24.02.1969TAR College opens
Setapak Kuala Lumpur
An old name in north-east Kuala Lumpur: first tin mines and rubber, then Tunku Abdul Rahman College, DBKL flats and one housing estate after another. Today Setapak spans four parliamentary seats and has no official boundary.
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), snapshot of 16 October 2026; the blue lines are rivers as OpenStreetMap records them (Sungai Gombak and Sungai Bunus).
The short answer
Setapak is one of the older districts of north-east Kuala Lumpur. Its early economy was tin and rubber; Tunku Abdul Rahman College (now TAR UMT) began classes in 1969, and in 1973 the government approved land in Setapak for its main campus. Setapak has no official boundary: in the 2022 gazette, polling districts with “Setapak” in their names fall in four parliamentary seats, P.115 Batu, P.116 Wangsa Maju, P.118 Setiawangsa and P.119 Titiwangsa. P. Ramlee’s last home, in Taman P. Ramlee, is now a memorial run by the National Archives.
- Official boundary
- NoneNo gazette sets one out
- Parliamentary seats
- 4by the 2022 polling districts
- TAR College opened
- 196924 February
- Postcode
- 53300Around TAR UMT, for example; other parts use other codes
Compiled by Kevin LeeUpdated
“One step”, or a headman’s name?
The folk explanation: in Malay, setapak means “one step”, and the story goes that the place was just one step from the centre of Kuala Lumpur. It is widely repeated, but no historical record supports it.
Another explanation: EdgeProp, citing a Malaysian place-names heritage website, says that in 1884 the British Resident of Selangor, Frank Swettenham, proposed reappointing Batu Tapak as headman of the local Orang Asli; the name may come from him.
Sources: EdgeProp: what the names of these places mean (2019-08-31); Sin Chew Daily: Setapak moves with the times (2009-12-22)
Names you will meet
Jalan Genting Klang is also written “Genting Kelang”, as in TAR UMT’s address and the name of the polling district. Setapak Central is now KIPMall Setapak. Chinese-language papers have a name of their own for Setapak.
Sources: TAR UMT: about the university; Federal Gazette P.U.(B) 514/2022 (GE15 polling districts) (2022-10-31); KIP REIT: KIPMall Setapak; Oriental Daily: Setapak Central to change hands (2026-04-27); Sin Chew Daily: Setapak moves with the times (2009-12-22)
Tin, rubber and a few new villages
EdgeProp and the Chinese-language daily Nanyang Siang Pau report that Setapak’s early economy was tin and rubber. When mining declined and rubber prices fell, growth stalled, and it picked up again only in the 2000s.
A 2009 feature in the Chinese-language Sin Chew Daily says that before the 1960s Setapak was a cluster of wooden-house settlements laid out like new villages. One of them, whose Chinese name means “hot-water lake new village”, was Setapak’s first Chinese new village, named after a natural hot-water lake nearby.
Sources: EdgeProp: what the names of these places mean (2019-08-31); Sin Chew Daily: Setapak moves with the times (2009-12-22)
So how big is Setapak?
No gazette sets out Setapak’s boundary. To judge whether a place counts as Setapak, look at two things: the places DBKL’s lists label “Setapak”, and the Election Commission’s polling-district names.
| Parliamentary seat | Related polling districts (examples) |
|---|---|
| P.115 Batu | Pekan Setapak |
| P.116 Wangsa Maju | Danau Kota, Genting Kelang, Taman Setapak, Taman Melati, Taman P. Ramlee, Taman Ibu Kota |
| P.118 Setiawangsa | Taman Setapak Jaya, Ayer Panas, Taman Sri Rampai, Jalan Pahang |
| P.119 Titiwangsa | Setapak Selatan |
Sources: Federal Gazette P.U.(B) 514/2022 (GE15 polling districts) (2022-10-31); Election Commission (SPR): Federal Territory parliamentary seats (2026-10-06); DBKL: night market list
Seats can change in a future redelineation; the Election Commission’s latest publication prevails.
TAR UMT: from Tunku Abdul Rahman College, 1969
Tunku Abdul Rahman College begins classes
A first intake of 320 students (university figures).
Main-campus land approved
The government approved 191 acres in Setapak for the main campus; ground was broken that August.
Becomes a university college
Becomes a university
The Ministry of Higher Education issued its certificate of registration as Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TAR UMT).
Today
The Kuala Lumpur main campus is on Jalan Genting Kelang, Setapak, 53300, with branch campuses in Penang, Perak, Johor, Pahang and Sabah. The university’s website puts its alumni at more than 330,000.
Sources: TAR UMT: milestones; TAR UMT: about the university; TAR UMT: the president’s welcome
P. Ramlee’s last home
P. Ramlee, the film icon of Malaysia, lived at No. 22, Jalan Dedap, in Taman P. Ramlee, Setapak. He collapsed there and died of a heart attack on 29 May 1973, aged 44. The house is now the P. Ramlee Memorial (Pustaka Peringatan P. Ramlee), run by the National Archives, and entry is free.
Opening hoursCheck the National Archives’ latest notice before you go.
Sources: National Archives eNegarawan: Pustaka Peringatan P. Ramlee; Department of Museums Malaysia: P. Ramlee Memorial (2026-10-14); Utusan Malaysia (2024-04-14)
Setapak Central becomes KIPMall Setapak
The mall was first called KL Festival City and was renamed Setapak Central in 2015. On 30 September 2026 KIP REIT announced that it had completed the purchase; the mall took the name KIPMall Setapak and became KIP REIT’s 20th property.
KIP REIT’s property page describes KIPMall Setapak as a three-storey mall on Jalan Taman Ibu Kota with a basement car park, “formerly known as Setapak Central”.
Sources: KIP REIT: KIPMall Setapak; The Edge: KIP REIT completes its acquisition (2026-09-30); The Star: KIP REIT after the acquisition (2026-10-01); StarProperty: a fresh start for the mall in Setapak (2015-11-09); Oriental Daily: Setapak Central to change hands (2026-04-27)
Markets and night markets
Around Setapak, DBKL’s lists include Pasar Air Panas (260 stalls), the PT 69 market on Jalan Genting Klang (84 stalls) and the open market on Jalan Rejang in Setapak Jaya.
The night-market list includes Jalan Air Bah, Jalan Air Panas and Jalan Semarak (Setapak), Jalan Rejang (Setapak Jaya), Taman Setapak Indah and Taman Sri Rampai.
Sources: DBKL: market buildings (Pasar Berbangunan); DBKL: open market list; DBKL: night market list
The flood record on Jalan Genting Klang
Flash floods across Kuala Lumpur after heavy rain; the affected areas included Jalan Genting Klang.
Sources: Berita RTM: flash floods in several parts of KL (2026-09-21)
DBKL was reported to have identified 24 flood hotspots across the city, Jalan Genting Klang among them; the road flooded that day as well.
Sources: Sinar Harian: DBKL’s 24 flash-flood hotspots (2024-10-15)
Flash floods on roads including Jalan Pahang and Jalan Genting Klang; a landslide near Taman Bunga Raya.
Sources: FMT: flash floods hit KL after heavy rain (2024-08-22)
Police reported high water on Jalan Genting Klang and diverted traffic.
Sources: The Vibes: flash floods strike the Klang Valley again (2022-03-07)
The fire and rescue department listed Jalan Genting Klang and Jalan Pahang among the roads flooded after heavy rain.
Sources: FMT: flash floods hit KL (2017-04-12)
When you view a home, ask the owner or the neighbours what the rainy season is like.
Talk
Questions about Setapak?
Whether you live here, plan to move here or are simply curious, ask Kevin directly.
- WhatsApp Kevin Lee WhatsApp opens with a draft message. Nothing is sent until you tap send.
-
Leave Kevin a message
- Call +6013-3398686
KEVIN LEE李明伟
13 years in real estateSenior Property AdvisorREN 14973
Affiliated agency: FLP REALTY SDN. BHD.
Ask me anything, directly. In English, Bahasa Malaysia or Chinese.
kevinlee.com.myMeet Kevin Lee and his teamName on REN tag LEE BENG WAI· REN 14973· FLP REALTY SDN. BHD. (estate agency reg. E (1) 1718; company no. 1193823-D; office tel. +603-7499 2575)· Mobile +6013-3398686