Reflections

 

 

Reflection of Teentitan's Members 

ADELINE CHANG JIN JEN 14018683

Throughout the community project journey, I’ve learned alot. Now I have a clear understanding about the diverse cultures in Malaysia. Int his project, my group members and I went to Petaling Street to interview the hawkers on how they operates of traditional business and how they work on it for so long in order to create awareness among the community on preserving local heritage . Thus, we did interview some of the tourism as well, by asking their opinion regarding the place and people here and they actually love it. Besides, everyone I've met has helped me to grow and learn in some way in terms of their determination and hard work in working for the community. I've learned not to take things too seriously because it will just stresses you out too much as well. Yet, I've learned that you have to make mistakes in order to learn and most importantly, I know that whatever doesn't kill you only makes you stronger.

Moreover, we went to Rumah Hope orphanage as a volunteer to help out for their fun fair charity as well. From there, I’ve learned simple thing you did can bring happiness to others as well as yourself. The wide smile from the kids and the management who came and thanks us is indescribable feeling. Sometimes the little things in life mean the most. In conclusion, I have become more optimistic after this project and also this project have really brought the team members closer to each other too. Last but not the least, we really appreciate the advice and guidance from our lecturer as well.

CHANG WAI ZHUN 13019476

I am the group leader for this community project. As I was studying nearby Petaling Street during my high school time, I have a strong sentiment on the changes of Petaling Street after I graduated. What I experienced throughout this interview and research on Petaling Street is that changes do happen in Petaling Street but there is still a few of people that wishes to stay at the place they grow or live over half of their life. It is quiet dramatic for them as they experienced the prosper and decline of Petaling Street. Lastly, I think that time changes everything in a slow pace, we should appreciate it on the time it was happening not by the time it starts to demolish. Although overall this research and interview process is complicated and tiring, I do appreciate and grateful that I have a bunch of group mates from different courses that willing to sacrifice their time to participate in this sub-subject for this semester. Time management has once again showed that it is a important thing in managing your study and life tool. As a BAF student, we have 4 assignment throughout the whole semester but I still manage to finish this community project. Although it was our first trial or probably the last trial for doing community project, I am glad that I still manage to learn something new and experience something that could not get from study after this Petaling Street research. Nevertheless, I am grateful that Dr.Foo and Ms.Evelyn have try their best to bring the best lesson to our community project. 

Thank you. 

CHONG KAI NI 12021812

In university life , there are so many academic subjects that as a degree student needs take over. This semester, there’s subject named Community Project that sounds different compare to others. In the assessment , we are encourage to come out with a project and do something to the community. At the beginning of the semester , we came out with the idea of let the public aware the a heritages place- Petaling Street. To stand out among other groups , we planned to make an video objective to create awareness to the public regarding the government planning project – MRT ,that will bring severe impacts to Petaling Street. 

I’m living in Kuala Lumpur , so Petaling Street does sound familiar to me. Since small , I had been told this is a place with historical memories and a special heritage places for Chinese in Malaysia. Throughout the process of recording the video, my group mates and I went to Petaling Street together , under a hot sun doing observation and planning which shop owner /stall hawkers we can ask permission for interviewing. It’s a good experiences and also brought some childhood memories back to me. In the project , I’m responsible to create a blog that summaries the activities we did in the project. In the process of creating the blog, I had read a lot of news / articles regarding MRT impacts towards Petaling Street, and I felt that as a Malaysian , we need to protect heritage buildings not only Petaling Street. These building are so meaningful and should be protect , with heritage building also able to attract tourist and boost economy. Lastly, heritage building should be well protected in this advanced technology world , the world will be meaningless if only technology exist in our life. 

CHONG YING SIEW 12023446

As a person who grew up in Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Street has been my usual hangout spot with my family since young. In 20 years’ time, Petaling Street changes tremendously from busy streets with rich Chinese culture to less crowded tourists attraction full of foreign workers. After interviewing the local communities range from hawker stalls owners to shop lots owners, I realized that they are all aged people with a heart to preserve the history of Petaling Street. Through their facial expressions and tone, I cannot help but notice that they actually wish time could be rewind to the past where Petaling Street was still blooming and filled with crowd especially during festive seasons. Now, they just hope that the future generations can continue to operate their business and contribute a little to the historical place in Malaysia to prevent it being forgotten by everyone, and most importantly, Malaysians.

HO JIA MIN 13003462

It was an overwhelming and meaningful experience taking this Community Project (MU42213), special guests from many social enterprises have been invited to give speeches and share their experiences regarding this sector. We were assigned to take on a project of our own to contribute to the community in various different ways.

Our group planned to film the historical landmarks and traditional businesses of Petaling Street. The filming process was quite interesting as we manage to interview tourists from all around the world and the local people that have been running those businesses for decades. It was emotional when the locals shared their ups and downs. We also found out that the locals missed the great days of the past. It was obvious that the traditional businesses are fading as the new generation are not willing to take over their businesses.

I really enjoyed the experience as we also tasted many local delicacies of Petaling Street. Our group leader who is very familiar with Petaling Street showed us around the place. Besides that, we also get ourselves involve in a bazaar held at Rumah Hope, which is an orphanage located at PJ. I and a few group mates were assigned to be in-charge of the vegetables stall. It was my first time ever selling vegetables and the job was tough.

I truly understand how tough it is to handle a vegetable stall now. Efficiency and team-work is important in getting the job done. I almost ran out of breath dealing with the customers. Nevertheless, I felt fulfilling by contributing to the community even it was a small contribution. “Nothing is as easy as it seems”, this subject has changed my point of view about the community.

Ho Kar Zheng 12029252

For our community project, we have done 2 events.

The first event, our group visited Petaling street(Chinatown) to record our video to bring awareness about the place, it’s history and current state. It was my first time being there although I’m a local. I would say many people have not been there and is unaware of the worsening state of the place. Through our video, we aim to bring back more locals to the petaling street scene as everyone is currently going to shopping malls instead nowadays. Something should be done before the culture in petaling street is all lost.

Our second event, we did volunteer work at Rumah Hope , it was a one day charity event where the residents in the neighbourhood would come over to the orphanage to purchase the products sold at the orphanage. We were placed in charge of the stalls and had to sell their products which includes groceries and daily house products. I was able to communicate with the stall visitors and also some of the orphans. Further understanding them throughout the event. It felt good helping the out in their event and it has give me the motivation to help them out more in the future events. 

Jacqueline Hor Hui Zhi 12022844 

From this community project, I learnt that we should pay more attention to those who are less fortunate people, concern and fulfil their basic needs. Few weeks ago, we went to Rumah Hope as one day volunteers for the charity event, I observed that many people turn up to support the event, they donate essential products, foods, clothes and monetary support for the charity event. We was there to help out to take care of the booths which are selling products to the customer. From this event, I realized that voluntary work are not only monetary term, we could also contribute manpower to support the orphanage or old folks, they also need manpower to solve their problems. 

On the other hand, our main purpose of community project was observed and interview the community in Petaling Street. I realized that those traditional shops in Petaling Street are hardly continuing their business due to few impacts. Such as the new generation not willing to inherit the family business and the traditional technology are not suitable in this society anymore. They are hardly compete with other competitors which using advanced technology to provide services for the customer. And also affected by the LRT construction, they have to move the other places or shut down their business for few months. These are the issues that we should concern by the community and society. 

NG CHIAN PIN 13009675

This fourteen week is a very hectic period for me as besides the four core subjects of Degree in Accounting and Finance, I still have to contribute my time for the community project. My first impression on community project is merely a boring subject that is going to waste my time and effort as it will not include in my CGPA ranking and will not create any impact on my future life. However, this concept change after the 14 weeks running around to prepare and run the community project as at the end it make a huge change of my mindset and affect my future pathway. 

Through community project, I learnt the importance of leadership and teamwork to run a project successfully. In this project, I would like to special thanks Chang Wai Zhun who had contribute a lot in this project as the leader of the project. As a leader he had successfully unite the team member and assign task to each member according to their strengthen and weakness. Besides, to allow the project run smoothly and success at the end, teamwork between the members is a must. It is difficult to work with people from different background and level of commitment. Hence to work with a group of people without causing conflict, it is require tolerance and patient. 

The experience of running the community project had impacted my choice on my future path. I use to think to make high income that is good enough or me and my family to enjoy comfortable life. However, thought this project I learnt that there are more people require help and we need people to prevent the loss of traditional of each races. We had visited Petaling Street and Rumah Hope for our community project. After spending time chat with local and the person in-charge, I found out that most of the people today already forget about their traditional and donation is the only way for them to return to the society. Hence, in future funding or running a social enterprise that that will involve in developing future generation will be my future ambition.

All in all, I would like to say thank you to Dr. Foo who had put in a lot of effort of getting the social enterprise in to share their experience and teach us throughout this semester.

Thankyou. 

TAN HOE JACK 13004171

My name is Tan Hoe Jack (13004171), one of the Titan members. At the beginning of the semester, our group came with an idea of organizing a game event called Petaling Street Run for orphans as our community project. The idea is quite meaningful and fun but we faced a lot of problems while conducting into the task. Most of the orphanages rejected our idea because of concerning the safety issues on orphans. We carried on a lot of preparation for the game events including in-the-spot investigation, brainstorming on thinking meaningful games while other members were still looking for orphanages who are willing to cooperate with us. Unfortunately, the project was cancelled due to safety reason and all the works that are half way finished have been wasted. I personally felt that no matter how hard you work on, there is no guarantee in return. Although it seems wasted, but our team doesn’t feel desperate with the result. We are still looking forward to the next incoming project. After discussion, Zhun, our leader decided on doing a project which create awareness of cultural heritage (Petaling Street) via social media. We hope to share meaningful moment in Petaling Street and to remind audience the importance of protecting cultural heritage of Malaysia. Everyone takes the filming part during the second visit to Petaling Street while I am responsible on editing videos they filmed. The community project has enlighten my knowledge about cultural heritage in Malaysia. As a Malaysia, we are responsible with inheriting and protecting the cultural heritage and tradition, because compared to other countries, Malaysia is the only one country that blends three ethnic cultures and perception together. Different ethnic groups are raised in Petaling Street long ago, and now it becomes a friendly and harmonic neighborhood. Besides from developing our own country, citizen should also pay attention on how to maintain the culture tradition of Malaysian. 

TEOH HAN EE 13019492

Essentially, community project is a very different subject in comparison to other academic subjects. Being one that involves a total of 10 members out of the class, it is bound to be very interactive and dynamic but at the same time difficult. The first thing that we realize is the inconvenience of having all involved members in a discussion, our record of the highest member attending the meeting is capped at 9. This has forced us to resort to other means of discussion including the use of social network like What’s App and Facebook. The transition didn’t solve much of the problem, it became worse as many had the luxury of remaining in their comfort zone, it became obvious where the more dominant counterparts are taking over the wheels. Even though the situation lacks feedback from all parties, the contribution came out surprisingly well. Each group members have their own way of contributing; in providing transports, camera equipment, relations as well as knowledge. This gave me a renewed perspective on how and where each individual preferred to be engaged in and how different contributions deserve appreciation as much as any other.

In the process of planning, we received some compliments from Dr. Foo in our openness of working on a cultural related project instead of the usual orphanages. It is crucial to note that community services are not restricted to that particular few communities and that many communities deserve help too. It became even clearer when our first contacts were made with the orphanages; they are fully booked with excessive volunteers visiting the centers, this came as a surprise as we were constantly showered with the perception where orphanages need help. The realization was that what they need are not volunteers but the self-sustainability. The even uglier truth was that with the constant flow of contributions coming in, they have technically unlimited flow of supply hence do not need to consider their self-sustainability. I think the next batch of students having the same course should consider this factor as it is promoting the wrong idea. “Teach a man to fish and the man will live” we have to teach the “man” to fish.

Charity Work : Rumah Hope Open Day

Rumah Hope Open Day

It was a meaningful day and very exhausting day. We “teen titans” have volunteered to help out in running the open day which was held at Rumah Hope, located in PJ. The event was at 8 November 2014, Saturday. We were glad to have members that were so passionate that they sacrificed their “beauty sleep” in order to make everything possible. We assembled at the foyer around 8 and started our journey around 9.

We were straight into action by the time we arrived at the venue. We were assigned with different task and divided into different teams. Wai Zhun,Chian Pin, Jack and me were responsible in setting up the vegetable stall. To be honest, we were so happy to get that job and were expecting the least work but unfortunately, we were wrong. Many customers were already “booking” their vegetable before the event even started. We were very confused about the pricing of the vegetable but thankfully we manage to pull through with great team work.

At the other hand, Stanley and Adeline were assigned to take care of the grocery stall while Zoey and Jacqueline were responsible to take care of the “Secret Recipe” cake stall. Each of us worked our socks off when the event started at 10. I and my members really had a tough time dealing with the customers and the queue was never ending at one moment. Stanley and Adeline were looking relaxed with their job while I and my other members were at “war” at the our own stall.  The grocery stall was such a “hit” that the things were sold out during half-way of the event.

The “Secret Recipe” stall was even better, the cakes sold out as if they were selling “Taylor Swift Red Tour” tickets. The supervisor of the event gave each of us a coupon worth RM 10 as a small reward of appreciation for our hard work. Finally, all of us were able to relax around 2 in the afternoon. We were so free that time, our “camera-specialist”, Stanley took a lot of photos which includes some crazy ones.

The event was a huge success and all of us manage to sell out all of the items that were piling like “mountains” before the event started. Personally for me, I finally understand how hard it to be a vegetable-seller is. Some of the members who took care of the vegetable stall were even feeling grateful that they are not doing it full-time.

We have never thought that a simple event like this could actually bring so much happiness to the kids and the rest of the staffs of Rumah Hope. I really hope that I will have the opportunity to work with all these awesome members in the future. Last but not least, a dedication to our group with putting much effort to this subject even it is not our ‘main’ subject this semester. As for Gen-Y, a "selfie" is a must after the event. It is shown above.

Issues Happening In Petaling Street

MALAYSIA’S GOVERNMENT WANTS TO TEAR DOWN HERITAGE ATTRACTION, PETALING STREET

Malaysia government’s latest MTR expansion is the Sg Buloh-Kalang 51 km line – to date, Malaysia’s most extensive public infrastructure with 27 elevated and 7 underground stations. It is, however, facing strong protests from residents of the areas concerned by the project. The line will connect Kuala Lumpur’s city center, passing under some of the capital city’s oldest areas, among them, Petaling Street and part of Sultan Street, two popular streets frequented by both locals and tourists. Petaling Street remains a favorite among visitors to the Malaysian capital, as it welcomes every night Kuala Lumpur’s only night market. It is also a popular place for Malaysian Chinese, especially prior to the Chinese New Year, when the community gathers to eat together and do some shopping. Petaling Street was consequently thoroughly renovated a decade ago.

The area also has a deeply historical value for the Malaysian capital. Petaling Street was, in fact, one of the first settlements for Chinese arriving into Malaya at the end of the XVIII century. The area has a high number of beautiful heritage buildings as old as 100 years. The MRT project foresees the destruction of 20 to 30 buildings, including some structures considered landmarks for Chinatown. Among them are Yook Woo Hin restaurant mentioned in many travel guides and famed for its mooncakes, as well as the Lok Ann Hotel and the Yan Keng Benevolent Dramatic Association Building. The latest is considered as the birth place to Cantonese Opera in former Malaya.

Over the last three decades, successive Malaysian government has systematically erased from Kuala Lumpur’s urban landscape any references to the city’s colonial heritage, except for a few symbolic buildings.

 But according to local newspapers, most shop owners were surprised to abruptly learn about the need to destroy the area to give way to the MRT. In Kuala Lumpur’s 2020 masterplan, Petaling Street has been indeed named a heritage area. But so far it has not been officially registered as such, exposing the historical district to any wild redevelopment. The surprise has even been bigger as MRT tunnels will be located 30 meters under the street and would consequently not threaten the stability of the buildings. Shop owners want now to take legal action and will ask the government to review the project to protect the area.

Construction for the MRT is due to start by year-end for a projected completion in 2015.

Attractions In Petaling Street

Delicacies 美食 

Kim Lian Kee Hokkien Mee 金莲记福建面 

Mr. Ong Kim Lian was the founder of Kim Lian Kee. It is well known for its charcoal Hokkien Mee and is the signature dish of this particular restaurant. The noodle is made using the bamboo cane-pressed method which was originated from Fujian, China.During the early 20th century, Mr. Ong Kim Lian, has left Fuijian and came to Kuala Lumpur. In the year 1927, he started his business with a small stall at Dang Wang. The business has expanded into 5 branches through-out the peninsular. 

Curry Puff 咖喱角

For curry-puff lover, you shouldn't miss out the curry puff selling at Petaling Street! It comes with two type of fillings, one with egg and another one without egg. The stalls is located in one of the back valleys of Petaling Street. To be more detail, the stall is located near at the end of a junction where there is a street of dried-meat shop.  

Madam Tang’s Mochi 麻芝

When you are walking along the centre of Petaling Street, you will probably hear a loud speaker. For those who is familiar with Petaling Street will know about this stall. The owner, Madam Tang has been running the Mochi business at Petaling Street for decades. Although she is in the age of retirement, It is remarkable that she still insists to continue on her business due to her passion and hunger for work. Sadly, no one wanted to take over the business as  she mentioned that the younger generation would not favour such job and think the prospect of this business isn't great. With the current circumstances, if you happen to pass by this stall, do not miss out the chance to try out this unique Mochi while you can.

Koon Kee Wantan Mee 冠记云吞面

The picture above is the Koon Kee Wantan Mee. It is one of the most famous delicacies of Petaling Street. Mr.Lee is the founder of this great recipe. In the year 1942, he started off his business by selling porridge and changed into a wantan mee business after the ending of World War II.  The business showed promises and has expanded ever since then.

Hon Kee Porridge 汉记靓粥

If you happen to drop by Koon Kee Wantan Mee, you will notice a stall just next door called the Hon Kee Porridge. This stalls is famous for it porridge. Hon Kee started the business in the year 1942. This great recipe was originated from his ancestors in China. The businessturned out to be a renowned success.  

LuoHanGuo Longan Drink罗汉果

If you feel uncomfortable because of the scorching hot weather, grab a cup of iced Longan drink in the middle junction of the Petaling Street. The Longan drink was founded by the current owner's father, Mr Tan in the year 1977. His children took over the business after his retirement. Mr Tan insisted to maintain it's original great taste by always brewing this great drink himself. It is simply a nice drink that you shouldn't miss out.

Ah Fah's Tau Fu Far 豆腐花

Directly situated opposite of the Longan Drink stall, you can see a Tau Fu Far stall. It is another MUST-TRY  in Petaling Street. The Tau Fu Far stall is famous for its soya bean and Tau Fu Far. The soya bean drink is concentrate in a way that you can taste thepcreamy soya within whereas the Tau Fu Fa has a very smooth texture. The mixture of this texture with Gula Melaka topping is just sensational!

Sun Gao Yu Beef Noodles 新九如牛肉面

If you are a beef lover, or looking for some nice beef noodles, then you should never miss out on the famous beef noodles in Petaling Street. It was founded by Mr. Guan in 1949 and the business was taken over by his son after his retirement. In the earlier days, Mr. Guan was selling beef noodles with his friends. After he got married, he opened a stall in Petaling Street and later upgraded to a bigger stall to accommodate more customers. His son, the current owner of the business is still using the traditional way his father taught him to serve beef noodles to the customers. This enabled him to  preserve the original taste that the shop is famous for! Isn't it nice? :)

Chee Cheong Fun 中华巷猪肠粉

 

If you passed by Truly Lane, you should stop by and try the Chee Cheong Fun. This stall only serves Chee Cheong Fun without any ingredient like Yong Tau Fu. So, it is considered as a snack for those with big appetite.

Salted Duck 四眼仔鹹鴨

During the festive season, you might see some older generation citizens dropping by Petaling Street to buy salted duck for dinner at home. The stall is called 'Spectacles Salted Duck' (directly translate from Chinese, of course!). The stall was named like this because it was the nickname of the founder, Mr. Chong. The stall was then taken over by his pair of daughters. According to Mrs. Chong, the stall was selling sauced duck instead of salted duck at the first place. The idea of selling salted duck was out-of-mind as the founder himself used salt to provide flavour for the duck during the making process and the duck tasted better. Therefore, the stall started to sell salted duck from that time on. 

Truly Lane Cendol 

Thinking of something sweet and cool during the hot weather? Then you will probably want to try the cendol located in Truly Lane. It is made by Chinese hawker so it is more Chinese style compared with the traditional cendol which is usually made by Indian hawker.

There are many others delicacies that can be found in Petaling Street. However, we are not able to try out all and share with you all at this moment. According to newspapers, magazines and media, there are lots of foods like fried potato balls, dried minced noodles, claypot lou shu fun, Portugese fried fish that can be found in Petaling Street. There consists of so many things else for you to explore! So, stop standing there and scrolling your smartphone! 
Get a map and start the food adventure! 


Tourist Attraction 旅游景点

Truly Lane 李林泰菜市场

The place mentioned above is called Jalan Tun HS Lee Market, previously named Truly Lane. The market was built in between the building, and has a total of 4 exits. The market was built to remember the people's representative that step up for the hawker's rights during the 19th century. You will be able to see 4 old clocks hanging in the middle of the market, but it is no longer functional and are considered as a historical item for the market.

Jian An Pharmacy 建安药行

Before World War II, Petaling Street was a place full of Chinese pharmacies. However, most of the pharmacies could not meet up with the changes of the modern society and was closed as time passed. Those who manage to change its business model were able to survive and Jian An Pharmacy was one of the successful results. The pharmacy was founded by the Wu's brothers at 1943. As more and more Chinese medicines being imported from China and more restrictions towards the pharmacies that time, most of the pharmacy  failed to survive and was forced to wind up. The Wu's brothers foresee this coming and decided that only diversification could overcome this issue. From that time on, Jian An Pharmacy started to sell western medicine, provide Chinese therapies and so on to meet the changes. Now, the pharmacy provides not only Chinese medicine services but also western medicine services to the public. 

Chai Huat Hin Dried Seafood Shop 再发兴海味店

Dried foodstuffs. This shop has been operating for the pass few decades and still running in a traditional way of trading dried and canned foods. As you can see from the picture below, the old uncle is using an abacus instead of a calculator. I believe this shop and the old shopkeeper in the picture are quite recognisable now because there was a story about this store been reported on last month SinChew newspaper's publication about the history of Petaling Street.

Pak Tai Photo Shop 百代影社

Pak Tai Photo Shop is another ageing shop located at Petaling Street. It provides photo taking services for the people during the olden days. According to the founder, a lot of police members and traditional Chinese culture dancers came here to have their photo shooting done last time, and that era was their peak period for the business. However, as technology is getting more advanced, modern and digital photo shops took over their place in the market. Pak Tai Photo Shop is now suffering from the competition and the owner himself has admitted that he is going to close the shop as the photo shop could not catch up with the changes and no one is interested in taking over their business. 

Yan Kee Studio 恩记唱片行

If you ask the older Chinese generation about the studio in Petaling Street, they will most probably mention about the Yan Kee Studio. It sells music cassettes and gramophone records at Petaling Street when music disc or online download was not invented during that time. Many people will come here to purchase their favourite artist music cassettes or gramophone record at that time as it was one of the fewer shops that are selling music cassettes. Despite that, famous Chinese singer, Teresa Teng has made an autograph signing event at Yan Kee Studio at the year of 1972 which made Yan Kee even more famous. 

Sri Mahamariamman Temple 斯里马里安曼印度庙

The Sri Mahamariamman temple in Kuala Lumpur is one of the most popular temples among worshippers and visitors alike. The Sri Mahamariamman temple was built in the year of 1873 by K. Thamboosamy Pillai but was only opened to the public in the 1920s. After withstanding the time and elements, the original structure was replaced with the current building in 1968. Today, with more than a century of Hindu temple history, the Sri Mahamariamman temple is the oldest as well as the richest Hindu temple in Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia.

Guan Di Temple 关帝庙

Anyone who have studied the Chinese trilogy 'Three Kingdom" (三国演义) before will probably know the character name Guan Yu (关羽), he is also named as Guan Di (关帝). You will be able to find a Guan Di Temple located in Petaling Street and this is where the legendary 59kg copper Guan Dao (Chinese pole weapon) is located. Many worshippers have been continuously swarming this temple as they believe that the sword possesses a special power to bless and protect a person if he/she touches or lifts it. Some even believe that it has an inner force that can magically turn a person’s luck around as well.

Xian Shi Ye Temple 仙四爷庙

The name, in the old days can be interpreted as the "personal advisor" to someone active in political scene. The history of this temple can be traced back to early beginning period of the great city of Kuala Lumpur and it can be regarded as the oldest temple in Kuala Lumpur. The record can track the establishment of this temple to the year of 1864 which is approx. 165 years now

Please don't get it wrong, although inside you may still find some traditional Buddhist figures for worshipping, but the XIANSI SHIYE temple is not a Buddhist temple. The installed statues figures being worshipped by devotees are actually true personalities during the early conflicting days of Kuala Lumpur back in 1860. As officially, the trustee stated "The SIN SZE SI YA*Temple was founded in 1864 by Capitan yap Ah Loy 1868~1885 who is popularly referred to as the founder of Kuala Lumpur; it is dedicated to patron deities of SIN SZE YA & SI SZE YA.

The deities has guided Kapitan Yap Ah Loy to defeat the enemies and defended Kuala Lumpur during the civil war during 1870~1873...". . Other than the temple located here, there were actually another 12 temples which were built with the same theme and objectives in many other towns and cities around the region, each of them can easily date back to more than 100 years old. The temple signifies a lot of sentimental reasons for the local Chinese as it reflects the hard work for the early batches of Chinese who came here and witnessed the birth and growth of the city of Kuala Lumpur, hence indirectly,this formed the core starting point for the current Chinese community who eventually resides here in the country as their home.




As Petaling Street was established long time before Malaysia become independent, there are still a lot of historical shops located all around Petaling Street like Central Market, Yan Keng Benevolent Dramatic Association, Kwong Fook Wing Tailor etc. These shops truly need the supports from the local community like us and we should pay close attention to them as they are eliminating by the market and soon disappear from our view. 

CHINATOWN’S PETALING STREET

Historical Background

Back in the olden days when Malaysia was still known as ‘Tanah Melayu’ or Malaya, the Chinese had come to this country to work at the tin mines. However, during the Selangor Civil War, the tin mines were temporarily abandoned. The Chinese returned after the war, only to find the mines flooded. Yap Ah Loy, an influential Chinese figure back then, had opened a tapioca mill on Petaling Street in his bid to persuade the Chinese to stay on. To this day, Petaling Street is sometimes called ‘Chee Cheong Kai’, meaning ‘Starch Factory Street’ in Cantonese, referring to its history as the centre for the production of tapioca flour back then.

Since then, Petaling Street has been given a facelift. Gone are the patchy roads, broken pavements and colourful umbrellas attached to wooden pushcarts lining the street on both sides. A green awning covers the length of the street, acting as a roof to shield vendors and shoppers from the heat and the rain. An Oriental-style archway with the words ‘Jalan Petaling/Petaling Street’ spelled out in gold letters greets visitors at its main entrance.

Shopper’s Haven & Foodie’s Galore

Petaling Street is chock-full of shops and stalls selling goods and food. A signboard warning against the sale of imitation goods provides an interesting – even ironic – contrast as the whole street is practically littered with fake branded items. Handbags, watches, trainers, clothing – you name it, they’ve got it. Louis Vuitton sits side-by-side with Rolex, and you can sometimes get the latest cinematic releases at less than RM 10 each. For shoppers on a tight budget or those looking for cheap and cheerful ‘branded’ goods, Petaling Street will be their first stop as it offers not just variety but also value for money as the prices can be further whittled down through hard bargaining.

Petaling Street is also filled with opportunities to sample a delightful array of local cuisine. Chinese and seafood restaurants can be found at every corner, and stalls selling all kinds of snacks are stretched along the street, resulting in an interesting mixture of aroma filling the air that is quite hard to resist. The best thing about them is that most of them are open until very late at night, with some even staying open until four to five in the morning. For a highly-recommended list of food to try in and around Petaling Street, take a look at our Chinatown Dining section.

Bargaining Tips

Bargaining is the way to go when shopping in Petaling Street, unless you don’t mind being ripped off. Prices are generally quoted 15 to 35% higher than what they are truly worth – even higher sometimes for tourists. So before you head down to Petaling Street, make sure your bargaining skills are well-honed.

But first things first – before going on your haggling venture, pay attention to what you’re wearing. If you look like you have the money, some vendors will not hesitate to charge you double or even triple the price. So leave your Armani shirt and gold wristwatch behind, and dress as simply as you could. Wear no visible labels or anything that is a dead giveaway to your financial status.

When you find an item you like, take your time to inspect it. Keep a neutral expression and don’t let your interest show too much, even if you’re dead keen on it. Even if there’s a price tag on the item clearly stating what it’s worth, still make it a point to ask: “How much?” The bidding process will thus begin. Start with offering just one quarter of the asking price – don’t feel bad about this as you can always raise your offer bit by bit.

Keep going back and forth with your counter-offer until you reach a price that you’re comfortable with. If the vendor refuse to budge any lower, thank him, tell him that you will think about it and walk away to survey other shops. Two things will happen: 1) the vendor calls you back and states his final (and much lower) offer or asks you how much you’re willing to pay for the item, or 2) you will find a much better offer elsewhere. The mistake that most foreigners make is that they’re too afraid, too embarrassed or feel too guilty to ask for a much lower price, that they immediately accept the first counter-offer that the vendor makes. Remember, most of the items sold here initially bear a higher marked price, so don’t be afraid to bid lower, and feel free to shop around

Getting There

Chinatown is served by a good network of public transportation. Major bus routes operate through this area – just take the ones heading for ‘Kotaraya’. There are also plenty of train stations nearby; you can either take the LRT (Pasar Seni or Masjid Jamek station), KTM Komuter (Kuala Lumpur station) or Monorail (Maharajalela station) – all within walking distance.