Kota Malawati (Fort Altingsburg), Selangor

Kota Malawati (Fort Altingsburg), Kuala Selangor (7 July, 2016)


Kota Malawati (GPS: 3.34141, 101.24639) is a fort in Kuala Selangor, Selangor. Often written as Kota Melawati, it was built by Sultan Ibrahim, the second Sultan of Selangor, who reigned from 1770 to 1826. When the Dutch took over it for a short period of time, they renamed it Fort Altingsburg, after the Dutch Governor of Malacca at that time. The Dutch placed their cannons on the fort, and these can still be seen today.

Kota Malawati is located on Bukit Malawati, a hill at the mouth of the Selangor River. The hill was an ideal spot to monitor the ships passing through the Straits of Malacca. It was the scene of many battles fought between the locals and different invaders from the sea.

Today only parts of the old fort remains. There are still some of its cannons there. In 1909, the British built a lighthouse here which is still standing. The forest surrounding the hill teems with silver-leafed monkeys which are quite tame.

My wife and I at Fort Altingsburg in Bukit Malawati. Behind us are the Kuala Selangor Lighthouse and the Baitulhilal (Moon Sighting Pavilion) (7 July, 2016)


Cannon at Kota Malawati. I note the insignia of the Dutch East India Company on it. (7 July, 2016)

360° View of Kota Malawati on Google Maps Street View

View towards the Straits of Malacca from Bukit Malawati.

Getting there

Take the buses from just outside Puduraya and Medan Pasar in Kuala Lumpur to reach Kuala Selangor. The bus will take you to the old bus station beside Bukit Malawati itself. The road up the hill starts from the old bus station going clockwise up the hill.

If you are driving, exit the North-South Expressway at Lembah Beringin Interchange (Exit 120). Follow Route B33 south to Kuala Selangor, passing Batang Berjuntai.

Kota Malawati is on the Map of Kuala Selangor

List of Forts in Selangor and Forts in Malaysia

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Dear visitor, thank you so much for reading this page. My name is Timothy Tye and my hobby is to find out about places, write about them and share the information with you on this website. I have been writing this site since 5 January 2003. Originally (from 2003 until 2009, the site was called AsiaExplorers. I changed the name to Penang Travel Tips in 2009, even though I describe more than just Penang but everywhere I go (I often need to tell people that "Penang Travel Tips" is not just information about Penang, but information written in Penang), especially places in Malaysia and Singapore, and in all the years since 2003, I have described over 20,000 places.

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