Kuala Selangor is a town in northwestern Selangor, Malaysia. It is the largest town and administrative centre of the coterminous Kuala Selangor District.
Etymology The name Kuala Selangor means estuary of the Selangor River.
History Prior to 18th century, it was ruled by the Malacca Sultanate. In the year 1784, the Dutch conquered Kuala Selangor which destroyed the fortifications. In the late 17th century however, it was invaded by the Bugis.
Then, Kuala Selangor was made the capital of the Sultanate of Selangor during the early years in the 18th century which was relocated 3 times.
Location Kuala Selangor town is located at the estuary of the Selangor River, where it drains into the Strait of Malacca. It is located 55 km north-west of downtown Kuala Lumpur, and 42 km north-west of Shah Alam, the capital of Selangor.
Kuala Selangor town is the largest town of the coterminous Kuala Selangor District, which also contains the adjacent towns of Tanjung Karang, Ijok, Puncak Alam, Bestari Jaya, and Jeram.
Culture The residents of Kuala Selangor are predominantly Malays, followed by Indians and ethnic Chinese. Most of the Chinese residents here are from the southern Fujian region, in which the Hokkien dialect is predominantly spoken by its ethnic Chinese residents.
Tourist attractions Bukit Melawati
Kampung Kuantan fireflies
Kampung Kuantan is well known for its fireflies. Firely tourism in the area began in the early 1970s. Now, tourism is managed by the Kuala Selangor Municipal Council and has expanded rapidly with the addition of 27 small boats for the visitors.
Kuala Selangor Nature Park Kuala Selangor Nature Park was opened in 1987. With an area of , it is divided to two main parts: a Tropical Rainforest, and a Swamp Forest. The park is under the management of the Malaysia Nature Lovers Association, ensuring the natural environment of the park is preserved without any habitat damage.
Transportation
Road Kuala Selangor is connected to Sungai Buloh and Kepong by Federal Route 54. This is the main access road from downtown Kuala Lumpur. The Kuala Lumpur-Kuala Selangor expressway (LATAR) E25 is another access route, providing access from Rawang. The partially-completed West Coast Expressway, will provide access to Banting, Klang, Teluk Intan, Ipoh, and Taiping. It is scheduled to be completed by 2027.
Kuala Selangor is also accessible from the royal capital Klang via Federal Route 5.
Public transit
Bus Kuala Selangor serves as the terminus for a number of bus services. Terminal Bas Bandar Melawati Kuala Selangor serves as its bus terminal. CodeRouteOperatorKuala Selangor - SekinchanWawasan Sutera (as part of MPKS SMART Selangor Bus)100Kuala Selangor - Medan PasarSelangor Omnibus105Kuala Selangor - Bestari JayaWawasan Sutera740Kuala Selangor - KlangWawasan SuteraML34Sungai Tengi - Tanjong KarangMARAliner
Rail Kuala Selangor is currently not connected to any rail transit lines. However, a branch line of the FMSR once connected Kuala Selangor to Padang Jawa; it was constructed in stages from 1913-1914 but was closed in 1933.
Since 2024, a new railway line passing through Kuala Selangor has been proposed to be built between Sabak Bernam extending southwards towards Negeri Sembilan, along with several other branch lines. It is expected to be completed in phases over 10 years once approved by the state government.
In popular culture
Movies Mukhsin (2007) Ngangkung (2010)
References