History
The agency was formerly known as Kuala Lumpur Municipal Council (Malay: Majlis Bandaran Kuala Lumpur). During British colonial times and early independence, KL was the capital of the state of Selangor.
Kuala Lumpur later achieved city status in 1972, becoming the first settlement in Malaysia to be granted the status after independence. Later, on February 1, 1974, Kuala Lumpur became a Federal Territory. Kuala Lumpur ceased to be the capital of Selangor in 1978 after the city of Shah Alam was declared as the new state capital.
Kuala Lumpur was administered by a corporation sole called the Federal Capital Commissioner from April 1, 1961 until it was awarded city status in 1972, after which executive power was transferred to the Lord Mayor (Malay:Datuk Bandar).
Executive power lies with the mayor in the city hall, who is appointed for three years by the Federal Territories Minister. This system of appointing the mayor has been in place ever since the local government elections were suspended in 1970.
On 14 May 1990, Kuala Lumpur celebrated 100 years of local authority. The new Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur flag and anthem were introduced.
Read more about this topic: Kuala Lumpur City Hall
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—Henry David Thoreau (18171862)
“... in a history of spiritual rupture, a social compact built on fantasy and collective secrets, poetry becomes more necessary than ever: it keeps the underground aquifers flowing; it is the liquid voice that can wear through stone.”
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—Adrienne Rich (b. 1929)