Kuala Lumpur History

For everything, there is a beginning… Kuala Lumpur’s history began just over 150 years ago when tin miners came to explore the banks of a muddy confluence between the Gombak and Klang rivers. From these humble beginnings – predestined to be marred by bloody wars and feuds, natural disasters and makeovers, Kuala Lumpur has endured to become one of Asia’s leading cities and the city we see today.

1857
The history of Kuala Lumpur began when Raja Abdullah, a member of the Selangor Royal Family started opening up parts of the Klang Valley to tin prospectors. With the rise of the tin extraction industry, prospectors started pouring in to a new settlement on the banks of a “muddy confluence” between the Gombak and Klang rivers – creating the early foundation of the city. (the city’s name comes from word Kuala meaning – ‘junction’ or ‘estuary’ and Lumpur meaning – ‘muddy’). Clearing the land caused mosquitoes to breed – and only a small number of the early tin miners survived to see the thriving tin mining town become established. With more labourers to replace them, traders and merchants began establishing their businesses in the settlement, and the town was born.

As the new town kept growing, the fragile peace between many of the interested parties did not last. Bitter rivalry between the triads and civil war between the Selangor princes erupted over the tin, leading to bloody feuds and wars. When Kapitan Yap Ah Loy, the third leader of the Chinese community was appointed by the British, peace was again restored and under his competent leadership the sleepy mining town boomed into a commercial trading hub of very high importance.

1880
Kuala Lumpur was made the capital of Selangor due in large part to Kapitan Yap Ah Loy's success and efficiency in maintaining the peace and a system of law and order.

1881
During another furious feud – Kuala Lumpur was burnt down and Kapitan Yap decided this time to rebuild the town using bricks and tiles, replacing the older dangerous atap or wooden houses. Also at this time Sir Frank Swettenham was appointed the Resident-General of Selangor and after Kapitan Yap’s death in 1885, he oversaw the growth of Kuala Lumpur as the town continued to prosper. With the completion of the first railway connecting the town to Port Klang in 1886, Kuala Lumpur's growth was further boosted.

1896
In 1896 the Federated Malay States (FMS) which at the time only consisted of four states was incorporated and with Swettenham as the Resident-General, Kuala Lumpur was chosen to be the capital. The town continued to evolve becoming the classic epitome of British colonialism, with sharply uniformed white officers administrating the FMS. Unsurprisingly with the oppression of British imperialism, local nationalists were burning with their own dreams of independence.

1957
At the strike of midnight on August 31st 1957, amidst tens of thousands of people, the British Union Jack – which had stood waving in front of the Selangor Club, was finally lowered on Malaysian soil fo the last time and Malaysia’s independence was ushered in. When news first broke of Malaysia’s independence, her first Pime-Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, had announced this news in Stadium Merdeka, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

1969
With the nation’s newfound independence, Kuala Lumpur began moving towards her greatest transformation. But, once again – as in her troubled past things came to a halt when violent and bloody civil unrest exploded across the city as a result of racial tensions. The unrest sparked a state of emergency which continued for the next two years. These tensions finally subsided again after negotiations were made to bring the nation’s people together as one.

1972
Kuala Lumpur was conferred city status on February 1st 1972

1974
And in 1974 Kuala Lumpur was declared a Federal Territory

Present day
During the last few decades, Kuala Lumpur has been witness to incredible social and economic growth – with significant increases to the population and major development throughout the city. Today, Kuala Lumpur’s progress is perhaps best measured by the PETRONAS Twin Towers – one of the world’s tallest buildings standing admirably among the Kuala Lumpur skyline.