Once a single manufacturing area, Malaysian independence inspired the development of Shah Alam as a planned city. Today it boasts grand Islamic mosques and artworks, some of the most extensive in Southeast Asia.
The city’s most famous attraction is its magnificent blue mosque, the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Mosque. With a capacity of 24,000, it is the largest mosque in Malaysia and one of the largest in all of Southeast Asia. Other points of interest include the neighbouring Garden of Islamic Arts and the Sultan Alam Shah Museum. Both display excellent examples of calligraphy, while the Garden also includes paintings and sculpture, and the Museum hosts live performances.
Commuter trains run several times a day between Kuala Lumpur’s central train station and the general area, but the nearest stations to Shah Alam are poorly located. Potential station options include Batu Tiga, Shah Alam, Padang Jawa, and Bukit Badak. Some of these stations are also connected to bus routes.
Shah Alam holds a special place in the history of Malaysia. Selang’s state capital was the first planned city in the country following Malaysia’s independence from Great Britain in 1957. Originally a centre for rubber and palm oil production and trade, its planning was part of the rapid modernization of a country with new control over its future.