Klang, Selangor

Klang (7 July, 2016)


B. Melayu

Klang (GPS: 3.04491, 101.44556) is a town on the coast of Selangor. It is located in Klang district, about 6 km east of Port Klang, 10 km from Shah Alam and 32 km west of Kuala Lumpur.

The area around Klang has seen human settlement going back to prehistoric times. The famous 15th Bendahara of Malacca, Tun Perak, hailed from Klang. According to the Klang Municipal Council¹, the town has existed since at least 1445, when Bendahara Tun Perak arrived there to be the penghulu, or headman. It is also claimed that the Klang district is older even than Malacca, making it the oldest town in Peninsular Malaysia.

According to local historian Faisal Surani², the Klang area has been a producer of tin going back to the 14th century, continuing right up to the 20th century.

Klang, as was the rest of Selangor, was controlled by Malacca until the latter fell to the Portuguese in 1511, after which it remain under the control of the Sultan of Johor-Riau, which is also a spin-off from the Malacca Sultanate, until the 18th century, when when present Selangor sultanate, whose rulers are of Bugis descent, came into power.

It was in Klang that Raja Abdullah sent the first batch of Chinese miners up the Klang River to Ampang, which eventually led to the founding of Kuala Lumpur. It was here that the Klang War (also called Selangor Civil War) erupted between Raja Abdullah and Raja Mahdi. The warfare between the two chieftains provided the British an excuse to intervene, and the first British Resident of Selangor was stationed in Klang in 1874.

Until 1874, the capital of Selangor was at Jugra. The British moved it to Klang in 1874, where it remained until 1880, when they moved it once more to Kuala Lumpur. While the capital of Selangor was Kuala Lumpur until 1978 (for four years between 1974 and 1978, Kuala Lumpur acted as capital of Selangor although it was carved out as the Federal Territory). Klang remained as the royal town until the founding of Shah Alam.

As you travel from Kuala Lumpur to Klang, you will notice that the Chinese speak a different dialect. While it is predominantly Cantonese in Kuala Lumpur, the Chinese in Klang speak Klang Hokkien, which is slightly different from the Penang Hokkien. I describe here in more detail about why there are two variants of Hokkien in Malaysia.

The specialty of Klang is Bah Kut Teh, a meal of pork ribs in herbal soup served with rice.

Map of Klang, Selangor

Places of Interest in Klang

Places and neighbourhoods of Klang

Categories of sights in Klang

What to eat in Klang

Klang Convent School (29 December, 2006)


Klang Old Town (29 December, 2006)


Masjid India, Klang (29 December, 2006)

What to eat in Klang

Kedai Makanan Seng Huat, Klang (29 December, 2006)


If you take pork, the specialty here is the Klang Bak Kut Teh, and the most popular coffee shop selling it is Kedai Makanan Seng Huat, often known as the "bak kut teh under the bridge" because the shop just just beside the bridge that crosses the Klang River. I have eaten here once. Honestly, I didn't find it all that special, but if you are ever in Klang, you might want to give it a try.

Tim at Kedai Kopi Seng Huat, Klang (29 December, 2006)

Getting there

The most straightforward way to reach Klang is to use the Federal Highway which leads to Klang on the way to Port Klang. At the end of the Federal Highway, the same road becomes Persiaran Sultan Ibrahim. Further on, as it approach the town bridge, it becomes Jalan Jambatan Kota. After crossing the bridge, get ready to exit the road to go to Old Klang Town. If you continue on, you will reach Port Klang.

Klang is on the Map of Towns in Selangor

References

1. Rentetan Sejarah: Majlis Perbandaran Klang

2. Utusan Online: Sejarah panjang Sungai Klang (5 September, 2015)

Back to Discover Selangor; list of Towns in Selangor and Towns in Malaysia

 Latest updates on Penang Travel Tips