Maxis and Think City Bring Heritage to Life

ANN MARIE CHANDY | 16 December 2025

Participants on the preview of the 'Explore with Maxis' ride: From right, Aishah Sinclair, Tim Tiah, Audrey Loo and family, Yeoh Sun Loo, Head of Marketing and
Growth of Maxis and (centre in black) Think City's Senior Director Izan Satrina.

WHEN Maxis and Think City come together for Explore with Maxis, the result is an experience that feels both refreshing and deeply rooted in the city’s soul. More than a guided outing, it is a heritage journey designed to encourage Malaysians to slow down, look closer, and rediscover Downtown Kuala Lumpur through its stories, sounds and everyday textures.

A handful of media and influencers – including radio announcer and television personality Aishah Sinclair, entrepreneurs Tim Tiah, Audrey Ooi and their family – were recently invited for a special preview, offering a glimpse of what Maxis customers can soon experience. From the vantage point of the city – whether cruising past familiar landmarks or stepping off to explore overlooked corners – the journey reframes KL not as a place to pass through, but as one in which you can immerse yourself. It’s about uncovering hidden gems, hearing stories often missed, and feeling the city as it unfolds around you.

The experience takes place within Warisan KL, the vibrant historic heart of the capital where the Klang and Gombak rivers meet. You might have heard the term Warisan KL being mentioned more often lately. Warisan KL is about bringing life back to Kuala Lumpur’s historic core – by celebrating the buildings, stories and neighbourhoods that make the city what it is.

Miya, Maxis’ AI assistant on the Maxis app, turns an ordinary walk around the city into a guided experience. Through curated content, local stories, landmark check-ins and collectible digital stamps, Miya helps users explore their surroundings in a more informed and personalised way.

Heritage Comes Alive Through Story and Sound

Powered by Miya, Maxis’ AI assistant, and guided by the ever-insightful tour guide Jane Rai and her fellow marshalls, the Explore with Maxis experience connects participants not just to places, but to the stories and textures that make KL what it is.

At the heart of the experience is the unique way heritage is presented – not as static history, but as something lived, heard and felt. With Jane leading the way, even familiar landmarks unfurled new surprises: how gunfire once marked time in Kuala Lumpur before the installation of the Sultan Abdul Samad clock tower in 1897; how the tower’s mechanism, imported from Croydon and wound 320 times, still ticks on despite no longer being manufactured; how window taxes once revealed the wealth of shophouse owners; or how the area surrounding Dataran Merdeka was once agricultural land before becoming home to 12 British administrative buildings. These nuggets came alive alongside the vibrant human moments: a monitor lizard sunbathing by the riverbank of the Klang River, guests laughing through a drum circle by 1drum.org across from the resplendent Jamek Mosque, and the gentle shimmer of a live gamelan performance by Gangsapura at Else Hotel on Jalan Tun H S Lee – housed in the restored Lee Rubber Building and offering a unique downtown skyline view.

A City of Hidden Layers and New Perspectives

What stood out throughout the journey was how Warisan KL’s iconic sites revealed fresh layers when framed through discovery rather than familiar routine.

Passing the historic Moorish-styled KL Railway Station, National Mosque and Perdana Botanical Gardens brought reminders of the natural and architectural evolution of the city – from macaque-haunted hills and houses on stilts to the brutalist presence of Bank Negara. Stops at places like Warong Old China further highlighted how heritage businesses keep local memory alive, blending Peranakan décor, curated art, and the kinds of stories only long-lived neighbourhoods can offer. Even seemingly straightforward locations – from the “benteng” across from Jamek Mosque, at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak rivers to the independence grounds of Stadium Merdeka – gained new resonance when paired with the histories of builders like British architect A.B. Hubback or the shifting identities of streets like Foch Road, Edinburgh Roundabout, Coronation Park and their colourful characters.

Explore with Maxis offers more than a walk – it creates moments you wouldn’t encounter on your own. From a riverfront drum circle with 1Drum near Masjid Jamek, to (below) a visit to Else Hotel in the former Lee Rubber Building, where a hidden Downtown KL skyline vista is paired with the meditative strains of live gamelan by local ensemble Gangsapura, each stop reveals the city in a distinctly memorable way.

Technology, Tradition, and the Future of Urban Exploration

For Think City, Explore with Maxis is a meaningful extension of its work under Warisan KL to revive the historic core and support the ecosystem around it – including performers, storytellers, and local businesses. By weaving together cultural narration, live performances from groups like Gangsapura and 1Drum, and app-enabled content, the partnership celebrates the neighbourhood in a way that feels alive and accessible. Maxis’ role goes beyond providing access; the use of Miya, Maxis’ AI-powered assistant in the Maxis app, allows even both those on the bus as well as self-guided explorers to access curated content, uncover stories, check in at landmarks and collect digital stamps, making every walk feel like a personalised adventure.

It’s a thoughtful blend of technology and tradition that invites Malaysians to reclaim the city at their own pace.

As the full programme opens to Maxis customers this week, it promises not just a tour, but an invitation – to look up, listen closely and rediscover the extraordinary city that has always been right here.

“With Explore with Maxis, we aim to make discovery easier and more meaningful. This initiative reflects our commitment to enriching everyday experiences through thoughtful design,” said Loh Keh Jiat, Chief Consumer Business Officer, Maxis.

The curated route begins at Menara Maxis and includes landmarks such as Dataran Merdeka, Jamek Mosque, and Stadium Merdeka. Each stop features guided walkabouts, cultural narration, and activities centred on heritage, art, and food. The immersive bus tours will run on Dec 20–21, 2025 and Jan 3-4, 2026. Admission is free and exclusive to Maxis customers who have registered.

For more information, click here.

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