KUALA LUMPUR

The State Secretariat in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia capital of Malaysia, located in west-central West Malaysia (Malaya). The city lies astride the confluence of the Kelang and Gombak rivers in hilly country west of the Main Range. It is situated midway along the west coast tin and rubber belt and 25 mi (40 km) east of its ocean port, Port Kelang, on the Strait of Malacca. It is the federation's largest town and its cultural, commercial, and transportation centre. In 1972 Kuala Lumpur was designated a municipality and in 1944 an area of 94 sq mi (243 sq km), including the municipality, was designated the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur. The city, whose name means Muddy Confluence, had its beginnings in 1857, when 87 Chinese tin miners founded a settlement at Ampang, now a suburb. Strategically commanding both river valleys, the community flourished as a tin-collecting centre despite its malarial jungle location. In 1880 Kuala Lumpur superseded Klang as the state capital, and its rapid growth thereafter has been attributed to Sir Frank Swettenham, British resident after 1882. He initiated construction on the KlangKuala Lumpur Railway and encouraged the use of brick and tile in buildings as a fire precaution and as an aid to better health. The city's central position led to its choice as capital of the Federated Malay States (1895). Its population greatly increased after World War II; under a resettlement program new villages were established on the city's outskirts during a long (194860), Communist-led guerrilla insurgency. Kuala Lumpur became the capital of the independent Federation of Malaya in 1957 and of Malaysia in 1963. The city presents a mixture of modern and Moorish architecture, traditional Chinese shop houses, squatters' huts, and Malay stilt kampongs (villages). While its centre along the embanked Kelang is heavily congested, its municipal area and suburbs are well planned. The commercial quarter, concentrated on the river's east side, features the world's tallest buildings, the Petronas Twin Towers (1,483 feet ), designed by Argentine-American architect Cesar Pelli and completed in 1996. Government buildings and the notable railway station (all influenced by Moorish design) are on the river's hilly west bank. This nucleus is surrounded by a zone of Chinese two-story wooden shop houses and mixed residential areas of Malay kampongs, modern bungalows, and middle income brick flats. The exclusive Kenney Hill sector is a showcase for domestic architecture. Despite the prevalence of Islamic domes and minarets, the Chinese dominate the city and its economy. The Indian minority, connected with nearby rubber estates, is substantial. Malays are usually in government service, and Kampong Baharu is one of the city's few concentrated Malay residential sections. The industrial suburb of Sungai Besi (Iron River) has iron foundries and engineering works and factories that process food and soap. The Sentul and Ipoh Road area is the site of railway (assembly and construction) and engineering workshops and sawmills. Cement is manufactured at Rawang to the north, and small-scale tin and rubber smelting is common throughout the region. While Kuala Lumpur has diversified manufacturing, the focus of industrial planning is in the adjacent estates of Petaling Jaya and Batu Tiga. The local Batu Arang coalfield and the Connaught Bridge thermal-electric power station near Kelang are the main sources of the city's fuel supply and power. There are several hospitals and state clinics, including a modern tuberculosis centre and the well-equipped Institute of Medical Research (1900). The Rubber Research Institute (1925) and Radio and Television Malaysia are headquartered there. The University of Malaya was founded at Kuala Lumpur in 1962, and the Malay-language Universiti Kebangsaan opened there in 1970. Other educational institutions include the Federal Technical College (1954), the Language Institute (1958), and Tunku Abdul Rahman College (1969). The city is the site of the National Museum of Malaysia (1963), the modern National Mosque, Parliament House, Lake Gardens, the palace of the head of state, the National Zoo, Bukit Nanas (Pineapple Hill) Forest Reserve, and two sports stadiums. The old Sultan's (Jame) Mosque is on a peninsula in the city centre. Subang International Airport (with one of the longest runways in Southeast Asia) and Templer Park are outside town. Batu (rock) Cave, a 400-ft- (122-m-) high limestone outcropping reached by hundreds of steps, contains a Hindu temple and is the scene of elaborate Dipavali (Bahasa Malaysia, Thaipusam; a New Year festival) celebrations for local Hindus. Pop. (1982 est.) federal territory, 958,851.