PETALING JAYA: Museums are a place of learning and culture that educate the public on the importance of history and its role in everyday life.
Being the most populous state in the country, Selangor is home to many interesting museums that could add interest to a day trip in this time of staycations.
Here are some of the best museums that Selangor has to offer:
1. Jugra Insitu Museum
This museum is located in what used to be a district police station. The building was erected 1878, by British colonial officer Captain Harry Charles Syers.
It was a key centre of government and played an important role in the administration of the Selangor Sultanate.
The museum has three exhibition halls with a variety of exhibits and dioramas.
Admission is free but photography is not permitted.
2. Sultan Abdul Aziz Royal Gallery
Located in the royal town of Klang, the Royal Gallery centres on the life of the late Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah of Selangor.
The building was erected in 1909, and was known as Bangunan Sultan Sulaiman. Under the British, it housed the land office and administrative offices. During World War II, the Japanese used the building as their headquarters.
Upon independence, the building became the Klang district office, before being dedicated as a memorial museum to the late sultan on Oct 19, 2007.
3. Kuala Selangor Museum
Home to an assortment of historical artefacts such as tombstones and weapons, these pieces of history date back to the reign of Sultan Salehuddin in 1766.
Selangor was the battleground between the Sultanate’s forces and British and Dutch troops. The Selangor Civil War which lasted from 1867 until 1874, was a bloody political struggle between members of the local nobility. The legacy of that conflict is displayed in this museum.
The museum is close to the Altingsburg Lighthouse which is worth a visit too during any outing to Kuala Selangor.
4. Kajang Heritage Centre
The township of Kajang grew out of its importance to the tin mining and rubber industry. In the 1850s, Hulu Langat district would be the first area in Selangor to see extensive tin mining operations. Sultan Abdul Samad would authorise Chin Ah Chan to oversee this operation in 1868.
The forest that would become the future site of Kajang was cleared by Mandailing immigrants from Sumatra.
Kajang’s rich history is on display at the heritage centre, which has several collections related to the town and to Hulu Langat district.
5. Sultan Alam Shah Museum
The Sultan Alam Shah Museum in Shah Alam showcases the development of Minangkabau architecture and design in Selangor. Opened in 1974, the museum is named after Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah, the seventh Sultan of Selangor from 1938 to 1942 and 1945 to 1960. His reign was interrupted by the Japanese occupation.
It features prehistoric artefacts recovered from early human settlements, including 2,600-year-old drum fragments from the Bronze Age.
In addition, the museum tells the history of Selangor from the time of the Portuguese, the Bugis, the Dutch, Melaka and the Johor Sultanate.
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