ABSTRACT

Dr Mahathir Mohammad, mooted the idea of a beautification project, turning Petaling Street, the most representative Chinese street in Kuala Lumpur, into a 'pedestrianised shopping mall'. Built by the Chinese pioneer Yap Ah Loy, the streets which were later named Petaling Street, High Street and Sultan Street and the surrounding area were the old town centre of Kuala Lumpur. From the Klang-Gombak intersection onwards the waterway was too narrow and shallow for the use of boats, and prospectors had to hack their way through thick jungle. Yap Ah Loy could be read as a cultural contestation of the Malay/Islam-centric nation-building projects. Most of the street-names are considered the legacy of colonialism. The co-existence of British, Malay and Chinese names was changed. The Chinese resisted the naming of 'Chinatown' because in their minds. This is similar to the view of Mei-Ping Chen. The KL Chinese Cemetery is another good example of spatial history.