Putrajaya is a model example of a planned city combining the connectivity of a smart city and the recreational offerings of a garden city.
A bird's eye view of Putrajaya with the Palace of Justice as the centrepiece, taken by freelance photographer Mohammad Salam Jumiran, received a consolation prize under the drone category.
Putrajaya is a relatively new city developed mainly from oil palm and rubber land from 1995. It was planned as an intelligent garden city and has been the new administrative centre of Malaysia since 1999.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mahathir Mohammad with delegates of the Commonwealth Chief Justices and Attorney Generals during a visit to Putrajaya in 1999.
As with the neighbouring city of Cyberjaya, it is part of the Malaysia Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) – a Special Economic Zone and high-technology business district. Putrajaya is located a considerable distance away from the Kuala Lumpur city centre – at 37 kilometres (45 minutes by car). However, the Kuala Lumpur International Airport is quite near at only 32 kilometres away which translates to about half an hour's drive.
Homes in Putrajaya are as well planned as the town itself, with most of the residents being government servants. The most affordable home units in Putrajaya are priced at RM180,000 and above, and studio apartments cost a minimum of RM255,000. A minimal size condominium unit of 875 square feet (sf) with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms cost approximately RM400,000 while the slightly bigger units, at more than 1,000 sf in size, can cost upwards of RM450,000.
Residents will be able to immerse in nature while living in the city.
All of the aforementioned properties are located in high-rise developments; landed properties in Putrajaya fetch even higher prices from RM530,000 and upwards for older units that are hard to find. Most landed homes in Putrajaya are typically priced upwards of a million ringgit. Although most of the landed homes are not part of gated or guarded communities, crime rates are decidedly low as security is ensured by frequent police patrols.
Putrajaya marine police doing their daily rounds around the Putrajaya Lake. The marine police patrol the lake around-the-clock to investigate possible security breaches especially near the residences of the PM and DPM.
As with the rest of the city, the schools in Putrajaya are well-planned and geared with the latest interactive learning technology. There are a number of top-tier universities that draw many foreign students to the city, such as the Heriot-Watt University, and in neighbouring Cyberjaya: LimKokWing University, the Multimedia University (MMU), and the Cyberjaya University College of Medical Sciences.
Heriot-Watt University Malaysia is situated by the majestic Putrajaya Lake in Precinct 5, Putrajaya.
The main malls in Putrajaya are Alamanda and IOI City Mall, which provide various amenities for leisure and entertainment and offer many different restaurants and popular food chains including K Fry Urban Korean, Absolute Thai, and Fuel Shack. Apart from that, Putrajaya is also home to many world-class and popular hotels such as the Putrajaya Marriott Hotel, the Pullman Putrajaya Lakeside, and Le Meridien, which also contain 5-star restaurants.
The pillarless Putrajaya Grand Ballroom is known to be the largest in the vicinity and is able to cater for a seating capacity of 2,300, or 1,500 banquet style.
Putrajaya has its own unique annual events – which include a fireworks competition, a hot air balloon festival, and the Anjung Floria flower and garden festival – in addition to a lot of cultural attractions such the Galeri Kesenian dan Kebudayaan Malaysia, Perdana Putra, as well as the Natural History Museum. In addition to the Putrajaya Lake, lined with restaurants along a lakeside promenade, this city is also home to a vast number of gardens and parks such as the Putrajaya Botanical Garden and the Putrajaya Wetlands Park.
Hot air balloons from different countries take off during the 10th Putrajaya International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta in Putrajaya, Malaysia, Saturday, March 30, 2019. (AP Photo/Annice Lyn)
Healthcare needs are served by the Putrajaya Hospital, as well as a number of clinics. Being the administrative capital of Malaysia, Putrajaya is also the site of major bank branches, including Maybank, Affin Bank, and Hong Leong Bank. In addition, Putrajaya also has a number of 24-hour stores including 7-Eleven for the convenience of residents.
Accessibility to Putrajaya is fairly convenient with the dedicated Maju Expressway (MEX), which is almost never congested, as well as the Elite - Kesas Highway and the Lebuhraya Damansara - Puchong (LDP) Highway. Public transportation within the city is fairly convenient with multiple shuttle bus routes, and a commute to Kuala Lumpur is made relatively easy with the KLIA Express that leads to KL Sentral.
Sign up here for the Putrajaya instalment of the Best@ series and join Propwall.my to view properties in Putrajaya or other regions in Malaysia.
