The establishment of Putrajaya was the idea of Prime MinisterMahathir Mohamad. First thought of in the 1990s, Putrajaya was envisioned to be “a laboratory for a new form of electronic government" that would emphasize new adoption of and investment in internet, media, and digital communications.[7] The development of Putrajaya began in August 1995 and was completed at an estimated cost of US$8.1 billion.[8] On 1 February 2001, Putrajaya became Malaysia's thirdfederal territory, after Kuala Lumpur in 1974 andLabuan in 1984.[8] Putrajaya is also a part ofMSC Malaysia, aspecial economic zone that covers theKlang Valley.
Putrajaya was named after the firstPrime Minister of Malaysia,Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj. The name is derived from theSanskrit language, which was then adopted intoMalay:putra (पुत्र) means "son" andjaya (जया) means "success" or "victory"; hencePutrajaya means "victorious men" or "victorious people".[9] The name was decided upon in late 1994.[10]
Prang Besar (alternatelyPerang Besar, which isMalay for "Great War"), was founded in 1921 on land that was jungle, as arubber plantation by British veterans ofWorld War I, hence its name.[11] Its land area of 800 acres (3.2 km2) expanded to 8,000 acres (32 km2), and was merged with surrounding estates, including Estet Raja Alang, Estet Galloway and Estet Bukit Prang.
Until 1975, what is today Putrajaya, along with adjacentCyberjaya, was under the administration ofHulu Langat District.
The vision of a new Federal Government Administrative Centre to replaceKuala Lumpur as the administrative capital emerged in the late 1980s, during the tenure of Malaysia's fourth prime minister,Mahathir bin Mohamad. A new city adjacent to Kuala Lumpur was envisioned, where the government would systematically locate its government offices within an efficient administrative hub; as opposed having government offices scattered across the congested Kuala Lumpur.[8] The new city was proposed to be located between Kuala Lumpur and the newKuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). Two areas were proposed: Prang Besar andJanda Baik ofPahang.[12] The new namePutrajaya was chosen for the site.
The federal government negotiated with the state of Selangor on the prospect of another federal territory. In the mid-1990s, the federal government paid a substantial amount of money to Selangor for approximately 11,320 acres (45.8 km2) of land in Prang Besar,Selangor. As a result of this land purchase, Selangor now surrounds two federal territories: Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.
Aerial view in 2016, with the world's largest roundabout at bottom right[13]
Planned as a garden city and anintelligent city, 38% of the area is green spaces in which the natural landscape is enhanced.[14] The plan incorporated a network of open spaces and wide boulevards. Construction began in August 1995; it was Malaysia's biggest project and one of Southeast Asia's largest, with an estimated final cost of US$8.1 billion. The entire project was designed and constructed by Malaysian companies, with only 10% imported materials.[14] Most buildings in Putrajaya were built with conscious use of particularIslamic elements from theMiddle East andCentral Asia like those ofBaghdad andDamascus, designed to reflect a cosmopolitan pan-Islamic identity emulating those regions espoused byMahathir's government, rather than taking fromhomegrown elements that had taken holdin Southeast Asia or those broughtfrom India (like theneo-Mughal buildings ofKuala Lumpur).[15][16]
The1997 Asian financial crisis somewhat slowed the development of Putrajaya. 300 members of the Prime Minister's office staff moved there in 1999, and the remaining government servants moved in 2005. On 1 February 2001, the city was formally transferred to the federal government and declared Malaysia's third federal territory.[17]
In 2002, theKLIA Transit rail line was opened, linking Putrajaya to KLIA inSepang. The construction of thePutrajaya Monorail, which was intended to be the city's metro system, was suspended owing to high costs. One of the monorail suspension bridges in Putrajaya remains unused.
In April 2013, the Putrajaya government signed a letter of intent (LOI) with the government ofSejong City in South Korea to mark co-operation between the two cities.[18][19]
The local government in Putrajaya is the responsibility of thePutrajaya Corporation (Perbadanan Putrajaya), a unique local authority. Previously it was administered by theSepang District Council.
In 2007 the population of Putrajaya was estimated to be over 30,000, which comprised mainly government servants. Government public servants have been encouraged to relocate to the city through various government subsidy and loan programs. The population had increased to 88,300 by 2015.[23] As of Q1 2024, the population of Putrajaya is estimated to be 119,700.
Putrajaya is served by two urban rail lines: theKLIA Transit line and thePutrajaya line through thePutrajaya Sentral transportation hub on the western border of Putrajaya. The MRT Putrajaya Line is Malaysia's fifthmetro line, and the longest in theRapid Rail network, with Putrajaya Sentral being the southern most station in the network. The KLIA Transit is one of Malaysia's two operationalairport rail links, connectingKL Sentral inKuala Lumpur to itsinternational airport, calling at 3 stations in between including Putrajaya.[26][27]
Around 2003, plans for a monorail in Putrajaya were underway but were halted due to low population. Plans to revive the construction of thePutrajaya Monorail, with proposed connections toKajang,Bandar Baru Bangi andCyberjaya, have not yet materialised.
Putrajaya has atropical rainforest climate (Af) with heavy rainfall year-round and high temperatures throughout the year. As is typical of cities, towns, and other geographical regions with this climate, Putrajaya does not have a truedry season. The average temperature in Putrajaya is 27.1 °C, which is measured at approximately 80.8 °F. Over the course of a yearly period, the rainfall averages 2307 mm in Putrajaya, which is approximately 90.8 inches.[31]
^(in Malay)Abdullah, Hasfiza (February 2012).DARI PRANG BESAR KE PUTRAJAYA. Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka. Archived fromthe original on 4 April 2019. Retrieved26 October 2015.
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