Sungai Besi

Sungai Besi or Sungei Besi is a town in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur. The deepest tin mine in Malaysia is located here. Sungai Besi was a historical mining town with many heavy industries such as steelworks, waste steel plants and other steel industries. The town has since developed from a large area of village settlements.

Tin mining in Sungei Besi circa 1910

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 in the town area.

The vibrant area of Sungai Besi is located within the shops and the area near the police station. Sungai Besi has many street vendors and traders in wet markets who sell mostly food items and fruits.

Accessibility and transport

The township is easily accessible from the North–South Expressway Southern Route: the road into the township is only 400 metres from the Expressway Sungai Besi 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. Sungai Besi is also known for the Sungai Besi Airport which was once the main airport for Kuala Lumpur. It is now used as by the Royal Malaysian Air Force as well as the Police and Fire and Rescue services.

The township is also served by the  SP16  Sungai Besi LRT Station on the 4 Sri Petaling line of Kuala Lumpur's Light Rapid Transit system.