By Batrisyia Jay
The Royal Klang Heritage Walk (RKTHW) organised by Tourism Selangor in collaboration with Klang Municipal Council (MPK), Sultan Abdul Aziz Royal Gallery and Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) was a media familiarisation programme which was officiated by Datuk Abdul Rashid Asari, Chairman of the Standing Committee of Culture and Tourism, `Malay Tradition and Heritage of Selangor, Dato’ Paiman Bin Keromo, CEO of Malay Culture and Heritage Corporation of Selangor (PADAT) and Dato’ Hj. Mohamad Yasid Bin Bidin, Chief of the District, Klang Municipal Council (MPK).
Held on the 2nd of September 2018, the event was in conjunction with the nation’s 61st Independence Day as an initiative to boost the spirit of ‘Sayangi Malaysiaku’ amongst the participants by exploring the country’s early history in Klang.
Klang a royal town and former capital of Selangor is characterised by historic buildings and quaint, traditional structures such as the Indian Muslim Mosque in Tengku Kelana and the Alam Shah palace.
The free guided walk tour, the RKTHW program, aims to highlight the character, charm and unique attractions of Klang. These include clusters of colonial sights, places of worship, a school, fire station, royal gallery and warehouse built by a local Malay chieftain.
Among the highlights is the Alam Shah Palace, Royal Klang Club, Tengku Kelana Street (Little India), Indian Muslim Mosque of Tengku Kelana, Klang fire station and the Sultan Abdul Aziz Royal Gallery.
“Finding the right balance between the development of a modern way of life, buildings and infrastructures, and conservations of traditions, architecture and culture is critical to ensure the country’s attractiveness towards tourists, as well as a cultural heritage including historic building, sites, cultures and other invaluable assets that plays a major role in boosting the state’s tourism sector” said Dato’ Abdul Rashid Asari, Chairman of Standing Committee of Culture Tourism, Malay Civilisation and Heritage of Selangor.
“With the collaboration of Keretapi Tanah Melayu Railway Berhad in this event, we hope it could give an impact for the tourist. With the connection and easy access from the Klang train station to the city centre, we hope people will join and experience this free guided trip for themselves,” he said.
THE ROYAL TOWN
Known as one of the oldest towns in Selangor, if not Malaysia, Klang is rich in tradition, history and customs. The town began at the southern bank of the Klang River, which has been known throughout the world as the ultimate tin producer in early 15th century.
Prior to making Shah Alam their domain, Klang was the home of the royal family of Selangor and was named as the royal capital of the state. It was the capital of the British colonial administration for Selangor from 1875 until 1880. In 1880, the capital state was moved to Kuala Lumpur.
This programme gives an insight into the historical town’s development, foundation of Selangor monarchy as well as the British colonial administration from a period of late 1800’s to mid-1900.
Tourist guide, Alex Raj guided through captivating streets such as Jalan Tengku Kelana (Little India) and into private sites such as the Royal Klang Club, while enthralling with tales of people who played a significant role in the development of the town and its trade. “There can never be a town where you can find buildings with multiple architectures from different parts of the world,” says Alex, who was born and bred in Klang.
The RKTHW walk features 11 historical sites that are nestled in the heart of Klang as part of the program’s highlights. These include the Sultan Abdul Aziz Royal Gallery, the former Chartered Bank, the Royal Klang Club, the Alam Shah palace, the Church of Our Lady Lourdes, Klang Convent School, Tengku Kelana street (Little India), the Indian Muslim Mosque of Tengku Kelana street, Sri Nagara Thendayuthapathi Temple, Klang Fire Station and lastly, Gedung Raja Abdullah.
The first stop on the walk is the Sultan Abdul Aziz Gallery officially opened in 2007, the Royal Gallery is housed in the imposing Sultan Suleiman building. In December 2009 the building was gazetted as a National Heritage Building. Build by a British architect, the gallery has an extensive collection of royal memorabilia and paraphernalia belonging to the eighth Sultan of Selangor.
A favourite site was the Indian Muslim Mosque of Tengku Kelana Street. With its majestic and imposing structure, it’s hard to not be dazzled by it. Nestled within Little India, the mosque caters to the Indian Muslim community in Klang. Historically important, this was the centre where Southern Indians migrated to Malaya in the 18th century. A worship centre was built in Klang in 1890. This centre of worship was turned into a mosque in 1910 and governed by an Indian merchant.
The original mosque was demolished in 1973 and rebuilt as the present two-storey building it is today. “This mosque is a mixture of Andalusian Egyptian and South Indian architecture,” explained Alex, who admits that the mosque is one of the most beautiful of its kind that he had ever laid eyes on, especially when viewed during sun set.
REVEALING EXPERIENCE
“I had mixed emotions of awe, nostalgia and patriotism during the two-and-a-half-hour walk,” said Hooi E-wen, a fellow participant of the RKTHW program that day. “The buildings here encapsulate stories of the yesteryears and give Klang its character today. They should be preserved to be appreciated by future generations,” she says.
Hooi, who is a travel and lifestyle blogger, felt fortunate to be enlightened about the heritage of Klang. She believed that the time-honoured buildings that she has not taken note of before will never be viewd the same again after this tour. It was indeed an informative and enlightening experience for all.
“By promoting the culture and creating awareness about this Royal Klang Heritage Walk, not only does it help boosts the arrival of tourists, it also helps to improve the economic status of the people in the district of Klang. If done right, I believe and I am convinced that this type of event will create impact and contribute to the rising number of international and local tourists and achieve the targeted 7.5 million tourist arrivals in 2018,” said Noorul Ashkin Mohd Din, General Manager of Tourism Selangor.
