Bandar Tun Razak

Overview

In the 1970s, Bandar Tun Razak, formerly called Kampung Konggo (or Congo Village) was a very small town in Kuala Lumpur. It used to be a settlement for Malaysian ex-army personnel who served in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the 1960s under the United Nations, hence, the name. In 1984 former Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad renamed it Bandar Tun Razak in conjunction with Federal Territory’s 10th anniversary.          

Now, it is a large parliamentary constituency in the heart of KL, strategically located between Petaling Jaya and Cheras. Although this township is centred primarily at Bandar Tun Razak town, it spans from Chan Sow Lin, modern townships such as Bandar Sri Permaisuri, Taman Segar, Alam Damai and Bandar Tasik Selatan to the lush forests beside the Sungai Besi Military Camp as well as parts of Bukit Jalil.

There are a number of residential areas located here with the more popular ones being Taman Midah, consisting mostly of two-storey houses and bungalows; Taman Jaya  which houses mostly terraced houses; and Taman Mulia, comprising several primary residential areas such as Jujur, Ikhlas, Makmur and Mewah. Also, there is a collection of low-cost flats, among them Flat Sri Labuan, Flat Sri Kota and PPR Taman Mulia.

Amenities and Facilitie

The mention of Bandar Tun Razak brings to mind many facilities of international standards. Amongst them the Cheras Velodrome (Bicycle Stadium), KL Football Stadium, KL Swimming Complex and the International Youth Centre.  

A key attraction within this township is Permaisuri Lake Gardens, one of three major parks and lake gardens in KL. Formerly a tin mine, it was designed by an international consultant team led by the architect and urbanist Peter Verity (PDRc) as the first major professionally designed landscape park in Malaysia. This well-loved area endowed with lush greenery and tranquil lakes makes it perfect for leisure, recreation and sports. Many residents from surrounding suburbs patronise the gardens for jogging and picnicking. In the mornings, yoga classes are conducted here while children play happily alongside joggers in the evenings.

Furthermore, residents are fortunate as there are two government hospitals in Bandar Tun Razak: Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (HUKM) and Hospital Rehabilitasi Cheras (HRC) as well as numerous other clinics including Klinik Kesihatan Cheras, a large medical and dental clinic operated by the Malaysian Ministry of Health.

Bandar Tun Razak is also well-known for its schools and institutions of higher learning. There are 17 primary and secondary government schools, a clear sign of heavy government investment for educational facilities here. Additionally, there are two teachers' training institutes namely the Special Education Teachers' Institute (IPIK) and Technical Teachers' Institute (IPT).

On a smaller scale, the commercial area houses various government agencies including a Malaysian Road Transport Department (JPJ) in Bandar Sri Permaisuri, and the KL City Hall’s (DBKL) District Office is in Bandar Tun Razak's town centre. Multiple other facilities make living here convenient and comfortable including a Tesco Extra hypermarket, 24-hour restaurant (KFC Football Stadium), banks, and numerous restaurants and community centres. All these make the area exceptionally convenient for residents.

Accessibility and Transportatio

Bandar Tun Razak is accessible via Jalan Loke Yew and Jalan Cheras, as well as the Middle Ring Road 2 (MRR2), a ring road built by the Malaysian Public Works Department (JKR) to connect neighbourhoods near the boundary of Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. The abolition of toll for the East-West Link Expressway, which connects Cheras to Petaling Jaya, has benefited residents too.

Moreover, the town is served by the Bandar Tun Razak LRT station on the Sri Petaling line of KL's Light Rail Transit system. Further improvement in the train systems came with the opening of the Integrated Transportation Terminal - Bandar Tasik Selatan.