Not a Small Town Anymore

I seem to be getting the same few questions these days - where are you from? How far away is Klang from KL? What is the population of Klang?

Ashamed to say this, but I realise I do not know much about my own birth place. After several consecutive times I was asked these questions, I decided to do a little research of my own and realised Klang is now vastly different to what I believe it to be.

Klang is the royal capital of the state of Selangor and is located within the Klang District in the Klang Valley. It is approximately 31 kms west from Kuala Lumpur (which is roughly the same distance from my place to Melbourne CBD) and 6 km east from Port Klang. The latter is the 16th busiest container port in the world.

In the 19th century, the importance of Klang expanded rapidly with tin mining activities in the area. Out of the mining boom, a new railway line was built in 1886 linking Klang with Kuala Lumpur. Previously the only methods of transport between the two places were by horse carts or a boat trip along the Klang River. It's strategic importance was further enhanced with the opening of Port Swettenham (now Port Klang) in 1901.

Klang may have taken its name from the Klang River which runs through the town and divides the place into Klang South and Klang North. The entire area in the immediate vicinity of the river which begins at Kuala Lumpur and runs west all the way to Port Klang is known as the Klang Valley. Klang North used to be the main commercial centre of Klang but recently more residential, commercial areas as well as government offices are being developed in Klang South.

Today, Klang is the second largest city (it became a city on 08/08/08) in the country after Kuala Lumpur with a population of 900,000 people. It is 10 times the size of Petaling Jaya.

My birth place has really evolved into a different place, but in my mind it will always be the small town of my childhood, when there were still palm oil estates beyond the field in front of my house, when the air were still fresh and crisp and when the bread man still makes his rounds on a bicycle in the afternoons. Yes.. I really do miss my Klang.