Encyclopedia Of Puchong

Puchong is a main town in Petaling district, Selangor in Malaysia. Puchong used to be a rubber estate and tin-mining town about 40 years ago. Up until about 20 years ago, Puchong consists of only one two-lane road running through estates and villages. Since then, urbanization has occurred rapidly in recent years with many industrial parks, commercial centres and residential areas mushrooming along Jalan Puchong, the main road.

Puchong is situated midway between the Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's commercial capital, and Putrajaya, the administrative capital. Due to its location, Puchong is expected to witness further developments in the near future. Puchong already serves as a residential suburb for two cities, Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya. New townships, such as Bandar Puchong Jaya, Pusat Bandar Puchong, Puchong Hartamas, Puchong Utama, Puchong Prima, Bandar Bukit Puchong, Saujana Puchong and Bandar Puteri Puchong, are sprouting from once-abandoned lands, ex-plantation land and cleared-forest areas, contributing to the population boom witnessed in recent years in Puchong. At an estimate, Puchong has a population of about 335,419 (the largest township is Puchong Jaya with a population of about 39,473).

The local government of Puchong is MPSJ Subang Jaya Municipal Council and Sepang Municipal Council

Puchong is well-linked to other parts of Klang Valley via the Damansara-Puchong Expressway(LDP) and Puchong-Sungai Besi Highway. Puchong is also accessible via Federal Highway (exit at Motorola); Shah Alam Expressway and New Pantai Expressway (NPE). There are also bus services connecting Puchong to Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya, Putrajaya and Cyberjaya.

Bus services are provided by RapidKL (U60,U69,U70) and Metrobus which have routes along Jalan Puchong to various destinations around Klang Valley. Puchong has a near route to the federal territory of Kuala lumpur. One of the nearest housing estate to the city, Taman Kinrara is just about 30 metres to the border between Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.

Upcoming project of LRT (STAR extension) which expected to be completed in 2012 will pass through Puchong area. LRT stations will be at IOI Mall, TESCO, RAKAN MUDA and the following stop near DHL/Tractor Malaysia before diverting to Putra Height via Puchong Perdana. Residents will benefit from it but the traffic will be worsen once the construction begin.

Puchong boasts of its wide presence of banks; both local and foreign banks. There are numerous bank branches all along Jalan Puchong primarily such as Public Bank, Maybank, Hong Leong Bank, Bank Rakyat, OCBC Bank, UOB Bank, HSBC Bank, Citibank, Ambank, CIMB Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, EON Bank and many more.

There is a wet market, Puteri Mart at Bandar Puteri beside the MBA Stadium and the Town Park where residents can shop for their groceries. Residents of Puchong can also do their shopping in Tesco, IOI Mall (which has a multiplex and bowling alley), Giant, Jusco, Puchong Parade and Puchong Plaza shopping malls.

There is new business centre which just completed ;IOI Boulevard with retail and office unit. Upcoming similar project ; Setia Walk by SP Setia.

A new private hospital, Columbia Asia Hospital - Puchong, is located at Bandar Puteri Puchong. This 78-bed hospital offers acute care multi-disciplinary services to residents of Puchong.

There are many schools in Puchong. The secondary schools include SMK Bandar Puchong Jaya A, SMK Bandar Puchong Jaya B, SMK Pusat Bandar Puchong 1, SMK Puchong Utama 1, SMK Puchong Batu 14, SMK Batu 8, SMK Puchong Perdana, SMK Seksyen 1 Bandar Kinrara, SMK Seksyen 3 Bandar Kinrara and SMK Seksyen 4 Bandar Kinrara, while primary national school include SK Puchong, SK Puchong Jaya, SK Puchong Jaya 2, SK Puchong Jaya 3, SK Puchong Perdana, SK Bukit Kuchai, SK Puchong Utama, SK Puchong Utama 2, SK Seksyen 1 Bandar Kinrara, SK Seksyen 2 Bandar Kinrara, SK Puchong Indah, SK Pusat Bandar Puchong 1, SK Pusat Bandar Puchong 2, SK Pulau Meranti and SK Taman Putra Perdana, and primary Chinese schools include SJK(C) Han Ming, SJK(C) Yak Chee, SJK(C) Sin Ming and SJK(C) Ladang Harcroft. Beside, for children, there are also many childcare centers and kindergartens available here, such as Pusat Jagaan Mega Ria, Tadika Elite, Tadika Hijauan, Qdees and Tadika Wawasan Melodi.

Binary University College is also located in Puchong. They specialize in management and entrepreneurship courses.

This booming area with increasing population has sparked the urgent attention for the insufficient primary Chinese schools in Puchong. There will be an estimated more than 600 students will have to attend their standard 1 for 2010 enrollment in the schools outside Puchong. The registeration by these students was done in mid 2008, and the outcome was only informed in mid 2009. In another word, education department well informed about this insufficient class since 2008.

RIMA college will be opened in Bandar Puteri by mid 2010.

The MBA Stadium, in Bandar Puteri Puchong, is Malaysia's biggest badminton stadium. A Rakan Muda Sports Complex also serves residents of Puchong. Golden Screen Cinema can be found in IOI Mall and another new cinema located at the IOI mall new wing.

There are many cafe such as Old Town, Paparich, Hailam, Asia One, 96 Cafe, Boston, 1st Station etc...

Bandar Puteri which is well-known not just for many banks, but also for many cafe " kopitiam " and now also getting popular as a destination for dim sum.

Source: Wikipedia