Rawang, Selangor

The tin mining industry in Rawang picked up again in the 1950s. Rubber estates were also established around Rawang during this time. In 1953, the first cement factory in Malaya, Rawang Works, was launched by the Associated Pan Malayan Cement Company, APMC (now Lafarge Malaysia Berhad) and took over much of the land vacated from the tin mining industry which had moved westwards to Batang Berjuntai. It also made Rawang one of the earliest towns in Malaysia to produce agricultural, natural resources, and cement output simultaneously. The Lafarge Cement factory was bought over by YTL Cement but subsequently closed down in 2020 due to the high cost of production but it still has high value due to the land-bank option for future development.

Tin and rubber were major economic outputs of Rawang until the late 1970s, after which oil palm plantations started being established by private companies. Throughout the late 1980s until the 1990s, Rawang's economic output continued to diversify, and many light industrial areas opened up during Malaysia's industrialization drive under the Fifth Malaysia Plan (RMK-5). During this period, Industrial zones set up at Sungai Dua and Rawang Perdana generated jobs, which resulted in further population growth and an increase in foreign migrant workers residing in Rawang. The influx of foreign workers has transformed the landscape and composition of the industrial estates and townships.

In 1974, following Kuala Lumpur's separation from Selangor, a re-delineation exercise for that year's general election saw Rawang transferred from Hulu Selangor to Gombak (i.e. Selayang constituency). At the same time, Rawang township (parish) was transferred to the newly created Gombak District and acted as the administrative center of the district. While northern part of Rawang including Bukit Beruntung, Bukit Sentosa, Serendah and Sungai Choh remained in Hulu Selangor District until now.

Rawang was the capital of Gombak until 1997 when it moved to Batu Caves and is now a major administrative center for the district of Selayang. Rawang has undergone tremendous growth since the PLUS North-South Highway was opened in the mid-1990s. The population of Rawang stands at 120,447, according to the GeoNames geographical database. The Selayang Municipal Council building is situated at the new Rawang town center that was established in the early 2000s, slightly north of the old Rawang town.

The District Magistrate's subordinate Court and the District Police Headquarters moved away to Selayang from Rawang in the 1990s, while the town library and government-run public clinic were decommissioned. With this, the town now lacks playing fields and parks to support all-around growth as before. The large land area in which the magistrate court, library, police quarters, and government clinic used to reside was redeveloped as the new Rawang town center, which has become congested due to poor town planning. It has also become a primary place for local and migrant Rohingya beggars.

Until the mid-2000s, the borders of Rawang has greatly expanded to encompass the rubber estates outside Serendah to the north (now the townships of Bukit Beruntung and Bukit Sentosa) and Sungai Bakau and parts of Kundang to the west (now the townships of Bandar Tasik Puteri, Bandar Country Homes, Emerald West, and Anggun Rawang). To sustain the growth in size and population, the PLUS North-South highway has now been complemented by the Guthrie Corridor Expressway (linking Rawang to Shah Alam), the LATAR highway (linking Rawang to Kuala Selangor) and Rawang–Serendah bypass that replaces an earlier Outer Ring Road proposal.

The population of Rawang currently stands at 199,095 over 1065.7 square kilometers. (Source https://dewan.selangor.gov.my/question/jumlah-dan-kepadatan-penduduk/) Formerly, besides tin mines, Rawang also had large swathes of rubber estates on the outskirts of the town. Consequently, Rawang had a significant population of Chinese and Indian pioneers, which, combined with the Malay population, made Rawang a vibrant and diverse multi-racial town since the early 20th century. This is reflected in the presence of Malay, English, Tamil, and Chinese primary schools in close proximity to one another since the early days. The development in the 1980s and the clearing of plantations for housing brought about problems related to displaced workers and social problems of its own to Rawang and the issues related to gangsterism and crime.

The Sze Yeah Kong Temple (万挠师爷宫) was founded by the Hakka immigrants in 1869 as one of the primary Chinese temples in Rawang. Hakka and Hokkien immigrants dominated the tin mining sector in Rawang until the 1930s, during which Rawang continued growing at a rapid pace. There is also another old Chinese Temple known as Kam Yin Teng Temple (万挠感应亭), which was built in 1865.

The Tamil-Indian community was made up mostly of cement factory and plantation workers, including small businesses ranging from textile and silverware merchants to barbers and restaurants. The primary Hindu temple in Rawang, the Sri Veerakathy Vinayagar temple, was built along Jalan Welman in 1943. It is less than 100 meters from the Sze Yeah Kong Chinese temple.

Rawang also has a Sikh community, originally opposite the Kampung Kenanga area is Kampung Benggali (Kampung Khalsa). The Rawang Sikh gurdwara (Gurdwara Sahib Rawang) was built in 1938, not far from the Rawang railway station now located at Rawang Tin. The St. Jude's Church, inaugurated in 1957, is situated at Jalan Lim Kak, Rawang. It caters to the needs of the Catholics in and around Rawang. St. Jude's Church St. Jude's feast, held in October each year, draws a large crowd from all over the country. Rawang is one of the few towns in Malaysia with a Gurkha population and a settlement. They are descendants of Nepali-Gurkha military personnel whom the British brought in.

The Malay community of Rawang initially resided in two traditional villages that bordered the town center, which were mainly resettled into Kampung Kenanga in the late 1960s and Kampung Melayu in the 1980s. A mosque served the religious needs of the Malay community located in Kampung Kenanga in 1969. Due to population growth, a new mosque was constructed at Kampung Melayu Batu 16. In 1971, the mosque was upgraded into a Masjid Jamek and was officiated by the Sultan of Selangor on 5 March 1971 with the new name of Masjid Jamek Nurul Iman Rawang. The Malay community is now distributed in all the housing colonies in Rawang.

In recent decades, Rawang has continued to evolve as a dynamic urban center, attracting investment in residential, commercial, and infrastructure projects. The town's population has grown significantly, driven by factors such as urbanization, migration, and the expansion of Greater Kuala Lumpur. This tide has put tremendous strain on existing infrastructure, including the influx of Rohingya refugees and other social-economic problems that have gone unmonitored by the local authorities.

1959-1964. Liu Yoong Peng (Socialist Front)

1964-1969. Tunku Abdullah Tuanku Abdul Rahman (Alliance, UMNO)

1969-1971. Parliament Suspended

1971-1974. Tunku Abdullah Tuanku Abdul Rahman (BN, UMNO)

Constituency delineated, renamed to Selayang.

1974-1975. Walter Loh Poh Khan (BN, MCA)

1975-1978. Rosemary Chow Poh Kheng (BN, MCA)

1978-1982. Rafidah Aziz (BN, UMNO)

1982-1986. Rahmah Othman (BN, UMNO)

1986-1995. Zaleha Ismail (BN, UMNO)

1995-2008. Chan Kong Choy (BN, MCA)

2008–Present. William Leong Jee Keen (PH, PKR)

1974-1982. Lee Kim Sai (BN, MCA) 2 Terms

1982-2008. Tang See Hang (BN, MCA) 6 Terms

2008-2018. Gan Pei Nei (PH, PKR) 2 Terms

2018–Present. Chua Wei Kiat (PH, PKR) 2 Terms

The Majlis Perbandaran Selayang (MPS) is the town council responsible for Rawang. Due to its extremely large administrative area and population, it covers an area of 545.6 square km and has 3 sub-districts: Rawang Subdistrict, Batu Subdistrict, and Setapak Subdistrict. It borders Hulu Selangor District Council, Shah Alam City Council, Ampang Jaya Municipal Council, and Kuala Lumpur City Hall.

The administration has shown significant deterioration in the management of facilities and utilities. Many town streetlights do not work, and roads are poorly maintained. There are frequent flash floods in Rawang Town on Maxwell Road and other poorly maintained facilities and grounds.

The Rawang Town Center has large tracts of secondary bushes that are not maintained and could easily be used for additional parking. There are also many illegal loan shark and for-sale posters throughout the town and adjacent housing colonies with no enforcement. The Rawang State assemblyperson under the ruling Government seems inept to fix and overcome these persistent and perennial issues that affect the residents.

One must drive about 25 minutes from Kuala Lumpur to reach the town center. One can choose to take the Rawang Interchange 116 from the North–South Expressway, the Guthrie Corridor Expressway from Rawang South Interchange 115, the Kuala Lumpur–Kuala Selangor Expressway from Rawang South Interchange 115, the B27 road from Batang Berjuntai, or the trunk road to Rawang.

On the trunk road, passengers are able to see Templer Park, Hutan Lipur Sg. Kanching, and the Commonwealth Forest Park. These are all the remnants of the forest reserves that have been logged out or developed for more unsold housing. The forest is a hot spot for jungle trekking and camping. The trees along the roads at Templer Park have been cleared for the construction of more houses, and the slopes are left bare with much erosion. The trunk road from Templer Park to Bandar Baru Selayang is now widened to include the second lane. The Rawang Bypass highway, the highest in Southeast Asia, cuts through the jungle and ends in Serendah to the north.

Prior to the opening of the SRJK(Ing) Rawang in 1958, the private school, Clifford Institute, used to be the only English school available for students pursuing an English Education. There are several primary and secondary schools in this town now. Some of the pioneer secondary schools, such as Sekolah Menengah Seri Garing, have a very large student population to the point that classes are even performed in shipping containers. Amateurish ad-hoc renovation and painting have marred the once elite and elegant school.

Rawang is home to many housing areas old and new, such as Bandar Country Homes, Taman Anggun, Kota Emerald West, Kota Emerald East, Rawang Putra, Taman Bukit Rawang, Rawang Perdana, Taman Pelangi, Taman Tun Teja, Taman Jati and Taman Bersatu.

The first housing estates in Rawang were Rawang Garden, Green Park, New Green Park, and Rawang Jaya to the north, mostly developed by Lim Tan & Sons. Rawang Tin residents who were affected by the excavation of the limestone open-cast quarry were resettled in Kuala Garing. There were also Taman Garing, Kuala Garing and Taman Sri Rawang to the west; Kampung Datuk Lee Kim Sai, Kampung Sungai Terentang, Kampung Kenanga, and Kampung Melayu Batu 16 to the south.

Emerald (Emerald East and Emerald West), Hong Bee Anggun (Anggun 1, 2, and 3), Lake Club Parkhomes, and M Residences are new to the neighborhoods that have emerged in recent years.

Rawang had experienced rapid development in the 1990s. Many new commercial and residential areas have been constructed. In 2006, a new wet market was opened in Bandar Baru Rawang in order to meet the increasing demand from the population. There are a number of shopping centers in Rawang, including Lotus's, Parkson, and AEON. Despite the growth, the Rawang Police Station was downgraded from a district headquarters to an ordinary station that now has to handle the needs of a larger population.

Rawang has become a popular destination for both locals and tourists due to its natural attractions and scenic spots:

• Templer Park – A lush forest reserve with serene waterfalls, hiking trails, and picnic spots, ideal for nature lovers.
• Kanching Rainforest Waterfall – A seven-tiered waterfall that is perfect for trekking and waterfall swimming. It's one of the most scenic spots near Rawang.
• Rawang Bypass – Malaysia's tallest highway, offering scenic views of the surrounding forest while reducing travel time from Rawang to Selayang and Kuala Lumpur.
• Selangor Fruit Valley – A family-friendly agricultural park where visitors can enjoy fruit-picking and learn about local agriculture.
• Tasik Biru Kundang – A man-made lake popular for fishing, kayaking, and paddle boating.

These attractions make Rawang a diverse destination that appeals to adventurers, nature lovers, and families alike. ^[1]

Rawang is home to several important cultural and religious landmarks:

• Sze Yeah Kong Temple – Established in 1869, this Chinese temple was originally built by the Hakka community and remains a significant religious site in Rawang.^[8]
• Sri Veerakathy Vinayagar Temple – Built in 1943, this Hindu temple reflects Rawang’s diverse cultural and religious landscape. It is a major place of worship for the local Tamil community.

These temples highlight the multi-cultural and religious diversity of Rawang, making it a vibrant and historically rich town.