Shah Alam

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Shah Alam was the name of two Mughal emperors, Shah Alam I and Shah Alam II.

Shah Alam (population 120,000) is a city in Malaysia, about 25 km west of the country's capital, Kuala Lumpur. In 1978, it replaced Kuala Lumpur as the capital city of the state of Selangor due to Kuala Lumpur's incorporation into a Federal Territory.

Long ago, Shah Alam was known as Sungai Renggam and is known only as an oil palm estate. Later, the same area was identified as Batu Tiga prior to Malaysian independence, and has been a centre of palm oil trade for centuries. Its current name was chosen by the then state Sultan of Selangor, the late 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.

Today, Shah Alam is most famous for its spectacular masjid (mosque), the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Mosque, also known as the Blue Mosque. It is currently Southeast Asia's largest mosque and its most salient feature is its large blue and white dome. The dome is one of the biggest in the world. The minarets, too, are disputably among those of the tallest in the world. It was completed in 1988. The presence of the mosque and a large Muslim population has given the city a 'Muslim-city' image. There are no bars, clubs or other institutions that open late into the night and permits to serve alcohol in eateries are almost impossible to get from the City Council. However, certain shops and restaurants are allowed to sell alcohol and pork (neither consumed by Muslims). All main roads and streets in the city have signs with their names shown in both Roman and Jawi scripts.

Shah Alam also houses the Selangor State Museum (Muzium Alam Shah) which displays many treasures and artifacts connected to the history of Selangor. Adjacent to the museum is the Selangor State Library (Perpustakaan Raja Tun Uda). The Islamic Arts Complex (Kompleks Kesenian Islam Selangor or Riyadh Fannil Islam) is situated nearby, housing many Islamic masterpieces and creativity such as a variety of Islamic art of calligraphy known as khat, and a number precious treasures. One of them is an old Qur'an possessed from an Achehnese months before the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami struck. At the banks of the Lake Gardens, an art gallery and performance centre called Laman Budaya is located. Exhibitions and shows regularly take place here. Areas around the city centre are surrounded with many parks with lush greenery despite numbers of high-rises and buildings.

Many buildings in the city centre have a distinctive bluish and grey feature which blends perfectly with the State Mosque, creating an authentic Shah Alam indentity.

The main plant of the Malaysian car manufacturer Proton is also located in Shah Alam. There are many companies who have their main plants in the industrial areas, both local and foreign.

The Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM and formerly known as Institut Teknologi MARA or ITM) which is known as Malaysia's affirmative action symbol is located in the state capital. The whole university area covers a whole section at the west hills of the city known as Seksyen 1. At Seksyen 17, there is also a campus of UiTM namely INTEC where its students undergo preparation programmes for overseas studies.

Shah Alam flourished as a growing settlement after the Proton car manufacturing plant was set up, which marked the beginning of the city as an industrial city. The city was granted city status on 10 October 2000 with Dato' Haji Abu Sujak Haji Mahmud as the first City mayor.

The city also boasts the huge and modern Shah Alam Stadium with a capacity of 81, 000 and 5,500 parking lots where many fairs were held and the stadium is where the Selangor state team plays its football. A smaller indoor stadium, Stadium Melawati, and an the Selangor Aquatic Centre are located nearby.

Today, the city has a similar urban layout as Petaling Jaya with housing areas occupying most of the city areas (55.2 sq. km.) and commercial centres scattered around the different 'Seksyen' (sections). The city is has a number of shopping malls (SACC Mall, Plaza Shah Alam and Kompleks PKNS) and it has many schools, shops, banks, eateries, cafes, hotels, medical centres, clinics, large hypermarkets (notably Tesco, Giant and Makro) and recreational areas. Vibrant commercial areas are situated mostly at the city center (Seksyen 14), Seksyen 13 and Seksyen 9.

Shah Alam has a notably lower crime rate compared to neighbouring areas such as Klang and Petaling Jaya, probably owing to the fact that its residents are mostly from middle and higher socio-economic classes (notably in the areas around the city centre) as well as it being an area where many members of the state royal family reside (there are two large palaces in the city). The state royal family has been an active part of the city's development, from giving it its current name, designing parts of the state mosque to having a say in the city's building plans. One of the Sultan's palaces is situated at the Kayangan Hill in Seksyen 12.

The city is relatively new compared to other cities in the Klang Valley, and is henceforth well planned (commercial, industrial and residential areas are separated), less congested, less polluted (although it does have a high level of acid rain due to the large industrial areas in and around the city), has less traffic and road problems and is relatively greener.

Its main KTM Commuter Station is the 'Shah Alam' station which is situated at the southern part of the city in Seksyen 19. Shah Alam is well connected to other main cities in Klang Valley by highways, mainly by the Federal Highway, North Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE), Shah Alam Expressway (KESAS), Guthrie Corridor Expressway and the North-South Expressway (PLUS). Shah Alam is well connected to main transportation hubs such as the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (30 km south of the city) and KL Sentral in Kuala Lumpur. Buses and taxis are easy to find at commercial areas in the city. Shah Alam roads are among the best and most well-planned systems in Malaysia.

1 Places of interest
2 Hotels
3 Education
4 External links

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Places of interest

Wet World waterpark
SACC Mall
Shah Alam Lake Gardens
Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Building
Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Mosque
Bukit Cahaya Sri Alam Agricultural Park
Sultan Alam Shah State Museum
Selangor Islamic Arts Park Complex
State Library
Section 9
Istana Bukit Kayangan
Shah Alam Square (adjacent to Plaza Alam Sentral)
Independence Square (where the 43rd national-level National Day Parade was held)
Kelab Golf Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah