Sungai Besi

Overview

Located at the edge of Kuala Lumpur city centre is Sungai Besi, a small town untouched by the sprawling urbanisation surrounding it. Rich with history dating back to more than 80 years, this former tin mining town thrived on many heavy industries such as steelworks and waste steel plants.

As indicated by its name, Sungai Besi mine was one of the largest man-made holes in the world, covering 12 acres at surface level and 2.5 acres at the working level 80 feet below. During the Emergency period, Sungai Besi was one of the settlements and has remained a special place in KL up to today. Currently, the town is labelled as a secondary heritage zone under the KL City Plan 2020.

Sungai Besi has since grown rapidly with commercial and residential areas, but most of the town’s original structures since the British era are still intact and in relatively good conditions. Both locals and outsiders have stopped in their tracks in awe of its quaint shophouses and laidback atmosphere, a stark contrast to its neighbouring towns filled with skyscrapers.

The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) shifted its base from Sungai Besi to enable the area to be developed as a commercial hub. The 197-acre land is to be turned into a mixed township, and will contain the KL terminus for the high-speed railway line from Singapore. Among the developments underway in Sungai Besi is Bandar Malaysia and Razak City.

 

Amenities and facilities

A fact not known to many, Sungai Besi is home to a 112-year-old Chinese temple built by the miners, a popular place of worship among Taoists in KL. Old mosques are also well maintained and preserved by the community.  The Royal Military College or Maktab Tentera Diraja is located in Sungai Besi, adding character to the area. A police station is available nearby the shopping area with many street vendors and traders in wet markets selling mostly food items and fruit.

 

Accessibility and transportation

Sungai Besi is superbly accessible via a few major highways, such as the Sungai Besi Highway (Besraya), Kuala Lumpur-Seremban Highway, North-South Expressway and KL-Putrajaya Dedicated Highway.

Ease of public transportation is provided by the Sungai Besi LRT station located along the Sungai Besi Expressway within walking distance from the town. Opened in 1996, the station also serves as a rapidKL bus hub and is accessible via rapidKL bus route U42. Future plans include the integration of the LRT line with the Sungai Buloh-Serdang-Putrajaya Line, expected to be opened in 2022.