If the media frenzy surrounding the royal family of the United Kingdom is any indication, the world continues to be deeply fascinated by royalty. While the English royal family seems to be the most popular in global media, there are in fact over twenty other royal families in existence across the world today, and the Malaysian royal family is one of them.
The previous official residence of His Majesty The Yang di-Pertuan Agong or the head of state, was built in 1928 and is located a mere thirty minutes from the Citadines D’Pulze Cyberjaya. It is called the Istana Negara, which translates to the National Palace in Malay, this building is off-limits to the public for obvious reasons. To reach the Istana Negara, tourists need to make their way to Syed Putra Road. Most staff at hotels and at other tourist lodging providers such as the Serviced Apartments Cyberjaya would be happy to provide directions or arrange transportation to the palace for guests.
The National Palace was formerly owned by a Chinese Millionaire, which was later occupied by the Japanese. Subsequently, the property was converted into the Istana Negara for the King of Malaysia, The Yang di Pertuan Agong. While the Istana Negara is not open to the public, it still continues to be a beloved tourist attraction for visitors. Guests to the Palace make use of the armed guard outside the Palace Gates for photo opportunities. The best time for tourists to visit the Istana Negara is at noon as there is a change of Guards at that time daily.
Since 2011, members of the family no longer live there, and have shifted instead to the New Istana Negara. The New Istana Negara is located in northern Kuala Lumpur and is now considered the Official Palace of His Majesty The Yang di-Pertuan Agong, and has three primary sections: the Royal Component, the Administration Component and the Formal Component.
Roland Lefevre is a travel writer who specializes in creating features on leisure as well as business travel destinations across the globe. Google+
