Reluctant Capital: Essays on Kuala Lumpur is a new book which explores how KL and the Klang Valley has grown into a modern capital while grappling with deep social, political, and economic tensions. Through a series of essays combining urban theory with on-the-ground research, author Badrul Hisham Ismail examines how neoliberalism, government-controlled development and Malaysia's ethnic politics have shaped the city's landscape and who benefits from it.

In this episode, we speak to Badrul about this book. We’re discuss a whole host of things including shopping malls, gated communities and the indigenous population that was here before most of us.

You can purchase Reluctant Capital: Essays on Kuala Lumpur by clicking here. 

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