Shah Alam City Centre – Growing bigger by the day
KOMPLEKS -PKNS, Plaza Perangsang, Alam Sentral, Wisma MBSA, SACC these areamong the names that make up the landmarks in Section 14, Shah Alam.
Located just a stone’s throw away from the State Secretariat Building(SUK), the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Mosque and state police headquarters, Section 14 is a popular
place, even after dusk.
When Shah Alam came to be about three decades ago, its developer, the Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS) had made Section 14 the capital city’s main business centre. The other popular place is Section 12.
Section 14 has gone through numerous changes over the years.
“Not too long ago, Kompleks PKNS was the only landmark in Shah Alam,” said Norian Adnan, who operates a hair salon in Kompleks PKNS.
“Most of the people simply go straight home after office hours,” she said, adding that the area was rather quiet when she first set up her salon in the building 20 years ago.
The only access road to the city, she said, was through FederalHighway, which connected Shah Alam to Klang and Kuala Lumpur.
The rest of Shah Alam was still a jungle,” said Shaiful Anuar Mohd Taib, a retiree and resident of Section 2 that borders Section 14
“People just didn’t buy houses in Shah Alam then,” he said.
The scenario has changed.
With more high-rise buildings came more people and businesses.
Eateries open late into the night and some go on for 24 hours a day.
Housing estates have mushroomed in surrounding sections such as 6, 7, 9
and 11. And so did institutes of higher learning and colleges such as
Universiti Teknology Mara (UiTM).
The students are the reason why Shah Alam is booming even further.
Though there are no cinemas or karaoke lounges in the city centre, the young sters find other means of entertainment.
For instance, on weekends, they gather at Dataran Shah Alam to show off what latest gadgets and sound systems they have in their cars.
“I don’t have a car, but I like to watch those who have bring theirs to show to others,” said
college student ^hmad Fareez lsmail.
“They spent so much on their cars that sometimes the accessories cost more than the vehicle itself.”
Ahmad Fareez said sometimes he and his college mates would gather at the square for cultural shows and concerts by local artistes.
“We go to Klang or Subang Jaya when we want to see a movie,” he said.
Unlike other earlier towns in Selangor, Shah Alam is a planned city. Development is carried out in stages and is kept according to the original blueprint.
There are no cluster of buildings concen trated in just one part of the city, nor are the traffic congestions during peak hours bad like in other roads in Selangor.
“It is a homely city,” said Necia AbduUah who works in the city centre.
“It’s a nice place to raise a family,” she said, adding that she hoped that Shah Alam would
remain the way it was and not go the way many townships and cities had in recent times.
Developed in the early 1970s, Section 2 and Section 1 (the latter where UiTM is located) are inseparable with Section 14. The three sections complement each other and has helped spur Shah Alam’s progress.
It is no wonder then that shopping malls have become common sights in the capital city. Among them are the PKNS complex, Alam Sentral and SACC.
About Shah Alam
History of Shah Alam
Shah Alam Location
Shah Alam Industry
Tour at Shah Alam
Shah Alam Map