PETALING JAYA, Nov 20 — The Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah yesterday officiated the upgraded Kota Darul Ehsan arch, located at the border between Petaling Jaya, Selangor and the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur.
The sultan, who arrived at a hotel here and was accompanied by Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali for the ceremony, expressed his satisfaction with the upgrading works on the arch.
“I thank the Selangor government for the efforts made to complete upgrading works of the Kota Darul Ehsan arch.
“Construction of the arch began on Feb 1 in 1974 when Kuala Lumpur was declared a Federal Territory and at that time, my father, the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah, ordered that an arch to be constructed to mark the border between the Federal Government and the Selangor State Government,” said the sultan in a statement issued by the Selangor Sultan’s Office yesterday.
Sultan Salahuddin said according to the original plan, the construction of the arch was supposed to be at the border line, but it was shifted slightly to the present location to save cost.
“It was officially opened in 1981 and now, after 36 years, Kota Darul Ehsan arch is given a new breath and looks beautiful, befitting its image as the icon of Selangor,” he said.
The Selangor government allocated RM12 million for upgrading of the Kota Darul Ehsan arch and work on it began on April 15, 2015, and was fully completed last Sept 30.
The project involved several important components, including carvings and motifs on the walls and the pillars, which used lightweight and materials that are not hazardous to road users without changing the original concept of Kota Darul Ehsan arch design. — Bernama
