History, Culture & Personalities

Malaysia’s rich history, multi-racial traditions and culture is now at your finger tips. Learn and enjoy by stepping into the hometowns below. Find fascinating facts, stories and images which will bring back unforgettable memories for local residents and whet the travel appetite of visitors.

Penang

Kuala Lumpur

Alor Setar

Ipoh

Seremban

Sibu

Sitiawan

Malacca

Kangar

Kuantan

Klang

Raub

Johor Bahru

Kuala Terengganu

Kota Bharu

Kuching

Kota Kinabalu

Batu Pahat

About us

MyHometown website is the one stop definitive website for Malaysians to rediscover their roots and where their life journeys started.

The website will provide fascinating facts and images on the town’s history, prominent personalities and celebrities, art and culture and the latest buzz in hometown happenings and news.

It will highlight the best in local products and specialities, scenic attractions, shopping plazas, food courts, kopitiam and other eateries, and other special features that make your hometown the place you will always remember and keep returning to.

The connectivity value added in the Myhometown website is not just about nostalgia, business and news.

The website also intends to bring young and old and the town’s community and NGOs/CSOs together to promote and enhance the town’s green environment, cultural heritage and multitude of old buildings and other historic monuments through its interactive internet format and planned community driven activities.

Reading Corner

Here’s a selection of curated reading materials to make you sit up and enjoy. These articles have been culled from literally thousands of online articles to provide you with content that makes you think and want to explore more the subject they focus on.

A Secular Islam Possible for Malaysia?

By HT Stories Abroad, Uncategorized

The recent PAS Muktamar brings to the forefront – yet again – the question of whether secular Islam is a possibility in an increasingly racially and religiously acrimonious and divided Malaysia.

Secularism has been defined as the separation of public life and civil/government matters from religious teachings and commandments, or more simply the separation of religion and politics. It is an evolution that the great majority of the world’s nations have gone through – some quickly, others more slowly.

Read More

Farewell SteadyAku47 Hussein Abdul Hamid by Murray Hunter and Lim Teck Ghee

By HT Stories Abroad, Uncategorized

Earlier today, both of us received the news that Hussein Hamid had passed away at the Kuala Lumpur General Hospital. Last week, Hussein collapsed inside a mall after suffering a stroke, which left him in a coma. He passed away peacefully without regaining consciousness.
Secularism has been defined as the separation of public life and civil/government matters from religious teachings and commandments, or more simply the separation of religion and politics. It is an evolution that the great majority of the world’s nations have gone through – some quickly, others more slowly.

Read More
Read all articles

Hometown Personalities: Past and Present

The series will provide viewers with biographical essays of key individuals and organizations that have left their mark on the state which they have been associated with, as well as on the country at large.

Find out more here

Hometown Important Conversation


This new feature column will provide the thoughts of the most influential world leaders in urban planning and living across a wide array of disciplines and fields: architecture, landscaping, ecology, transportation, urban development and other associated sectors. 

Find out more here

Free ad space for civil society organizations working fora better Malaysia

Myhometown.com.my is making available this free space for civil society organizations that are working to help build a better Malaysia

Write in with details of your organization and summary of your current work programme to: editor@myhometown.com.my

Selected organizations will have the opportunity to reach out to MyHometown website viewers from across the nation

Foodies corner

Few will dispute that Malaysia is a gourmet’s paradise. Unrivalled in the region and world. Teeming with food stalls, shops, food courts and higher end restaurants serving an array of  Chinese, Malay, Indian and Asian fusion cuisines, each hometown provides unique specialities. Find out more here.

Perak

Ipoh

Challenging Penang and Kuala Lumpur as the nation’s preeminent foodies center, Ipoh with its proliferation of hawkers centers and restaurants stands out with its affordability, acclaimed chicken and prawn, kuey teow and Ipoh white coffee. Check out the list for more specialties.

Penang

George Town

Penangites are rightly proud of the city’s reputation as a foodie town par excellence. The city’s street food regularly wins accolades from visitors including some of the most discerning visitors from around the world. Here is just a small sample of eateries to start you off your food adventure.

Malacca

Malacca

Singaporeans rave over Malacca’s food scene. Locals take for granted chendol, Nyonya laksa, Portuguese and Peranakan specialities, ikan bakar, chicken rice balls and the fusion food that characterises their daily fare.

Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur’s food covers the entire range of cuisines – Eastern and Western, high end to modest eateries, simple and complex. Few capital cities in the world can provide the diversity and national and international flavours that are on show in this city, every day, every meal!

Kedah

Alor Setar

Underrated by foodies because it is less visited, the Alor Setar food scene with its fusion of Thai, Indian and Malay influences is uniquely spicy and unforgettable. This is because it can pack a kick with every mouthful unless you ask for a bland or wimpy version. Our list below includes Chinese and seafood places for those wanting a change in spiciness

Negeri Sembilan

Seremban

KL foodies don’t think twice getting into their cars for a quick drive to sample Seremban’s growing reputation as a food paradise. Beef noodles, siew poh, banana leaf curry, Minangkabau dishes and much more.

Perlis

Kangar

If you love freshly caught seafood and newly harvested fragrant rice, head for Kangar and its sister town, Kuala Perlis. Many visitors also continue to the border to sample our neighbour’s super spicy cuisine that will light an inferno in you.

Sabah

Kota Kinabalu

Up and coming tourist and food happening city, KK’s food scene scores with the freshest seafood in the country followed by a formidable variety of the local cuisine and noodle dishes. The ambiance which comes with waterfront eateries provide food for the soul as well as the stomach.

Pahang

Kuantan

Seafood is the main draw for foodies to this HT. Simple, often rustic but fresh and affordable, and generally, you do not have to fight the crowds. East coast dishes found in this list of eateries here differ in subtlety in their flavours from the rest of the country.

Johor

Johor Bahru

No longer a poor cousin to Singapore, JB’s food scene bustles with traditional stalls and constant new arrivals to meet the demands of their neighbours and an increasingly cosmopolitan local clientele. Check out the variety at:

Terengganu

Kuala Terengganu

There’s plenty of food choices in this relatively small HT shaped by the 3 major cultural influences – Malay, Thai and Chinese. Try out the seafood, rice and coconut dessert dishes that are part of the state’s food heritage.

Kelantan

Kota Bharu

Kelantan’s traditional dishes of nasi kerabu and nasi ulam with budu may not be everybody’s food favourite but there is still plenty of choice in the market stalls and growing number of eateries catering to the tourist crowd. Especially check out the Thai Chinese fusion fare that has many visitors drooling and asking for more

Johor

Batu Pahat

The town’s specialities include fried oysters, fish ball noodles, bak chor mee, Chinese and Malay style of apam balik, ngo hiang biscuits, Hakka mee and satay. Batu Pahat is also known for Malay and Indian food such as the famous non-poisonous mee racun, nasi beriani gam, asam pedas, mee Bandung, and many varieties of roti canai (including a sizzling speed Chinese version)

Selangor

Klang

Proximity to Kuala Lumpur, Shah Alam and coastal villages makes the town a natural stopover for food lovers. Besides the famous dish of bak kut teh associated with the town’s Chinese population, foodies from the other communities will find a huge variety of Malay and Indian comfort food such as satay, nasi lemak, nasi kandar, assam pedas and chendol to satisfy the most discerning of appetites.

Perak

Sitiawan

Sitiawan cuisine is known for its strong Fuzhou heritage. Chinese restaurants will feature local dishes of rice red wine, vermicelli and “Go-row” (a thick sweet and sour broth cooked with fish maw).

Perhaps the most well known food sauce in the nation comes from Sitaiwan’s Kampung Koh’s chilI sauce export.

Sarawak

Sibu

Dominated by its Foochow Chinese food heritage, Sibu’s food scene also draws on the rich natural resources of the surrounding sea, rivers and forests.

Don’t miss the kampua mee, river prawn noodles and kompia, Sibu’s answer to the bagel. Also the East Malaysian laksa and local sambal that is different from that of Peninsular Malaya.

Sarawak

Kuching

East Malaysia’s competitor to the Peninsula big town names in the food stakes. Ask for it. Noodles, meat, seafood, exotic greens cooked Chinese, Malay, Indonesian style. Kuching’s got it in hawker centers, bistros and high end eateries in the cleanest of Malaysian HTs.

Tourist attractions

Museums, beaches, heritage sites, adventure parks and more. The visitor, whether alone or an entire family are spoilt for choices found in each hometown. Take your pick of the best in tourist attractions we have selected here

Penang

Penang has a full array of tourist attractions, temples, ruins, museums, preserved forests, and beautiful beaches that make it a must destination for local and overseas visitors. Check out this list

Kangar

Inside the uniquely sited museum nestled among limestone caves and primeval jungle is evidence of settlement from more than 5,000 years in which people descended from hill tribes in today’s Vietnam hunted and farmed the Kedah and Perlis rice plains.

Kuala Lumpur

Whilst the Petronas Twin Towers takes pride of place among the city’s attractions, colonial heritage buildings, the iconic Batu Caves Hindu temple, high end malls, one of the largest bird parks in the region and a lively nightlife provide plenty of competition.

Alor Setar

Tradition and modernity coexist harmoniously in this capital city. While Islamic buildings and architecture dominate the sights and cultural attractions, colonial and Chinese influenced buildings and influences provide plenty of options for the visitor. Not to be missed too is a trip to the country’s biggest paddy farming region. Partially financed by a loan from the World Bank, the first stage of the Muda Irrigation project scheme started in the early 70s and initially covered an area of 33,600 hectares.

Ipoh

The place that usually pops up at the top of any visit Ipoh list is Kellie’s Castle. It is along a road named after the current ruler of Perak, Jalan Raja Nazrin Shah (It is a road named after the current Ruler of Perak, Raja Nazrin Shah. Now a popular, though reputed to be haunted, tourist attraction, it was the setting for the 1999 film, Anna and the King, and the 2001 film, Skyline Cruisers)

Seremban

Negeri Sembilan is famous for its trademark Minangkabau roof resembling a pair of buffalo horns. Many buildings in Seremban display this unique feature, including the Wisma Negeri state secretariat building and the Seremban municipal council hall.

Malacca

Firmly rooted as Malaysia's most historical city, visiting Malacca is a journey back in time to witness the adventures, events and discoveries during Malacca's golden age.

Kuantan

Kuantan is one of the few seaside beach towns in Malaysia with extensive beautiful scenery

Johor Bahru

A city that lies on the southernmost part of the Peninsula, it features a remarkable sultanate, authentic culture, modern lifestyle with easy access to nature.

Kuala Terengganu

Visit the east coast of Malaysia through KT and experience a more leisurely lifestyle amidst a stunning coastline with beautiful and unspoiled sandy beaches all around

Kota Bharu

Malaysia’s northernmost major city in Kelantan, should be more than just a blip on the traveller’s radar. Close to the Thai border, there is much Thai culture and influence around here to explore and savour.

Kuching

Smaller crowds, sunny skies, and a host of historical and contemporary attractions are only a few of the many reasons why Kuching is a tourism gem waiting to be discovered.

Kota Kinabalu

Verdant forests to the east and almost at the northern tip of Borneo, KK is the gateway to natural sights, beautiful beaches, and the great outdoors including the highest mountain in Malaysia, Mount Kinabalu

Batu Pahat

Batu Pahat is Johor’s second largest manufacturing industrial town with textiles, electronics, food-processing, timber, porcelain and plastic industry establishments. 50% of the textile exported from Malaysia comes from over 300 garment and textile factories in this part of the country.

Sibu

Located in the central region of Sarawak, Sibu is the central gateway to the state. The agricultural sector is also prominent in the town’s business as Sibu processes the oil palm, rubber and other agricultural products grown in the hinterland of the town.

Sitiawan

Malaysia’s northernmost major city in Kelantan, should be more than just a blip on the traveller’s radar. Close to the Thai border, there is much Thai culture and influence around here to explore and savour.

Klang

Two theories of the name have emerged. One is that it is derived from the Mon–Khmer word Klong, which may mean a canal or waterway and refers to streams and rivers in the area. The other is that it means “warehouses”, from the Malay word kilang and refers to its role as a port in the old days with storage facilities and warehouses.

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