Kajang

Overview

Kajang, a relatively small township in the eastern region of Selangor, is Hulu Langat’s district capital. The name “kajang” comes from the woven palm leaves that covered the roofs and walls of the Javanese and Sumaterans settlers’ houses – dating as far back as the 1850s as they settled along the Langat River.

Dwelling approximately 21 kilometers from Malaysia’s bustling capital Kuala Lumpur, Kajang - although small indeed - has experienced significant growth since its tin mining days due to its proximity to the city. It is also included as part of Klang Valley or Greater Kuala Lumpur.

Bandar Mahkota Cheras, Semenyih, Bangi and Serdang serve as immediate neighbours to the town.

The expansion of Kajang began in the sometime during the 1980s, when house prices in Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya started to increase along with housing demand. Seeing opportunities in Kajang, property developers bought over the rubber plantations and began constructing houses.

A popular satellite town, many seek to live in Kajang but work at other places such as Kuala Lumpur, Cyberjaya and Putrajaya. This stimulated the development of Kajang as it increased the demand for housing.

Growing potential

Kajang rose to prominence when the MRT Sungai Buloh-Kajang line was announced a few years ago. Apart from being home to three MRT stations — Sungai Jernih, Stadium Kajang and Kajang — the town is also linked to several highways — the Kajang Dispersal Link Expressway (SILK), Kajang-Seremban Highway (LEKAS) and the North-South Expressway.

And with the completion of the Sungai Besi-Ulu Kelang Elevated Expressway (SUKE), which passes through Kajang, means more areas of the town can be explored. Compared to other parts of Kuala Lumpur, Kajang has a price advantage for those seeking refuge from the hustle and bustle of the city centre.

Based on data from EdgeProp.my, the Sungai Chua area particularly shows elevation in property value. Apart from that, since 2004, several other townships have sprouted within the region. These include Taman Prima Saujana (accessible directly from Jalan Cheras) and Taman Kajang Perdana, also known as Kajang Highlands. A noteworthy amount of high-end developments have also mushroomed in the area. Twin Palms, Sri Banyan, Country Heights, Jade Hills and Prima Paramount are among them.

Amenities and Facilities

Kajang has an array of modern and older shopping complexes. One of the oldest malls, The Billion Shopping Centre within Kajang Town, has been in the vicinity for more than 15 years. Other than that, alternative shopping complexes include Plaza Metro Kajang, Kota Kajang and Metro Point. Hypermarkets such as Tesco and Giant had also set up shop in the town.

Being a historical town, the old Kajang town centre houses most of the pre-war shophouses and historical buildings are located. One such building, the Kajang Heritage Centre in Jalan Mendaling was set up in 2001 to promote and preserve the town’s rich heritage.

The town is also gaining recognition as an educational hub south of the Klang Valley with its many established educational institutions such as Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN) Putrajaya campus, University of Kuala Lumpur (UniKL), Infrastructure University Kuala Lumpur and the Open University (Bangi Learning Centre).

In line with many other Malaysian towns, Kajang houses a string of night market or pasar malams. These offer local souvenirs and unique knick-knacks and not to forget a wide spectrum of local cuisines.

When it comes to food, Kajang is acknowledged as the ‘Satay Town’ among tourists. Notably renowned for its satay – barbecued meat on a thin stick, Willy Satay @ Ramal Food Junction, Jalan Sungai Ramal and Restoran Sate Kajang Haji Samuri in Jalan Hishammuddin are two go-to places for this delicacy.

The town is not only known for its satay but also known for its spicy pepper soup. The popular go-to restaurant would be Restoran Kee V in Sungai Chua.