KUALA LUMPUR, Oct. 8 -- In their hey-day, malls such Pertama Complex and Campbell Shopping Complex were vibrant and flourishing hubs of retail, commerce, and society, to the point of being landmarks in the city here.

Today, these complexes, once emblematic of Kuala Lumpur's early vitality, serve more as yardsticks to remind people off how much and how quickly the city has developed and left these former icons in relative decline.

Built in the 1970s, Pertama and Campbell were among the first major shopping centres in Kuala Lumpur, representing modernity and sophistication at a time when Malaysia was beginning to emerge as an economic power in the region.

Pertama Complex, opened in 1976, is often considered Malaysia's first modern shoppi...