KL KrashPad - Chow Kit Kita (Part 3)

From Jalan Sri Amar, we move along to Jalan Raja Laut.

The children at the overhead bridge, waiting to cross the road.  They are in for lesson number 2.

Question: Who was Raja Laut?
     YTM Raja Laut ibni al-Marhum Sultan Muhammad Shah, born in Kuala Selangor in 1850.  Penghulu and Magistrate Kuala Lumpur, member of the Kuala Lumpur Sanitary Board, Chairman of the Kampung Bahru Agricultural Settlement.
     Appointed Raja Muda in 1899 but superseded in 1903.  However, allowed to keep the title until his death in 1913. (Source: royalark.net)
     When Sultan Muhammad died in 1857 without appointing an heir, Raja Laut, while being competent, was not able to succeed his father as he was the son of a concubine (Raja Asiah). (Source: http://yapahloy.

tripod.com/the_death_of_sultan_muhammad.htm)

Prominent residents of Kuala Lumpur, 1884

(from: MALAYSIA a pictorial history 1400-2004 by Wendy Khadijah Moore)

Raja Laut (cropped and enlarged)

The Chow Kit area is also home to vagrants and homeless people.

A number of NGOs do operate food kitchens and other social services in the area.  I think that this is becoming a vicious cycle - more people - more help, more help -  more people....... but  to paraphrase the words of the late Mother Theresa, 'do it anyway.'

Passing the Thakardas building.  The National Library used to be located here before moving to its own premises at Jalan Tun Razak.

I never noticed it before, but there is a Gurdwara (Sikh prayer house) located in this building.

We now arrive at Tiong Nam Settlement.

     In all my years of growing up here, I never once wondered about the origins of the name.  I just assumed that it was the name of the developer or something.  It is one of the earliest Chinese housing settlements in KL but it is now considered a slum according to this article.

     According to the same article also the Chinese community refer to this as Tiong Nam Ku meaning the Middle South Area.

     According to an interview with Mr. Ong Yoong Nyock, founder of Tiong Nam Logistics Holdings Bhd (I don't think there is a link between the company and the settlement, I was just looking for the meaning or origins of Tiong Nam) published in www.frost.com, he said that the name carries the meaning of East (Tiong) and South (Nam) in Hokkien.

     Middle South or East South, either way it baffles me as the area would have been North or North West of KL Town Centre not the South East.

I only remember one Chinese Temple at Jalan Tiong Nam 5.  Over the years, a number of residential houses have been converted into Temples.

Posing for group photos in-front of the Temples.  For most of the children, this was their first time visiting Chinese temples.  Unfortunately, however, these were closed.

Jalan Raja Chulan 2

An old bungalow still survives (except that it may not be a residence anymore) when all around are high-rise.

This piece of land seems to be clear of undergrowth. Is some building being planned here?

You can enter the Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve from here.

There used to be a cable car service which would take you above the forest. It's a long while since its been discontinued.

The St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church.

The Bursa KL (KL Stock Exchange) building.

Telecoms Malaysia (now TM)'s building. It used to be the head office before they moved to the Pantai area.

Another TM building.

The telecommunications museum.

Another TM building. This and the earlier building probably contains the 'exchange' equipment.

One of the office blocks in the area.

The pigeons were on some sort of mating ritual.

There is a large pigeon population between the Masjid India and the Court Hill Temple areas. Some people belief that feeding these birds add to their merits in this life.

Jalan Raja Chulan

Jalan Sultan continues until Jalan Imbi and now joins with Jalan Tun Razak. However we'll just turn off to Jalan Raja Chulan and walk to Jalan Pudu.

Istana Hotel.

Istana is Malay for palace. We used to have fun with the confusion it caused when this hotel first opened.

Wisma Lim Foo Yong.

One of the earlier high-rise buildings along this road. The ground floor used to be occupied by the Fitzpatrick's Supermarket.

Menara Affin. This is where I work.

The Weld.

It is now owned by Great Eastern Insurance. Up to the early 1980's this used to be the location of Weld Supermarket, the premier Supermarket in KL operating from a 2-storey building. Cold Storage and Giant supermarkets have had an outlet here at different times but closed due to poor support.

The KL Tower, towering above the rain forest.

An old government building. I'm not sure what it's used for these days.

This row of run-down houses used to be known as the Eurasian Row during it's heydays.