Six decades on, Malaysia’s revamped Genting Highlands sports new look to woo tourists

[KUALA LUMPUR] Genting Highlands has certainly come a long way since it was first opened nearly 60 years ago in 1965 by its founder, the late Malaysian businessman Lim Goh Tong.

For years, the mountaintop resort – located at the peak of Mount Ulu Kali in the state of Pahang, some 1,800 m above sea level – was mainly known as a casino destination. Back in the day, it was common to see hordes of gamblers – mostly from across Malaysia and neighbouring countries such as Singapore – pack the smoke-filled casino from day to night as they tried their luck at the rows of slot machines and gaming tables.

These days, however, Genting Highlands – now known as Resorts World Genting – has a completely different look and feel. Those who haven’t visited for a while – especially since before the Covid-19 pandemic struck in early 2020 and caused international borders to shut – may even find some parts of the sprawling integrated resort unrecognisable from what it was just a decade or so ago.