The circuit opened in 1968 and was designed by John Hugenholtz, the same Dutch designer responsible for several prominent European circuits. The layout featured 14 turns — four left and ten right — with three straights, the longest stretching 600 metres. Initial track length stood at 3.380 km, later extended to 3.693 km in 1985 with the addition of curve 11. At its peak the facility could accommodate around 26,000 spectators across covered and uncovered grandstands, and operated 57 pit units.
The circuit's first major event was the 1968 Malaysian Grand Prix, held on 8 September as a Formula Libre race. The race was won by Indonesian driver Hengkie Irawan piloting an Elfin 600, marking the start of an era during which the circuit would serve as Malaysia's premier international motorsport venue. Throughout the 1970s the track hosted the Malaysian Grand Prix on an alternating basis, with grids composed of Formula Atlantic, Formula Pacific, or Formula 2 machinery.
The circuit was forced to close in 1977 following a serious accident that killed six children spectating at the venue. The tragedy prompted a full review of circuit safety, and the track was subsequently reopened after extensive improvements to fencing and guard rail infrastructure around the circuit perimeter.
In 1985 the circuit was lengthened and used to host its most internationally prominent automobile event: the 1985 800 km of Selangor, which served as the tenth and final round of the 1985 World Endurance Championship. The race was won by Jacky Ickx and Jochen Mass driving a Porsche 962C, bringing a works-level Porsche victory to Malaysian soil and cementing the circuit's place in sportscar racing history.
From 1991 to 1997 the Shah Alam Circuit hosted the Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix, establishing itself as a regular fixture on the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing calendar. The circuit had already welcomed rounds of the Superbike World Championship in 1990 and 1991. Mick Doohan became the circuit's most successful rider in the premier class, winning the Malaysian Grand Prix there four times. The motorcycle Grand Prix was eventually relocated first to the Johor Circuit and then to the purpose-built Sepang International Circuit, which opened in 1999.
In September 1998 the circuit hosted the road cycling events of the 1998 Commonwealth Games, demonstrating the venue's capacity to host multi-sport events beyond pure motor racing. The circuit continued limited use into the early 2000s before the Selangor state government sold the 143-acre property in 2003 to a private property developer. The land was subsequently converted into a luxury housing project named D'Kayangan, ending any prospect of motorsport returning to the venue.
The circuit gained an unexpected international profile when it was used as one of the filming locations for Jackie Chan's 1995 action film Thunderbolt, in which several racing sequences were staged on the circuit's layout.
The Shah Alam Circuit occupies a distinctive place in Southeast Asian motorsport history as Malaysia's first purpose-built international racing facility and the country's primary venue before Sepang opened. Its hosting of a World Endurance Championship finale alongside regular FIM motorcycle Grand Prix rounds demonstrated the ambition of Malaysian motorsport promotion during the 1980s and 1990s. No physical trace of the circuit or its infrastructure remains today, with the site fully absorbed into the D'Kayangan residential development.