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Chinatown - Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur Chinatown - Jalan Petaling Chinese in Malaysia Malaysia has the largest number of Chinese in Southeast Asia. Chinese made up about 27% of the population in Peninsular Malaysia and are found in all major cities, with the largest concentration in Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, Penang and Malacca. Most of the Chinese in Malaysia originate from Guangdong and Fujian, with Hokkiens being the largest dialect group, followed by the Hakkas, Cantonese, Teochews and Hainanese. Different dialect groups predominate in different cities: Kuala Lumpur is largely Cantonese, Malacca and Penang are Hokkien, and Johore Bahru is Teochew. Today, Cantonese is the main dialect spoken amongst the Chinese in Kuala Lumpur—regardless of whether one is a Cantonese. Jalan Petaling—History and Development The original Chinatown centred on Market Square. High Street, now known as Jalan Tun HS Lee, became increasingly popular as it was higher than the rest of the town and therefore less prone to floods. The wealthier and more ornate shophouses were built north of Jalan Cheng Lock, closer to the business centre. Kuala Lumpur was a typical "pioneer" town at the turn of the century, filled with a rough and tough population that was largely male. They were largely Cantonese and Hakkas who came to the city because of the tin trade, working as coolies in the mines. They were governed by a Chinese Kapitian or headmen. The most famous Chinese Kapitan is Yap Ah Loy, a Hakka (hyperlink). In 1870, civil war erupted with the Chinese community being split along partisan lines into the Cantonese Ghee Hin and the Hakka Hai San secret societies. The British were called in to help end the strife but many of the buildings in the settlement were burnt down or severely damaged. During the Selangor Civil War, the tin mines were abandoned and when the miners returned after the war, they found that the mines were flooded and therefore could not work. Yap Ah Loy persuaded the miners and coolies to remain in KL and the Malays in surrounding districts to grow rice and other garden produce. He opened a Tapioca Mill in Petaling Street where the tubers from his farms were brought here to be ground into flour. Petaling Street is still fondly called ‘Chee Cheong Kai’ in Cantonese which means starch factory street. Chinatown Today Many of the buildings in Chinatown tell the stories of the lives of the immigrants. For example, a godown not far from the central market was the original immigration depot which housed immigrants until they received a written contract giving them some rights while requiring them to work for their employers until they have fully paid their passage fare. Although undergoing rapid transition, Chinatown still has a number of functioning shophouses, with the business operating in the "shops" on the ground floor and residents living in the "houses" upstairs. Today this is the place where food is a key feature. Business starts before daybreak at the wet market where housewives haggle with the stallholders for the best price. Come night time, the whole place is transformed into a canvas-canopied night market – also called pasar malam. For the night people, this place has a large offering of goods (as well as food) even when it is dark.
References
Websites/Articles on Petaling Street Site details the history of Chinatown and its key buildings Site details the history of key buildings in Chinatown
Compiled by Yeo Ai Hoon |