Shah Alam

The mosque in Shah Alam.

Shah Alam (population 120,000) is a city in southern Malaysia, about 20 km west of the country's capital, Kuala Lumpur. In 1978, it replaced Kuala Lumpur as the capital city of the state of Selangor due to Kuala Lumpur's incorporation into a Federal Territory.

Shah Alam was known as Batu Tiga prior to Malaysian independence, and has been a centre of palm oil trade for centuries.

Today, Shah Alam is most famous for its spectacular masjid (mosque). The main plant of the Malaysian car manufacturer Proton is also located in Shah Alam. A racing circuit near the city was used for Grand Prix motorcycle racing, but was demolished in 2003.