Private Tour of Istana Alam Shah, Official Palace of the Sultan of Selangor

I admit that I am not someone who is easily impressed with things. In a sense, you can say that I am quite jaded with life, after having seen and done many different things around the country.

However, my private tour of the majestic Istana Alam Shah was a highlight that will remain in my memory for a long time.

As a delegate of Eat.Travel.Write 5, I was hosted for a morning at Istana Alam Shah, the official palace of the Sultan of Selangor. This visit was made possible by UPEN Selangor, Klang Municipal Council (MPK), Gaya Travel Magazine and of course, the Office of the Sultan of Selangor. Thank you very much for making this visit possible!

Now, where shall I begin, or rather HOW? It is not often that a commoner gets to set foot in a palace, and even if he or she is invited, it is only for official functions and solely confined to a couple of rooms.

This private tour took us to all the important rooms of the palace, including Balairung Seri, or the ceremonial room, where photography is strictly prohibited.

Trust me, if you can only choose one place to visit in all of Klang, do make it Istana Alam Shah. Yes, it is open to the public but only via written requests and exclusively for groups or organisations – no walk-in visits. Tours are scheduled for Tuesdays and Thursdays.

We visited on Thursday morning and were given a friendly welcome by the palace staff, where we had the opportunity to take an official group photograph first.

After being feted with a royal breakfast fit for princes and princesses in the Middle Hall (Balai Tengah), we were then taken on the tour, led by Chief Supervisor of the Palace, Abdul Kadir Safuan and Orang Besar Daerah Klang, Y.A.D Dato’ Setia Diraja Dato’ Abdul Ghani bin Pateh Akhir.

Besides just looking around with a dropped jaw and wide eyes like country bumpkins, we were regaled with insider stories of the Selangor sultanate and most importantly, explanation about the functions of the Sultan.

Through our tour, we were able to get a good glimpse of Tuanku Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah’s personal passions, especially his love for cars and motorcycles. Vintage car enthusiasts should really check out the Royal Automobile Gallery if the opportunity arises. There are 49 cars and 20 motorcycles, some of them quite rare.

If you wish to plan a group tour of Istana Alam Shah, write in officially to the Office of the Sultan of Selangor at the address stated below:

Dato’ Bijaya Diraja
Add: Pejabat Urustadbir Istana Alam Shah, 41300 Klang, Selangor Darul Ehsan.
Tel: +603-33713411
Fax: +603-33716969

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