with history
Klang IndianMuslim Mosque Situated on Jalan Tengku Kelana, which is also known as “Little India”, the Klang Indian-Muslim Mosque was built in 1910. The original structure catered to people who lived around the Klang town area for more than 60 years. The mosque, which acted as a religious and community centre, was opened by Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz in 1973 after it was renovated for the first time. Recently, it was renovated again to a c c o m m o d a t e m o re devotees.
Klang Convent School
. The Klang River flows from the inland (far right) out to the sea. Visible is the North Klang Royal Mosque an Kota, Jambatan Tengku Kelana which leads into Little India (far right), and the Raja Mahadi fort
each site on the walk detailing the history of the site and the stories behind it,” said Fazly. One of the stops along the Heritage Walk is Jalan Tengku Kelana, also called “Little India” by residents due to the convergence of many Indian shops along the road. The name of the town itself has several origins, one being derived from the name of the Klang River which flows through the area. Another theory suggests the name was derived from the Mon-Khmer word “Klong”, a language used by communities in Vietnam and Cambodia. A probable source of the town’s name could come from the old meaning of the Malay word “Kilang”, meaning warehouses, which were prevalent in the area in the old days.
Established in 1924 with only 19 students in some shophouses, the Klang Convent School’s main building was built from 1926 to 1928. Located on Jalan Tengku Kelana, it was opened on Jan 18, 1928 by former acting secretary to the Resident of Selangor Sir William Peel.
One of the gazetted trees on MPK grounds.
gone era
hich can only be disfrom the inside. ong’s father, a manager re factory, died when s three, leaving behind ves and eight children. of my other siblings are Klang. This shop is by one of my brothers. hers have become supof motor equipment,” d. ore working with her r in his advertising comn the nearby Methodist n worked as a factory
ving to walk across the e Klang River to her ay as her parents could m bicycles. main mode of transporme. People would cycle school as there were ,” said Lim Kum Loke. wner, who operates his gku Kelana, or “Little njoyed a roaring trade e safer for cyclists. hly sales of bicycles used eds, but they can now
only appeal to children nto fitness. We had to
include home appliances [years ago] to maintain our profits,” said Lim. The delivery service of the shop was also halted as it was decided it would be safer to focus their business operations nearer to town. This was decided after the May 13 riots in 1969 when, despite the curfew, two employees were sent to deliver bicycles to a customer in Rawang. “On that dark day, they were sent A street vendor selling jewelry along “Little India”. out, but they never came back,” said Lim, his voice wavering. the road. Only ladies were allowed out on Despite the grim experience, he remains certain hours to buy groceries,” he said. adamant that race relations in town remain the He said he never heard of any violence same since his schooldays when he freely inter- happening in Klang at that time. acted with friends from different cultures. There seems to be a new integration hurdle Optometrist Parisutham Sebastian, who to cross now as locals here have people of runs a shop along “Little India”, echoed the different nationalities to contend with. sentiment of being able to mix with friends “The majority of workers in this town are of different races without restraint. immigrants. The ratio can be as large as one “I had many Chinese friends when I was local boss to 100 foreign workers,” said Mary younger. We lived together in a big kampung Sebastian. at the back of the La Salle Klang boys’ school,” The 51-year-old, who helps her brother, said the 46-year-old. Parisutham, in his shop, blamed both the workAs his father was the school gardener, he ers and their paymasters for marring the town’s spent a large part of his childhood in the school image. She complained about household rubplayground, even during the curfew. bish and renovation debris clogging drains. Parisutham, who took over the 17-year-old “We all want more clients and would supshop from his father, said he enjoyed looking port any tourism initiatives by the governat the soldiers patrolling on the streets from ment, but we have to take care of cleanliness. the inside of his school during the curfew. Don’t just think about making money,” she “For about a month, there were no cars on added.
Church of Our Lady of Lourdes
Completed about 80 years ago, one of the oldest religious buildings in Klang started off as a wooden house on a hillock close to Jalan Kota. Our Lady of Lourdes Church today stands as a rare example of masonry structure in the state. It is located along Jalan Tengku Kelana in Klang town.
Alam Shah Palace
The Alam Shah Palace replaced Mahkota Puri Palace, which was demolished in 1950 to make way for the former’s construction. This was during the time when Tengku Alam Shah was enthroned as the new Sultan after Sultan Alaeddin Suleiman Shah had passed away in 1938. The significance of the site could be traced all the way back when the first palace was built in 1889 to replace the Istana Alauddin in Jugra as the royal administration centre.