Gaspard Dispatch
Notes from a town in its growth spurt
Starting from Gamuda Cove and reaching out to Cyberjaya, KLIA and Kuala Lumpur. What's taking shape south of KL? One resident's view of towns shooting up, traffic included, with the occasional detour along the way.
Columns
No. 09Borneo Once Had a British King
A British man became king in Kuching, possibly by mistake. A century of the White Rajahs, a kingdom closed to foreign capital, and the noodles the Rajah invited. 20 October 2026
There Is a Border Inside Malaysia
On a domestic flight, yet through immigration. The 1963 agreement, a neighbour that covers three-quarters of Borneo, oil, the missing kings and laksa, read through maps. 20 October 2026
Renting ASAI HOTEL’s Lobby, One Coffee at a Time
One free tram stop from Starbucks, I opened my MacBook. A hotel lobby for RM12.50 a coffee, and whether the bet pays off. 16 October 2026
Born in Naples, Raised in America, Registered in Penang
I took it for an American chain; it's Malaysian. What the "US" means, extra chilli, and a Pizza Hut two doors down. 15 October 2026
The Flying Taxi's Rooftop Has Been Taken by Pickleball
An Osprey-style air taxi at IOI City Mall. Why not a drone, will it ease traffic, and the battle for the rooftops. 15 October 2026
A Clear Sky, and a Sun You Can Stare At
What Malaysia's haze is, how it happens, and the neighbours' long argument over eleven months of "nice air". 14 October 2026
Why a Man Who Loves Change Settled in Malaysia
Living in Malaysia, working in Singapore and Tokyo. A daughter's first school, a bilateral relationship with xiaolongbao, and why Gamuda Cove. 12 October 2026
The Day Paddles Appeared at the Starbucks Counter
Malaysia's pickleball fever: boom or bubble? Free tennis courts turned paid, and four courts on a mall rooftop. 11 October 2026
A Thai Hotel Just Moved In Next Door
Why ASAI came to a town that's barely there yet. Who paid for it, why the playground came before the houses, and why the restaurant is called "Rice & Rice". 11 October 2026
