Rawang

 

Overview

Rawang is a town situated in the Gombak district of Selangor. It was founded in early 19^th century as tin mines were opened and explored. The Battle of Rawang which took place in 1871, as a part of the Selangor Civil War, led to the unofficial demarcation of Rawang as the boundary of Tengku Kudin’s dominance in northern Klang Valley, when his troops repelled his opponent Syed Mashor’s troops towards Serendah and Kuala Kubu Bharu. The installation of the first electric generator in Rawang (1894) for tin mining, hallmarks the entry and first ever usage of electricity in Malaysia and subsequently Rawang became the first town to have electric street lights and electricity supplied railway station which enabled a growth spurt for Rawang.

Over the years the economic output of Rawang expanded as rubber estates were established, the first cement factory was opened, oil palm plantations were established and industrial areas were set up. With the increase in job availability, there was an influx of foreign workers and a rapid growth in population that was diversely multi-racial.

Amenities and Facilities

The multi-racial community is served by multiple SRA, SMK, SK, SJK (C), SJK (T) and International schools located close to each other. The various places of worship are Masjid Jamek Nurul Iman Rawang for Malays, Sze Yeah Kong Chinese Temple founded by Hakka immigrants, Sri Veerakathy Vinayagar Temple for Hindus, Gurdwara Sahib Rawang for Sikhs and the St. Jude’s Church for the Catholics.

Other amenities and facilities include Tesco, Parkson, AEON, Giant, landscaped recreational parks, police station, gas stations, hardware stores, auto repair shops, banks, clinics, suraus, mosques, churches, post office, night markets, Tasik Puteri Golf & Country Club, Bukit Beruntung Golf & Country Club, Ganesan Medical Centre and Mani Dental Surgery. On the South eastern edge of Rawang is the Hutan Lipur Bukit Lagong Park, Templer Park Golf & Country Club and Commonwealth Forest Park and Resort which are hot spots for jungle trekking and camping activities.

Property Developments

Within Rawang are many residential neighborhoods, new and old. The older neighborhoods include Bandar Country Homes, Taman Rawang Perdana, Taman Bukit Rawang, Taman Pelangi, Taman Tun Teja, Taman Bersatu, New Green Park, Kuala Garing, Taman Garing, Taman Sri Rawang, Kampung Dato Lee Kim Sai, Kampung Sungai Terentang and Kampung Kenanga. More recent developments include Emerald East, Emerald West, Bandar Tasik Puteri, LakeClub Parkhome and M Residences.

Accessibility and Transportation

It is easily accessible via North-South Expressway (Exit 116), Guthrie Corridor Expressway (Exit 115), Kuala Lumpur-Kuala Selangor Expressway (Exit 115) and B27 road from Batang Berjuntai. For access via public transport, a KTM Komuter station along the Seremban Line is present in Rawang.

Foodies’ Heaven

Restoran Lan Je in Taman Setia Rawang and Restoran R Cheng Fei Zhou Yu Wantan Mee in Kampung Dato Lee Kim Sai are famous for their tilapia fish dishes. The former earned its reputation for its “one fish per person” concept, and its steamed tilapia fish with bean sauce is a favourite among patrons.

Restoran R Cheng Fei Zhou Yu Wantan Mee is unique as it serves wantan mee with tilapia fish instead of barbecue pork. Patrons can choose from five sauces for the fish — ginger, soy, curry, bean and garlic.

The third-generation-run Sin Loong Kee Noodles in Kampung Baru Kundang is best known for its handmade lau shu fen or rat tail noodles, so named due to their shape, which resembles a rat’s tail. The noodles come in dry and soup forms and are accompanied by fried meatballs and mincemeat, stuffed tofu pieces with onion oil, and fried shallots and spring onions for garnishing. Do take note that the stall is only open for breakfast.

Another breakfast spot in Rawang is Kedai Kopi Yee Kee in Kampung Dato Harun. Enjoy a slice of egg Swiss roll with thickly spread kaya as its filling as well as the butter cake, pandan cake and salty pancake. Other than pastries, the wantan mee here is also well known. It has many extra ingredients such as fried tofu skin, curry chicken with potatoes, long beans, cabbage, fish paste and chicken drumsticks, in addition to the usual barbecue pork, wantan, chicken feet and hakka fried pork. The shop’s signature dish is the mulberry tea combined with herbal tea and an egg in a bowl.

Also located in Kampung Dato Harun is a restaurant that serves Thai food but does not have a name or signage. Hence, the locals have dubbed it “Restoran Tom Yam” or “Serendah Tom Yam” because of its signature tom yam soup. Its sambal petai and fried fish with special sauce are popular as well.

A local favourite is Nesan Curry House in Pusat Bandar Rawang. This restaurant serves many types of Indian food such as idiyappam, tosai, kothu parotta, idli, pal appam, kuzhal puttu, capati and chicken varuval.

For western food, step into Ho Ho Food Station, located next to Restoran Lan Je, in Taman Setia Rawang. The chicken chops are the best sellers, especially the one coated in salted egg sauce. The grilled chicken thigh is also on the list of most ordered items. Other food on the menu include pasta, fried rice, satay chicken chop and cempedak cake.

Made for nature lovers

Rawang is a heaven for nature lovers, thanks to its rainforest reserves, lakes and parks. Templer Park, a 1,214ha rainforest reserve with a waterfall that is a popular spot for hiking and camping, is one of its prominent landmarks. The Templer Park Rainforest Retreat and Templer Park Country Club are located there as well.

About 2km away from Templer Park is the Taman Eko Rimba Kanching Waterfalls, which has a seven-tiered waterfall. At each tier, there is a pond that is suitable for swimming. It is a great place for camping or a picnic.

Meanwhile, the Commonwealth Forest Park and Resort is located in Bukit Lagong Forest Reserve and covers over 1,482 acres. Established in 1993 to mark the 14th Commonwealth Forestry Conference, the park fell into disrepair until Future World Avenues Sdn Bhd took over the management of 642 acres and rebranded it to include the resort.

The Commonwealth Forest Park and Resort caters primarily for team-building events and seminars, but smaller groups and day trippers are welcomed as well.

The Tasik Biru Seri Kundang, a recreational lake in Kampung Melayu Sri Kundang, is equally well known. It used to be the largest mining area in Rawang and one of the largest in Selangor.

There is also the Selangor Fruit Valley, which allows visitors to experience agricultural life first-hand and taste fresh produce sold by local farmers. Developed by Perbadanan Kemajuan Pertanian Selangor, a subsidiary of the state government, its attractions include the Tropical Fruits Farm, Herbs & Spices Garden, Selangor Traditional House, Deer Park and Rabbit Park.