Kajang

Kajang is a city in Hulu Langat District, Selangor, Malaysia, located southeast of Kuala Lumpur. Kajang, along with much of Hulu Langat District, is governed by the Kajang Municipal Council. Kajang town is located on the eastern banks of the Langat River. It is surrounded by Cheras, Semenyih, Bangi, Putrajaya and Serdang.

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Quick Facts Other transcription(s), • Jawi ...

Kajang
Town
Kajang Town Bandar Kajang
Other transcription(s)
• Jawi	کاجڠ‎
• Chinese	加影 Jiāyǐng (Hanyu Pinyin) gaa1 jing2 (Jyutping)
• Tamil	காஜாங் Kājāṅ (Transliteration)
Flag Seal
Motto(s):  Kajang Bandar Pilihan untuk Didiami (Kajang: The Ideal City for Living)
Location in Malaysia
Kajang Show map of Selangor Kajang Show map of Malaysia Kajang Show map of Southeast Asia
Coordinates: 2°59′35″N 101°47′20″E / 2.99306; 101.78889][[Category:Pages using gadget WikiMiniAtlas]]"},"html":"Coordinates: </templatestyles>\"}' data-mw='{\"name\":\"templatestyles\",\"attrs\":{\"src\":\"Module:Coordinates/styles.css\"},\"body\":{\"extsrc\":\"\"}}'/>2°59′35″N 101°47′20″E / 2.99306°N 101.78889°E / 2.99306; 101.78889"}">
Country	Malaysia
State	Selangor
Establishment	1709
Granted municipal status	1 January 1997
Granted city status	TBA
Government
• Yang Di-Pertua (President)	Nazli Md Taib
Area
• Town	93.4 km2 (36.1 sq mi)
• Urban	790.43 km2 (305.19 sq mi)
Population  (2020[1])
• Town	236,240
• Density	1,326/km2 (3,393/sq mi)
• Metro	1,047,356[2]
Time zone	UTC+8 (MST)
• Summer (DST)	Not observed
Postal codes in Malaysia	43000 (Downtown Kajang) 43100 (Hulu Langat Town, Sungai Gabai) 43200 (Batu 9 Cheras, Bandar Tun Hussein Onn) 43500 (Semenyih, Broga-Selangor) 43600 (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi Lama) 43650 (Bandar Baru Bangi) 43700 (Beranang, Kampung Sungai Jai-Selangor) 56000 (Damai Perdana)
Calling code	+60-3-87 +60-3-89 +60-3-90
Website	www.mpkj.gov.my

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According to the 2020 census, the local authority area (which includes Kajang, Cheras, Balakong, Bangi, Semenyih and Pekan Hulu Langat) has a population of 1.05 million people.^[3]

The name Kajang is believed to have originated from the language of Temuan tribes (Orang Asli) who populated the Langat valley in the 17th-18th centuries. In their language kajang referred to their art of weaving screwpine or pandanus leaves, which were prevalent in much of the country. A similar theory stated that settlers from the neighboring domain of Sungai Ujong (Negeri Sembilan) once constructed huts (pondok) in the area with thatched roof made from folded (lipat kajang) screwpine leaves.^[4]

It is also believed that the name kajang may have originated from the Buginese word berkajang, meaning camp or accommodation.^[5]

Kajang is about 22 km (14 miles), about a half hour's drive, from Kuala Lumpur's central business district, primarily through Jalan Cheras and the Grand Saga Expressway; both routes are part of the Malaysia Federal Route 1 system. By railway, it is about 40 minutes' ride from KL Sentral on the MRT Kajang line.

The first planned township built and developed just outside Kajang is Bandar Baru Bangi which was first developed in 1974 by the Selangor state government. As a satellite town to Kajang proper, some government offices including the district land office begin operating out of the township. The Kajang bus and taxi terminal called Hentian Kajang is also located at the eastern end of the township. ^[6]

More townships were developed closer to Kajang town in recent years, such as Taman Prima Saujana, Sungai Chua and Taman Kajang Perdana (Kajang Highlands). High-end developments in Kajang include Twin Palms, Sri Banyan, Country Heights, Jade Hills, Saujana Impian, TTDI Grove, Tropicana Heights and Prima Paramount. Areas surrounding these townships are accessible via the SILK Expressway, Kajang-Seremban Expressway, Grand Saga Expressway and the North–South Expressway Southern Route.

Orang Asli tribes had already established settlements in what is now Kajang as early as the 16th century, however the first recorded settlement was found in 1709 by additional Orang Asli settlers who relocated from the Klang valley.^[12] Kajang town in its present form was founded in the 1870s, in the aftermath of the Klang War. In its early days, it was settled by Mandailings and Minangkabau people from Sumatra in the then-Dutch East Indies, followed by Chinese tin miners.^[13]

As with other towns in Selangor, Kajang as a modern town owes its rise in particular to tin mines and plantations which were opened around the 1890s. A famous coffee estates was Inch Kenneth Estate managed by the Kindersley brothers, who were among the first to plant rubber in the country on a commercial basis.^[14]

During the Japanese invasion, Kajang was bombed on 12 January 1942, a day after the fall of Kuala Lumpur. The bombs, meant for the railway station, missed its target, and hit a nearby church instead.^[15]

In 1948, a Communist insurgency against British forces and their allies across Malaya began, which led to the Malayan Emergency with fighting soon spreading to Kajang. Guerrilla leader Lau Yew died in combat just outside Kajang in July 1948; British forces photographed his corpse and printed the image onto leaflets to distribute around Kajang.^[16]

Kajang was granted municipal status on 1 January 1997. Previously it was under the jurisdiction of the Hulu Langat District Council (Majlis Daerah Hulu Langat, MDHL). Kajang was the administrative centre of the Hulu Langat region until it was relocated to Bandar Baru Bangi in 1992.^[17]

In the 2020 census, the Kajang Municipal Council is home to 1.05 million people, making it Malaysia's second most populous local authority after Kuala Lumpur. Over 350,000 people reside in Kajang town itself and its immediate suburbs. ^[18][19]

Kajang's main population centres are Sg. Sekamat, Taman Saujana Impian, Sg. Kantan, Sg. Jelok, Sg. Ramal, Sungai Chua, Jalan Reko, Jalan Bukit, Taman Jenaris, Taman Prima Saujana, Taman Kantan Permai, Taman Kajang Perdana, Taman Sri Ramal, Taman Bukit Mewah, Kajang Prima, Bandar Teknologi Kajang, Hillpark and Bandar Baru Bangi.

The city centre of Kajang is the colonial quarter near the Stadium Kajang MRT station, including the streets of Jalan Mendaling, Jalan Stadium, Jalan Sulaiman and Jalan Raja Haroun. The buildings in the area were constructed around the 1900s to 1930s.^[20] The architecture of these shophouses are a combination of traditional Chinese and European designs. The ground floor was used mostly for commercial activities and the upper floor as the family living quarters.

One of Kajang's landmarks is Kajang Stadium which is situated in the heart of the town. The stadium can accommodate up to 5,000 people and is used throughout the year for the community soccer competitions.

Another landmark is the Kajang Jamek Mosque, which is recognisable by its bright yellow facade.

Kajang is famous for its satay, a form of skewered barbecued meat. Informally, Kajang is known as the Satay Town.^[21]

The Malaysia Prison Complex (Kompleks Penjara Kajang), Prison Department of Malaysia is headquartered in Kajang.^[22][23]

Kajang has multiple shopping complexes, amongst them is the Billion Shopping Center formerly in Kajang town, which now has relocated to Bandar Teknologi Kajang. Other shopping centres located in Kajang are Plaza Metro Kajang, Metro Point and Kompleks Kota Kajang. Metro Avenue is a new shopping district located opposite SMJK Yu Hua Kajang and Kajang High School.

Kajang Hospital is the primary public hospital in the city.

Private medical centres function 24 hours and include facilities such as Poliklinik MUC @Metro Point, Klinik Mediviron Prima Saujana, Kajang Plaza Medical Centre (KPMC) and KPJ Kajang Specialist Hospital.

The Hulu Langat District Police Headquarters are located in the town centre, across the Highway 1 junction from the Post Office. Federal government agencies with their branch in Kajang include the National Registration Department, Immigration Department, Transportation Department, and Hulu Langat Education Office.

Kajang is a state seat in the Selangor State Legislative Assembly and one of three state seats within the Bangi parliamentary seat in the Dewan Rakyat of the Parliament besides Balakong and Sungai Ramal. Bangi has been represented by Member of Parliament (MP) Syahredzan Johan of Pakatan Harapan (PH) since 2022 and Kajang has been represented by Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) David Cheong Kian Young of PH since 2023.

Before that, Kajang was one of the state seats within the Hulu Langat parliamentary seat in the Dewan Rakyat of the Parliament besides Semenyih and Dusun Tua.

• Lt Adnan Bin Saidi, Malayan military officer who took part in the Battle of Singapore, Bukit Chandu during World War II.
• Datuk Ramli bin Ibrahim, Malaysian choreographer.^[24][25][26]
• Ning Baizura, singer.
• Nora Danish, actress.
• Suresh Navaratnam, Malaysian cricketer, represented Malaysia for 21 years and captained the National Team.
• K. Sanbagamaran, former Selangor FA and Malaysia national football team player.
• D. Christie Jayaseelan, football player.
• K. Reuben, football player.
• Safee Sali, football player.