Klang history runs from tin and war to a royal city and port

Klang history is longer and busier than most visitors expect. It runs from a stone jetty and tin trade to a civil war and a busy port.

Today most people know the town for Port Klang and its bak kut teh festival. In 2024, Selangor’s ruler proclaimed it a royal city.

Here is how Klang got there, and what to see on a visit. This is the first in our small towns series, following Rawang and Batang Kali.

From a stone jetty to a tin port

Klang’s early name was Pengkalan Batu, which means stone jetty, according to Official Portal of Klang Royal City Council. The area has been settled since prehistoric times. Bronze Age drums and axes have turned up there, the same source says.

Pengkalan Batu Park in Teluk Pulai marks the old trading port, Wikipedia says. Teluk Pulai is now a residential area in the town centre.

The Klang River also appears on the charts of the Chinese admiral Cheng Ho, Wikipedia says.

In the 1400s the town sat under the Malacca Sultanate. Tun Perak later became Malacca’s Bendahara, or chief minister. He served as Klang’s penghulu, or chieftain, from around 1445, according to a school study note and a biography.

Tin brought the money. Mining grew fast in the 1800s, and until Port Swettenham opened in 1901, Klang was Selangor’s main outlet for tin.

A railway line reached the town around 1890. A station has stood on the site since then, a walking-tour guide says. Coffee and rubber followed.

Where the name “Klang” comes from is still unclear. One theory points to a word for canal, and another to a Malay word for warehouses. That mystery is part of Klang history.

The war that shaped Selangor

The Klang War, also called the Selangor Civil War, was fought in the late 1860s and early 1870s. It began as a fight over who would rule the Klang Valley and its tin.

Raja Mahadi seized the Klang fort in 1867, Wikipedia says. His rivals included Raja Ismail and Tengku Kudin, a Kedah prince.

Britannica says Raja Mahdi held the prosperous town for about two years. Wikipedia’s account has the fort changing hands more than once.

The British dropped their policy of staying out in 1873 and backed Kudin. The war largely ended in November that year, when Kuala Selangor fell.

Kudin then served as Selangor’s viceroy until 1878. Raja Mahadi went into exile in 1874 and died in Singapore in 1882, Wikipedia says.

In 1875, Sultan Abdul Samad asked for British protection. James Guthrie Davidson became the first British Resident. The colonial administration sat in Klang until 1880, then moved to Kuala Lumpur.

Kota Raja Mahadi is listed among Teluk Pulai’s landmarks. It carries the name of the war’s best-known leader.

A royal city and a busy port

Klang’s royal mosque, named for Sultan Sulaiman, opened on 23 June 1923. It was named a National Heritage Building in 2012. This is part of Klang history that visitors can still see.

Port Swettenham opened in 1901 and was renamed Port Klang in 1972, Wikipedia says. It remains the gateway for much of Malaysia’s sea trade, and the ECRL port link is nearing the town.

Klang became a city on 23 November 2023. Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah proclaimed it a royal city on 5 February 2024, The Star reported.

The Klang Municipal Council became the Klang Royal City Council. Klang is the 20th city in Malaysia and the fourth in Selangor, FMT reported.

Minister Nga Kor Ming said Klang has more than 500,000 people and over RM100 million in yearly income, FMT reported.

Klang is split into North Klang and South Klang by the Klang River, Wikipedia says. North Klang was long the main commercial centre.

Since 2008, more homes, shops and government offices have been built in the south, the same page says.

Klang also has a growing arts scene. GM Klang launched the Port Seni arts hub on 29 August 2026.

What to see and eat in Klang today

Teluk Pulai sits in the town centre, close to the bak kut teh shops. Tian Hock Kung Temple on Jalan Tepi Sungai is known for its snake-themed design.

Taman Sri Andalas lies south of the centre, near Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital. Further south are Bandar Bukit Tinggi and Bandar Botanic.

WCT Holdings has developed Bandar Bukit Tinggi since 1997, and its AEON mall is the civic landmark. Bandar Botanic was launched in July 2001.

North of the river, Taman Eng Ann is an older residential area with a large food court.

Start with the Sultan Sulaiman Royal Mosque and the Klang Royal Town Mosque on Jalan Pasar. The newer mosque opened on 11 December 2009 and holds 4,000 people.

Little India sits around Jalan Tengku Kelana. The Sri Sundararaja Perumal Temple, built in 1896, is among the oldest Vaishnavite temples in the country, Wikipedia says. Our guide lists Deepavali bazaars in Klang ahead of the festival.

Klang is popularly thought to be the home of bak kut teh. However, the origin is unproven. A food historian says it remains “in the realm of speculation”.

The Masjid Jamek Cina Muslim Klang blends Islamic and Chinese design. It opened on 5 December 2024.

You can reach Klang by KTM Komuter on the Port Klang line. The LRT3 line to Klang also serves it.

Next in our small towns series are Kajang and Kuala Selangor. We also profiled Serendah heritage town.