Putrajaya, << `POO` trah JAH yah >> (pop. 68,361), is the administrative capital of Malaysia. It lies about 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur. The government planned and built Putrajaya. Construction began in 1995. The prime minister’s office moved from Kuala Lumpur to Putrajaya in 1999. Besides government offices, Putrajaya features residential areas, botanical gardens, parks, and wetlands.
Putrajaya is part of a government plan to develop the high-technology sector of Malaysia’s economy. The city stands in an area called the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC), which extends south from Kuala Lumpur to Kuala Lumpur International Airport at Sepang. The MSC is being developed to include cities, high-technology office parks, and suburbs, all connected by expressways, a rapid transit rail system, and advanced communications. Plans call for the neighboring city of Cyberjaya to have computer software companies, research and development firms, and a university.
