Shah Alam

The city of Shah Alam serves as the capital of the Malaysian state of Selangor. It is located in the Petaling District as well as a tiny piece of the Klang District, which is located nearby. Because of Kuala Lumpur's transformation into a federal territory in 1974, the city of Shah Alam was selected to serve as the new capital of the state of Selangor in 1978. After gaining its independence from Britain in 1957, Shah Alam became Malaysia's first city to be formally developed.

Under the leadership of Allahyarham Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, Malaysia had a period of fast development after the country's attainment of its independence in 1957. In the past, Shah Alam was known as Sungai Renggam and it was renowned for the rubber and oil palm fields that dotted the area. After some time had passed, the same region became known as Batu Tiga prior to the independence of Malaysia. This region has been a centre for the trading of palm oil and rubber for many decades. In 1963, the state government of Selangor designated the Sungai Renggam Plantation as a potential location for the development of a new township. Following the recommendations of Vlado Antolic, a town planning advisor for the United Nations, the government selected the current site because of its advantageous location between Kuala Lumpur and Port Klang.

It was given its present name by Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah, who was serving as the Sultan of Selangor at the time, in honour of his late father Sultan Alam Shah. The late Sultan's name has been given to a number of other landmarks, structures, and even a street. Shah Alam was established in 1963 with the intention of being the new administrative centre of Selangor. This intended to take the place of Kuala Lumpur, which was converted into a federal territory on February 1, 1974. On December 7, 1978, with the approval of the Sultan, Shah Alam was designated the capital of the state of Selangor. At the time, the city had an initial area of 41.68 km2 and was governed by a municipal council.