Everything about Selangor totally explained
Selangor (
Jawi script: سلاڠور, population 7.2 million) 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. It completely surrounds the
federal territories of
Kuala Lumpur and
Putrajaya.
The origin of the name
Selangor is lost in history, although some sources claim the name to have come from the
Malay word
selangau, 'a large
fly', most probably due to the abundance of flies in the marshes along the
Selangor River in the state's north-west. Another more plausible theory claims the state's name is derived from the term
Selang Ur meaning "land of the straits" (
ur means "land" in Sanskrit,
selang means "straits" in the Malay language).
Selangor is also known by its
Arabic honorific,
Darul Ehsan ("Abode of Sincerity").
The state is a hereditary constitutional monarchy, of which the reigning
Sultan (since
2001) is
Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah. The
Menteri Besar (chief executive of the state government) is currently
Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, of the
Parti Keadilan Rakyat since 10 March 2008.
The state capital is
Shah Alam and the royal capital is
Klang. A third major urban centre is
Petaling Jaya which was awarded city status on
20 June 2006. Hence, Selangor is one of only two Malaysian states with more than one city; the other being
Sarawak.
Selangor is also the richest state in Malaysia in terms of
GDP and second richest in terms of
GDP per capita (at RM18,157 or US$4,907), behind
Penang. On 27 August 2005, Selangor was officially declared the first developed state in Malaysia by the then state government.
History
In the 15th century, Selangor was ruled by the
Sultanate of Malacca. After the fall of Malacca to the
Portuguese in
1511, the area became hotly disputed between the Portuguese,
Johor,
Aceh and
Siam. When the
Dutch displaced the Portuguese from Malacca in
1641, they brought in
Bugis mercenaries from
Sulawesi, who eventually established the present sultanate in
1740. In many districts, Bugis settlers displaced the
Minangkabau settlers from
Sumatra, who had established themselves in Selangor some 100 years previously. In the
19th century, the economy boomed due to the exploitation of huge
tin reserves and the growing importance of
rubber. This attracted a large influx of
Chinese migrants. Chinese secret clan societies, allied with Selangor chiefs fought for control of the tin
mines, and the increasing violence created social and economic havoc. It also opened a window of opportunity for the
British, who forced the
Sultan of Selangor to accept a
British Resident in
1874. Under the stability imposed by the British, Selangor again prospered. In 1896, largely through the coordination of the Resident
Frank Swettenham, Selangor united with
Negri Sembilan,
Perak and
Pahang to form the
Federated Malay States, with its capital in
Kuala Lumpur. The Federated Malay States evolved into the
Federation of Malaya in
1948 and the Federation of Malaysia in
1963. In
1970, Selangor relinquished the city of Kuala Lumpur to the federal government. Putrajaya also became a federal territory in the mid-
1990s.
Selangor currently is the richest, most
industrialized and most
urbanized of all Malaysian states. The Menteri Besar of Selangor declared Selangor as a developed state on
27 August 2005.
Population and demographics
Selangor is Malaysia's most populous state, with 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, which in turn attracts migrants from other states as well as overseas, especially from
Indonesia,
the Philippines,
Vietnam,
Myanmar,
Bangladesh,
India,
Pakistan, and
China. The influx of
illegal immigrants, particularly from Indonesia, has further contributed to Selangor's rapid population growth.
Selangor has a
population of 4,850,000 (
2006 ; the state's
ethnic composition consisted of
Malays 52.9%,
Chinese 27.8%,
Indians 13.3% and other ethnic groups 6%.
Selangor's main population centres are
Petaling Jaya (
2007 est. pop. 550,000),
Shah Alam (500,000),
Klang (995,000) and
Subang Jaya-
UEP Subang Jaya (400,000). Other major centres include:
Politics
Constitution
The
Constitution of the State of Selangor came into force on the 26 of February 1959. The constitution is separated into two parts titled;
" THE FIRST PART OF THE LAWS OF THE CONSTITUTION "
" THE SECOND PART OF THE LAWS OF THE CONSTITUTION "
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 constitution of 1959. The constitution proclaims that the office of Sultan is vested with the executive power of the state, is 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.
State Executive Council
The State Executive Council, which along with the Sultan is Selangor's executive branch of government, was established by the constitution of 1959. It is composed of the Menteri Besar, who is its chairman and Selangor's head of government, and ten other members. The Menteri Besar and other members of the council are appointed by the Sultan of Selangor from members of the State Assembly. The current Menteri Besar is Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, of the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR, or People's Justice Party).
Selangor State Assembly
See Also:Breakdown of State Seats Representatives elected 2008
The state also has a legislative branch, called the state assembly. It is similar to the Parliament but is limited to making laws relating to the state. Its members are elected in elections which are usually held simultaneously with federal elections. The term of each state assembly member is limited to five years. The state assembly must be dissolved before or once it expires its term for a fresh election to elect its members.
Chief Ministers of Selangor since 1949
Main article: List of Chief Ministers of Selangor
1949 - 1949: Hamzah Abdulah
1949 - 1953: YAM Raja Tun Uda Raja Mohamad
1953 - 1954: Othman Mohamad
1955 - 1956: Dr. Abdul Aziz Abdul Majid
1956 - 1958: Tuan Muhammad Imail Abdul Latiff
1958 - 1959: Abdul Jamil Rais
1959 - 1964: Datuk Abu Bakar Baginda
1964 - 1976: Datuk Harun Idris
1976 - 1982: Dato Hormat Rafei
1982 - 1986: Dato Ahmad Razali Mohd Ali
1986 - 1997: Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib
1997 - 2000: Tan Sri Abu Hassan Omar
2000 - 2008: Dato Seri Dr.Mohd Khir Toyo
2008 - Now : Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim
Administration
List of districts
Selangor is divided into 9 administrative districts, namely:
Klang - with Port Klang (formerly Port Swettenham)
Petaling - with Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport (formerly Subang International Airport)
Sepang - with Kuala Lumpur International Airport
Kuala Selangor
Sabak Bernam
Hulu Langat
Kuala Langat
Hulu Selangor
Gombak
List of local authorities
There are 12 local authorities in Selangor, namely:
Majlis Daerah Hulu Selangor (MDHS)
Majlis Perbandaran Subang Jaya (MPSJ)
Majlis Daerah Sabak Bernam (MDSB)
Majlis Perbandaran Kajang (MPKj)
Majlis Daerah Kuala Selangor (MDKS)
Majlis Perbandaran Klang (MPK)
Majlis Perbandaran Selayang (MPS)
Majlis Bandaraya Shah Alam (MBSA)
Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya (MBPJ)
Majlis Perbandaran Ampang Jaya (MPAJ)
Majlis Perbandaran Sepang (MPSpg)
Majlis Daerah Kuala Langat (MDKL)
Culture
The traditional culture of Selangor's Malay majority is influenced by those of Bugis, Johor, Minangkabau, Mandailing and Javanese ancestry.
Selangor's population also has Chinese and Indian influence; those two having larger minority populations.
Being the most developed state in Malaysia, Selangor also receives a lot of Western influence.
Cuisine
The traditional Malay cuisine in Selangor has received influences from Johor, Bugis, Jawa and Minangkabau.
Rojak Klang, Lontong Klang and Mee Bandung are famous cuisines in Klang (Note: Mee Bandung is also touted to have originated from Johor). Other famous dishes include Mee Jawa (which is similar to Mee Rebus in Johor), Satay Kajang, Ketam Darul Ehsan, Kuah Asam Pedas and Sayur Masak Rebung.
Klang bak kut teh is famous among the Chinese population. It is a herbal pork soup which is eaten during breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Coastal towns such as Klang and Kuala Selangor are also famed for seafood.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Selangor'.
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