The event was part of Malaysia’s 50th birthday celebrations. I was looking forward to that. Steven, the tour guide, has arranged for lunch at a Thai restaurant, and I had a sumptuous meal – Thai Green Curry and rice and a mouth-watering chocolate ice-cream of Nestle. Well I noticed that Nestle has a strong hold in Malaysia, their products are everywhere.
Putrajaya
Lunch was followed by a visit to Putrajaya, which is 25 kms from Kuala Lumpur. It is the new federal government administrative centre. Sounds boring, well, let’s make it interesting. The place is extremely well-planned, with the best of Malaysian design on display. That’s not an overstatement. The modern township is a combination of impeccable architecture and beautifully landscaped lakes and parks.
There are several government offices here along with a convention centre, recreational and residential facilities. The Prime Minister’s official residence is located here, called Seri Perdana.
I was surprised that there was no security outside the house, there were few guards inside, but tourists or locals can take pictures freely, without anyone stopping them. Unlike India were you will find hundreds of guards all around the place and it would be impossible to get such a close view of the PM’s residence.
The landscape view outside the house. It was so peaceful.
This shot was taken through the fence. You can see a lovely garden with a water fountain in front.
Putrajaya Wetland Park or Taman Wetland is the largest man-made freshwater wetland in the tropics. It comprises Wetland Park spread over 138 hectares and other wetland areas covering 197 hectares. There are 24 wetland cells built along the river side, comprising swamp forests and ponds and lakes. The primary function of the cells is to filter and clean the water as it flows in to it, so it naturally solves the problem of pollution.
Here you will find variety of fruit trees and trees with medicinal properties. The one below is used for decorative purposes.
It houses a Look-Out tower, around 18 meters in height and three levels, which provides a panoramic view of Putrajaya. The information board on level 1 of the tower.
A river flowing by and the dense vegetation makes it a pretty picture. The cells aren’t visible because the fringe of each cell is covered with trees and shrubs which can tolerate periodic flooding.
Perdana Putra Building (on left) is located on the main hill in Putrajaya at 50 metres above sea-level and overlooks the Putrajaya Lake. It is the Prime Minister’s office complex. Next the office complex is Putrajaya mosque (on right), an important landmark in Putrajaya.
Standing atop a hill is the second national palace - Istana Melawati - of King Yang di-Pertuan Agong, after Istana Negara in Kuala Lumpur. Our guide informed that this palace serves as his royal retreat. 
Different kinds of trees were on site here.
From all four sides of the tower the view was good, here you can see the well-planned township.
It was overcast throughout the day, and the sky looked wonderful with a tinge of blue at the horizon.
Nearly 70 species of Wetland plants are found in Putrajaya.
Bark of a tree with plants growing around it.
This was an exquisite flower. Due to time constraints we had to rush to the next place, but the park also has 2 nature trails, and lot of migratory birds, like Little Egret, the Little Green Heron and Cinnamon Bittern can be spotted here. 
Putra Mosque -The mosques in Malaysia, of which ever I have seen, have been brilliant. Here is another example of that, facing the lake, the Putra Mosque has Islamic-architecture artistically blended with traditional designs and local craftsmanship. The architecture of the mosque has Persian and Arabic touch to it as well. The surroundings perfectly blends with the look of the mosque. The area is so spacious, front of the mosque is a huge parking area, and there is a lake adjacent to it, where people can eat and just relax.
A closer look at Perdana Putra building.
Across the lake is the palace belonging to the King of one of the states of Malaysia.
The lake is ideal for fishing. There were a bunch of kids throwing food into the water, so a school of fish trying to grab a piece for themselves. In fact, one can go on a leisurely cruise in Putrajaya to see the city’s stunning landmarks. There are cruise boats available and gondola-like vessels. The city is also connected by 8 unique bridges, out which 5 are operational. Each one had been designed to exude aesthetic appeal reflecting the local culture.
The imposing structure of the Ministry of Finance.
Perbadanan Putrajaya Complex, another government building with a contemporary look.
This is on the road which had some crazy buildings on both sides, and the end of it you can see the impressive Putrajaya Convention Center, where Fireworks Competition is going to take place. The convention center is in shape of a kite and pending perak (a silver Malay royal belt buckle), a distinctive structure. The Convention Centre takes its shape from the eye of the ‘pending perak’ with the main halls set in the ‘eye’ of the ‘pending perak’. Since the shape of the Convention Centre is round, the roof is designed like a folded origami to alleviate the plain roundness of the structure. Most of the walls are made of glass so natural daylights can illuminate the building through the raked and shaded windows. The form has been described as distinctive and contemporary.
There was tight security at the Convention Center as the International Fireworks Competition was a mega event, as several international delegates and politicians were attending the event. The place was massive, and a heavy turnout. There were journalists from all around the world. Media section was on the top-most level with a viewing balcony, from where we had to witness the competition. The event was slated to start at 10 pm, and we were asked to reach by 7 pm, to ensure smooth functioning of the event. Beer was on the house, and the stunning sunset, made it a perfect setting for me.
The magnificent view across the lake overlooked by the grand Seri Gemilang bridge.
The golden yellow streaks of the sun rays are catching on.
What a beautiful sky, it was a spectacular sight from the viewing balcony.
A picturesque sky
People in the lower balcony enjoying the view of Putrajaya in the evening.
The dusky evening and the lit-up roads forming a necklace.
Getting ready for the mega-show. The city looked lovely with roads lit up and the river flowing by.
I was hungry, so decided to check out the buffet. To my surprise there was nothing vegetarian, only rice and plain salad. I choose not to eat, and had another glass of beer. I was also trying to get the settings right on my camera as the lights will be off and to get capture fireworks would be difficult. So I fiddled with my camera – Canon S3is, found the Fireworks mode in Night snapshot, and I was set.
Malaysia International Fireworks Competition
The Malaysia International Fireworks Competition, or MIFC, is a festival of light, music, colour and culture. Teams from Australia, Japan, Italy and Malaysia participated in this competition and this was the closing ceremony of the event. I was sure that it would be a classic show, and to top it all the teams had to synchronize music with firework display.
The countdown began as I waited with bated breath to see this dazzling display. Everyone caught their spots, I placed the camera on the rod of the balcony, that would ensure steady hands and I could just click, click, click…
It was going to be a 20-minute magical pyromusical show. Here it goes.
Competition was judged on the various criteria – presentation, structure, choice and variety of colours, choice of music, synchronization of effects, rhythm of fire etc. People were enjoying every bit of it. 
Australia were declared the winners of Merdeka Gold Trophy. The Australian music consisted of country and traditional melody mixed with special effects. Personally I felt that Italy was better than Australia. Their display was meticulously choreographed to music, and display was dazzling. No matter who the winner, the show was absolutely breathtaking, it thrilled my senses and am sure everyone present there felt the same way too.
Other posts on Malaysia:
Kuala Lumpur: City of Lights
Genting Highlands: A Misty Ride
Eye on Malaysia
Malaysia's Independence (Merdeka) Day
Aquaria KLCC - A Unique Experience
A Jungle Trek & a Cultural Show in Kuala Lumpur
Cameron Highlands: A Walk in the Clouds
Cameron Highlands - A Botanical Paradise
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