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Petaling Jaya

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Petaling Jaya is a busy city in the state of Selangor, Malaysia.

Kota Darul Ehsan (230405) 03
Kota Darul Ehsan (230405) 03

It sits right next to the capital city, Kuala Lumpur. The city is part of a large area called Greater Kuala Lumpur. It is surrounded by many other places like Shah Alam and Subang Jaya.

Petaling Jaya City Sections
Petaling Jaya City Sections

You can see how the city is divided into different sections. Some areas have special names, like the leafy Damansara township. The city is a very crowded place to live. In 2024, experts estimated that over 800,000 people live there.

The city started growing in the 1950s to help Kuala Lumpur.

Petaling Jaya City Sections
Petaling Jaya City Sections

Before the houses were built, the land was a large rubber estate. This estate was called the Effingham Estate. Plans for the city were made by a man named Francis McWilliams. In 1952, workers began building 800 houses in an area called Old Town.

Seksyen 14 Petaling Jaya
Seksyen 14 Petaling Jaya

The first two main roads were simply called Road 1 and Road 2. Later, these roads were given special names to honor local leaders. The city grew very fast as people moved from the countryside to live there.

Many groups of people call Petaling Jaya their home.

Giant Hypermarket Kelana Jaya (220730) 1
Giant Hypermarket Kelana Jaya (220730) 1

It is one of the most diverse cities in Malaysia. You will find Malays, Chinese, and Indians living together. There are also people from many other cultures, like the Eurasians and Kadazans.

Chetawan April 2008 037
Chetawan April 2008 037

This mix of people makes the city very interesting. You can see this in the many different temples and shops. The city has many different sections to explore, such as Kelana Jaya.

Petaling Jaya is a very wet and warm place.

Seksyen 14 Petaling Jaya
Seksyen 14 Petaling Jaya

It stays warm with average temperatures around 30 degrees Celsius. It rains heavily almost every month of the year. Because of this, it is one of the wettest cities in Malaysia.

Seksyen 14 Petaling Jaya
Seksyen 14 Petaling Jaya

Big thunderstorms happen quite often here. In fact, it is one of the areas with the most lightning strikes in the world. Even though it is usually wet, the city sometimes faces dry times too.

There are many exciting things to see and do in the city.

Amcorp Mall & Business Centre, Petaling Jaya
Amcorp Mall & Business Centre, Petaling Jaya

You can visit huge shopping malls like 1 Utama.

Amcorp Mall & Business Centre, Petaling Jaya
Amcorp Mall & Business Centre, Petaling Jaya

Another famous spot is the Mutiara Damansara area, where you can find IKEA. If you like nature, you can visit the Kota Damansara Community Forest Park.

Aerial view of Kota Damansara from Emporis Kota Damansara 20230226 175334
Aerial view of Kota Damansara from Emporis Kota Damansara 20230226 175334

You might also see the beautiful Kota Darul Ehsan arch. This arch marks the boundary between Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur.

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🖼️ Images & Media (14)
File:PJ SA Evolution.svg
PJ SA Evolution.svg
File:Petaling Jaya City Council.JPG
Petaling Jaya City Council.JPG
File:Petaling Jaya City Sections.svg
Petaling Jaya City Sections.svg
File:Kota Darul Ehsan (230405) 03.jpg
Kota Darul Ehsan (230405) 03.jpg
File:Amcorp Mall & Business Centre, Petaling Jaya.jpg
Amcorp Mall & Business Centre, Petaling Jaya.jpg
File:Giant Hypermarket Kelana Jaya (220730) 1.jpg
Giant Hypermarket Kelana Jaya (220730) 1.jpg
File:Seksyen 14 Petaling Jaya.jpg
Seksyen 14 Petaling Jaya.jpg
File:Dataran Sunway, Kota Damansara 20250427 125755.jpg
Dataran Sunway, Kota Damansara 20250427 125755.jpg
File:Kelana Jaya station (Kelana Jaya Line), Petaling Jaya, Selangor.jpg
Kelana Jaya station (Kelana Jaya Line),...
File:Terminal Bas Jalan Othman, Petaling Jaya 20240212 151358.jpg
Terminal Bas Jalan Othman, Petaling Jaya...
File:Aerial view of Kota Damansara from Emporis Kota Damansara 20230226 175334.jpg
Aerial view of Kota Damansara from...
File:KLGermanschool.jpg
KLGermanschool.jpg

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