Batu Arang

Batu Arang is a former coal mining town in Selangor, Malaysia. Apart from coal, Batu Arang was also known for its brick manufacturing. Today it no longer supplies coal and holds no significant role.

Batu Arang will soon be made a heritage town according to Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim. He said the status would be given to increase the economic prospects of the people in the area and make it a tourist attraction in Selangor.

History

Coal was first found in Batu Arang in the early 1900s and a study in 1910 revealed that mining was commercially viable. In June 1913, a British coal miner, John Archibald Russell, formed the Malayan Collieries Ltd to start mining operations in Batu Arang. Because of the high demand of coal, the mining activities were operating round the clock employing 5,000 miners in three shifts. In the early years, Batu Arang became the most developed town in Selangor and was known to local residents as Mini Gold Hill.

By the 1930s the developing town had an airstrip, a railway line, Gurkha’s police base, police station and a brick factory. There were also houses for the miners, British officers and bungalows for the mine managers. Today, the airstrip and railway line are only just memories in pictures.