Welcome to my Kuala Lumpur

This is my way of sharing my discoveries, re-discoveries, memories & experiences

as well as other bits & pieces of information I have of

growing up in Kuala Lumpur.

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Sunday, August 29, 2010

KL KrashPad - Chow Kit Kita (Part 2)

This is a replica of the map used for the walk-about session.
After Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, we turned into Jalan Sri Amar.
I have not been able to determine after whom this road is named.
Most probably this street is named after Datuk Sri Amar DiRaja Abdul Rahman bin Haji Andak, but I'm only guessing here.  Read about him here.
On one side to this road is the EON Bank building, formerly Wisma Cycle Carrie.
Cycle & Carriage, the distributors of Mercedes Benz vehicles in Malaysia, used to have their show-room fronting Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman with their workshop at the rear, stretching all the way to Jalan Raja Laut.
The children passing the Eon Bank Building. 
On the other side is what is known as the Jalan/Lorong Haji Taib area. While this is known to be the haunt of transvestites, prostitutes, pimps, addicts, pushers and other 'bad hats', this is also where local petty traders source their supplies from the many wholesalers operating here.  A bakers' supplies store is located here and with the Hari Raya (Eid) festival just around the corner, that place is packed with shoppers.

Who was Haji Taib?
     I couldn't get much information on-line, then I remembered a friend who left a comment in one of my earlier posts saying that he was a decedent of Haji Taib.  So I emailed him for information.
      Haji Mohamed Taib bin Haji Abdul Samad (1858 - 1925) was a descendant of Raja Mas and Sultan Baginda of Bukit Tinggi in Sumatera Barat, Indonesia.
     Haji Taib arrived in KL at the turn of the century (1900s) having eloped with his Dutch bride and having been disinherited for doing so.  They arrived with only the clothes on their backs.
     His first occupation in KL was that of a street lighter - going out at dusk, adding water to carbide and then lighting the acetylene gas lamps that lined the streets of KL at that time.  Later he ended up as a Chief Clerk in the Land Office where he got to know about the best deals and bought them for himself.
     His son, Orang Kaya Haji Abdullah, built on this wealth and in the 1920's owned the whole of Malay Street and Rodger Street, a large portion of the Central Market area and loads in Chow Kit and Kg. Baru.



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