Shah Alam

Shah Alam /ʃɑː ˈɑːləm/ is the state capital of Selangor, Malaysia and situated within the Petaling District and a small portion of the neighbouring Klang District. It is located about 25 kilometres (16 mi) west of the country's capital, Kuala Lumpur. Shah Alam replaced Kuala Lumpur as the capital city of the state of Selangor in 1978 due to Kuala Lumpur's incorporation into a Federal Territory in 1974. Shah Alam was the first planned city in Malaysia after independence from Britain in 1957.

History

Malaysia grew rapidly after its independence in 1957 under the "Father of Modernisation", the second Prime Minister of Malaysia, Allahyarham Tun Abdul Razak Hussein. Shah Alam was once known as Sungai Renggam and was noted for its rubber and oil palm estates. Later, the same area was identified as Batu Tiga prior to Malaysian independence, and has been a centre of rubber and palm oil trade for centuries. The Sungai Renggam Plantation was earmarked for the development of a township by the Selangor government in 1963, and under the recommendations of V. Antolic, a town planning advisor from the United Nations, chose the present site strategically located between Kuala Lumpur and Port Klang.

Its current name was chosen by the then state Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah, after his late father Sultan Alam Shah. Many other monuments, buildings and even a street are named after the late Sultan. Shah Alam was opened in 1963 with the purpose of making it the administrative centre of Selangor once Kuala Lumpur was made a Federal District on 1 February 1974. With the consent of 8th Duli Yang Maha Mulia Sultan of Selangor, Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Al-Haj, Shah Alam was proclaimed the capital of Selangor on 7 December 1978 with an area of 41.68 km², and administrated by a municipal council. Shah Alam had encountered several processes of extending its areas and the last was on 1 January 1997. Through the Gazette Plan 1190, Shah Alam was extended to 293 km².

Shah Alam was granted city status on 10 October 2000 with Dato' Haji Abu Sujak Haji Mahmud as the first mayor. He recently served as deputy Menteri Besar, or Chief Minister of Selangor. Abu Sujak declared the vision of making Shah Alam a modern city with a unique identity of "Bandaraya Melayu" or Malay City, showcasing the achievements of the Malay race in all sectors. In line with this identity, Shah Alam was declared the first city in the world with no entertainment outlets to avoid any vice activities.

Tourism

Garden of Islamic Arts

The Blue Mosque overlooks the Garden of Islamic Arts, a landscaped park inspired by the Quranic Garden of Paradise. This 14 hectares of spiritual sanctuary houses nine galleries exhibiting a rich array of Islamic arts such as calligraphy, sculptures, paintings and architecture. The site is occasionally used for traditional Islamic performances.

Sultan Alam Shah Museum (Selangor State Museum)

The Selangor State Museum (Sultan Alam Shah Museum) displays many treasures and artefacts related to the history of Selangor. Adjacent to the museum is the former Selangor State Library (Perpustakaan Raja Tun Uda). The Selangor Islamic Arts Complex (Kompleks Kesenian Islam Selangor or Riyadh Fannil Islam) is situated nearby, housing many Islamic masterpieces and creativities such as a variety of Islamic calligraphy, known as khat, and a number of precious treasures. An Islamic Art College is located within the Complex. At the banks of the Lake Gardens, an art gallery and performance centre called Laman Budaya is located, where exhibitions and shows regularly take place.

The city is surrounded by many parks and gardens, such as the Shah Alam Lake Gardens (developed around seven artificial lakes), the Bukit Cahaya Sri Alam Agricultural Park (soon to be National Botanical Gardens) and the Alam Megah Recreational Park, situated in Section 28.

Source https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shah_Alam