Masjid Diraja Tengku Ampuan Jemaah, Bukit Jelutong

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In many new townships in Malaysia, the mosque not only serves as a place of worship, but also acts as a core communal centre, for both religious and social purposes. Masjid Diraja Tengku Ampuan Jemaah in Bukit Jelutong, Shah Alam, Selangor, is a good example of such communal mosques, built by the close partnership between the various parties in Selangor and the developer. It has now become an active community centre serving the community and their religious needs.
Named after the consort of the late Sultan Sir Hisamuddin Alam Shah, the seventh Sultan of Selangor, the mosque was officially opened in 2013 by the current Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah. Granted by Royal decree, its RM25.5 million construction cost was partially funded by the Waqf fund of the former Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah. The rest was funded by the developer, Sime Darby Property, the state government of Selangor and the residents of Bukit Jelutong.
Since its inception in 1996, Bukit Jelutong, an upscale suburb of Shah Alam, has been growing to cater for the population growth in the Klang Valley, and its average population averages around 44,000. Since the mid-1990s, there has been an urgent need to build a mosque for the local Muslim residents and the neighbouring areas. The idea to build the mosque was first mooted in 2002 when the developer organised a closed mosque design competition, involving selected architectural practices. In 2009, the mosque’s construction was initiated again by the developer, along with the Royal order from the Sultan of Selangor.
The initial idea of the designer was to build the mosque with a modernist approach. It was later revised by the principal of Kumpulan Senireka, Dato’ Seri Nik Mohamed Mahmood, who felt a mosque should be in a familiar form and shape that would remind people about the religion of Islam. The architect established a strong connection with the architecture of the Al-Masjid Al-Haram in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, where most Muslims have a peaceful and tranquil feeling while worshipping there. This is achieved through the application of the principles of good planning layout and human proportions. The interior is created in a grandeur form, with four main piers that stand across the rectangular hall. A large round chandelier hangs from the main dome, with the female prayer gallery overlooking the main prayer hall from the upper floor. The floor area is covered with a warm-hued red carpet, with the qibla wall finished with Malay songket plaster finished patterned. The mihrab niche is arranged and segmented with marble. The Malay design influence was incorporated through using the cengal timber carving from Kelantan.