Viva Home Shopping Mall: The Mall That Never Really Took Off...

[@cheahjf14p]

I grew up in taman miharja phase 2 the one at maluri lrt station. Back then we only have ue3 (viva home) and jaya jusco (aeon maluri). I used to go to ue3 when i was really young and back then there were A&W, bowling alley and some shops too. I played my first bowling there. My dad would bring me to the big and spacious entrance (where you shot the scene at beginning of this video entering into the mall) to play remote control car there as it was super huge. It wasnt great since last time too. My dad told me he brought me to see the opening ceremony of the mall which they invited Stephen Chow back then as the guest. I remember walking in the mall about a few years old and afraid of the reflection of the floor tiles coz i thought it was water. Back then alot of pakistani will sell salt lamp and carpet at the first and second floor of the mall. It slowly deteriorated and closed down sooner or later and was later rebranded into viva home. Tbh, when viva home first opened, there were a lot of shops in the mall and also restaurants. Although mostly selling furniture, there were alof of gadgets shops on the highest floor selling PS and phones. They have MBO cinemas as well, gym, banquet restaurant where people will hold their wedding ceremony there. They have giant, chatime and literally alot of shops. Slowly one by one closed down. Even giant, then super seven by nsk took over but closed down too. The longest tenant is starbucks. Mr diy who had been there for so long, also closed down recently. Pos laju, rhb bank, all shut down before pandemic. Also about the club you mentioned in the video, before pandemic , alot of rich people i think its those uncles will go there every night. Every night u will see ferrari, porsche, lambo, vellfire, alphard and other expensive cars all parked outside at the valet. They will stay till early morning and then slowly leave. But after the pandemic, those sports car are no longer there. I still go to viva home once in a very blue moon like last week for xmas deco shopping at fnc. Other than that i wont go. About the hotel, apparently, alot of china guest tourists stay there. If you pass by there often, you will see alot of buses sometimes up to 20 tour buses waiting for them, im talking about now in november 2024. I think the hotel has signed a good package with a lot of the tour companies and give them good price if they bring their china tourists over and stay. I pass by this mall everyday as i drive home from work. And the china tourists from all the tour agencies had been staying there since more than 10 years ago. They come and go. Back then when viva home still have shops, we would go to the shoes shops and the workers will tell my dad they love it when china tourists come and spend in their shop as they would buy lots and lots of shoes without looking at the price. This was about 10 years ago or more.

[@ryan_go_where]

Thanks for sharing your experience of the mall. It really gives me more perspective on the mall and what it used to be like. Sad to know that many of the shops didn't survive . Sob sob

[@hauntedjewelry1364]

Thanks for sharing. Keep up the good work. This type of video will get more views.

[@ryan_go_where]

Thank you for your kind words. Really appreciate it! Stay tuned! :)

[@yuyij6703]

I once worked for a futures investment company at the old menara uncang emas. I only worked there for a few months when it was discovered that most future investment firms there were mostly scammers. Its reputation as a finance hub back in the 90s crumbled. It tried to change its image by renaming itself into UA3 and now Viva Mall. I like stopping by Viva Mall as there are 2 big table tennis shops located nearby ie. at Viva Mall itself and Taman Miharja. It’s weird to see it doesn’t get the attention it deserves as there are so many housing tamans nearby

[@zaidyusof3050]

Back when it was still UE3 circa 1997 I sometimes came for disco bowling alley. Anyone remember that?

[@KingAC96]

I do remember a bit as the UE3 days as my grandparents house is just beside the shopping centre (ofc I end up staying there with my family when I was like 9 or 10 years old and live there for almost 7 to 8 years before moving away from there.) during the grand opening of viva home, I remember me and my family always going there for groceries (in there formerly got Giant Supermarket later turned to Super Seven), going watch movie once and sightseeing or sort.. But now, yeah safe to say the place that formerly I went as my childhood, is dead just like it's former name UE3 after so much places I remember going is closing down...

[@ryan_go_where]

ya sad to see it becoming like this. :(

[@mohdfaizal2953]

I remember my childhood time play mini 4wd here 😂 before this known as UE3 Mall

[@ryan_go_where]

@@mohdfaizal2953 those were the days. 😊

[@namelessguy199]

This mall were never about furnishing for me. I used to go there every weekend for makan and most of the shops there were restaurant. But I stopped going there when they started charging parking.

[@ryan_go_where]

@@namelessguy199 Oh didn't know parking was free in the past. Kinda think about it, their parking is quite expensive

[@joelchong5562]

The last time i visited this mall was 2011...but that time the mall was still vibrant

[@ryan_go_where]

Sad to see it go this way..

[@asimov8076]

I stayed in laman tasik villa in bandar permaisuri between 2004 to 2008. Used to visit this mall for movies and did my shopping for bathroom accessories and furnishing around 2009-10, though i did not buy anything as i found it expensive. There were many home accessories shops and furniture shops during my visits. The foot traffic was pretty good during my visits. One thing i would like to know is the ground floor where there were food stalls, are they still there or closed down?

[@ryan_go_where]

@@asimov8076 many of the restaurants and shops have closed down unfortunately 😔.

[@padilayuri9429]

Viva forever

[@ryan_go_where]

Viva forever!

[@normalwindowsuser]

Bro the discord sound at the beginning of the video tricked me. I thought it was my discord.

[@ryan_go_where]

Ahhh my bad. Will remove the discord sounds and background music in the future. My bad. Thought that it could add some flair to the walkthrough, but I guess it's too distracting at times. Thanks for the heads up!

[@livliv2384]

I used to go there for theatre with my family in the 10 years ago, but now, It's kinda sad to see how this mall has become.

[@ryan_go_where]

Yaa it is sad, cinema is long gone. All that's left is just a half dead building :( consequence of overdevelopment

[@alleymittanderson5799]

Dead since the beginning.. Its like they are building without feasibility study! Such a waste of money! 😅

[@ryan_go_where]

@@alleymittanderson5799 yeah. What a sad case. 😭

[@pkmcb300]

It was never alive in the first place. They have tried so many themes and things before. I think even the myanmars don’t even want to go there.

[@ryan_go_where]

Ya even during UE3 time it was struggling...

[@C3ByAx]

Unplanned development leading to "new malls" killing "old malls" around KL/Selangor is the norm... U get what I mean

[@ryan_go_where]

Ya that's true. Malls sprouting left, right, centre. Most new developments marketed as "mixed development" nowadays..

[@alleymittanderson5799]

I believe, the KL Mayor didnt care about business prosperity & sustainable businesses in the city. They just care about money. Let alone care about old & new business, they fail to upgrade year 2000 drainage systems and now we are in 2024 seeing its flooded! Sinking! and some area turning ugly and dull.

[@MhedLik82]

can you update the alpha angle shopping centre in wangsa maju sek 2. please

[@ryan_go_where]

I grew up in Wangsa Maju. Had been to the mall many times, feel like it's still doing good compared to many other malls in the PJ and Cheras area. Or is there something about the mall I am not aware of? :)

[@MhedLik82]

@ i stayed in wangsa maju desa setapak in 2005-2013.. i worked in shop in alpha angle.since then i never visit this place bcause too far from damansara😂 i missed this place

[@whybotherha1021]

Ramai orang wehhh. wangsa maju area is quite thriving eventho mall is quite nearby to each other.

[@somethingtobelievein]

I guess even you've a quickie at a lonely stair case also nobody knows.

[@jessicaregina1956]

The whole purpose of quickies is that they are quick.😂

[@ryan_go_where]

Yikes

[@ivann713]

Never been there but wanna give a try

[@ryan_go_where]

@@ivann713 give it a try. If you like to get away from the crowd normally seen in most popular malls

[@araisannanoda3688]

It's quite similar to 1Shamelin Mall, most of the escalator are malfunctioned

[@ryan_go_where]

I haven't explored that mall yet. Thanks for letting me know. Will do some research and check out this next. :)

[@trixstar4758]

You may do more mall content in ampang / pandan area. Many partly utilised and some already dead malls. Do remove the background music though.

[@ryan_go_where]

Thanks for the suggestion. Yup, will defintely do more research on malls in those area. :)

[@francisboulangere7628]

Too many malls. Too bad

[@ryan_go_where]

Ya it is. Malls sprouting out left, right, centre.

[@vincwong1934]

I've spent my college years 1998-2000 there which they used to call UE3. Those days we always hangout for movies on the top floor. Used to be quite a vibrant mall even without Xtra. They used to have McDonalds, Pizzahut, Sushi King and chafan. Also, all these wedding gown exhibition on the top floor. They've tried to revive but don't seems to work. They need to at least bring in a hypermarket or bigger mob to boost it up.

[@ryan_go_where]

Thanks for sharing your experience and history on this place. Ya it is sad that the reviving effort didn't work out. But still hope that eventually some white knight could come and save this mall.

[@tonyhoe74]

The Shark @ shake your head

[@customguitarith2552]

Last pegi dulu Viva masih banyak kedai bukak. Now dying? Ayoyo. 2nd time dying again this mall. From ue3 to viva now mau mati lagi sekali. Aiyoo

[@grape5211]

Ya kesian betul 😂

[@adjromulos]

IRON-NIC-CALLY? 😂

[@ryan_go_where]

@@adjromulos 😂😂

[@stevenlow8452]

Malaya already got to many complex/mall now rakyat got no money to shop n eat there ?

[@ryan_go_where]

XDDD

[@goldbergkoo5680]

dying specie of malls

[@ryan_go_where]

@@goldbergkoo5680 Indeed it is

[@azmymidon39]

Viva doom 😅

[@ryan_go_where]

:(

[@grape5211]

Viva doom Vila

[@yxcheah7215]

i　remember 2013 i visited a korean restaurant i guess closed down

[@ryan_go_where]

Yup I saw the banner but sadly the restaurant is no more there :(

[@yxcheah7215]

@@ryan_go_where i cant remember is 2013 or 2015 or 2014 but roughly in between , thank you for the video, it is nice , i think it closed down since no people to visit the mall , viva home unable to sustain after velocity and mytown and ikea opens