Sungai Besi (formerly known as ''Sungei Besi'') (English: Steel River) is a town and suburb within the
Federal Territory of
Kuala Lumpur
, anthem = ''Maju dan Sejahtera''
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
, pushpin_map_caption =
, coordinates =
, sub ...
. It was also a
federal constituency in Kuala Lumpur from 1974 to 1995. Sungai Besi was a historical mining town with many heavy industries such as
steelworks, waste steel plants and other
steel industries. Sungei Besi Tin Mine site was the largest and deepest open cast alluvial
tin mine in the world and in
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
. The town has since developed from a large area of village settlements.
Background and progress
The town is still in its original settings. The village structures are from the early days of the town. Most of the buildings are built from wood and the pathways are narrow. There is also a modest century-old
Chinese temple ( 仙四師爺廟(新街場) ) which is founded in 1901 inside the town area.
The vibrant area of Sungai Besi is located within the shops and the area near with the police station. Sungai Besi has many street vendors and traders in
wet markets who sell mostly food items and fruits.
The Sungei Besi Tin Mine site was once upon a time the largest and deepest open cast alluvial
tin mine in the world, as deep as 100 metres in some parts of the pit and with dangerously unstable slopes. Today, the site has been developed and occupied by
Mines Wellness City.
Sungai Besi is also known for the
Sungai Besi Airport (Simpang Airport) which was once the main airport for
Kuala Lumpur
, anthem = ''Maju dan Sejahtera''
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
, pushpin_map_caption =
, coordinates =
, sub ...
until 1965, where it got relocated to
Subang International Airport. The airport then housed the RMAF Museum and the
Sungai Besi Air Base. It was used by the
Royal Malaysian Air Force as well as the Police, Fire and Rescue services for
aviation
Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' includes fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air craft such as hot ...
purposes until it ceased operations in early 2018 to make way for the construction of MRT stations and
Bandar Malaysia development project.
Accessibility and transport
The township is easily accessible from the
North–South Expressway Southern Route
The North–South Expressway Southern Route is an interstate controlled-access highway running parallel to the southwestern coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The expressway forms the south section of the North–South Expressway, connecting the st ...
. The road into the township is only 400 metres from the
Sungai Besi Expressway exit.
The main road in Sungai Besi is
Jalan Pasar which is the main trading centre. Sometimes, it is packed with heavy vehicles and cars of many tourists who are in town to enjoy Sungai Besi's famed seafood.
The township is also served by the
Sungai Besi LRT Station
ta, சுங்கை பேசி
, image = Sungai Besi LRT Station platform (211106).jpg
, image_caption = Platform view of the station.
, address = Sungai Besi, Kuala Lumpur
, other = Proposed connection to future Maju KL station on KT ...
on the
Sri Petaling line of Kuala Lumpur's
Light Rapid Transit
A medium-capacity system (MCS), also known as light rapid transit or light metro, is a rail transport system with a capacity greater than light rail, but less than typical heavy-rail rapid transit. MCS’s trains are usually 1-4 cars, or 1 lig ...
system.
References
{{coord, 3, 03, N, 101, 42, E, display=title, region:MY_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki
Suburbs in Kuala Lumpur