The sultan abdul aziz royal Gallery features an impressive collection of personal belongings, including artifacts, paintings, replicas of intricate jewellery and other fascinating exhibits. — KK sHam/The star
FOR those who live in Klang and cherish the city despite its shortcomings, it is often seen as a paradise of sorts, with delicious food and warm, friendly people.
Like any other place, Klang has its flaws but when one chooses to overlook the negatives and embrace the positives, the city can be regarded as a great place to live and raise a family.
Selangor Ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah had proclaimed Klang a royal city effective Nov 23, 2023, and its custodian, the former Klang Municipal Council, as the Klang Royal City Council (MBDK).
Klang is the fourth town in Selangor to be proclaimed a city after Shah Alam, Petaling Jaya and Subang Jaya.
Klang offers more than just great food and a vibrant local culture – it is steeped in history, with artefacts from as far back as the Bronze Age unearthed in the district.
During the colonial era, Klang became a beacon of hope for thousands of immigrants arriving in Malaya through the nation’s first port, Port Swettenham, now known as Port Klang.
Immigrants from China and India, seeking better lives, often endured cramped, rickety boats to reach Malaya, where they worked tirelessly in tin mines, on plantations or built roads and other infrastructural needs.
Many of the ethnic Chinese and Indians, born and raised in Klang, are descendants of the pioneers who left China and India to come here and help build the nation.They brought nothing but their dreams of a better life for their descendants, which has materialised judging by the many successful Chinese and Indian entrepreneurs and professionals who are still in Klang or originated from Klang.
Klang also played an important role in the birth of the Selangor Sultanate in the 1700s after Bugis seafarers and noblemen arrived and settled in the various coastal areas in Selangor.
The city is also the site of the infamous Klang war between relatives Raja Mahadi and Raja Abdullah between 1867 and 1874, which saw the construction of a protective fort dubbed Kota Raja Mahadi by the former.
Klang is divided into two sections – North Klang and South Klang. North Klang is the older part of the district while South Klang is currently the epicentre with a rapidly growing commercial centre.
Apparently, the old Klang town parameters were only from Bulatan Seratus to the Klang High School in the north and up to Simpang Lima in the south.
The areas outside these parameters were regarded as outskirts in the past, with South Klang being mainly cemeteries and plantations after the Simpang Lima junction.
The double-decked Kota Bridge, opened in 1961 by Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah, was one of the conduits that connected North and South Klang in the past.
Recently, the lower deck of the reinforced steel truss girder Kota Bridge was refurbished and opened for use to motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians who want to get to South Klang from North Klang.
History buffs will enjoy a trip to the Sultan Abdul Aziz Royal Gallery at the Sultan Suleiman Building, which was built in 1909 by British architect Arthur B. Hubback. He also designed the Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh railway stations, Carcosa Seri Negara and Masjid Jamek in Kuala Lumpur, among others.
The Gallery, which was opened by Sultan Sharafuddin in 2007, highlights the state royalty’s legacy by exhibiting many of the sultanate’s personal belongings including artefacts, paintings and replicas of the various jewellery pieces.
The best way to catch Klang’s sights and sounds would be to go on a heritage walk which can be booked at: https://forms.gle/3peoVzyc9oAt8kQ56
