Kepong.com
Mesmerising Kepong
about KEPONG
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This vibrant northern suburb of the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur has a rich history that is little known even to its growing populace of over 75,000.
Its name in Malay reflects the beauty of this township being surrounded by a mountain range. Herein lies the well-established Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM), a beautiful eco-tourist spot that cannot be matched anywhere else in the country.
The history of Kepong goes as far back as the nineteenth century. It became involved in the Selangor Civil War, which started in Klang in 1866, with two rival factions – the administrator of Klang, Raja Abdullah bin Raja Jaafar, and Raja Mahadi bin Raja Sulaiman.
This war was later joined byTengku Kudin (Tengku Dhiauddin, also spelt Ziauddin) and Abdullah's son, Raja Ismail, who won the war in 1874.
Originally under the Batu parliamentary constituency, the Kepong seat was formed in 1974, with the late Dr Tan Chee Khoon (Pekemas) becoming its first Member of Parliament. It became a BN seat when Dr Tan Tiong Hong became its MP from 1978-1982. After Dr Tan Seng Giaw (DAP) wrestled the seat fromiong Hong, Seng Giaw served for the next eight terms between 1982 and 2018. The current MP is Lim Lip Eng (DAP).
The township's development owes itself to the flourishing tin mining industry, which turned Kepong into an important economic centre in the then state of Selangor as early as 1860, before it was redelineated to become part of the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur in 1971.
Today, Kepong is a modern township with a well-developed infrastructure and public transportation system. It has several major chain stores such as AEON, AEON Big and Tesco. In recent years, with high-end development of Desa Park City, Kepong has undergone a total facelift, with multilevel condominiums replacing some older developments. Over the years, a number of international schools and a modern private hospital have sprung up in this suburb to cater to the needs of modern families living in Kepong.
Klang Civil War
Kepong Sentral Station, which currently services the KTM Komuter is linked to the MRT line that makes the township accessible from anywhere in the Klang Valley and beyond. There are four MRT stations (Kepong Sentral, Kepong (near AEON), Kepong Baru and Jinjang) and two KTM stations (Kepong Sentral and Kepong (Taman Kepong)).
The township is also accessible via Jalan Kuching and the DUKE highway for people living on the south side of the Federal Territory, whilst the LDP Highway makes travelling to Kepong from Petaling Jaya a matter of just over 15 minutes. It is also convenient to get to Kepong via the NKVE from the rest of the country, while the Middle Ring Road 2 connects the township with the rest of Kuala Lumpur.