Information
Selangor (also known by its Arabic honorific, Daryl Ethan, or "Abode of Sincerity") is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is on the west coast of Peninsular and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east, Negeri Sembilan to the south and the Strait of Malacca to the west. It completely surrounds the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, both of which were once under Selangor's sovereignty.
The state capital is Shah Alam, the first city in Selangor, and the royal capital is Klang. Another major urban centre is Petaling Jaya which was awarded city status on June 20, 2006. Selangor is one of only two Malaysian states with more than one city; the other is Sarawak. Selangor has the largest city in Malaysia and it is growing rapidly due to modernization in the Klang Valley.
Selangor is the richest state in Malaysia in terms of gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. This state is also the most developed in Malaysia with good infrastructure such as highways and transport. The state also has the largest population in Malaysia, with a high standard of living and the state's poverty rate is the lowest in the country.
Selangor State History
In the 15th century, Selangor was ruled by the Sultanate of Malacca. After the fall of Malacca to the Portuguese in 1511, the area became hotly disputed between the Portuguese, Johor, Aceh and Siam. When the Dutch displaced the Portuguese from Malacca in 1641, they brought in Muslim Bugismercenaries from Sulawesi. They established the present hereditary sultanate in 1740. In many districts, Bugis settlers displaced the Minangkabausettlers from Sumatra, who had established themselves in Selangor some 100 years previously.
In the 19th century, the economy boomed due to the exploitation of huge tin reserves and the growing importance of rubber. This attracted a large influx of Chinese migrant laborers. Chinese secret clan societies, allied with Selangor chiefs, fought for control of the tin mines. The increasing violence created social and economic havoc. It also opened a window of opportunity for the British government, which forced the Sultan of Selangor to accept a British in 1874. Under the stability imposed by the British, Selangor again prospered. In 1896, largely through the coordination of the Resident, Frank, Selangor united with Negri Sembilan, Perak and Pahang to form the Federated Malay States, with its capital in Kuala Lumpur.
The Federated Malay States evolved into the Federation of Malaya in 1948, which became independent in 1957, and Malaysia in 1963. The city of Kuala Lumpur functioned as both the national capital of Malaysia and the state capital of Selangor. In 1974, Selangor relinquished Kuala Lumpur to the federal government. The Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Salahuddin, reportedly shed tears of sadness upon signing away Selangor's sovereignty over its beloved capital. To commemorate Selangor's sacrifice, the Sultan decreed that an archway be built on the borders of the new Federal Territory and Selangor; this archway is the Kota Daryl Ethan that now towers majestically over a section of the Federal Highway between Bangsar and Petaling Jaya. The state capital was moved to Shah Alam after the session.
Putrajaya, a new city designed to be the new administrative capital of Malaysia, was built by the federal government in Selangor. Sultan Salahuddin was asked again to cede land to the federal government. Putrajaya became a federal territory in 2001.
