Klang or Kelang, officially the Royal City of Klang (), is a city and the royal capital of the state of Selangor, Malaysia. It is the administrative centre of Klang District and lies on the Klang River, approximately west of central Kuala Lumpur and east of Port Klang.
Klang served at various times as the administrative capital of Selangor before the state capital was ultimately transferred to Shah Alam in 1977. It remains closely associated with the Selangor royal household, whose principal palace, Istana Alam Shah, is located in the city.
The former Klang Municipal Council was granted city status with effect from 23 November 2023. On 5 February 2024, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah formally proclaimed Klang a royal city and the local authority became the Klang Royal City Council (MBDK).
The wider Klang area forms an important industrial, manufacturing and logistics centre within the Klang Valley. Nearby Port Klang, historically developed as the maritime outlet for Selangor, is one of Malaysia's principal container ports.
Etymology Klang is generally believed to take its name from the Klang River, which flows through the city before reaching the Strait of Malacca at Port Klang. The river and surrounding urban region subsequently gave their name to the wider Klang Valley.
One proposed origin derives the name from the Mon–Khmer word klong, referring to a canal or waterway. Another interpretation has associated it with the Malay word kilang, although its modern meaning is "factory".
The settlement was also historically known as Pengkalan Batu, meaning "stone jetty".
The Chinese name for Klang, , is not a direct transliteration of the present Malay name. It has been suggested that it originated from the Malay word pasang, referring to the tides in the Klang area.
History
Early history The Klang area has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Archaeological finds from the region include bronze drums, axes and iron implements. The Klang Bell, a bronze bell dated to approximately the 2nd century BC to the 2nd century AD, was discovered in the area and is now held by the British Museum.
Klang's position near the mouth of a river leading into the tin-rich interior gave the settlement strategic importance. The name was recorded in the 14th-century Javanese poem Nagarakretagama, while the Klang River estuary also appeared on maps associated with the voyages of Zheng He.
Malacca, Johor and Selangor During the 15th century, Klang was under the Malacca Sultanate. Tun Perak, one of Malacca's most prominent Bendahara, was associated with Klang before his appointment to senior office in Malacca.
Following the Portuguese conquest of Malacca in 1511, Klang remained under Malay control and was subsequently associated with the Johor Sultanate. Bugis migration into the western coast of the Malay Peninsula during the 17th and 18th centuries contributed to the formation of the Selangor Sultanate, which came to control Klang.
Klang War and colonial period During the 19th century, expanding tin mining in the Klang Valley increased the economic and political importance of Klang. Rivalry over control of the district was a major factor in the Klang War, or Selangor Civil War, between 1867 and 1874.
After Selangor accepted a British Resident in 1874, Klang became the centre of the colonial administration. The administrative capital was moved to Kuala Lumpur in 1880 as the latter grew into the principal tin-mining settlement of the interior.
Klang nevertheless remained Selangor's main outlet for tin until the development of Port Swettenham, now Port Klang, at the river mouth. A railway from Kuala Lumpur reached Bukit Kuda in 1886 and Klang in 1890, strengthening the town's role as a commercial centre.
Local administration began with the Klang Health Board in May 1890. Klang's official local-government boundary was defined in 1895.
The first road bridge connecting both sides of the Klang River, Belfield Bridge, was constructed in 1908.
20th and 21st centuries In 1926, the Klang and Port Swettenham health boards were merged. The authority became Klang Town Board in 1945 and Klang Town Council in 1954. Port Klang, Kapar and Meru were incorporated into the Klang District Council in the 1970s, and the authority was upgraded to Klang Municipal Council on 1 January 1977.
Klang briefly served again as Selangor's state capital from 1974 until Shah Alam formally assumed the role in 1977.
On 26 July 2023, the federal government announced approval for Klang Municipal Council to be upgraded to a city council. The grant of city status received royal consent in November 2023 and took effect on 23 November 2023. On 5 February 2024, Sultan Sharafuddin proclaimed the city the Royal City of Klang, and the local authority adopted the name Klang Royal City Council.
Geography and urban structure
The Klang River divides the traditional urban area into North Klang and South Klang. Development has subsequently expanded beyond the old town into a large urbanised area that includes established and newer residential, commercial and industrial townships.
North Klang includes areas such as Bandar Baru Klang, Berkeley Garden, Meru, Rantau Panjang, Klang Utama, Bandar Bukit Raja, Aman Perdana and Klang Sentral. South Klang includes the historic town centre south of the river together with Bandar Bukit Tinggi, Bandar Botanic, Taman Sri Andalas, Taman Sentosa, Bayu Perdana, Kota Bayuemas and surrounding developments.
The Klang Royal City Council administers most of western Klang District, while some eastern areas of the district fall under the jurisdiction of Shah Alam City Council.
Government
Local government is provided by the Klang Royal City Council (MBDK). The council traces its institutional history to the Klang Health Board established in 1890.
City status took effect on 23 November 2023, while the royal-city proclamation was made on 5 February 2024. The council is responsible for areas including planning control, local roads, drainage, public health, waste management, markets, parks, licensing and municipal facilities.
Klang and its surrounding urban area overlap the federal constituencies of Klang, Kapar and Kota Raja.
Economy Klang developed historically as a trading and industrial settlement serving the agricultural and mining economy of western Selangor. Its location between Kuala Lumpur and Port Klang subsequently helped establish the area as a major manufacturing, warehousing and logistics centre.
Industrial areas are distributed across Bukit Raja, Meru, Kapar, Klang Utama, Pulau Indah, Teluk Gong and other parts of the wider city and district.
The city's economy is closely linked to Port Klang, which developed from the former Port Swettenham and serves as one of Malaysia's principal maritime gateways. Port-related industries in the wider Klang area include container handling, freight forwarding, warehousing, shipping agencies, customs services and manufacturing.
The Port Klang Free Zone, developed on Pulau Indah, was established as a regional logistics, trade and distribution centre.
Klang has also developed a significant retail and services economy, particularly around Bandar Bukit Tinggi, Bandar Baru Klang, Meru and the historic town centre.
Tourism Tourism became an increasingly visible component of the local economy following Klang's elevation to royal-city status and the promotion of Visit Selangor Year 2025. Klang recorded 642,557 visitors between January and September 2025, exceeding the 629,218 visitors recorded during the whole of 2024.
Of the January–September 2025 total, 465,315 were domestic visitors and 177,242 were international visitors. China was the largest source of international visitors with 63,655, followed by Singapore with 15,725 and Indonesia with 12,642.
The city's heritage buildings, royal institutions, traditional commercial streets, food culture and Klang Heritage Walk are among its principal tourism attractions.
Demographics Population figures for "Klang" vary according to whether they refer to the historic town, the local-authority area or the wider Klang District.
The 2010 census recorded 568,707 residents within the then Klang Municipal Council area, while the wider urban population administered by the council was reported separately in earlier municipal statistics.
Klang has substantial Malay, Chinese and Indian communities, reflecting its long history as a trading, port and industrial centre.
Ethnic GroupPopulation1957197020102020Malay 37,003 24.68% 72,734 31.13% 234,293 41.18% Other Bumiputras 9,107 1.60% Bumiputra total 243,400 42.78% 541,913 49.76% Chinese 65,454 43.65% 100,524 43.02% 152,582 26.83% 251,530 23.01% Indian 44,393 29.60% 59,333 25.39% 121,533 21.37% 189,552 17.41% Others 3,105 2.07% 1,079 0.46% 2,994 0.53% 7,701 0.71% Malaysian total 520,509 91.53% 990,696 90.98% Non-Malaysian 98,246 8.47% 98,246 9.02% Total 149,955 100.00% 233,670 100.00% 568,707 100.00% 1,088,942 100.00%
Transportation
Rail Klang is served by the Port Klang Line of the KTM Komuter network. Stations serving the Klang urban area include: Bukit Badak Kampung Raja Uda Klang Teluk Pulai Teluk Gadong Port Klang
The Shah Alam Line, also known as LRT3, began passenger operations on 29 June 2026. The line links Bandar Utama with Johan Setia and provides rail service through central Klang.
Stations on the Shah Alam Line in and around Klang include Bandar Baru Klang, Pasar Klang, Jalan Meru, Jambatan Kota, Taman Selatan, Sri Andalas, Klang Jaya, Bandar Bukit Tinggi and Johan Setia.
The line recorded more than 60,000 journeys across its rail and supporting first- and last-mile network on its first day of operation.
Roads Klang is linked to the wider Klang Valley by several major highways, including: Federal Highway New Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE) Shah Alam Expressway (KESAS) South Klang Valley Expressway (SKVE) New North Klang Straits Bypass West Coast Expressway (WCE)
The WCE connects the western coastal corridor of Selangor and Perak. The Banting–SKVE section opened on 30 August 2024 and the SKVE–Shah Alam Expressway section opened on 22 January 2025. Other sections remained under construction in 2026.
Bridges The Kota Bridge is one of the best-known transport landmarks in central Klang. Its older double-deck structure was constructed between 1957 and 1960 and opened in 1961. The lower deck remains available to pedestrians, bicycles and motorcycles.
The Musaeddin Bridge, also known as Tengku Kelana Bridge, was later built near the Kota Bridge. The Klang Third Bridge, costing approximately RM199 million, opened in May 2017 and provides another road connection between North and South Klang.
Bus services Klang is served by Rapid KL and other stage-bus services, while Klang Sentral functions as a bus and taxi terminal in northern Klang.
The Smart Selangor Bus programme also operates within the city. In 2025, MBDK's network consisted of 7 routes served by 10 buses. By 11 December 2025, the service had carried 297,446 passengers.
The service is subsidised for eligible local users. Foreign passengers were charged RM0.90 per trip in 2025, and 14,540 foreign nationals had used the service by 11 December.
As of 2026, scheduled bus services in Klang are operated by Rapid KL, Smart Selangor, Wawasan Sutera and Causeway Link. Following the opening of the Shah Alam Line in June 2026, Rapid KL also introduced feeder bus routes connecting several LRT stations in Klang with surrounding residential and commercial areas.