In the early days of Kuala Lumpur, the Chinese and Malay communities settled along the east bank of the Klang River.

To the west of the river was land originally owned by Yap Ah Loy and was used to plant vegetables.

The then British Resident William Bloomfield Douglas decided that the government buildings and staff living quarters should be located to the west of the river to keep away from what he considered, as the unsanitary conditions of the town and the possibility of uprising from the locals.

In 1897, the government offices were relocated from Bukit Aman to the Sultan Abdul Samad Building overlooking the Padang.

The turf in the Padang is often damaged due to such sporting events held here, causing the public to refrain from visiting the site.

[8] In 1987, the Padang was taken back by City Hall and in return, the Selangor Club was given a piece of land in Bukit Kiara.

[9] Conversely, the government turned the Padang into a historical park and tourist attraction, naming the site Dataran Merdeka, with elements inspired from Trafalgar Square in London.

[12] A flat, round black marble plaque marks the location where the Malayan flag was raised for the first time.

Just beside the square is the Sultan Abdul Samad Building currently the office of the Ministry of Information, Communication and Culture of Malaysia.

Opposite the square is the Royal Selangor Club which was first founded in 1884 as a meeting place for high-ranking members of the British colonial society.