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Working outside idea in KL/Selangor

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For people who are working remotely, or entitled to work from home, sometimes staying in the same place every day can be tiring. A fresh environment is needed to boost work productivity and improve focus. Below is a curated list of places that I have personally visited.

Table of Contents

Puchong

Puchong is where I have lived for years now.

Zus Coffee @ IOI Mall Puchong

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  • Located on the 2nd floor, near the escalator, at the old wing.
  • Need to buy something to sit there, I usually buy iced coffee and chocolate bread (~rm20)
  • Free Wifi (password in their receipt). Fast (>50 Mbps) - but during my work, the wifi was lost for a moment (maybe about 3 minutes), so you need to consider especially when you need a constant connection (e.g., in an online call, etc.)
  • Your view will be some shops and a merry-go-round on the ground floor
  • The noise is non-intrusive, you can still focus on your work
  • Can be a bit busy during lunch hour onwards
  • Comfortable chill
  • Limited seating (about 6 tables if I recall correctly)
  • Comfortable sitting, but the table is small. Maybe it can be an issue if you have a lot of stuff or want to use your mouse, idk.
  • Plug point only available at the high stool table, near the barista counter (Only two slots)

Charging Station @ IOI Mall Puchong

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  • Located on the 3rd floor, old wing. They have two stations. One near MrDiy, another one near the escalator.
  • High-stool seating. Not comfortable, sit for like 5 min already feel neck and butt pain
  • Cannot lean back, you'll be forced to sit straight
  • Leg hanging in the air, not comfortable and pain (not a problem if you're tall šŸ˜†)
  • The stool is screwed to the ground, can't move it closer to the table
  • The table is spacious, can put some stuff comfortably
  • Comfortable temperature, non-intrusive noise
  • Have plug point for each seat (since it's a charging station anyway)
  • If you choose the one near MrDiy, you can receive the Wifi from Zus Coffee below (hehe)

Food Court @ IOI Mall Puchong

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  • Located on the ground floor, old wing. Just outside the AEON supermarket.
  • Spacious table & comfortable seat
  • Not necessarily to buy anything from the food court, but if you want to, there are a lot of choices.
  • No free wifi
  • The music is louder. The environment is noisier from people chatting, shopping, etc. Can be a bit distracting. Bring your ANC headphones.
  • if hungry, easily can grab food from the food court, bakery, or supermarket
  • The AC is less chill, but still comfortable and doesn't interrupt productivity

IOI Mall Puchong overall:

There are a few more cafes to sit and work in there. Parking is RM2 per entry. RM1 for the next hour. Public transport (LRT) is 5 minutes walk away.

MyOffice-Skypod Square Co-working space

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  • Located at Skypod Residence, Puchong. Behind IOI Business Park. Google Maps
  • I come here using public transport. It's 10-15 minutes walk from LRT IOI Puchong. Therefore I cannot comment about parking.
  • One day pass will cost you RM 25. Register and pay at the counter. You'll be given an access card for you to enter/exit the office.
  • Pantry available with coffee, tea, biscuits, and water.
  • Wifi provided (password will be given to your WhatsApp upon registration). Speed is fast ~80 Mbps
  • Almost free sitting - the staff will tell you which area can be sit
  • Hammock available at leisure area (but the chain sound is noisy and annoying)
  • Have 'cabin' for private meeting (no need to book, you can access if it is unoccupied)
  • Environment is nice, quiet, comfortable and chill. Not many people around, perfect for focus session.
  • Staff is nice and friendly
  • No surau (prayer room) inside. But, you can use the surau in the IOI Business Park, located on the ground floor near the toilet and elevators.
  • Hard to find food when lunch. There is only one mamak and Chinese restaurant available. However, I'm not sure if there are any other restaurants in IOI Business Park.

LaLaport Bukit Bintang

A calm not-so-crowded mall in the middle of KL. Accessible using public transport, the mall is connected to LRT Hang Tuah Station. Google Maps

Garden Dining (Top Floor Food Court)

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  • Go to level 4, find The Garden Dining, basically a food court - a large food court.
  • Comfortable seat, spacious table. Not crowded during working hour.
  • Plug point is available at some seats. It's limited, so you need to find the right seat.
  • Some areas are already designated for work. It is called Lala Flexi Hub.
  • No free wifi. Mobile network coverage is good.
  • The AC is chill, but not too cold. Comfortable, but bring your sweater.
  • You can see some people and students also doing their work here.
  • At the back, they have like a mini playground for kids.
  • Moderate noise level. Not too quiet, not too noisy. You can still focus on your work.
  • Toilet is accessible easily
  • Since this area is large, I've changed my seats like 4-5 times during break.
  • During break time, you can go to the rooftop to get some fresh air. As a bonus, you can also see the Merdeka 118 building from there. You can also wander around the mall area, there are a lot of shops and restaurants.
  • Since you're sitting in a food court itself, finding food during lunch/break shouldn't be a problem.

BookXcess

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  • Located on Level 1, near the escalator
  • To sit there, you need to buy something from the cafe. I bought a cup of coffee and a slice of cake (~rm20). A hot vanilla latte in the evening is definitely so refreshing.
  • Comfortable seat, spacious table. Not crowded during working hour.
  • The seats are enough; not so many, not so few.
  • Plug point is available.
  • Have free public Wifi - High speed (but beware of the security)
  • Very funny looking chairs, but it's enjoyable to sit on.

PPAS Sri Manja, Petaling Jaya

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  • Located in Taman Sri Manja, PJ. Not far away from my house. Visit website for opening hours and direction.
  • Fast & free wifi. ~70 Mbps. Password: srimanja2016
  • Comfortable seat, spacious table.
  • Limited seating, but not crowded.
  • Plug point is available (Fee rm1 per plug point)
  • Many books & magazines available.
  • Maybe cannot take phone calls or online meetings there because well, it's a library. It has a discussion room there, maybe need to ask the staff for assistance.
  • The AC is chill, but not too cold. Comfortable.
  • Have PC if you didn't want to bring your own laptop.
  • Have toilets and prayer room at the back.
  • Have kids zone
  • Easy to park your car
  • 99 Speedmart is at the same row, so you can buy some snacks or drinks there. But cannot eat/drink inside the library of course (except for plain water).

Perpustakaan Komuniti Cawangan Taman Medan

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  • Located in PJS 4. See location and opening hours on Google Maps.
  • Free & fast wifi. ~700+ Mbps :zap:. SSID: PKCTM_5G, Password: 12345678
  • Lot of seating available & not crowded at all
  • I'm not sure about the plug points availability - I didn't look for it.
  • Many books & magazines available.
  • The AC is chill. Bring your sweater.
  • Have PC if you didn't want to bring your own laptop.
  • Have limited parking space at the premise. You can also park at the roadside.

Perpustakaan Kuala Lumpur

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  • Located near Dataran Merdeka. It is recommended to use public transport to go here since it is hard to find parking. You can stop at LRT Masjid Jamek or MRT Pasar Seni Station. LRT Masjid Jamek is nearer. With a short walk, you can reach the library in 5-10 minutes.
  • Opens 10 am - 6.45 pm Mon-Fri. (Re-check this detail again from Google Maps). To those who arrive early, you can wait outside the library, there a some benches available near the area.
  • No registration needed if you didn't plan to borrow any books.
  • You are not allowed to bring the backpack. The library provides you with a locker and their bag to carry your stuff.
  • Fast & free wifi. (Password is same as SSID)
  • Cozy and harmonious environment. You can see people reading books, studying, or doing their work.
  • Online meeting can be challenging since you have to keep your voice down. There are discussion rooms available for registered users. Alternatively, you can use the cafe/pantry area.
  • Speaking of pantry, yes they have a pantry inside, and they sell some foods.
  • Many tables and seats, but can be easily occupied.
  • Plug point is available.
  • Toilet and surau are available.

IIUM

My Alma Mater. A lot of places I discovered after I graduated.

He & She Cafe

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  • Located in Kulliyyah of Economics and Management Sciences (KENMS), IIUM Gombak. Google Maps.
  • The ambiance in this location is both cozy and comforting. Suitable for productivity session.
  • Lot of seating available inside. But you can also choose to sit outside.
  • I use the Wifi Student (IIUM-Student) to access the Internet. But, the mobile network is also good.
  • The music is moderate, not too loud. You can still focus on your work, but I'm not sure if it is suitable for online meetings.
  • If 'tired' of long hours seat, you can use their high stool table as a standing desk. šŸ˜‰

ITD BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) Lab

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  • Located in ITD (IT Department) Building, IIUM Gombak. Google Maps.
  • Good Wifi (IIUM-Student) and mobile network.
  • Spacious place, a lot of seating available. You can also choose to sit on the floor.
  • Can't bring food/drink inside.
  • Suitable for online meetings as the place is quiet.
  • Near to the mosque, so you can go for the congregational Zuhur/Asar prayer.

BookXcess @ Tamarind Square, Cyberjaya

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  • Located in Tamarind Square, Cyberjaya. Google Maps.
  • Very bad mobile network connection (Tested with Celcom & Umobile, both are uncapped speed). No free wifi available just made it worse for productivity session.
  • A bit warm, like the aircond is not working properly.
  • Lot of seating areas available.
  • Some desks have plug points, but not all.

The Eatery @ Mid Valley Megamall

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  • Located at Food Court (The Eatery) Level 3, Mid Valley, Bangsar. Google Maps.
  • No Wifi available, you can use your own data. Signal is good.
  • Comfortable seat, spacious table, cool temperature.
  • Lot of seating areas available.
  • I didn't see a table with a plug point.

Food Court @ KL Eco City Mall

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  • Located in KL Eco City (KLEC) Mall, opposite side of MidValley Google Maps. Walking link available.
  • No free wifi. Mobile data signal is ok ish. For context, I'm using Umobile on 4G network, normally I would get around 8-12Mbps. But in this area, I only get 4Mbps.
  • Comfortable seat, spacious table, cool temperature, moderate noise level.
  • Lot of seating areas available.
  • There are some desks near the wall plug point.
  • Near the mosque, so it is easy to go to the Friday prayer (if you're Muslim and it's Friday).

Perpustakaan Negara

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  • Located at the city center, at Jalan Tun Razak
  • As of 4/2024, the main building (Anjung Bestari) is still under renovation. The library is currently operating at the temporary building (Menara PNM, level 6 - 12).
  • Plenty of parking available for visitors. It is also free! (Menara PNM, Level 4 - 5)
  • Fast & free Wifi available
  • Comfortable & spacious surau available at level 12
  • Comfortable seat, spacious table, cool temperature (bring your sweater), very quiet.
  • Lot of seating areas available over multiple levels
  • Some desks have wall plugs (for example, level 7, near the window)
  • Cafe located at ground floor (Because I went here in Ramadan, I didn't actually notice what they sell)

Place hunting on your own

Looking for a place to work? Here are tools that might help:

Here are also a few suggestions from the local communities:

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