What is "setapak"

Setapak is a major suburb in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Formerly a tin-mining and rubber-growing area, in Malay tapak means 'step' so Setapak means 'one step', probably referring to the close proximity of the suburb to Kuala Lumpur. Another explanation of the origin of its name traces to its historical roots.

The earliest inhabitants of Setapak were the aborigines, and the Minangkabaus. On 12 April 1884 Frank Swettenham, the Resident of Selangor pleaded for the re-appointment of Batu Tapak as the headman of the aborigines living in that area, and hence the name Setapak, in honour of the headman. The mukim of Setapak is situated in the north-eastern part of Kuala Lumpur and has an area of . The northern limit of Setapak is Gunung Bunga Buah; its north-eastern limit is Gunung Bidai; to the east is Bukit Dinding and to the south-east is the Rifle range. The Gombak River with its source in Gunung Bunga Buah, is the main river flowing through the mukim. Setapak consists of Gombak, Hot spring New Village and a number of other villages.

In the middle of Setapak is the township of Wangsa Maju. The Titiwangsa Recreational Park is located just south of Setapak. Loke Yew Hill is a place of major historical interest in this town. Named after the Chinese philanthropist, this hill contains ruins of a fortress surrounding the dilapidated villa which belonged to the Loke family. It is also the burial ground for the Loke family.

In 1961 the Zoological society was formed, and the National Zoo of Malaysia (Zoo Negara) in Setapak was officially opened by the Prime Minister and on 16 November 1963. The Zoo is situated about 13 kilometers from Kuala Lumpur, onroute to Ulu Klang and situated on a semi-virgin jungle with a reserve of for further development.

Setapak was a federal constituency in the Federal Territories, Malaysia, that was represented in the Dewan Rakyat from 1959 to 1986.

The federal constituency was created in the 1958 redistribution and was mandated to return a single member to the Dewan Rakyat under the first past the post voting system.