www.nst.com Shah Alam, Selangor's capital and home of the world-renowned Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Mosque, is of special interest to Muslim visitors to Malaysia.
Once a thriving oil palm estate known as Sungai Renggam, Shah Alam has certainly come a long way over the last 40 years.
It grew from a place, referred to as Batu Tiga, and became the capital of Malaysia's most developed State 24 years ago when Kuala Lumpur was made a Federal Territory.
The late Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah (father of the present Sultan) personally chose the name for Shah Alam.
Today, it is known as the 'City of Splendour' because Shah Alam is well-planned with highways serving it, housing estates, education centres and shopping centres for the people, and tourist products to draw visitors. Its roads are never choked, thanks to proper planning.
When Shah Alam was planned years ago, the authorities decided it was not going to be another concrete jungle. Much of the greenery has thus been left intact.
Even critics say Shah Alam is an ideal place to live and bring up children. This is not surprising as the crime rate and pollution is low compared with other cities.
Shah Alam, with a population of more than 400,000, doesn't have the usual night spots found in other cities. Both the Shah Alam City Council and the State Government do not want pubs, karaoke joints or discotheques in the city.
But there's entertainment – the parks and recreational areas, and, of course, the eateries, including 24-hour Mamak shops.
The council's public relations officer Asmah Mohd Zin says Shah Alam is famous internationally because of the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah mosque, better known as the Blue Mosque. Tourists insist on visiting the pride of the State.
But Shah Alam has more to offer tourists – bazaars, cultural and entertainment shows. These are wholesome entertainment for visitors and residents, says Asmah. Other places of interest in Shah Alam, which spreads over 290.3km square, include Taman Tasik Shah Alam, Laman Budaya, the State Museum, Taman Bukit Cahaya, the Raja Tun Uda Library, the Aquatic Sports Centre, Shah Alam Stadium and the Wet World.
Asmah says Tourism Selangor Sdn Bhd is planning day tours to Shah Alam for transit passengers who arrive at the KLIA in Sepang. "The packages will include visits to tourist spots."
Shah Alam boasts of several hotels – Quality, UiTM, Grand Blue Wave, Pan Pacific Glenmarie, Concorde and De Palma.
The city is also big where education is concerned because it has six institutions of higher learning – UiTM, University Selangor, Pendidikan Tinggi dan Pergurusan Lanjutan (PTPL) and Politeknik Shah Alam. Some 30,000 students are pursuing tertiary education in Shah Alam.
"The city started off as an education centre for Bumiputra students but over the years other colleges have set up campuses and non-Malay students have joined these institutions," says Asmah.
An area which the council hopes to exploit is golf tourism. This is an achievable target as Shah Alam has 15 golf courses, some of which can host world-class tournaments. "Some of the courses have played host to international class championships."
For shopping, PKNS complex is unrivalled in popularity. Throughout the year, visitors can get their favourite dodol, wajik, serunding, kuih bahulu and other Malay delicacies. For hawker fare such as mee rebus, chicken rice, tom yam and grilled fish, visit food courts at sections 9 and 24. Plans are underway to upgrade the food courts. The floating restaurant at Laman Budaya too, is popular with seafood lovers. |