Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
The Kuala Lumpur Craft Complex (Kompleks Kraf Kuala Lumpur) on Jalan Conlay is the flagship centre of Kraftangan Malaysia, the Malaysian Handicraft Development Corporation formed on 1 October 1979 under Act 222. The complex opened in 1996, built in a Terengganu Malay architectural style across linked buildings, Seri Anjung, Seri Cipta and Seri Utama, housing a craft museum, an artists' colony and the Karyaneka retail galleries. Karyaneka, the corporation's marketing arm, predates the building, founded in 1982. The complex's headline story is survival: in 2016 Malaysian media reported it would be demolished for the MRT Putrajaya Line, its final event held on 24 February that year and traders relocated to Dataran Merdeka, while a 2017 proposal floated a RM6 billion, six-tower redevelopment of the 11.04-acre site. Neither happened. The Conlay MRT station beside it opened on 16 March 2023 carrying the sponsored name Conlay-Kompleks Kraf, and the complex kept hosting craft bazaars and exhibitions through 2025.
Kompleks Kraf Kuala Lumpur
1996 to present, official Malay name used since opening
Kuala Lumpur Craft Complex
1996 to present, official English name
Kompleks Budaya Kraf (Cultural Craft Complex)
used interchangeably in Malay-language media and blogs as an informal alternate name for the same site
1973
Lembaga Kraftangan Malaysia, the direct predecessor of today's Kraftangan Malaysia, is established under the Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Lembaga Kraftangan Malaysia) Order 1973.
1 October 1979
Perbadanan Kemajuan Kraftangan Malaysia (Kraftangan Malaysia, the Malaysian Handicraft Development Corporation) is formed under Act 222, which received royal assent on 15 August 1979, replacing the Lembaga Kraftangan Malaysia.
1982
Karyaneka Sdn Bhd is founded as Kraftangan Malaysia's wholly owned sales and marketing subsidiary, later becoming the retail operator inside the Jalan Conlay complex.
1996
The Kuala Lumpur Craft Complex opens on Jalan Conlay as Kraftangan Malaysia's flagship craft centre, built in a Terengganu Malay architectural style with the Seri Anjung, Seri Cipta and Seri Utama buildings.
16 September 2015
The complex grounds serve as one of the gathering points for the 'Red Shirt' rally in Kuala Lumpur.
24 February 2016
The complex holds what is reported as its final public event ahead of a planned demolition for the Klang Valley MRT Putrajaya Line, with Utusan Malaysia noting the venue had 'turned 20 this year, since its inception in 1996'; traders are subsequently relocated to Dataran Merdeka.
November 2017
The Edge Malaysia reports that Hedgeland Realty Sdn Bhd has proposed converting the 11.04-acre (480,902 sq ft) site into a six-tower, RM6 billion mixed development with 2,240 serviced apartments and 500 hotel rooms, with the craft complex earmarked for demolition and possible relocation to Dataran Merdeka or Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad.
16 March 2023
The Conlay MRT station on the Putrajaya Line opens directly beside the still-standing complex, carrying the sponsored name Conlay-Kompleks Kraf under Prasarana's station naming-rights programme, rather than the complex having been demolished as earlier proposals suggested.
2024-2025
The complex continues operating at full capacity, hosting monthly craft carnivals through 2024, a Community Craft Exhibition from 27 November to 7 December 2025, and the ASEAN Arts & Crafts Bazaar in 2025.
Seri Anjung
The complex's main building, built in Terengganu Malay architectural style, houses the Karyaneka galleries, the gift shop and the Craft Museum's diorama-based exhibitions on the history and manufacturing process of Malaysian handicraft.
Seri Utama
The administrative block, also housing Kraftangan Malaysia's headquarters offices and the Seri Utama Hall, a banquet and seminar space that seats up to 100 people, used for corporate events since the complex opened.
Sari Theatre
An amphitheatre finished with traditional carvings and fitted with a sound system and LED screen, holding 600 to 700 people; it is used for opening ceremonies and cultural performances rather than daily retail.
Laman Wau
An outdoor courtyard decorated with modern and traditional craft carvings, seating 100 to 150 people, named after the wau (traditional Malaysian kite) and used for smaller leisure and community events.
Karyaneka
Founded in 1982, four years before the Jalan Conlay building existed, Karyaneka is Kraftangan Malaysia's sales and marketing subsidiary and now operates the complex's Gift Shop, Corporate Shop and Craft Boutique.
Preka Centre
An information centre within the complex where designers, entrepreneurs and academics track craft design trends and market demand, reflecting the 'education' pillar the complex was built around alongside marketing, culture and accommodation.
The complex on Jalan Conlay opened in 1996 as the flagship centre of Kraftangan Malaysia, the Malaysian Handicraft Development Corporation. Malaysian media reported it had 'turned 20 this year, since its inception in 1996' in a report dated March 2016.
It is run by Kraftangan Malaysia, formally Perbadanan Kemajuan Kraftangan Malaysia, a statutory body formed on 1 October 1979 under Act 222. That corporation replaced the earlier Lembaga Kraftangan Malaysia, which had been set up in 1973.
Kompleks Budaya Kraf, meaning Cultural Craft Complex, is an informal Malay name used interchangeably with the official Kompleks Kraf Kuala Lumpur title in local media and blogs. Both names refer to the same site on Jalan Conlay.
Yes. In 2016 Malaysian media reported the complex would be torn down for the MRT Putrajaya Line, with its final scheduled event on 24 February 2016 and its traders relocated to Dataran Merdeka. A further 2017 proposal by Hedgeland Realty floated a RM6 billion, six-tower redevelopment of the 11.04-acre site, but the building has continued operating.
The complex is built in a Terengganu Malay architectural style rather than a colonial or modern commercial template, according to Kraftangan Malaysia's own description of the site. Its main building, Seri Anjung, and administrative block, Seri Utama, both carry this design.
Karyaneka is Kraftangan Malaysia's handicraft sales and marketing subsidiary, founded in 1982, four years before the Jalan Conlay building itself opened. It now operates the complex's retail galleries, corporate gift shop and craft boutique.
The Conlay MRT station on the Putrajaya Line, which opened on 16 March 2023, carries the sponsored name Conlay-Kompleks Kraf under Prasarana's station naming-rights programme because it sits directly beside the complex. The naming reflects the venue's standing as a landmark even after 2016 and 2017 proposals had threatened its site with demolition.
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