcity. Built in the neo-classical style, theoriginal structure of the hotel is modest
by today’s standards. The atmosphere,
however, is incomparable. Walk up a
gentle slope surrounded by rain trees toarrive at the porte-corchere or arrive in
grander style by walking up its famousstaircase. I am overwhelmed. It feels like I
have stepped through a time window andare now in 1930s Kuala Lumpur, perhaps
a newly-arrived globetrotter, just off aocean liner after months of seafaring.
No time for fanciful ruminations though;my personal butler, a service afforded to
all guests of the hotel’s Majestic Wing, isCommissioner; Donald Davies, wellknown writer and theatre buff; Mrs
Dorothy Nixon of the Selangor Book
Club; and Tze Loh Lin, the famous
Chinese actress in town for the releaseof her 1950s film, Dark Heaven, are justsome of the people linked to this hotel.
I cast an appreciative eye over the suite,
decorated in a soothing, mostly beige
and brown, palette. Art Deco nuances
give the place soul and a certain vintage
charm but it is also tastefully modern.
A vintage writing desk, a period TV
cabinet, the vintage framed full-length
mirror, Art Deco carpets and marble-“Art Deco nuances give the placesoul and a certain vintage charm
but it is also tastefully modern.”

waiting patiently with my bags. I want tocall him Niles (inspired by The Nanny ) or
Jeeves (are not all butlers named that?)but his name tag says ‘Mohammed’.
He leads me up the stairs, through thehall and into the hotel, and I am once
again floored by this place’s sense ofhistory. Images of moments past dance
before my eyes: a gentleman is smoking
a pipe while reading the newspaper;
ladies are sipping tea and nibbling on
scones; hearty laughs punctuate the air
as businessmen wheel and deal overa tipple.
Snapping out of my reverie, I smile
apologetically at the patient Mohammed
and dutifully follow him into the quaintelevator that has just enough space

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life feature //Curl up with a book andsome coffee for a little
quiet time in your suite.

“The pièce de résistance,
though, is the luxury that is
the suite’s bathroom. Is there
anything more indulgent thana claw-foot bath tub?”
top coffee table blend seamlessly andtastefully with more modern furnishings
and timber flooring. For a 20th-century
girl like me, this is just the perfect mix ofpast and present. Heritage hotels that
insist on strictly reviving the past give me
the creeps, to be honest.
The suite is designed with a separate
living room, a design feature I havealways loved in a hotel room. Had I been
staying longer, here with family or on abusiness trip, the rooms would havebeen put to full and good use. But, evenalone, I still like that home-away-fromhome feeling that the distinct spaces
offer. The pièce de résistance, though,is the luxury that is the suite’s bathroom.
Is there anything more indulgent thana claw-foot bath tub? Perhaps it is the
exclusivity of it that makes me swoon at
the sight of one and gush over it like aschool girl in the throes of a crush. With
the black-and-white chequered tiles, it isabsolutely nostalgic to the hilt.
Bath drawn, and bubbly and book in
hand, I settle down for a long-awaited
soak. Motherhood has trained me tomake do with five-minute showers, so
this is downright decadent. I wish I had
asked Mohammed to send up a boxof chocolates too… When the risk of apneumonia-induced death seems a realpossibility, I reluctantly emerge from mywatery cocoon. Snuggling into a plush76

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bathrobe and smelling like a bouquet oflavender, I ring for room service. It would
have been nice to join the crowd at the
Colonial Café or The Bar, but getting
dressed up would simply take too much
effort tonight.

Contemporary luxury

Refreshed by a wonderful, peacefulnight of slumber, I bid a sad farewell to
my lovely suite. I had booked only for anight because I thought it would be agood idea to also check out the Tower
Wing’s rooms, but now I am not so sure.
Mohammed comes to my room after hehas checked me out and walks me overto the other side.
The difference is subtle yet distinct. It
instantly feels like the 20th century. The
Tower Wing is as contemporary as theMajestic Wing is nostalgic, although it
is not without its own appeal. Designed
to complement the original building’s
Art Deco style, it exudes a retro vibe
with large doses of glamour, thanks to
the dark marble, polished chrome andjewel veneers.
My Junior Suite follows the posh andluxurious décor of the lobby. Plushcarpeting and tastefully-appointed
furnishing keeps pace with the wing’s
sophisticated and deluxe ambience. The
blend of neutral tones and darker hues
gives the room an even more premium

Chequered tiles andthe claw-foot bath tub
give a nostalgic feel tothe bathroom of theColonial Suite.

feel. In the middle of the suite sits afour-poster bed, its large frame toweringover to create a throne-like feature. I am
won over! I want to wake up every day
in a bed like this for the rest of my life.
By the window is a sofa-cum-lounger, anice touch I fully appreciate. Don’t you
just hate stiff, uncomfortable hotel room
chairs that do not serve any purpose
except to take up space? This, on theother hand, is perfect for curling up witha book, for breakfast or afternoon tea, or
couch surfing in the lap of luxury.

bubble bath soak. The dual vanities get
my vote too. Every woman dreams of
this; imagine no more shaving foam andaftershave jostling for precious spacewith serums, moisturisers and eye gels.
All this comes enclosed within a modern
glass sanctuary that is incredibly sexy andtoo sophisticated for words... although it
does make room sharing a tad awkward,
I would think. But, since I am all alone,
this calls for yet another bubble bath while
catching up on the latest episodes of CSI
and Criminal Minds.

Then, of course, there is the bathroom.
YTL Hotels seem to have a knack fordesigning the most incredible bathrooms.
In place of the claw-footed bathtub from
the Majestic Wing is a free-standing one
that is every bit just as indulgent. Andeven a wall-mounted television faces thetub. How am I ever going to go back tonormal life after this weekend?

It was with a heavy heart that I bade
The Majestic farewell. And with so manydifferent room categories, from thecolonial-inspired suites of the Majestic
Wing to the slightly more contemporary(yet no less luxurious) rooms over at the
Tower Wing, I take a moment to museon the name ‘Majestic’. Billed as theultimate in luxurious indulgence andquite possibly the best way to live it upcolonial-style, I couldn’t help but think
no name would’ve proven more apt forthis property.

There is also a separate rain shower
for those poor souls in a hurry, but I
cannot imagine picking a shower over a

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life feature //Serving it in Style
Once the place where the elite and privileged partied,
The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur is poised to become theforemost events venue in the city again.
Text Tan Hui Ling Photography Law Soo Phye

The slumbering doyenne that is The
Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur is stirring,and set to dazzle and surprise in many
ways. Chief on that list is reclaiming its
previous position as the most coveted
and prestigious venue for hosting
functions and events. In its prime, The
Majestic was where the ruling elite
and royalty met for state meetings andoccasions, while the city’s who’s whohosted high society weddings andattended New Year’s revelries.
It also witnessed several pivotal turning
points in Malaysia’s history. Malay rulers
and leaders of the newly-formed United
Malays National Organisation (UMNO)
met to plot and strategise the country’s
independence from the British. The
Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA)
traces its roots to meetings held here.
And, in August 1951, UMNO marked a
red-letter General Meeting during whichparty founder Dato’ On Jaafar resigned

Entertaining with eleganceis a hallmark of The Majestic
Hotel Kuala Lumpur.

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from the President’s post and was
succeeded by Tunku Abdul Rahman,
who later became the country’s first
Prime Minister.

The Grand Tour

Now, the hotel stands on the cusp ofa new era, with the staging scene set
at the Tower Wing, which houses theballroom and 16 meeting rooms.
Proving that size does indeed matter fora historic and illustrious hotel bearing
the name Majestic, the ballroom is amassive, cavernous space measuring
over 1,700 sq m. Gargantuan,
grandiose, epic… these words cometo mind at first sight. With nary a pillar insight and a banquet seating capacity of
up to 1,250 guests, this is by far one of
the city’s largest ballrooms.
It certainly is its grandest and is designed
to inspire awe and invoke jaw-dropping
reactions. Like some of the most

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life feature //life feature //The extensive
reception area outside
the ballroom is theperfect place for prefunction cocktails.

renowned Art Deco ballrooms, it has adeluxe earthy décor theme that combines
elegance, luxury and opulence. Extensive
use of wood panelling and neutral walls
are matched with plush carpeting inbold Art Deco prints. A towering ceilingcreates the illusion of doubling thesize of the already expansive room, as
grand chandeliers from the same style
movement glitter above, lighting the room
like a million rays of sunshine.
A colossal stage takes up nearly half of
one side, its epic proportions making it
an attention-grabbing feature. On thewall is an LED screen that stretches justas wide, a first-of-its-kind in a five-star
hotel. Supported by state-of-the-art
lighting, high fidelity sound system andaudio-visual technology, this gamechanger is part of The Majestic’s boldvision to create a new standard forindoor events.

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Possibly for the first time, concerts canbe held in style at an indoor venue. Sure,one might still prefer to rock to Adam
Lambert in a sweltering stadium but,certainly, when Josh Groban holds his
first concert in Kuala Lumpur, it would
have to be at The Majestic. Or imagine
Celine Dion bringing the house down orbeing serenaded by Andrea Bocelli!
The avant-garde, high-tech feature
also adds a new dimension for otherfu n c t i on s, f rom priv ate partie s tomeetings, conventions and exhibitions.
With the audio-visual systems of most
hotels being of passable quality at best,
there is also a giant screen which rewrites
the rules. Luxur y and atmospheric
has crossed path with sophisticatedtechnology; the possibilities are thrilling.
Even if it was without the fancy offerings,
The Majestic’s resplendent ballroom will

send thrills down the spines of event
planners and party hosts looking forways to up the ante. The scale, richnessof materials and sumptuous finishing of
the ballroom are spectacular, and theycertainly raise the bar.
Spanning outwards from the ballroom
entrance is an extensive reception area
to support pre-function cocktails. The
entire second floor of the Tower Wing isdedicated to the ballroom and receptionarea, hence the generous amount of
space. Floor-to-ceiling glass windows
overlook the picturesque 1930s
Sulaiman Building across the road, andthe tree-lined Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin.
By day, natural light streams in invitingly,
bringing a touch of the outside in. Bynight, the twinkling street and city lights
provide a serene backdrop. The spiritof lush opulence pervades with thesame Art Deco-inspired chandeliersand carpeting, and extensive use ofwood and rich, warm hues. A balcony
overlooking the main lobby below
dominates the main area before thespace breaks off into little nooks andcorners that invite clever ideas for usethat can turn ordinary into astounding.
On the fourth level and located next tothe swimming pool, which overlooks theminarets of the old train station, is thecontemporary roof garden. Expansive
and punctuated by reflective pools and a
spacious gazebo, it is an ideal space for
intimate soirees, al fresco parties or evena sunset wedding.
Sixteen smaller meeting rooms, thelargest of which can accommodate up to
100 people seated in theatre-style, offer
more variety in the nature and extent of
events the hotel can host. Large-scale
functions can be followed by quieter

private sessions in these rooms. Guests
attending brainstorming sessions, powwows, meetings and smaller functions
can still enjoy the best of The Majestic’s
grandeur and service.

Wine and Dine

Of course, incredible venues are justone part of the banquet equation; foodmakes up the other. The banquet menu
does not disappoint on this count. The
extensiveness of the menu is simply
mind-boggling, with a great choice ofinternational, Malay, Chinese, Indian andcocktail menus, each with an incredible
range of choices.
There are over 50 choices of canapés
on the cocktail menu, for example, andmore than 150 items in total, from which
one would have to pick just 25! Expect
to be faced with no less than a dozen
options in each of the 11 categories

in the Malay menu selection: How
does one decide between Soto Ayam
Temasik, Soto Tulang Rawan, Soto
Makanan Laut Assam Pedas and Sop
Kambing Mamak?
If this is simply too dizzying, The Majestic’s
chefs are more than happy to propose
sample menus. A typical banquet buffet
menu, for example, would include
something like five ‘shoots, sprouts andgreens’; two soups with bread rolls, four
live action stalls serving satay, pasta, dim
sum and roast beef; 10 mains dishes withvegetarian choices; seven desserts; andcoffee, tea, cordial and juices.
Customised menus in consultation withthe chef for special events are possible
too, ensuring that, no matter the kindof event you desire, The Majestic Hotel
Kuala Lumpur will make it a memorable
one in every way.

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life feature //No Ordinary ClubThe Smoke House at The Majestic Hotel
Kuala Lumpur is not just the place for a postprandial cigar. It’s also a place to socialise,
have your suit fitted or even ensure you lookyour best for dinner with a loved one.
Text Priscilla Rajan

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In always putting the comfort and needsof its guests at the top of the priority list,
The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur ensuresthat there are ample facilities and services
available for all who come to spendsome time there. The hotel is working
hard to ensure that their stay at The
Majestic is always top notch, memorable
and comfortable.
The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur is asmoke-free hotel but, in consideration ofits smoking guests, YTL Hotels created
The Smoke House in one of the smallerbuildings on site, which features a
dedicated cigar room. The Smoke Houseat The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur was
created based on the style of gentlemen’s
clubs of the 18th-century London’s WestEnd, which were used for entertainment by
the aristocrats. These clubs were typicallycharacterised by member interests —whether it be politics, literature, art, travel
or even sport.
These clubs were second homes wheremen relaxed, mixed with their peers, ateand even spent the night. Expatriates
visiting London would use clubs suchas the East India Club or the Oriental
Club as a base. Women also started
their own clubs at the end of the 19th
century – including Ladies Institute andLadies Athenaeum – which proved to berather popular.
In London and other parts of Britain, there
is now a continuation between the original
gentlemen’s clubs and more modern but
private clubs, such as the Groucho Club,
Soho House and Home House, offering
facilities that include food and drink, andcomfortable surroundings. The focus of
The Smoke House at The Majestic Hotel
Kuala Lumpur will be to give guests an
informal and inviting place to socialise andinteract.
The Smoke House will be open to all hotel
guests. There are areas where one canread and relax as well as a screening
lounge. However, The Smoke House ismore than just a venue to light up a cigar
or catch up on reading; here, too, are aseries of professional services designed
for the comfort and convenience of all
hotel guests, including a chef who will beavailable on call when guests choose todine or be entertained in the private area.
Bespoke tailoring services will also be
available upon request. Measurements
and fittings will be made at The Smoke

House to ensure the experience
is seamless.
The Smoke House also offers a grooming
room, operated by London-based
Truefitt & Hill, where guests can receive
professional hair services to ensure theylook their best before events, weddings
or business meetings. Established in
1805, the brand maintains the world's
oldest barbershop and offers a rangeof products that are the results of its
200 years of research and intimate
customer relationships.
More services are being planned for
The Smoke House, all to ensure thatguests at The Majestic Hotel Kuala
Lumpur are given the best care possible
to make their stay even more comfortable
and memorable.

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life feature //Personalised
Luxury Service
With the re-opening of The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur, guests
can once again experience the glory and luxury of its services, inparticular the unique Butler Service in its Majestic Wing suites.
Text Chua Siew Ching Photography Yong Keen KeongImagine having a romantic poolside
dinner set exactly how you want it. Or arelaxing bath, complete with candles androse petals at the end of every day. How
about your suit, professionally pressedand neatly arranged with a matching tie
on your bed, before that all-importantbusiness meeting? With The Majestic
Hotel Kuala Lumpur’s impressive butler
service available in its Majestic Wing
suites, all this and more is possible,
giving you a unique experience of what
luxury and grand comfort is all about.

“A great butler can only be, surely, one
who can point to his years of service
and say that he has applied his talents toserving a great gentleman and, throughthe latter, serving humanity.”– Kazuo Ishiguro, The Remains of the Day

In the 1930s, The Majestic was the place for those in high society.
It was, of course, not uncommon then for the wealthy to stay in this
iconic hotel, bringing with them their trusted valet. With this in mind,
as one of the main highlights for the re-opening of The Majestic
Hotel Kuala Lumpur in December 2012, a butler service has been
set up to bring back this tradition of gracious service that harks backto the days where having a personal butler was not only a symbol ofsocial status but also the most valuable of accessories for the wellheeled and well-travelled.
Karen Tan, the Majestic Wing Manager, who oversees all the butlers
in the hotel, says: “The butler service in The Majestic Hotel Kuala
Lumpur is in place to ensure a world-class level of personalised
service and to provide each guest with an assistant to guide themas they craft their own unique experience at the hotel.”
To set The Majestic butlers apart, no detail has been spared to invokethat traditional service style that was indicative of the golden era of
the hotel. “From their graciousness to their uniform, all interactions
with the butler team at The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur will invoke
memories of days past, where the art of hospitality was truly about
courtesy, grace, elegance and individualised attention,” says Tan.

Continental breakfast anytime you want it –­ just ask
your butler at The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur.

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So what can one expect with The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur’s
butler service? Think round-the-clock personalised attention andon-hand assistance for whatever you have in mind. “The butlers
at The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur are designed to handle eventhe smallest detail for their guests, to allow the guest to make themost of his or her time with us,” explains Tan.
To ensure this, each butler undergoes specific training innearly every department, as it is essential that they areknowledgeable in all areas of hotel operations. The trainingis all-encompassing, Tan says: “Our butlers are trained infood and beverage, for example, to be able to recommend
a wine pairing for a meal and also to elegantly present andserve wine. In addition, our butlers are able to make dining
reservations, and even trained to set a romantic table fortwo. They are trained as bellman and in housekeeping, toperfect skills such as shoe shining and pressing. They arealso on hand to assist in ensuring that each guest room ismade up to perfection.”
The butler ser vice goes beyond just regularhousekeeping necessities. They are knowledgeable
about local sights and attractions and even techexperts, ready to troubleshoot any connectivity
challenges that international guests may face. As
Tan puts it, the butlers at The Majestic Hotel Kuala
Lumpur are truly Jacks (or, in this case, Jeeves)of all trades, magicians who are always there
when you need them but vanish when you don’t.
Which goes without saying that, to be a butler in
The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur, is to be highlytrained, knowledgeable and engaging. “Our butlers
are one of the most respected teams in the hotelas they interact with nearly every other department
every day as well as ensuring the pinnacle inguest satisfaction,” says Tan. “Through theirdiverse relationships and depth of knowledge,
the butlers here are truly an elite team andintegral to the delivery of The Majestic Hotel
Kuala Lumpur experience. They are the bestof the best!”
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life feature //life feature //Uniforms for the bellboys (left) and waitresses at
The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur – white and withmandarin collars – hark back to its predecessor’s,
while also incorporating modern touches like logos
on the buttons.

Service with Style
The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur has taken the term ‘conservation’to a whole new level as it preserves the authenticity of the hotel
during its heyday… including its fashion sense. Celebrated
Malaysian designer Edmund Ser helps realise the dream.
Text Shanti Ganesan

You can count on being transported to another era when you
step into the newly-revived Hotel Majestic – now renamed The
Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur. The experience of the hotel’scolonial influence begins from the moment you see the hotel
staff, dressed in uniforms that resemble that of the hotel’s
previous incarnation as Hotel Majestic, waiting to greet you
when you arrive. And taking on the challenge of designing these
uniforms that will help bring back what was once the hotel to be
reckoned with is celebrated Malaysian designer, Edmund Ser.
Any Malaysian, especially those who began their careers as
young executives in the early 1980s, would most likely befamiliar with the brand Edmundser. A specialist in suits, it was
during that time that Ser took the career apparel fashion scene

by storm. Today, the direction of the company has taken asharp turn. A large portion of the business now only focuses onoffering its skills of fashioning sleek suits to corporate bodies.
Needless to say, this bold leap has given the brand a great
opportunity to work with corporate giants, such as YTL Hotels,in its quest to infuse new life to the once-vibrant hotel.
“At Edmundser, we make a strong statement that we specialisein corporate wear. We digest the philosophy of the company,
learn the rules and restrictions, and package it so it speaks
their corporate lingo,” says Edmund Ser, the designer behindthe eponymous Kuala-Lumpur brand. “It all boils down todeveloping clothing that communicates the company’s
philosophy. It can be really challenging but, at the same time

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life feature //“Ser used touches of
the 1930s and added
modern accents. He
took the technical sideof the old uniforms
and incorporated it
into his design.”
Ser’s Story
The doorman will wear pants that end justbelow the knee as well as a pith helmet toreflect the hotel’s colonial past.

exciting, such as projects like YTL Hotel’s relaunch of The
Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur.”Ser was inspired to take on the job when he discovered it would
mean having a hand in bringing the iconic hotel back to its glory
days. “Dato’ Mark Yeoh, Executive Director of YTL Hotels, who
has taken a very personal interest in reviving this hotel has a veryclear vision of what he wants. So, it was easy to work with thisclient and also interesting to conceptualise a design for them,”
Ser says. The designer had to take a quantum leap into thepast, to the 1930s to be exact, to truly understand the themeof the hotel during that time and re-create apparel that also suits
this era.
“I did all the research I could do on the Internet and went to the
National Archives to find pictures of the old hotel. Then, I went
to the hotel to soak up the style, the colour schemes and theinterior themes before I even began to think about the designs,”
says the designer. Translating the client’s idea into design wasa tall order but Ser was up for the challenge. He discoveredthat the uniforms at the hotel back then were mostly white, had
mandarin collars and the jackets were longer. “There weren’t
any references to women’s uniforms though. I believe that, backthen, women didn’t work in the front of the house in the hotel, sothey didn’t need uniforms,” he says.

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Ultimately, Ser used touches of the 1930s and added modern
accents. He took the technical side of the old uniforms andincorporated it into his design. “We did a close button form for
all uniforms. The doorman’s uniform is a little more unique. He
will be in short pants (just below the knee), pith helmet and longsocks,” he says. It was essential that colonial influences be
added to the design of the uniforms, so that The Majestic Hotel
Kuala Lumpur can emphasise the distinctive feature it proudly
holds on to. The detailing of the uniforms is also meticulous andwell thought out, while the buttons of each uniform have logos onthem for that touch of class.
In a nutshell, Ser keeps this corporate line sleek, simple
and stylish. Playing only with white and black, the designer
envisioned a look that would impress and stand by the mantra‘less is more.’ “I believe the uniforms will give guests that
nostalgic feel. A lot of thought has been given to the hotel interms of incorporating the essence of the 30s into the theme
and general outlook of the hotel,” Ser says. “It’s mainly thinking
about all the elements of the previous hotel and bringing it tolife again in every way and form.” Clearly, the uniforms play a
big role in making sure the guests of The Majestic Hotel Kuala
Lumpur experience what they could have decades ago but inan enhanced and slightly modified setting. “I’m just glad to havebeen a part of it,” he concludes.

Edmund Ser’s interest in design sparked when a top
Malaysian designer had a fashion show in 1968 to mark thesilver jubilee of the Methodist Boys’ School Kuala Lumpur,where he was studying. “I was 16 then and never thought
about the glamour of it all. I was taken up by the idea ofwhat I can create and it was a fairly simple business model
to set up,” he says. “I must say, though, that it was themodels who walked down the aisle that truly caught my eye
and attention.”
It was, perhaps, the powerful strut on the runway thatstirred him towards wanting to dress strong characters,
something he is doing today. Ser began his journey as anapprentice at a local men’s tailor from 1973 to 1975. He
then went to England in 1975 and came home in 1980 witha Diploma in Arts from Canterbury College of Art in Kent
City, a Craft Certificate in men’s tailoring and a City and
Guilds of London Institute Advanced Craft Certificate inmen’s retail bespoke tailoring.
With a RM5,000 loan from his parents, Ser began his dreamof setting up his own fashion line. A decade on, he waslabelled the ‘jacket man’ and soon opened his first boutiquein Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur, where he specialised
in made-to-measure women’s formal wear. Having madehis mark in Malaysia, Ser’s business has undergone anevolution. He is now the corporate wear designer to morethan 50 clients, including in the banking, hotel, airline,
jewellery, travel, beauty, corporate, insurance, entertainment,
healthcare, shopping mall and telecommunication sectors.

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spa life //A Majestic
Haven
Marrying colonial charm with Art Nouveau chicand channelling the golden spirit of British
Malaya, The Majestic Spa is a distinctive
experience and a grand indulgence.
Text Tan Hui Ling Photography Yong Keen Keong & Law Soo Phye

Nestled between the newly-restored The
Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur and the grandMughal-inspired railway administrationbuilding, the unassuming double-storey
annexe housing The Majestic Spa is easily
overlooked. Guests arriving at the main
entrance of this revived grande dame are
more likely to be swept up by the nostalgic
charm and impressive restoration of thisonce iconic landmark.
Perhaps it is apt, though, that this havenin the city should be so discreet – all
the better to pamper and indulge weary
souls and tired bodies seeking respite inprivacy. The humdrum of the city softens
to a barely discernible whisper at thesight of the azure pool up front and lush
landscaping surrounding it. Inside thespa, time slows to a leisurely pace andone is transported back to the height ofcolonial elegance and the heydays of prewar British Malaya.

New Art Meets Tradition

Influenced by the distinctive style ofrenowned Scottish architect, designer

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and artist Charles Rennie Mackintosh aswell as the hotel’s heritage, The Majestic
Spa is a marriage of classic colonialism
and the contemporar y Art Nouveau
approach used by the Scotsman indesigning the famous, early 20th-century
Willow Tearooms in Scotland. The twostorey-high upper gallery overlooking thereceiving parlour and timber panellingrecall the traditions of colonial interiors,
but mirrored and leaded glass panels, aswell as the celebrated Mackintosh Rosemotif – all features of the tearooms – areclear tributes to the designer.
High-backed chairs that seem to havebeen borrowed from the Mad Hatter’s tea
party in Alice in Wonderland are, in fact, a
nod to Mackintosh’s trademark furniture
design. They first made their debut in the
Room de Luxe and still form an essential
part of the tearooms today. Mimicking thedecorator’s use of light hues in feminine
themed spaces and dark ones for the
masculine, the stark white walls aretempered by warm earthen brown andset against glossy tiled floors. The result?

A soothing sanctuary amidst
the hubbub of modern-day
Kuala Lumpur.

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spa life //“Each of these are woven arounda charming tale about Old Britain
or British Malaya, and designed toreveal the essence of the story line.”
A space that manages to be at once
welcoming and whimsical yet chic.

A Golden Era

Conceptually, The Majestic Spa takes
its story line from the transitional timesof turn-of-century Britain and 1930s
British Malaya, as reflected by the Willow
Tearooms and The Majestic Hotel Kuala
Lumpur, respectively. The tearooms
were the epitome of social grace andtradition, as well as the early 1900s spiritof progress and change. Founded by
Catherine Cranston, they were conceived
in response to the growing popularity oftemperance, of which Miss Cranston wasa strong supporter. Her four art tearooms
venues quickly became iconic gathering
places for businessmen to talk shopand discuss politics, and ladies to relax
and socialise.
Similarly, The Majestic Hotel embodied theglory days of British Malaya in the 1930s.
The premier first-class hotel in the country
was the centre of social life and activity
in old Kuala Lumpur. British expatriates,colonial elite, local nobles and European
travellers spent much of their time here
dining, dancing and hobnobbing. It wasa time of refinement and genteel class. It

is this golden era in the hotel’s annals andMalaysian history that The Majestic Spa
reflects on.

Blissful Rituals

Each of YTL Hotels’ spas has unique andquaint welcome traditions in line with theproperty’s theme. Here at The Majestic
Spa, the rites take on a British flavour,with guests beginning their journey to blissat the receiving parlour with a welcome
tipple of Pimm’s or, for the teetotaller,a mocktail.
Then, it is on to the pre-treatment ritual,
another signature touch of the YTL Hotels’spas and prelude to the greater pleasuresthat are to come. In keeping with the
British theme, The Majestic Spa’s ritualis named ‘A gift from the garden’, andguests are pampered with two classics
from the English garden: lavender androsemary. A soothing lavender foot soak,
to relieve exhaustion, pains and fatigue, isfollowed by a stimulating and revitalisingrosemary scalp massage before guests
are whisked away to treatment rooms.
There is also the steam room, a cavernlike space separated into hot and coldrooms. With its glistening mosaic tiles in

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THE YTL LUXURY MAGAZINEThe Majestic Spa's design and wellness rituals
all hark back to the golden era of the 1930s, of
British Malaya and old Kuala Lumpur.

shades of brown and mood lighting, it isa space designed not just for sweating itout but to do so in impressive style. Spaguests are also guaranteed to be won
over by the unique cooling bench. Keptchilled by a concealed machine beneath,
it is a delightfully icy cool way to refresh
post-perspiration.

Majestic Experiences

The Majestic Spa has just seven rooms –of which three are couple suites, while one
is disable-friendly – making it a boutiqueretreat. The menu is modest but focusedon selected à la carte services and four
experience packages. Each of these are
woven around a charming tale about Old
Britain or British Malaya, and designed toreveal the essence of the story line.
The Malay Golden Chersonese is a
two-and-a-half-hour couples’ treatment
celebrating the epic world-wide travelsof explorer and writer Isabella Lucy
Bird. The intrepid and unconventional
Englishwoman circumvented the globe
three times in her lifetime and chronicled
her time in British Malaya in The Golden
Chersonese. Drawing inspiration fromMiss Bird’s evocative account of exotic

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spa life //“The Majestic Spa also offers à lacarte massages comprising a choice ofSwedish, aromatherapy, traditional Malay andherbal sports bodywork.”
and exquisite Malaya, the treatment
makes use of the abundance of theland. For her, it begins with a bananaand-honey hair masque, followed by apapaya coconut scrub, lime blossom bathand, finally, the Bunga Rampai massage
using frangipani and pandan (screwpine)
essential oils. For him, the same hairmasque is followed by a Malayan herbal
scrub using local herbs, a herbal steam
and the East Indian Spice massage withessential oils of ginger, patchouli andylang ylang.

Clockwise, from top:
Scented candles set
the mood; a lavenderfoot soak is the prelude
to a spa experience toremember; soaking it
up Victorian-style.

From the jungles of Malaya, be transported
to the English herbal garden and thedelights of a particular royal favourite:lavender. Queen Victoria was said tohave an enthusiastic passion for thisversatile herb, and her royal blessing
raised it to great heights of popularity. Her
Majesty demanded it in her perfumes, on
her mattresses and pillows, and strewn
on floors, while English ladies placedsmall sachets between their bosoms to
attract suitors. In modern times, lavenderis used to calm the nervous system,
regulate sleep and reduce stress. Putaside worries, exhaustion and fatigue,
and surrender to the relaxing three-hour
Queen Victoria’s Lavender experience.
The Tranquillity Breathing Ritual lulls guests

into deep rest before the treatment starts
with the Harmonising Exfoliation, then theCurative Lavender and Aloe Gel mask,
and culminating in the Drift Away Lavender
Massage using essential oils of lavender,clary sage and mandarin.
The quintessential tradition of afternoon
tea is honoured in the English Afternoon
Tea experience. The Majestic Spa
cleverly turns the mid-afternoon tea
menu into a sumptuous two-hour long
pampering session that fully exploits thepotent antioxidant power of berries that,literally, sounds good enough to eat! A
blackberries and cream scrub delivers
a burst of moisture and antioxidants tothe skin. The delectable Garden Berries
Massage is then brilliantly finished witha fragrant English rose natural facial tosoothe and regenerate skin cells.
Finally, North Coast Seaweed Sculpt, thelast of the experience packages, employs
the world’s finest seaweed harvested
from the coasts of Ireland and northern
Britain. Rich in essential minerals andnourishing polysaccharides, it is highly
effective in slimming treatments becauseof its firming and lifting properties, andability to reduce cellulite and aid in water
retention. The treatment starts with agentle dry brushing to stimulate lymphatic
and blood circulation, which helps
break down fat deposits. A mineral richseaweed wrap nourishes tissues while
reducing the appearance of cellulite. Thisis complemented by Lymphatic Drainage
Massage to eliminate newly-released
cellular toxins.
Post-treatment, guests are gently usheredback to reality with a cup of soothing
camomile tea and a thoughtful mementoof their time spent at The Majestic Spa,a bookmark bearing a quintessential
Mackintosh design. The Majestic Spa alsooffers à la carte massages comprisinga choice of Swedish, aromatherapy,
traditional Malay and herbal sports
bodywork. For facials, the spa proudly
features the Swedish luxury skincare
collection of Kerstin Florian, which is usedin its Cellular Firming, Deep Cleansing Pure,and Classic European facial treatments.

A New Icon

The reopening of The Majestic Hotel
Kuala Lumpur returns to the city oneof its once-lost icons and also gifts its
denizens a new landmark in The Majestic
Spa. Together with the hotel, it looks
poised to write a new chapter in Kuala
Lumpur’s story.

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life feature //life feature //Let a Thousand
Orchids Bloom
The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur’s dedicated orchid conservatory
is a celebration of a stunning local variety, the Phalaenopsis.
Text Diana Khoo Photography Jacob Termansen & Yong Keen Keong

Chairman Mao may have uttered the phrase ‘Let a thousand
flowers blossom’, but it appears a specific form of floral revolution
is taking place at The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur, featuring,exclusively, orchids. The first and only hotel in Malaysia toboast a dedicated orchid conservatory, stepping into this havendedicated solely to the beauty of moth orchids, also known as
Phalaenopsis, is certain to bring out the green thumb in everyone.
A special space measuring 28ft by 50ft has been built in between
the hotel’s two wings and, upon entering, it is very likely the firstword uttered would be ‘wow’. Specially-constructed shelves andplanter boxes line the walls and the room, at any one time, holds
nothing less than a thousand orchid plants in glorious full bloom.
“It’s truly a world of Phalaenopsis,” says Steven Cheong, arenowned orchid cultivator and enthusiast. “There are many
species of orchids in the world but Phalaenopsis, in particular, has
proven the most popular, overtaking roses to become the number
one cultivated bloom in the world.” Phalaenopsis as a species
is also relatively easy to grow and care for, thriving especially incontrolled climate environments, similar to what The Majestic
Hotel Kuala Lumpur has achieved with its conservatory. “Theideal temperature ranges from 22 to 24°C and it’s also great thatthe hotel has chosen to showcase and celebrate this particularorchid, which is native to Malaysia as well as a few other countries
in the region.”

Left: The Majestic Hotel Kuala
Lumpur's stunning orchid
conservatory. Top right: Milk
cow orchids.

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Certainly, the orchid conservatory looks set to be one of thehotel’s star attractions, a stunning platform to showcase thebeauty of tropical flowers or, as Dato’ Mark Yeoh, Executive
Director of YTL Hotels, likes to put it, “a thousand perpetualblossoms”. “It’s a very clever way of juxtaposing something thatis classically beautiful yet endemically relevant,” adds Cheong.
“What The Majestic Hotel has achieved here is what I’d term ‘theultimate Phalaenopsis alliance’.”
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life feature //life feature //Explore The Worldof YTL Hotels...

The Phalaenopsis
orchid is the hotel'ssignature flower.

“There are many speciesof orchids in the world but
Phalaenopsis, in particular,
has proven the mostpopular, overtaking roses
to become the number
one cultivated bloom inthe world.”
FLOWER FACTS
The Phalaenopsis is one of the most popular species in
the orchid trade, due to relative ease in its cultivation.
Its name is said to derive from the word Phalaena, which
is an archaic term used to describe a large group of moths.
Its petals are also said to resemble a large moth, hence
the name.
There are no less than 60 species of the Phalaenopsis genus.
Phalaenopsis may be found growing wild in Malaysia,
Indonesia, the Philippines and as far north as Taiwan.

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THE YTL LUXURY MAGAZINETHE MAJESTIC HOTELKUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA

Sometimes the resurrection of a hotel can herald a second
Renaissance for an entire city district, explaining why in Kuala
Lumpur all eyes are on The Majestic Kuala Lumpur.
Located on a wide boulevard once known as Victory Avenue,
the property was built in the 1930s and, during its hey-day,ranked as one of South-East Asia’s grandest hotels. Re-opening
in December 2012, The Majestic Hotel is poised to reclaim thisformer glory; its pièce de résistance will be The Majestic Wing,
whose neo-classical details have been meticulously restored. An
annexe, housing the majority of the plush rooms, was designed
to complement the historic building. A spa has been designed in
Art Deco fashion.
There are no less than 60 species of the Phalaenopsis genus
and the conservatory is a rainbow collection of some of its mostbeautiful varieties. Ranging from small to large, the blossoms
come in a variety of hues, from soft buttery yellow to ivory white aswell as bright fuchsia. There are also unusual examples, including
a dotted one nicknamed ‘dalmatian’ or ‘milk cow’ by Cheong aswell as a speckled variety. Adding a verdant touch are also pots
upon pots of local ferns and pitcher plants, which, according toChinese belief, are a symbol of good luck, but only if the pitchers
are constantly filled with liquid.
With the Phalaenopsis firmly in place as the signature flower of
The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur, plans are also underway toenhance the orchid experience further for horticulturally-inclined
guests with organised tours to local orchid farms, complete withgenerously-filled picnic baskets and return transfers.

Beautifully balancing old and new, The Majestic Hotel is Kuala
Lumpur’s most exciting hotel debut.

+60 3 2785 8000
www.majestickl.com

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portfolio of life //GAYA ISLAND RESORTMALAYSIA

Set within the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park, off the coast of
Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Borneo’s latest luxury retreat sits gracefully
on Gaya Island, the largest of the five islands in the marine
park. Golden beaches and lush tropical rainforest beckon sunworshippers and those wishing to commune with nature, while
the island’s waters teem with marine life, including bamboo sharks
and enormous barrel sponges. Reconnect to a PURE world, theresort’s activities programme that vivifies the senses.
One hundred and twenty luxurious hill villas and one two-bedroom
suite invite you to embrace island living, while the resort’s two
distinctive restaurants, Feast Village and Fisherman’s Cove, as
well as a Spa Village allow for stylish indulging.

+60 3 2783 1000
www.ytlhotels.com

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portfolio of life //THE GREEN LEAF NISEKO VILLAGE
HOKKAIDO, JAPAN

Located in the heart of Niseko Village in Hokkaido, the newly unveiled
The Green Leaf Niseko Village is the premium contemporary resort
in Niseko, appealing to guests who want to enjoy a seamlessexperience of stay, snow and ski. The 200-room, ski-in, ski-out
resort is perfectly-placed for all activities and offers a variety ofdining options, including the Lookout Café and the hotel’s rooftop
bar, Altitude. Alternatively, relax in the forested onsen, a therapeutic
natural volcanic hot spring guaranteed to soak away tension
and time.

+86 (21) 6321 0021
www.thegreenleafhotel.com

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portfolio of life //HILTON NISEKO VILLAGE
JAPAN

Set at the foot of the Niseko Annupuri Mountain, the Hilton Niseko
Village is the perfect base from which to enjoy a huge variety ofoutdoor activities throughout the year. Ski on powdery slopes
during the winter season and enjoy family-friendly facilities such as
the Niseko Ski Village ski school, Niseko Kids ski programme , aluxurious spa, and five restaurants.
There are also two 18-hole championship golf courses nearby(one designed by Arnold Palmer), a tennis complex, an equestriancentre and a unique nature-bases activity area called ‘PURE’,
complete with tree-trekking and beginners golf.

+86 (21) 6321 0021
www.hiltonniseko.com

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portfolio of life //CAMERON HIGHLANDS RESORTMALAYSIA

Set amidst tea plantations and rolling hills, this tranquil hideaway
promises visitors all the splendour, romance and nostalgia of
Cameron Highlands’ grand colonial heritage.
Cameron Highlands is Malaysia’s largest hill resort and is largely
unchanged since its colonial heyday, this ‘little corner of England in
Asia’ is still dotted with Tudor-style cottages, a place where scones
and afternoon tea will not seem out of place.
The resort, with its tall French doors, timber-beamed ceilings,
plantation shutters and a fireplace, add old-world charm to thesurroundings. It also houses a Spa Village as well as an 18-holegolf course and 56 luxuriously-appointed rooms and suites, which
weave in wondrous colours and textures of Jim Thompson’s
famous silks.

Tel: +60 3 2783 1000
www.cameronhighlandsresort.com

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portfolio of life //portfolio of life //PANGKOR LAUT RESORTTHE ESTATES AT PANGKOR LAUT RESORT

Pangkor Laut is a privately-owned island located three miles off thewest coast of Malaysia along the Straits of Malacca. This piece ofparadise has been two million years in the making, and it is here
you’ll find one of the world’s premier award-winning resorts nestlingin the shade of forest giants as old as the land.

In a small, secluded cove near Pangkor Laut Resort rests the eight
wonders that comprise The Estates. Each of these individuallycrafted enclaves is reminiscent of the traditional South-East Asianway of living of days gone by, when an ‘estate’ was made up of
a number of special purpose buildings placed amidst gardens ofastounding beauty.

MALAYSIA

There are no other resorts – just secluded bays curled aroundpristine beaches, evening skies woven with colour and a deep
sense of serenity reserved exclusively for guests. A combinationof luxury, natural beauty and age-old wilderness woven together toproduce an environment where peace and magically-memorable
moments are the currency.
Of the island’s 300 acres, only a fraction has been developed tohouse the resort and its eight estates. Wooden buildings blend
seamlessly with the forest, as if nature had been the architect
dictating how walls curve around foliage, and roofs open up toallow trees to continue on their journey to the sky.

Tel: +60 3 2783 1000
www.pangkorlautresort.com

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Comprising two, three or four bedrooms, each Estate offers a private
infinity-edge pool, as well as pavilions in various adaptations of Malayarchitectural traditions.
There is also a private vehicle and driver assigned to each Estateshould guests decide to leave the seclusion of their villa to dine at oneof the resort’s restaurants or to go for a treatment at the Spa Village.

Tel: +60 3 2783 1000
www.pangkorlautestates.com

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portfolio of life //THE MAJESTIC MALACCA
MALAYSIA

The historic city of Malacca is steeped in a rich tapestry ofmulticultural influences reflected in its heritage architecture, diverse
lifestyles and eclectic cuisine.
Located on the banks of the river which, in yesteryear, teemed with
Chinese junks and spice-laden vessels from all over the world, The
Majestic Malacca provides a glimpse into the splendid saga of an
extraordinary empire.
The Majestic Malacca is an integral part of Malacca’s colourfulhistory. The original serene mansion, dating back to the 1920s,
remains at the heart of the hotel, whilst a new building has beencreated, mirroring the original architecture, to house 54 spacious
rooms and suites.

portfolio of life //TANJONG JARA RESORTMALAYSIA

Located on the east coast of peninsular Malaysia, Tanjong Jara
Resort is a sanctuary of luxury and well-being steeped in age-old
Malay traditions. Designed to reflect the elegance and grandeurof 17th century Malay palaces, Tanjong Jara is a 99-room resort
embodiment of the gentle Malay art of service and hospitality.
The philosophy of the Resort is as unique as the Resort itself.
Based on the Malay concept of Sucimurni, which emphasises
purity of spirit, health and well-being, Tanjong Jara encourages true
rejuvenation of both body and spirit.
Tanjong Jara is an opportunity to withdraw from the pressures ofthis ever-changing world by offering a chance to immerse oneself
in a sanctuary of serenity and beauty.

From the original porcelain flooring, teakwood fittings, intricate
artwork and antiques, to the finely crafted Nyonya cuisine, every
aspect echoes the history of the region, and offers a beguilingjourney through this enchanting heritage.

Tel: +60 3 2783 1000
www.majesticmalacca.com

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Tel: +60 3 2783 1000
www.tanjongjararesort.com

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portfolio of life //portfolio of life //JW MARRIOTT

THE RITZ-CARLTON

Guest rooms at JW Marriott Kuala Lumpur offer the ultimate in
comfort and convenience, designed with the discerning businesstraveller in mind. An ample work area, with adjustable desk lighting
and ergonomic chair, provides a comfortable environment for
executives. Desk-mounted electrical outlets, two-line speakertelephones with call-waiting facility, fax modem and voice mailmake for easy communication around the world.

Discover the exclusive Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur and experiencea place where ancient rivers converge and a modern city beckons
guests to explore the sights, sounds and flavours of Malaysia.
Located downtown in the Golden Triangle business district, this
distinctive five-star luxury hotel in Kuala Lumpur is conveniently
accessible to upscale shopping, dining and entertainment. At The
Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur, guests can indulge in soothing spa
treatments, delectable cuisine or simply relax in the exceptionalcomfort of their rooms and take in the best the city has to offer.

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA

Accommodation comprises 561 guest rooms with 294 Deluxe
Kings, 172 Deluxe Twins, 25 Executive Deluxe Rooms, 19 Studio
Suites, 32 Junior Suites, 2 Executive Studio Suites, 2 Executive
Junior Suites, 8 one-bedroom Suites, 3 two-bedroom Suites, 2 VIP
Suites, a Chairman’s Suite and a luxurious Presidential Suite.
Marriott Marquis Platinum and Gold card members and guests
occupying suites enjoy access to the JW Lounge, with its
complimentary breakfast, light refreshments and evening cocktails.

Tel: +60 3 2715 9000
www.ytlhotels.com

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full-butler hotel, featuring 365 guest rooms and suites. The freshstyle of The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur is influenced by a varietyof themes reflecting Malaysia’s diverse artistry of ethnic cultures.
The dark-toned woods with angular designs reflect masculinity,
while details like brass inlays add a touch of elegance. Rich earthy
tones in the carpet and wall coverings are used to create a cosy,
warm home-away-from-home ambience, while hidden modern
technologies add a modern yet subtle flair.

Tel: +60 3 2142 8000
www.ytlhotels.com

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portfolio of life //VILL A TASSANAPHUKET, THAIL AND

Set amidst a tropical forest on a craggy cliff overlooking thebeautiful emerald green of the Andaman Sea is a gem in the YTL
Hotels’ portfolio of luxury holiday destinations. Located just 15
minutes away from Phuket International Airport on the island’s quiet,
undeveloped north-western coastline, Villa Tassana offers guests
a vacation of modern sophistication married with Thai hospitality.
Spread over a generous 2,800 sq m, the villa features three large
bedrooms with ensuite bath and dressing areas, a 15m swimming
pool, separate living and dining pavilions, a kitchen and a maid’sroom. For those looking to get away from it all, Villa Tassana isstaffed by one dedicated attendant and a chef specialising indelicious home-style Thai dishes.

portfolio of life //THE SURIN

PHUKET, THAIL AND
The Surin Phuket is an exclusive beach retreat for discerning
travellers, families and couples seeking relaxation and indulgencein a serene beachfront setting. The Surin Phuket is located on
the tranquil Pansea Beach on the west coast of Phuket Island,
Thailand and a member of Design Hotels.
Offering a total of 103 hillside and beachfront cottages and suites
all discreetly built into a carefully conserved landscape, amidst
coconut trees and gently sloping down to meet a small coral
reef. The Surin, Phuket offers a contemporary Thai experience intimeless simplicity and modern sophistication.

Guests can also enjoy the first-class spa and sports facilities
located at the nearby Trisara Hotel. There are three excellent golfcourses nearby, including the exclusive Blue Canyon course, and arange of luxury motor yachts you can use to explore Phuket’s many
bays, islands and dive locations.

Tel: +60 3 2783 1000
www.ytlhotels.com

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Tel: +60 3 2783 1000
www.ytlhotels.com

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portfolio of life //SPA VILLAGE RESORTEASTERN &ORIENTAL EXPRESS

Dawn rises and an indigo curtain of stars is drawn back fromthe sky, exposing a dramatic landscape of soaring peaks thatsweep down across grassy lowlands to the black volcanic sandthat kisses the blue of the Bali sea. You are in Spa Village Resort
Tembok, Bali and the day has just begun.

The Eastern & Oriental Express is more than a train service:
the quarter-of-a-mile in length train is a haven of comfort,style and luxury, and the perfect vantage point fromwhich to tour the region. The Restaurant Cars, Saloon Car and Bar
Car are located at the centre of the train, while the Observation
Car, with its open deck area, is located at the rear.

TEMBOK, BALI, INDONESIA

Inspired by the award-winning Spa Village Pangkor Laut, Spa
Village Resort Tembok, Bali embraces the same healing ethos ofcelebrating local culture, honouring the ancient remedies of theregion and infusing each visit with the essence of the surrounding
scenery.

The interior walls of the compartments are panelled with cherrywood and elm burr, and decorative marquetry friezes and intricate
design inlays. The delicate embroidery work was done in Malaysia,
and the bespoke carpets hand-tufted in Thailand.

Spa Village Resort Tembok, Bali is a place of peacefulness andcalm, combining the therapeutic value of its beautiful location withan ancient and rich cultural heritage. Reflecting the spirituality ofages, the environment here is soft and serene; its people go about
their days in a caring manner that brings calm to the harried andpeace to the stressed; here, at Spa Village Resort Tembok, Bali, it
is possible to recapture one’s sense of self.

Chefs onboard the E&O Express are internationally-renowned fortheir tantalising variety of Eastern and European dishes, using thefinest seasonal ingredients. While guests dine at night, the steward
transforms the compartment from a living room to a luxurious
bedroom.

Tel: +60 3 2783 1000
www.spavillage.com

www.easternandorientalexpress.com

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portfolio of life //MUSE HÔTEL DE LUXE

BRAY HOUSE

Bardot would no doubt approve of Saint-Tropez newcomer, Muse
Hôtel De Luxe, just minutes from the Place de Lices by car, situatedon the stunning Ramatuelle route de plages and set amongst an
ecological landscape of terraced gardens.

An elegant private home dating back to the late 17th century, Bray
House has been restored and transformed into an elegant, highdesign boutique home stay. Featuring an eclectic mix of interiors
spanning the Art Deco period of the early 1900s, Bray House is aunique experience of the gentrified English lifestyle, complete withbespoke service and intimate atmosphere.

FRANCE

Fifteen ultra chic suites (10 featuring private plunge pools) arededicated to famous muses such as ‘Edith’, after Edith Piaf,‘Catherine’, after Catherine Deneuve, and ‘Lauren’, after Lauren
Bacall. Each suite sports a unique interior but all blend seamlessly
with cool stone floors and marmorino wall finishes. Thoughtful
touches include a 42” Loewe plasma screen with over 100
channels, a PlayStation, iPad and iPhone.

ENGLAND

Designer furniture, vintage accessories and vivid splashes ofcolour create an atmosphere that marries the modern and theclassic. Each of the bedrooms has its own theme: a lullaby ofwhite in one, and a symphony of Tuscany red in another. Bray
House also features a private courtyard and a natural spring foundin the garden.

Designed with pure lines, a cool elegant reception area and outdoor
water cascades, the hotel is a reflection of architectural simplicity,
immediately stamping its original and stylish signature on the SaintTropezienne landscape.

The idyllic village of Bray, near Windsor, is quintessentially English,
with its period houses, traditional pubs with beamed ceilings andfireplaces, and a beautifully-restored church dating back to 1293.

Tel: +334 94 430 440
www.muse-hotels.com

Tel: +60 3 2715 9000
www.ytlhotels.com

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portfolio of life //1. Spa Village Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia

This unique retreat offers the world’s most sophisticated therapies
integrated with traditional healing practices of the region. Paying
tribute to Malaysia’s fascinating cultural diversity and rich healing
heritage, this most stylish of spas seamlessly blends ancient andmodern practices, using natural local ingredients to deliver blissful
relaxation and rejuvenation.

2.Spa Village Pangkor Laut
Malaysia

The Spa Village at Pangkor Laut Resort is a unique, ultra-exclusive
retreat that extols the healing tradition of Malaysia’s diverse
history of people and cultures and wealth abundance of exotic
natural resources. The abundance of Malay, Chinese, Indian andThai practices make this the ideal tranquil setting for complete
rejuvenation of body and soul.

1

3. Spa Village Malacca
Malaysia

The Spa Village Malacca is the world’s only spa to base its
therapies on the healing heritage of the Baba-Nyonya or Peranakan
culture – a unique combination of Chinese and Malay influences.
The spa is spread across the first two floors of the new wing andprovides a serene environment in which one can rest, recuperate
and rejuvenate in the care of some of the world’s best therapists.

4. Spa Village Cameron Highlands
Malaysia

Cameron Highlands Resort features the third wellness centreof the award-winning Spa Village brand with a wide range of
sophisticated treatments and healing therapies inspired by the
restorative properties of tea. Each guest luxuriates in a signature
tea bath before every treatment. Cameron Highlands Spa Village
offers tranquil indoor and outdoor treatment rooms, tea bath rooms
and a fully-equipped gymnasium.

5. Spa Village Tanjong Jara

2
4

3
5

Malaysia

At Spa Village Tanjong Jara, time-tested health and beauty traditions
are revived in the most comforting surrounds. Guests can benefit
from a comprehensive programme of therapies, created using
unique ingredients from indigenous herbs and plants, along withthe skills of resident Malay healers.
Tel: +60 3 2783 1000
www.spavillage.com

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FEAST VILLAGEKUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA

Feast to your heart’s content in our Feast Village, a dramatic andstylish dining haven with a village charm. Here, you will find 11
uniquely-designed restaurants serving a mix of world-class cuisineand providing a display of culinary skill embodied in a chic andcontemporary atmosphere.
Restaurants and bars at Feast Village include Fisherman’s Cove,
Luk Yu Tea House, Pak Loh Chiu Chow, Tarbush, Spice of India,
Starhill Tea Salon, Shook!, Jake`s Charbroil Steak, KoRyo Won,
Enak, and Village Bar.

The design of Feast Village is inspired by nature. Walls areasymmetrical and serve not to separate, but rather to provide
peaceful enclaves where people may relax.

portfolio of life //SHOOK! SHANGHAI AT THE
SWATCH ART PEACE HOTEL
CHINA

Perched on a space of symmetry and proportion, Shook!
Shanghai features the skills of four epicurean chefs with four
distinct cuisines. A show kitchen – dubbed the ‘Ferrari’ of kitchens– is where its signature dishes are created around the senses.
The menu flirts with seasonal trends with whispers of Chinese,
Japanese, South-East Asian and modern Western cuisines, yet
flexible enough to transport you anywhere your heart and palate
desire. Another highlight at Shook! Shanghai is the showcase of
the world’s finest wines and champagnes, including rare vintages
from 1945 through to 2000. Shook! Shanghai also houses The
Time Bar and The Swatch Art Peace Hotel Terrace on the roof top,
overlooking a stunning backdrop of the Pudong skyline.

Rice paper from Japan combines with slate and ikat fromIndonesia, granite from China, silk from Thailand and timber from
Myanmar to create the essence of Asia from a design perspective,
making Feast Village truly one-of-a-kind.

+86 (21) 6321 0021
Tel: +60 3 2782 3855
www.starhillgallery.com

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www.shookrestaurantshanghai.com

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life feature //The Twain
Shall Meet120

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life feature //Two men, two very different lives. One lived it short but brilliantly; theother, considerably longer but no less brilliant, and still continuing toshine brightly as one of the country’s foremost musical talents. The
man on the left is none other than the late great P Ramlee – Malaysia’s
most celebrated icon of film and music. A renowned singer, composer
and actor, he managed to act and direct 66 films as well as have over
360 songs to his credit at the time of his passing, at the young ageof 44. The man on the right is your guess. A renowned music-maker,
he has spent much of his career shining light onto the careers ofothers while remaining in the wings himself. With the reopening of The
Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur, however, this looks set to change. Whois he? Turn to page 36 to find out.

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