THE BATTLE OF BUKIT DINDINGS

Bukit Dinding

Dinding Hill is visible from the front of my house.

BUKIT DINDING

Bukit Dinding is a forested hill with published height of 291 m in Kuala Lumpur sitting between Setiawangsa and Wangsa Maju. The true height of Bukit Dinding is 302m as recorded by Google Earth in year 2022.

Bukit Dinding in Malay language means "The Wall Hill" - very much referring to its steep, extreme gradients often over 45 degrees. At current, the hill also behaves as the 'wall' separating 2 suburbs of Wangsa Maju and Setiawangsa. For the locals, this hill is often described as the last remaining green lung between these highly dense suburbs.The hill had close proximity to Highland Tower and Bukit Antarabangsa, which are parts oa the main Titiwangsa Range - infamous for their beauty as well as their notorious landslides. 

Sungai Gisir, Lembah Keramat, Hulu Kelang

SUNGAI GISIR AND HULU KELANG

The names Sungai Gisir and Hulu Kelang are closely tied to a pivotal moment in the Klang War (or Selangor Civil War, 1867–1874) known as the Battle of Bukit Dinding.

While there isn't a historically recognized "Battle of Dindings" (which usually refers to the Dutch fort in Perak or the 1874 Pangkor Treaty region), you are likely referring to the fierce 1870 engagement at Bukit Dinding in Hulu Kelang.

The Battle of Bukit Dinding (1870)

This battle was a crucial clash during the Selangor Civil War between the forces of Yap Ah Loy (representing the state government and the tin mining interests of Kuala Lumpur) and the combined forces of Syed Mashhor and Chong Chong.

The Strategy: Yap Ah Loy sent a force of 600 men to Hulu Kelang (Ulu Klang) to cut off the enemy’s retreat and flank their position.

The Conflict: The fighting was brutal. Records from the era describe the area around the hills as being piled with casualties. Syed Mashhor’s men were initially routed but launched a massive counter-attack with roughly 2,000 men under the cover of night.

The Outcome: After intense combat, the forces of Syed Mashhor and Chong Chong were forced to retreat toward Batu Caves, allowing Yap Ah Loy to consolidate his grip on the Kuala Lumpur region.

Sungai Gisir & Hulu Kelang

Sungai Gisir is a tributary of the Klang River located in the valley near Bukit Dinding. In the 19th century, this area was a strategic corridor for both tin mining and military movement.

• Location: Today, the valley of Sungai Gisir corresponds roughly to the area of AU4 (Taman Keramat) and Lembah Keramat in Kuala Lumpur/Selangor.
• Historical Geography: At the time of the battle, Sungai Gisir flowed through a landscape of Malay villages and tin mines. Locals and historians believe the open field at Padang AU4 is the likely site of the most intense fighting.
• Current State: Much of Sungai Gisir has since been canalized into a monsoon drain as part of urban development, but it remains a silent witness to one of the bloodiest chapters of Kuala Lumpur's founding history.

Why the confusion with "Dindings"?

It is common to confuse the two because:

• Bukit Dinding: The hill in Hulu Kelang, Selangor where this battle took place.
• The Dindings: A historical district in Perak (now Manjung) where the British had a presence and where the Dutch Fort (Kota Belanda) is located.

Note: If you are researching local history, the "Battle of Bukit Dinding" is the specific event that links Sungai Gisir and Hulu Kelang.

Reference:

1. Hutan Pulasan : Hutan Bukit Dinding
2. Wikipedia : Bukit Dinding
3. Wangsa Maju Boyz : Ladang Hawthornden: Dari Ladang Getah ke Bandar Moden Wangsa Maju. 
4. S.M.Middlebrook, J.M.Gullick and C.A. Gibson-Hill @ Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (MBRAS) July 1951 - Yap Ah Loy (1837-1885)

Google Gemini AI

29 January 2026: 1.44 p.m