Petaling Jaya

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Petaling Jaya
—  City  —

Seal
Nickname(s): PJ, Bandar Raya Inai Merah
Motto: Mesra, Cepat, Tepat
(English: Friendly, Expedient, Precise)
Location within Petaling District and the state of Selangor
Petaling Jaya is located in Peninsula Malaysia
Petaling Jaya
Location in the Peninsula Malaysia
Petaling Jaya is located in Malaysia
Petaling Jaya
Location in Malaysia
Coordinates: 3°05′N 101°39′E / 3.083°N 101.650°E / 3.083; 101.650
Country Malaysia
State Selangor
Establishment 1954
Granted city status 2006, June 20
Government
 • Mayor Alinah Ahmad
Area
 • Total 97.2 km2 (37.5 sq mi)
Population (2010[citation needed])
 • Total 638 516
Time zone MST (UTC+8)
 • Summer (DST) Not observed (UTC)
Website http://www.mbpj.gov.my

Petaling Jaya (commonly called "PJ" by locals) is a Malaysian city originally developed as a satellite township for Kuala Lumpur comprising mostly residential and some industrial areas. It is located in the Petaling district of Selangor with an area of approximately 97.2 km². On 20 June 2006, Petaling Jaya was granted a city status.

Contents

History [edit]

It was first developed by the British on the former 486 hectares Effingham Estate,[1] as an answer to the problem of overpopulation in Kuala Lumpur in 1952 and has since witnessed a dramatic growth in terms of population size and geographical importance. The development of Petaling Jaya commenced in 1952 with the construction of 800 houses centered around the area currently known as “Old Town” today.[citation needed]

Lieutenant-General Sir Gerald Templer (then the British High Commissioner of Malaya and Petaling District council chairman) planned for Petaling Jaya to be a satellite town to prevent people from assisting the communists and the earlier housing areas were fenced off from the surrounding area. The first two main roads built in Petaling Jaya were simply called "Jalan 1" or Road 1 and "Jalan 2" or Road 2. Road 1 was later named Jalan Templer while Road 2 was named Jalan Othman.[citation needed]

Until the end of 1953, the town was administered by the Kuala Lumpur District Officer. The Petaling Jaya Town Authority headed by Mr. N.A.J. Kennedy commenced administrating Petaling Jaya in 1954. On 24 August 1959, Encik Abdul Aziz bin Haji Mohd Ali became the first Malayan to head the PJ Authority. Administratively and historically, it was considered part of Kuala Lumpur. However, Petaling Jaya ceased to be part of Kuala Lumpur when the latter became a Federal Territory on February 1, 1972. It then became a township in its own right within the state of Selangor.[citation needed]

PJ South (also known as PJS), from Section 8 to PJ Old Town, had the first settlements, which were established around 1953. As development progressed, PJ North, located on the other side of the Federal Highway was developed.[citation needed]

The first shopping complex in Petaling Jaya – Jaya Shopping Centre (better known as Jaya Supermarket) – was built in 1974 in Section 14.

On 1 January 1977, the Petaling Jaya Town Authority was upgraded to become Petaling Jaya Municipal Council or Majlis Perbandaran Petaling Jaya (MPPJ). Petaling Jaya progressed rapidly due to the massive rural-urban migration. As more people from rural areas immigrated, Sungai Way and Subang districts along with areas such as Subang Jaya, Seksyen 52 (New Town or colloquially known as State; the name of the first, former cinema in the area) developed in areas under the jurisdiction of the municipality.

Eventually, in a boundary realignment exercise in early 1997, parts of Petaling Jaya such as Subang Jaya, UEP Subang Jaya, Putra Heights, and Bandar Sunway were placed under the jurisdiction of the newly formed Subang Jaya Municipal Council or MPSJ.

Petaling Jaya also acts as one of the centre hubs of Klang Valley (comprising parts of Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya, Shah Alam, Subang Jaya and other surrounding areas) for industry..

Climate [edit]

Petaling Jaya is one of the wettest city in Malaysia which receives heavy rainfall all year round, roughly more than 3,300 mm (130 in) of average rainfall annually. Petaling Jaya has no particular has a true dry season but June and July is the driest among the other month. Mostly each month average rainfall receives more than 200 mm (7.9 in). Thunderstorm and extreme rainstorm weather is a common environment here and it is one of the highest lightning strike in the world

Comparison average rainfall 2013 for Petaling Jaya with other places in Malaysia can be seen via Annual Mean Rainfall In Malaysia 2013

Climate data for Petaling Jaya Precipitation In 2013 (Mean Rainfall : 2002-2012)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Precipitation mm (inches) 370.8
(14.598)		 304.2
(11.976)		 319.8
(12.591)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 994.8
(39.165)
Rainfall mm (inches) 242.3
(9.539)		 304.6
(11.992)		 378.4
(14.898)		 318.8
(12.551)		 266.3
(10.484)		 144.4
(5.685)		 190.8
(7.512)		 192
(7.56)		 248.5
(9.783)		 287.7
(11.327)		 383.3
(15.091)		 331.6
(13.055)		 3,288.7
(129.477)
Source: Malaysian Meteorological Department
Principle Meteorological Station - Petaling Jaya
Year Rainfall
2012
3,422.6 mm (134.75 in)
2011
3,642.6 mm (143.41 in)
2010
3,651.8 mm (143.77 in)
2009
3,043.8 mm (119.83 in)
2008
3,749.5 mm (147.62 in)
2007
3,029.5 mm (119.27 in)
2006
4,077.6 mm (160.54 in)
2005
2,783.4 mm (109.58 in)
2004
2,989.4 mm (117.69 in)
2003
3,045.5 mm (119.90 in)
2002
2,742.0 mm (107.95 in)
Source Department Of Statistics Malaysia

City status [edit]

On 20 June 2006, Petaling Jaya was granted a city status and Dato' Ahmad Termizi Puteh, a former Yang di-Pertua MPPJ, automatically became the first mayor (Datuk Bandar) of Petaling Jaya. Petaling Jaya's local authority changed its name to Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya (MBPJ) or Petaling Jaya City Council following the granting of city status. On 15 August, Dato' Ahmad Termizi Puteh retired from the post of mayor [2] and he was later replaced by Tuan Hj. Mohamad Roslan Sakiman.

City sections [edit]

Petaling Jaya city sections
See also: List of Petaling Jaya city sections

Petaling Jaya is divided into several sections. Some sections themselves are subdivided into smaller neighborhood (kejiranan), for example SS5D. Some sections have their own names (SS1 as Kampung Tunku), while other sections are grouped together (SS3,SS4,SS5, SS6 and SS7 as part of Kelana Jaya).

Demographics [edit]

As of 2000, Petaling Jaya claimed 355,530 inhabitants within the area of 51.4 km2. The actual population by 2003 would have been a little over 450,000 inhabitants without taking into account the total population of the Kuala Lumpur-Petaling Jaya conurbation which would have resulted in a total population of 1.5 million. Its population is made up of 55% Chinese, 30% Malays, and 13% Indians.[citation needed]

Governance [edit]

Petaling Jaya residents are served by four Members of Parliament, DAP's Tony Pua in PJ Utara, PKR's Hee Loy Sian in PJ Selatan, PKR's R. Sivarasa in Subang and PKR's Loh Gwo-Burne in Kelana Jaya.

Landmarks [edit]

The Kota Darul Ehsan arch over the Federal Highway, as seen from the Kuala Lumpur side.

A prominent landmark is the Kota Darul Ehsan arch which symbolically marks the boundary between Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya. This arch straddled the Federal Highway (Lebuhraya Persekutuan) which was originally the only highway link between Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur. However, many links now exist as alternatives to the congested Federal Highway.

Close to the Kelana Jaya Line's Taman Jaya Station is the Thai Wat Chetawan temple. This ornate building is very popular amongst the Buddhist community. A short drive ahead is PJ State, the nickname for the Central Business District of Petaling Jaya with the landmark Menara MBPJ as a focal point. PJ State is more formally referred to as PJ New Town.

Mutiara Damansara is the main shopping centre in Petaling Jaya. Some of the well known shopping malls are The Curve, Ikea, e@Curve and One Utama.

Economy [edit]

The Amcorp Mall & Business Centre as seen from the Taman Jaya LRT station.
Aerial view of Bandar Sunway in Feb 2011.

The 1980s saw the establishment of the Atria in Damansara Jaya and Subang Parade in Subang Jaya. The Atria provided the opportunity for residents to patronise either the Japanese Kimisawa or the French Printemps department stores, as well as a Burger King restaurant.

In 1995, 1 Utama commenced operations at Bandar Utama. Jaya Jusco, a Japanese Department Store which had operated since 1984 at Taman Tun Dr Ismail later relocated as one of the anchor tenants of 1 Utama.[citation needed]

During the 1990s, Bandar Sunway was being developed by the Sunway Group. It was later recognized as a tourism destination with recreations such as Sunway Lagoon, Sunway Pyramid and etc.

Tesco Supermarket commenced operations in Mutiara Damansara in 2003. This was quickly followed by the Ikano Power Centre in 2004 and the Curve in 2005. The Ikano Power Centre (now renamed as IPC Shopping Centre in 2011) houses South East Asia's largest IKEA Swedish furniture store. IKEA had previously operated at the nearby 1 Utama before the period. At about the same time, the 1 Utama new wing had commenced operations.[citation needed]

Jalan PJU 5/19 in the Dataran Sunway development in Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya

In 2004, Giant Mall commenced operations in Kelana Jaya. This complex houses the Giant Hypermarket and some shops to create a more shopping centre style, hence this is the reason why it is named. It is located and easily accessed off the Damansara-Puchong Expressway. Located nearby is the SStwo Mall which was opened at the end of December 2010 and also Paradigm Mall opened mid-2012.

Transport [edit]

A train of the Kelana Jaya line of the RapidKL LRT passing through Petaling Jaya.

Transportation facilities and infrastructure are well developed in Petaling Jaya. Bus services were initially provided by Sri Jaya between the early 1950s until the early 1990s.[citation needed] Some SEA Park residents may recall the old Sri Jaya Leyland Albion buses on the No.241 service struggling to climb the relatively steep Jalan 21/1.

The mid-eighties saw the introduction of mini-buses.[citation needed] For the first time then, Petaling Jaya residents had a quick means to travel to Kuala Lumpur. Waiting time for a mini-bus to arrive was often less than 10 minutes. The introduction of the IntraKota bus system by DRB-Hicom saw the replacement of Sri Jaya and the mini-buses by the early 1990s. At the same time, some of the Petaling Jaya-Kuala Lumpur bus routes were also serviced by Metrobus.

The introduction of the Putra LRT service in 1998 saw the addition of the Putraline feeder bus services. The combination of Putraline and Putra LRT brought a relief to many Petaling Jaya residents especially those who had had to rely on public transportation.

In 2006 RapidKL took over the operations of IntraKota as well as both Star and Putra LRT. Today, public transportation is provided by RapidKL in the form of buses as well as the KL Light Rail Transit System - Kelana Jaya Line, which extends slightly into Petaling Jaya. There are five Kelana Jaya Line stations in Petaling Jaya.

Petaling Jaya has three access points to the national highway system North-South Expressway via Kota Damansara, Damansara, and Subang. Internally, highways such as the Damansara-Puchong Expressway, Sprint Expressway and the Federal Highway also exist.

There are plans for extensions to the existing Klang Valley light rail transit network with a new 30 km line from Kota Damansara[citation needed] in the northern part of Petaling Jaya to Cheras (southern Kuala Lumpur) with stops in Mutiara Damansara and Taman Tun Dr Ismail, to name a few.

The extension line which would connect to Subang Jaya, the Kelana Jaya Line, will start operation on April 2011 and expected to be completed in 2013.

Education [edit]

There are more than 23 colleges and universities in Petaling Jaya including the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM/UIAM) centre for foundation studies campus in Section 17, MARA University of Technology (UiTM) campus branch on Jalan Othman in Section 1, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) campus branch in Section 13, Tun Abdul Razak University (UNITAR) main campus in SS6 Kelana Jaya, Stamford College on Jalan Timur and Jalan 223, Food Institute of Malaysia (FIM) in SS6 Kelana Jaya, Malaysia University of Science & Technology (MUST) main campus in SS7, Kolej Damansara Utama (KDU) in Damansara Jaya, Kolej Bandar Utama (KBU) in Bandar Utama and IACT College at Damansara Utama. International University College Of Technology Twintech a private college at Bandar Sri Damansara.

The UiTM facility in Section 1 commenced life as the Dewan Latehan RIDA in November 1956. It was later renamed as the Dewan Latihan MARA. This was a training centre under the auspices of RIDA or the Rural and Industrial Development Authority. Essentially it was also the inspiration of Dato' Onn Jaafar, the founder and former president of UMNO or the United Malays National Organization. This UiTM facility can be regarded as Petaling Jaya's oldest college.[citation needed]

There are many secondary schools in Petaling Jaya including Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Taman SEA, SMK Damansara Utama, Bukit Bintang Boys School, SMK Assunta, Sri Aman Girls School, Catholic High School, La Salle PJ, SMK Damansara Jaya, SMK Sultan Abdul Samad, SMK Taman Medan, SMK Sri Permata, SMK (P) Taman Petaling and SMK Kelana Jaya. The oldest school in Petaling Jaya is likely the Road 10 Primary School in Old Town. The foundation stone of the school was placed by Almarhum Sultan Sir Hisamuddin Alam Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Sir Alaeddin Sulaiman Shah in 1952.

Malaysia's first private nursing college is located at Assunta Hospital in Petaling Jaya. The Tun Tan Cheng Lock College of Nursing was founded in 1961.

Places of worship [edit]

Wat Chetawan Thai Buddhist temple.

The Muslim community can pray at mosques such as those located at Jalan Templer, Section 17, Section 14, Section SS1 and Damansara Utama. Masjid Kelana Jaya Putera, which was built in the late-2000s, is located in Kelana Jaya. Masjid Jamek Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah at Jalan Templer is likely the oldest mosque in Petaling Jaya. This mosque was declared open by HRH the Sultan of Selangor on 23 October 1964. Later in 2008, the mosque was modernised and rebuilt.

The Roman Catholic Christian community can attend mass at churches such as the St Francis Xavier which was established in 1961. It is located at Jalan Gasing, Assumption on Jalan Templer as well as at St Ignatius in Taman Mayang. The Assumption church is the oldest and dates from 15 August 1959.[3] The Trinity Methodist church dates from 2 August 1959 and is located at Jalan 5/37. An Anglican as well as a Lutheran church is located at Jalan Utara. Glad Tidings Assembly of God church is located at Jalan Bersatu 13/4. Several shophouse-based churches exist across Petaling Jaya. In 2005, the former Ruby Cinema in SEA Park temporarily became the Damansara Utama Methodist Church.

The Thai Chetawan Temple along Jalan Gasing and at the Cempaka Buddhist Lodge in SS23 Taman SEA. Chinese temples such as Poh Lum Fatt Yuen along Jalan Gasing fulfil the needs of the Taoist community. Taoist temples can also be found in PJ Old Town and in Section 11.

The Sri Sithi Vinayagar Temple (Sanskrit:श्री सिद्धि) located at Section 4 along Jalan Selangor serves as the main religious facility for Petaling Jaya's Hindu community. The main God worshipped here is Ganesh, (Sanskrit: गणेश). Vinayaga is a common name for Ganesh. There is a Mariamman Temple in Jalan 17/47, and the Geeta Ashram is a north-Indian style Hindu Temple dedicated to Krishna. The Geeta Ashram can be found in Lorong Utara B in Section 52.

There is also a Sikh Gurdwara located in Lorong Utara B, beside the Tun Hussein Onn Eye Hospital and the Geeta Ashram.

Sister cities [edit]

References [edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Petaling Jaya
  1. ^ Source: MBPJ website "Background of Petaling Jaya"[1], Sun2Surf article "PJ grows into a city" archived at aplikasi.kpkt.gov.my [2], but see also dispute at The Nut Graph "PJ's illegal development"[3]
  2. ^ [4]
  3. ^ "[5]." Assumption Church. Retrieved on 24 October 2009.
  4. ^ a b "A second sister city for PJ". starproperty.my. Retrieved 2012-08-11. 

External links [edit]


Sungai Buloh
Shah Alam Kuala Lumpur
  Petaling Jaya  
Subang Jaya

Coordinates: 3°05′N 101°39′E / 3.083°N 101.650°E / 3.083; 101.650

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