Passport to Nature, Heritage and Culture
After five hectic days of talking about towers, visitor experiences and the future of some of the world’s most iconic landmarks, what does a tower person do to chill out?
Climb another tower?
Get close to nature?
Or immerse themselves in a different culture?
For the delegates of the World Federation of Great Towers (WFGT) Conference, which ended at the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur on Sept 18, the answer was — all three.
But not necessarily in that order.
First, they went looking for elephants
About 20 WFGT delegates, accompanied by their Malaysian hosts, left Kuala Lumpur after the five-day conference for a post-conference journey into Pahang.
Their first stop was the National Elephant Conservation Centre (NECC), Kuala Gandah.
And suddenly, the language of towers gave way to the language of nature.
There were no observation decks, city skylines or glass elevators.
Instead, there was jungle, water and the unmistakable presence of elephants.
About a dozen delegates ventured down to the river and had a splashing great time bathing with a young elephant.
Some got wet.
Some got wetter.
And almost everyone came away with a broad smile.
The delegates were also given a video presentation, briefing and tour of the centre by Perhilitan personnel, gaining a closer understanding of Malaysia’s elephant conservation efforts.
NECC head Muhammad Fadlli bin Ab Yazi and also his team also played a video of Perhilitan's conservation, research and elephant translocation efforts.
It was perhaps the moment when everyone truly let their hair down after five intensive days of conference sessions.
Kuala Lumpur Tower CEO Khairil Faizal came all the way to join in the fun
Even Jean-Yves Ghazi, executive director of the World Federation of Great Towers, joined in the experience.
At one point, he fed sugar cane to an elephant — with his back facing the animal.
It was one of those moments that could never be fully captured in a conference room.
It had to be experienced.
Video 1: CELEBRATION OF CULTURE: WFGT delegates even joined the performers for joget as they sampled warm Malaysian hospitality at the Garden Terrace of Kuantan 188. Hyperlink: https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/g1smui/AGtS8XXEWhOeZpLwpOS3WbW-9FciXuJn0GGimgXVPIt8-0eoVSV1r7YO7nd7=s294-w294-h294-k-p-v1-no
Pahang for nature, culture and hospitality
If the elephants had provided the delegates with a taste of Malaysia’s natural side, Pahang and Kuantan 188 delivered culture and warm Malaysian hospitality.
At the Sky Terrace overlooking the Kuantan River, the evening turned into a garden party.
The delegates were treated to cultural performances by Anak Kayan Pahang, with performers spanning three generations.
The delegates joined the performers for a joget, turning the evening into an informal celebration of friendship and Malaysian hospitality.
Before that, there was singing at the restaurant deck where dinner was hosted.
After some urging, Dato Zulkifli Mohamad — WFGT member and managing director of Kuantan 188 — took to the floor and sang the Bee Gees classic To Love Somebody.
The irrepressible Dato “One More” Zul
Zulkifli soon called on Randy Stancik, general manager of Willis Tower Skydeck in Chicago, to join him on stage with the emcee.
And no one wore a broader smile than Zul when everything turned out splendidly well.
He had stitched the evening together — including lobbying the WFGT to host the conference in Kuala Lumpur.
The WFGT duly presented an Appreciation Award to him with these fondly crafted words: “To Dato ‘One More’ Zul for being Dato Zul” — with love from Your Distinguished Guest.
Zul, being his warm and jovial self, joked:
“Now, please tell me, how do I say ‘one more’ to my wife?”
And everyone erupted in laughter.
The Dato Bandar Kuantan Dato Zaliza bin Zulkipli and members of Majlis Bandaraya Kuantan, Tourism Pahang and MOTAC Pahang also turned up to support this event and extend their hospitality.
The trio who made the climb
As for climbing, Miguel Amerlink and Mariana Ferruzca of Torre Latino México, together with Daniel Cecetka of UFO Bratislava in Slovakia, made it a point to scale the antenna of Kuantan 188.
Not by lift.
Not by stairs.
But with ropes and safety harnesses, with the help of climbing guides.
For people whose professional lives revolve around great towers, perhaps this was the ultimate way to start the morning.
Three tower people, looking down from above, before the rest of the group headed on to the next destination.
It was another reminder that a tower can be experienced in more ways than simply looking out from its observation deck.
Visiting the historic royal town of Pekan
From Kuantan, the delegates continued to Pekan, the historic royal town, where they were introduced to history, craftsmanship, music and royal tradition.
At Perkampungan Kraf Diraja Tunku Azizah, they watched a weaving demonstration at Pusat Tenun Che Minah Sayang.
They also visited the birthplace of Malaysia’s second prime minister, Tun Abdul Razak, the Pahang Silk Weaving Centre, Karyaneka Centre and Serambi House Pahang.
Then came the music.
A gamelan performance filled the space with the calming and distinctive sounds of traditional Pahang music.
Caryn Stancik from the United States, who tried her hand at playing the gamelan, said: “It’s like a cultural awakening. I just love the music. It feels so nice and relaxing like the rustling of wind chimes.
“When I go back to the US, I will definitely look out for gamelan music CDs to explore it further.”
That is perhaps what a meaningful travel experience does.
It leaves you curious enough to continue the journey after you have gone home.
A sumptuous lunch beside the river at Gerabak Jaman Tory completed the Pekan experience before the delegates began their journey back to Kuala Lumpur.
Trinidad Hospitality Group CEO Dato Sri Naresh Mohan and YB Leong Yu Man, Pahang Exco for Unity, Tourism and Culture took time off to greet and host the delegates.
Building a towering experience for visitors
In his closing remarks, Zul said he hoped that the staging of the WFGT conference in Kuala Lumpur would leave something meaningful behind.
“Every tower has its unique offering,” said Zul, who had also thoughtfully arranged a WFGT visit to Menara Merdeka Maybank.
“Each tower not only offers its unique view of the city but also connects to people, landscape, businesses, surroundings and nature in different ways.”
A visitor could climb a tower, discover nature, cruise a river, experience local food, listen to traditional music or explore heritage and culture — thus creating a much richer journey around the country’s towers.
In many ways, the WFGT delegates had already experienced the concept before they left for home.
At the opening of the WFGT conference, Ghazi had reminded delegates: “Our responsibility is not simply to operate great towers.”
“It is to ensure that these extraordinary places continue to inspire, educate, connect and create memorable experiences for generations to come.”
That was precisely what had happened during their journey to Malaysia.
The towers had not been left behind after all.
They had simply become gateways to something much bigger.
Zul hopes that the proposed Malaysian Tower Passport can carry that idea forward as one of the meaningful outcomes of the WFGT conference in Kuala Lumpur, in line with the aspirations of Visit Malaysia 2026.
Before they left for home, a bus full of WFGT delegates sang Rasa Sayang, urged on by award-winning guide Jasmine Leow, who incidentally holds both City and Nature guide badges.
After five days of talking about towers, everyone had discovered that a great tower can be much more than a place to look at a city.
It can be a gateway to the city, nature, its people, its heritage, its culture — and to experiences visitors remember long after they have gone home.
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