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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Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.