Ampang Jaya, more commonly known as just Ampang, is a town, a mukim and a Ampang (federal constituency), parliamentary constituency straddling parts of the Hulu Langat District and Gombak District, in eastern Selangor, Malaysia. It is located just outside the eastern border of Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory. It is administered by the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ), which is the formal name of the township as well.

History

According to history, Kuala Lumpur was founded in 1857 at the confluence of the Sungei Lumpur (now Gombak River) and the Klang River, which now houses the Jamek Mosque, Kuala Lumpur Jamek Mosque. Before the arrival of the Chinese for tin mining, Kuala Lumpur was a small hamlet with only several shops and houses. Klang War, Raja Abdullah, who is also the representative of the Sultan in Klang, and Raja Juma'at of Lukut sent 87 Chinese miners from Lukut in 1857 to open tin mines in Ampang, thus beginning the development of Kuala Lumpur. Ampang was one of the earliest areas in the Klang Valley to be opened for tin mining. The name "Ampang" derives from the old spelling of the Malay word ''empangan'' (or ''ampangan''), meaning ''dam''; the place was named in reference to the miners' dams. A road was built to connect Ampang to Kuala Lumpur which became Jalan Ampang of today. Between colonial rule and February 1974, Ampang district was part of the greater Kuala Lumpur district in Selangor. Following the creation of the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur on 1 February 1974, Ampang district was split into two; the western part, located within the Federal Territory, became Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, Ampang Hilir, and the eastern part, remained in Selangor, as part of Hulu Langat District, Hulu Langat (Kajang) District. During the height of the Malayan Emergency in the 1950s, the British established the Ampang New Village, which became one of the largest Chinese settlements in the Klang Valley. The Kau Ong Yah Lam Thian Kiong Temple (安邦南天宮) in Ampang New Village is famous for the Nine Emperor Gods Festival, 9 Emperor Gods festival, which is celebrated annually on the 9th month of the Chinese lunar calendar, between late-September and early-October. AJ Evolution

On 1 July 1992, the Selayang Municipal Council, Gombak District Council (''Majlis Daerah Gombak'') and the Kajang Municipal Council, Hulu Langat District Council (''Majlis Daerah Hulu Langat'') respectively ceded the districts of Ulu Klang and Ampang, forming the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council. Highland Towers collapse, One block of the Highland Towers, located within Ampang Jaya's territory, collapsed on 11 December 1993. On 16 December 1996, Malaysia's first Rapid transit, metro line, the Light Rail Transit, LRT Ampang Line, opened for service.

Geography

Ampang depot (Ampang Line), Ampang, Selangor

Situated to the east of Kuala Lumpur, Ampang Jaya covers an area of 143.5 km², covering the parliamentary constituencies of Ampang (federal constituency), Ampang, Pandan (federal constituency), Pandan and Gombak (federal constituency), Gombak, and stretches from Pandan Indah from the south, through Ampang town, Hulu Klang, Melawati, and touching the Klang Gates Dam in the north. Clockwise, Ampang Jaya borders the remainder of Hulu Langat District in the east and south, the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur in the west, Gombak District in the north, and a short border with Bentong (Pahang) in the northeast.

Demographics

Ampang is known for its diverse ethnic makeup. Data from MPAJ shows that 56.5% of Ampang Jaya's residents are Malays (ethnic group), Malays, while the Chinese Malaysians, Chinese make up about 30%. Indian Malaysians, Indians make up 7%, while the remainder is made up of other ethnicities, nationalities and expatriates.

Culture

Ampang is famous for yong tau foo, a stuffed bean curd dish of Hakka cuisine, Hakka origin.

Education

The former International School of Kuala Lumpur (ISKL) secondary campus is in Ampang. The ADNI Islamic school is also based in the town.

List of Schools in Ampang Jaya

Primary Schools

* Sekolah Kebangsaan Ampang * Sekolah Kebangsaan Ampang Campuran * Sekolah Kebangsaan Cheras Indah * Sekolah Kebangsaan (1) Kuala Ampang * Sekolah Kebangsaan (2) Kuala Ampang * Sekolah Kebangsaan Pandan Indah * Sekolah Kebangsaan Pandan Perdana * Sekolah Kebangsaan Taman Bukit Indah * Sekolah Kebangsaan Taman Keramat * Sekolah Kebangsaan Taman Kosas * Sekolah Kebangsaan Taman Melawati * Sekolah Kebangsaan Taman Nirwana

Secondary School

* Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Bandar Baru Ampang * Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Bukit Indah * Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Hulu Klang * Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Pandan Indah * Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Pandan Jaya * Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Pandan Mewah * Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Taman Melawati * Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Taman Keramat * Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Taman Kosas * Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Taman Seraya * Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tasek Permai

Politics

Ampang (federal constituency), Ampang is represented in the Dewan Rakyat of the Malaysian Parliament by Rodziah Ismail of Parti Keadilan Rakyat, PKR. She has held the seat since Malaysian general election, 2022, 2022. On the state level, Ampang contributes two seats to the Selangor State Legislative Assembly, namely: * Lembah Jaya (state constituency), Lembah Jaya, represented by Haniza Mohamed Talha of Parti Bangsa Malaysia, PBM; and * Bukit Antarabangsa (state constituency), Bukit Antarabangsa, represented by Mohamed Azmin Ali, Azmin Ali of BERSATU. The Ampang Jaya municipality however also covers the Pandan (federal constituency), Pandan parliamentary constituency and the Hulu Kelang (state constituency), Hulu Klang state constituency within the Gombak (federal constituency), Gombak parliamentary constituency.

Transportation

Car

Effectively a suburb of Kuala Lumpur, Ampang is well connected to other places by a series of federal highways, tolled highways and state routes. Jalan Ampang is the main thoroughfare from downtown Kuala Lumpur until Taman Rimba Ampang. The Ampang–Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway, AKLEH diverted some of the traffic from Jalan Ampang. The Kuala Lumpur Middle Ring Road 2, MRR2 runs through Ampang in a north–south orientation - this road is now the main route taken by Ampang motorists to get to either Pahang due north or Negeri Sembilan due south. The Besraya Expressway, BESRAYA extension begins in Kampung Ampang Campuran, goes through Pandan Indah and all the way to Seri Kembangan. Besides that, there is a Jalan Ampang–Hulu Langat, state-level hill road to Hulu Langat which serves as a shortcut to Kajang.

Public transportation

is the namesake and terminus of the Ampang Line, which is Malaysia's first LRT/metro system. The station, renovated in 2012, is located along Jalan Ampang. The stretch between Ampang and used to be part of KTM Intercity until the 1990s. KTM presently does not serve Ampang or its surroundings. Other than the aforementioned Ampang station, the Ampang Jaya municipal district is also served by the Cahaya LRT station, Cahaya, Cempaka LRT station, Cempaka, Pandan Indah LRT station, Pandan Indah and Pandan Jaya LRT station, Pandan Jaya stations, all on the Ampang Line. The Cempaka-Pandan Jaya stretch is however not in Ampang proper, but located in the adjacent constituency of Pandan (federal constituency), Pandan instead. According to unofficial proposals, a MRT Circle Line, surrounding downtown Kuala Lumpur would be built. Ampang station was reportedly one of the possible stops, along Abdullah Hukum LRT station, Abdullah Hukum, Bandar Malaysia, Segambut Komuter station, Segambut, Sentul Timur LRT station, Sentul Timur, Jelatek LRT station, Jelatek and Taman Midah MRT station, Taman Midah. Besides the LRT, bus and taxi options are available. For example, rapidKL bus route 300 leads from the Ampang LRT station to Kuala Lumpur City Centre, KLCC.

References

{{Authority control Mukims of Selangor 1992 establishments in Malaysia Towns in Selangor