Klang (city)

Klang or Kelang, officially Royal City of Klang (Malay: Bandaraya Diraja Klang), is a city, royal city and former capital of the state of Selangor, Malaysia. It is located within the Klang District. It was the civil capital of Selangor in an earlier era prior to the emergence of Kuala Lumpur and the current capital, Shah Alam. The Port of Port Klang, which is located in the Klang District, is the 12th busiest transshipment port and the 12th busiest container port in the world.
The Klang Royal City Council or Majlis Bandaraya Diraja Klang exercises jurisdiction for a majority of the Klang District while the Shah Alam City Council exercises some jurisdiction over the east of Klang District, north of Petaling District and the other parts of Selangor State including Shah Alam itself.
As of 2010, the Klang City has a total population of 240,016 (10,445 in the city centre), while the population of Klang District is 842,146, and the population of all towns managed by Klang Municipal Council is 744,062, making it Selangor's second largest city.
Klang may have taken its name from the Klang River which runs through the city. The entire geographical area in the immediate vicinity of the river, which begins at Kuala Lumpur and runs west all the way to Port Klang, is known as the Klang Valley.
One popular theory on the origin of the name is that it is derived from the Mon–Khmer word Klong, which may mean a canal or waterway. Alternatively, it has also been argued that it means "warehouses", from the Malay word Kilang – in the old days, it was full of warehouses (kilang currently means "factory").
Klang was also once known as Pengkalan Batu meaning "stone jetty".
Unlike most other place names in Malaysia, the Chinese name for Klang (Chinese: 巴生; pinyin: Bāshēng) is neither a direct transcription nor translation of the Malay place name, but likely a transcription of another Malay word Pasang, referring to the rising tides around the Klang Valley.
The royal city of Klang has been a site of human settlement since prehistoric times. Bronze Age drums, axes and other artefacts have been found in the vicinity of the town and within the town itself. A bronze bell dating from the 2nd century BC was found in Klang and is now in the British Museum. Also found in or near Klang are iron tools called "tulang mawas" ("ape bones") and a bronze drum. Commanding the approaches to the tin-rich Klang Valley, Klang has always been of key strategic importance. It was mentioned as a dependency of other states as early as the 11th century. Klang was also mentioned in the 14th century literary work Nagarakretagama dated to the Majapahit Empire, and the Klang River was marked and named on the earliest maritime charts of Chinese Admiral Cheng Ho, who visited Malacca from 1409 to 1433.
Klang was under the control of the Malacca Sultanate in the 15th century. The celebrated Tun Perak, Malacca's greatest Bendahara, came from Klang and became its territorial chief. According to the Malay Annals, the people of Klang overthrew the local chief or penghulu and asked the Sultan of Malacca Muzaffar Shah to appoint another, and Tun Perak was then appointed the leader. Klang was known as a producer of tin; according to Manuel Godinho de Erédia, it produced one hundred bares of tin a year when the Portuguese occupied Malacca. Klang however remained in Malay hands after the fall of Melaka to the Portuguese in 1511, and was controlled by the Sultan of Johor-Riau. In the 17th century, the Bugis began to settle in the coastal region of Selangor including Klang, and the Selangor sultanate was created in the 1766, which then controlled Klang.
In the 19th century, the importance of Klang greatly increased by the rapid expansion of tin mining as a result of the increased demand for tin from the West. The desire to control the Klang Valley led directly to the Klang War (also called the Selangor Civil War) of 1867–1874 when Raja Mahdi fought to regain what he considered his birthright as territorial chief against Raja Abdullah. During the Klang War, in 1868, the seat of power was moved to Bandar Temasya, Kuala Langat, and then to Jugra which became the royal capital of Selangor.
Klang however did not lose its importance. In 1874, Selangor accepted a British Resident who would "advise" the Sultan, and Klang became the capital of British colonial administration for Selangor from 1875 until 1880 when the capital city was moved to Kuala Lumpur due to the growth of Kuala Lumpur from tin-mining. Today Klang is no longer State capital or the main seat of the ruler, but it remains the headquarters of the District to which it gives it name.
Until the construction of Port Swettenham (now known as Port Klang) in 1901, Klang remained the chief outlet for Selangor's tin, and its position was enhanced by the completion of the Klang Valley railway to Bukit Kuda in 1886, which was then connected to Klang itself via a rail bridge, the Connaught Bridge, completed in 1890. In the 1890s its growth was further stimulated by the development of the district into the State' leading producer of coffee, and later rubber. In 1903, the royal seat was moved back to Klang when it became the official seat of Sultan Sulaiman (Sultan Alauddin Sulaiman Shah).
In May 1890, a local authority, known as Klang Health Board, was established to administer Klang town. The official boundary of Klang was first defined in 1895. The first road bridge over the Klang River connecting the two parts of the town, the Belfield Bridge, was constructed in 1908. In 1926 the health boards of Klang and Port Swettenham were merged, and in 1945 the local authority was renamed Klang Town Board. In 1954, the Town Board became the Klang Town Council after a local election was set up to select its members in accordance with the Local Government Election Ordinance of 1950. In 1963, the Port Klang Authority was created and it now administers three Port Klang areas: Northport, Southpoint, and West Port.
In 1971, the Klang District Council, which incorporated the nearby townships of Kapar and Meru as well as Port Klang, was formed. After undergoing a further reorganisation according to the Local Government Act of 1976 (Act 171), Klang District Council was upgraded to Klang Municipal Council (KMC) on 1 January 1977 and Klang Royal City Council (KRCC) beginning 5 February 2024. From 1974 to 1977, Klang was the state capital city of Selangor before the seat of government shifted to Shah Alam in 1977.
Klang is divided into North Klang and South Klang, which are separated by the Klang River. North Klang is divided into three sub-districts which are Kapar (Located at the north of North Klang), Rantau Panjang (situated at the west of North Klang) and Meru (at the east of North Klang).
Klang North used to be the main commercial centre of Klang, but since 2008, more residential and commercial areas as well as government offices are being developed in Klang South. Most major government and private health care facilities are also located at Klang South. Hence, this area tends to be busier and becomes the centre of social and recreational activities after office hours and during the weekends. This is triggered by the rapid growth of new and modern townships such as Bandar Botanic, Bandar Bukit Tinggi, Taman Sentosa Perdana, Taman Sri Andalas, Taman Bayu Perdana, Taman Sentosa, Glenmarie Cove, Kota Bayuemas etc. all located within Klang South.
At the Klang North side, some of the older and established residential areas include Berkeley Garden, Taman Eng Ann, Taman Klang Utama, Bandar Baru Klang and so forth. Newer townships include Bandar Bukit Raja, Aman Perdana and Klang Sentral.
Malaysia's busiest port, Port Klang was previously named Port Swettenham until 1972 when it was renamed Port Klang. Port Klang is located at Klang South.
Initially, Bukit Kuda port (located at 12.5 miles away from Klang river mouth) was established as a port that connect to mining areas within Kuala Lumpur. Later, a railway line was built connecting Bukit Kuda with Kuala Lumpur. However, the Bukit Kuda port was found to be unsuitable. Therefore, the town of Klang which is located at three miles nearer to the river mouth than Bukti Kuda, was chosen to become the major port. A bridge was constructed across the Klang river and railway was connected to Klang in August 1890. Klang port received huge amount of traffic in the following years, which later the authorities decided to extend the railway line to the mouth of the river where new port named "Port Swettenham" would be constructed in 1901. However, Port Swettenham was plaqued with malaria infections which affected coolies and port staff greatly, causing a delay in unloading cargoes from the ships. Sir Malcom Watson, a district surgeon in Klang solved the malaria problem in 1903 by clearing the forests and undergrowth and construct a drainage system at the same time.
Klang gradually became the main manufacturing centre for Malaya after the end of World War I. The first person who set up a factory in Klang was a millionaire from Singapore named Tan Kah Kee. His factory produced canned pineapples. The setting up of his factory stimulated the pineapple plantations around Klang. After Tan went bankrupt in 1934, Goh Hock Huat, one of the pineapple producers, decided to set up his own pineapple canning factory. More factories opened in Klang due to its proximity to Port Swettenham. In the following years, factories producing rubber products and oil factory producing products from groundnuts were set up with skills and machineries imported from Singapore.
The economy of Klang is closely linked with that the greater Klang Valley conurbation which is the most densely populated, urbanised and industrialised region of Malaysia. There is a wide range of industries within the Klang municipality, major industrial areas may be found in Bukit Raja, Kapar, Meru, Taman Klang Utama and Sungai Buloh, Pulau Indah, Teluk Gong and others. Rubber used to be an important part of the economy of the region, but from the 1970s onwards, many rubber plantations have switched to palm oil, and were then converted again for urban development and infrastructure use.
Port Klang forms an important part of the economy of Klang. It is home to about 95 shipping companies and agents, 300 custom brokers, 25 container storage centres, as well as more than 70 freight and transport companies. It handled almost 50% of Malaysia's sea-borne container trade in 2013. The Port Klang Free Zone was established in 2004 to transform Port Klang into a regional distribution hub as well as a trade and logistics centre.
The port is part of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road that runs from the Chinese coast to Singapore, towards the southern tip of India to Mombasa, from there through the Red Sea via the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean, there to the Upper Adriatic region to the northern Italian hub of Trieste with its connections to Central Europe and the North Sea.
Klang encompasses three parliamentary seats held by both Perikatan Nasional (1 seat) and also the Pakatan Harapan coalitions (2 seats). These constituencies are subdivided into state seats.
The following are the census figures for the population of Klang. The 1957 and 1970 figures are for the Klang district and were collected before the reorganisation of Klang and the Bumiputra status being used as a category. The 2010 figures are for MP Klang. The figure for Klang city is not given as what constitutes Bandar Klang appears to be inconsistent with considerable fluctuation in population figures over the years.
There are a number of criminal gangs operating in Klang, and gang violence is not uncommon. Among the Chinese community, there are the Ang Bin Hoey triad gangs such as Gang 21 which operates in Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley. There are also Gang 24, Gang 36 and others, and their members are often Indians. Due to economic development and changes in the industry, many rubber estates where Indian plantation workers used to live and work were closed, and this is thought to have contributed to a rise of gangsterism amongst the displaced and economically-deprived Indians. It is thought that the Indians originally worked for Chinese gang leaders but they now dominate many of these criminal organisations.
Klang is served by six commuter stations that constitute the 2 Port Klang Line of the KTM Komuter system, namely Bukit Badak, Kampung Raja Uda, Klang, Teluk Pulai, Teluk Gadong and Pelabuhan Klang stations.
By September 2025, Klang is expected to be connected to the LRT Shah Alam transit line.
Klang is connected to the rest of the Klang Valley via the Federal Highway, the New Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE), South Klang Valley Expressway (SKVE), the North Klang Straits Bypass (New North Klang Straits Bypass) as well as the KESAS Highway. The West Coast Expressway (WCE) currently under construction, will run between Changkat Jering, Perak and Klang-Banting, Selangor. The construction is expected to be fully completed by early 2025.
Klang is also served by the RapidKL bus route. Klang Sentral acts as a terminal for long-distance buses and taxis in northern Klang. There is a non-stop hourly bus service every day from and to KLIA2 to Klang, and the embarkation point is located at the AEON Bukit Tinggi Shopping Centre. Smart Selangor Bus Programme was established by the Selangor State Government to provide an efficient and high quality free public transportation service to its citizens.
The double-decked Kota Bridge was first built in late 1950s as a replacement for the Belfield Bridge. The double-decked bridge now closed to car traffic after a new Kota Bridge was built alongside it in the 1992, although the lower deck is still used by pedestrians, bicycles and motorcycles. A second bridge in Klang, the Musaeddin (Tengku Kelana) Bridge, was built in the 1980s near the Kota Bridge. The RM199 million Klang Third Bridge was opened for traffic in May 2017, complementing the existing two other road bridges in the city that connect Klang North and Klang South.
There are several shopping complexes and hypermarkets in Klang, primarily in Klang South, namely:
The most significant food spot in Klang is at "Emporium Makan", this old spot situated in the heart the city, opposite of Pasar Jawa and next to Jambatan Kota.
Klang is known for its Bak Kut Teh (Chinese: 肉骨茶; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Bah-kut-tê), a non-halal herbal soup that uses pork ribs and tenderloins. The dish is popularly thought to have originated in Klang. Bak Kut Teh is available in various locations including Taman Intan (previously called Taman Rashna), Teluk Pulai, Jalan Kereta Api and Pandamaran. The locals normally eat this food in the morning or afternoon, and you will hardly find this in the evening time.
There are a number of food courts in Klang which served local cuisine. Located in Taman Eng Ann is a large food court serving many daytime snacks ranging from the well-known Chee Cheong Fun, Yong Tau Foo, Popia (Chinese springrolls), the medicinal herb Lin Zhi Kang drink, to Rojak and Cendol. Other stalls found also serving Chee Cheong Fun in Klang are located around the Meru Berjaya area. The Yong Tau Foo, a Malaysian Hakka Chinese delicacy, is a common meal for lunch and dinner as well.
The coastal regions and islands near Port Klang are also known for their seafood, such as Pulau Ketam, Bagan Hailam, Teluk Gong, Pandamaran and Tanjung Harapan.
Klang has a tropical monsoon climate with heavy rainfall year-round.
Klang is also known as education hub where hundreds of national schools, private schools and colleges were built.
Rehabilitation ensures the sustainability of the surrounding population and environment in a changing climate. The objectives are to restore ecological balance, to improve water quality to avoid flood mitigation as well as to preserve the environment for a better transformation of Klang River. The primary purpose of rehabilitation of Telok Kapas with 98 acres of land in Pasir Panjang, Klang which had been officially stopped in operation in 2007 is to improve water quality as well as restoring the site with a proper safe closure. The comprehensive rehabilitation of Klang River involves creation of new land and utility services with estimated cost of RM 3 billion that involve the Design Concept, Construction and Operation and Maintenance. The objectives are to increase the water quality and economic activities.
The framework sets to re-establish the urban developments along the river from one zone to the other. The plans set the development of six (6) zones in Selangor Maritime Gateway (SMG) through consolidation of Urban Design, Landscape, Transportation, Environmental and Economic Consideration of the existing condition and cultural context. Six zones are proposed as a basis for creating community identity and place-making along the river stretch. Together, the intention brings the true potential of what Klang River can be as well as gives a new pulse to the river. The catalyst projects includes :
3°02′N 101°27′E﻿ / ﻿3.033°N 101.450°E﻿ / 3.033; 101.450