Selangor


Selangor, also known by the Arabic honorific Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity", is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east, Negeri Sembilan to the south, and the Strait of Malacca to the west. Selangor surrounds the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, both of which were previously part of it. Selangor has diverse tropical rainforests and an equatorial climate. The state's mountain ranges belong to the Titiwangsa Mountains, which is part of the Tenasserim Hills that covers southern Myanmar, southern Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia, with Mount Semangkok as the highest point in the state.
The state capital of Selangor is Shah Alam, and its royal capital is Klang, Kajang is the largest municipality by total metropolitan population and Petaling Jaya is the largest municipality by total population within the city. Petaling Jaya and Subang Jaya received city status in 2006 and 2019, respectively. Selangor is one of four Malaysian states that contain more than one city with official city status; the others are Sarawak, Johor, and Penang.
The state of Selangor has the largest economy in Malaysia in terms of gross domestic product, with RM 384 billion in 2022, comprising 25.6% of the country's GDP. It is the most developed state in Malaysia; it has good infrastructure, such as highways and transport, and has the largest population in Malaysia. It also has a high standard of living and the lowest poverty rate in the country.

Etymology

The origin of the name Selangor is uncertain. A common suggestion is that the name refers to the Malay word langau, a large fly or blowfly that is found in the marshes along the Selangor River in the state's north-west. According to local lore, a warrior who escaped from Malacca after the Portuguese conquest, took a break from his journey north and rested under a tree here. However, he was disturbed by a persistent fly, whereupon he decided to explore the area. When he found the place to his liking and chose to settle there, he named the place "satu langau" meaning "a large blowfly".
In the absence of a firm etymological explanation, alternative theories abound. One suggestion is that the name may have originated from a kind of tree found in Kuala Selangor and along Selangor River named mentangau. Another theory claims the state's name is derived from the term Salang Ur where ur means "town" or "village" in Tamil, meaning village of the Salang people. It has also been proposed that the name is derived from a combination of salang and jemur, indicating that it was once a place where traitors were stabbed then left to roast in the sun.

History

Historical affiliationsPeriod
Malacca Sultanate1400–1511
Johor Sultanate1528–1765

Geography

Selangor, with an area of approximately 8,000 km², extends to the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The state is bordered north by Bernam River from Perak, south by Sepang River from Negeri Sembilan, east and southeast by the Titiwangsa Mountains from Pahang and Negeri Sembilan and the Strait of Malacca on the west, and surrounds the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.
File:Klang River - panoramio.jpg|249px|thumb|Klang River, Klang
Topographically wise, Selangor is relatively level near the coast and gradually become more hilly and mountainous towards the east. The hill and mountain, surrounding the eastern and central portion of the state effectively forming a valley and a drainage basin of the Klang River, known as the Klang Valley, where most of the population are centered. The Klang Valley is often synonymously associated with another toponym, Greater Kuala Lumpur, though both terms vary between each other. Being one of the most heavily urbanised regions in Malaysia and Southeast Asia, cities that make up Klang Valley include the state and royal capitals of Shah Alam and Klang, as well as the federal capital, Kuala Lumpur, which is strategically situated in the heart of the state. It was once part of Selangor territory before it was ceded to the federal government in 1974 to form a Federal Territory. It was then followed by the 1995 cession of Prang Besar of Sepang District to the federal government, which became what is now the nation's administrative and judicial capital Putrajaya.
Selangor is divided into nine districts namely Sabak Bernam, Kuala Selangor, Hulu Selangor, Gombak, Petaling, Klang, Kuala Langat, Hulu Langat and Sepang.

Flora and Fauna

Malaysian forest can be classified as tropical rainforest. Selangor has 250,129 ha of permanent reserve forest, of which 82,890 ha are peat swamp forest and 18,998 ha formed mangrove forest along the coast. The permanent reserve forest makes up about 32 per cent of the state land. Forest parks that are situated in Selangor include Gabai Waterfall, Taman Rimba Templer, Taman Rimba Ampang, Taman Rimba Komanwel, Sungai Chongkak, Sungai Tua, Sungai Sendat, Sungai Tekala, Kanching, Gunung Nuang and Bukit Tabur.
Reserved forests in Selangor are managed and conserved by the state's forestry department, as the Constitution of Malaysia provides that forestry comes under the jurisdiction of the respective states. Selangor's forestry headquarters is located at the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Building, in Shah Alam.
Selangor is also home to a statutory agency of the Government of Malaysia, the Forest Research Institute Malaysia. Located in Kepong, FRIM promotes sustainable management and optimal use of forest resources in Malaysia by generating knowledge and technology through research, development and application in tropical forestry.
Selangor has a few declared protected areas in order to safeguard biodiversity and wildlife. They are Sungai Dusun Wildlife Reserve which was created to protect the now-extirpated Sumatran Rhinos, Kutu Hill Wildlife Reserve, and Bukit Sungai Puteh Hill Wildlife Reserve which is located at Kuala Lumpur and Selangor's border. The state also has an ecotourism centre, Paya Indah Wetlands, which is located in the district Kuala Langat near Dengkil. It is a sanctuary to migratory and residential birds, introduced Nile hippos and crocodiles.
Several Nature Sites in Selangor are at risk from development. These include Shah Alam Community Forest which is being cleared for housing, roads and a cemetery. Similarly, Bukit Lagong forest reserve is at risk from quarrying and housing development. Another threat is development for tourism such as has been proposed for Kuala Selangor Nature Park.

Climate

As in the rest of Malaysia, Selangor has a tropical rainforest climate bordering on a tropical monsoon climate. The climate is very much dictated by the surrounding sea and the prevailing wind system. It has high average temperature and high average rainfall.

Demographics

Selangor is Malaysia's most populous state; it has the nation's biggest conurbation, the Klang Valley. Selangor's geographical position in the centre of Peninsular Malaysia contributed to the state's rapid development as Malaysia's transportation and industrial hub, creating jobs and attracting migrants from other states and from other Asian countries, especially Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and China.
Selangor's population has increased considerably in recent decades, due mostly to the development of the Klang Valley. The population was 1,426,250 in 1980, and by 2000 it had grown to 3,941,316. and further increased to 5,482,141 in 2010. Its population was 5,874,100 in 2015, and reached 6,994,423 according to the 2020 census.

Ethnic groups

The traditional culture of Selangor's Malay majority is also influenced by those of Bugis, Minangkabau, Mandailing, Javanese, and Banjarese ancestry; most of whom are Muslims. Javanese ancestry are dominant in west coast districts such as Sabak Bernam, Kuala Selangor, Klang, Kuala Langat and Sepang. Whereas Minangkabau descent are dominant in Gombak and Hulu Selangor. Selangor's population also includes ethnic Chinese and Indian influences; those two groups form the largest minority populations. The 3,000 Mah Meri people, part of the Orang Asli—the indigenous peoples of the Peninsula—can be found on Carey Island and maintain their culture and language while adapting to the modern way of life. With its advanced state of development, Selangor has more international ties through trade, business and education than other rural states.

Religion

According to the 2020 census, the population of Selangor is 61.1% Muslim, 21.6% Buddhist, 10.3% Hindu, 5.0% Christian/Catholic, 1% of unknown affiliations, 0.5% adherent of Taoism or Chinese religion, 0.4% follower of other religions and 0.4% non-religious. All Malays are necessarily Muslims because the definition of a Malay in the Malaysian constitution requires Malays to profess the religion of Islam.

Government

The state is a hereditary constitutional monarchy, of which the reigning Sultan since 2001 is Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah. Since 19 June 2018, the Menteri Besar is Amirudin Shari, of the People's Justice Party a component party of Pakatan Harapan.

Constitution

Consisting of 19 chapters and 100 articles, the Constitution of the State of Selangor is the highest form of law in the state. It came into force on 26 February 1959 and was separated into two parts. Under the 1959 constitution, Selangor is a constitutional monarchy.

Selangor Sultanate

The Sultan of Selangor is the constitutional Ruler of Selangor. The role, powers, and duties of the Sultan are set forth in the 1959 constitution, which proclaims that the office of Sultan is vested with the executive power of the state, are the head of the religion of Islam in the state and the "fountain of honours and dignities" in the state. This position is hereditary and can only be held by a member of Selangor's royal family. The current ruler is His Royal Highness Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, who has held this position since 2001.