A photo project by John Lambrichts (2001-2003)

Brickfields is one of the oldest and most traditional districts of Kuala Lumpur. In June 2001 an ultramodern Central Station (Stesen Sentral) was opened in Brickfields, turning this suburb into the heart of the Malaysian capital. The high speed KLIA EXPRESS connects Brickfields to the international airport and therefore to the rest of the world. A new subway and monorail network provides access to all areas of a city which develops rapidly. Around Central Station a luxurious business centre and huge hotel and apartment accommodations are being built. Many construction workers are illegal and come from Indonesia. Malaysian people are hesitant towards demanding and dangerous conditions of working in construction.

Brickfields

(The name originates from a brick factory that once was founded in that area and the first brick houses of Kuala Lumpur were built there) Employment in Central Station is mainly dominated by Malay people who work for the government, but Brickfields atmosphere itself is dominated by Indians and in a lesser manner by the Chinese. Establishing this new railway station is of great influence on the appearance of the Brickfields district, and it even shows more impact on the routines of daily life in Brickfields. Traditional kampongs disappear, tall apartment buildings and skyscrapers take their place. Food stalls are being replaced by fast food restaurants and food courts. Small independent trading is no match for the flashy shopping malls. Real estate prices and the cost of living are hard to keep up with. The vulnerable class people (such as: small businessmen, homeless people and drug addicts, prostitutes, the blind) face problems. The Malaysian Association For The Blind has its main building in Brickfields along the banks of the River Klang. Many blind people were trained to work as a masseur or masseuse and opened their own parlour in Brickfields. They are in danger of losing their business now rental prices go up.

Wawasan 2020

Malaysian society is multi racial, multi cultural and multi religious. The population can be divided into 55% Malays practicing Islam, 30% Chinese who follow Buddhism and 10% Indians whose religion is Hinduism. Among the Chinese and Indians there are smaller groups of Christians. Malaysia is an Islamic country with an Islamic government. Malays are being favoured in a somewhat desperate attempt to overcome educational and economical deprivation. These outbursts of positive discrimination are supposed to be in control again after realization of the Wawasan 2020. This is former prime-minister Mahathir's plan to turn the Third World country Malaysia into a developed country.

The effects of globalisation

We all live on this planet which is getting crowded as time goes by. Was it possible once to avoid one another, technological advancement and the effects of globalisation make it inevitable we get more and more dependent on each other. It becomes difficult for one sole nation to dominate. Especially Asia is a continent we seriously have to reckon with in the future. Sixty percent of this planet's population lives in Asia. The population in Asia increases every year, unlike in the West. It is to be expected that the Asian economy will have exceeded that of Europe and North America within fifty years. In multiple Asian countries awareness emerges there are more options than to just become a replica of western role-models. For now Asians stick to western ideas, principles and technologies to acquire sufficient means for prosperity and luxury. In the long run a common sense of global awareness might lead to a universal global civilization. What remains to be questioned, is whether in a following stage one is likely to return to the familiar grounds of one's own cultural background, or whether this will only be attractive to those unable to achieve economical prosperity. To reinforce one's own traditions and defying western culture can be seen as an act of resistance and expressing frustration. The risks involved given these effects of globalisation may eventually only result in a wider gap between rich and poor and the countries who might find alliance with the more developed ones, won't make a difference at all in social, economical and cultural perspectives on this road to nowhere and shallow consumption.