Bukit Malawati, Kuala Selangor

Bukit Malawati, Kuala Selangor (7 July, 2016)

Bukit Malawati (GPS: 3.34141, 101.24639) is a hillock on the left bank of Sungai Selangor, a short distance from the river mouth. Its strategic overlooking the coast makes it the location for the siting of the seat of the Selangor government in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The ruler Sultan Ibrahim Shah (r. 1778-1826) erected a fort here to protect his stronghold.

When Selangor was sucked into the tussle between the Dutch and the rulers of Johor and Riau, the sultanate of Selangor eventually fell to the Dutch, which took over the fort and renamed it Fort Altingsburg. However, with the help of fighting men from Pahang and Permatang, Sultan Ibrahim managed to get back the fort in 1785.

Today Bukit Malawati is preserved as a historic site. A walk around its well-maintained grounds takes you to various historic relics, some of which I document below. Instead of walking, you can also take the Bukit Malawati Tram which encircles the hill and stop at Kota Malawati for you to disembark. It was a hot day when my wife and I visited the place. We saw the ice cream carts stationed by the roadside doing brisk business. There are two type of monkeys on Bukit Malawati - the more common long-tail macaques and the less common silverleaf monkey.