Representing place: Petaling Street

Credits

Project ManagerKong Xhiang Lynn

PhotographerChong Yi Qi Muatasimah Billah Binti Saleh Mohamad EditorJames Tay Jia ChuenJanice Lee Juen Yung

Graphic DesignerLeong Yu ShiNg Ke Ning

© All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing ffrom the publisher.

Printed in Malaysia.

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uncertain identity

Mosaic of cultureIntrinsic nature

The unbroken becoming vulnerable

Culture is a horn carrying our divine given domain

Culture is a bondbinding the city together

目錄

6.8.

10.14.24.34.40.44.

ContentIntroduction

Method

Measuring Adaptation of Cultural Heritage

Journey of the Site

Essence of the Site

Dialogue of Interview

Survey Analysis

Conclusion

Having had an interesting past and being a part of the international spice route many hundreds

of years ago, Malaysia has turned into a mosaic of cultures. Everything from its people to its architecture reflect a colourful heritage and an amalgamated culture. To understand Malaysian culture, you must first get to know its people. Malays, Chinese, Indians and many other ethnic groups have lived together in Malaysia for generations. All these cultures have influenced each other, creating a truly Malaysian culture. “Intangible cultural heritage” consists of non-physical aspects of a particular culture, more often maintained by social customs during a specific period in history. Naturally, intangible cultural heritage is more difficult to preserve than physical objects. The largest ethnic groups in Malaysia are the Malays, Chinese

and Indians. Our focus today is not about Malaysia but rather it is about Petaling Street. Petaling Street has existed ever since late 19th century. It was one of the popular places that we visit during festivals. Shop lots and stalls existed more than 50 years ago with rich historical events. It has been Kuala Lumpur’s original Chinatown and known for being a shopping area since late 19th century. Over the decades the street is a huge market selling many types of merchandise and a food hunting paradise. This outdoor food market has been redeveloped into a pedestrian-only zone. On the other side, the heritage shop houses are not well conserved and left to be abandoned. The number of pre-war shop houses are greatly reducing, sign of deterioration by lacking of maintenance and replacement of modern high rise.

Introduction //petaling street.

前言

7

street has become an issue that are reducing the amount of tourist in Petaling Street. Up till today, Petaling Street has still remain as one of the most popular tourist attraction in Kuala Lumpur. Despite its popularity, there have been a number of times in the past when people felt that it had become more of a foreign land than one representing true Malaysian culture and its people. However, one of the main indispensable quality which remain in Petaling Street is the daily cultural practices which is still practiced by the locals before Malaysia’s Independence Day. For example, the different superstitions which are practiced by different local races and the different adaptation of the younger generation towards their culture and traditions.

In current times, through the introduction of modernism in

this world, we have a theory that it has given rise to certain negative impacts in our lives. They are mainly, the psychological and moral hazards of modern life. Individuals especially the younger generation begin to neglect the cultural practices that were once vital in the olden times. Through the introduction of advanced technology, for example, internet browsing and social media, youngsters are influenced to the western culture and may begin to sway away from their roots. This has influence the younger generations to feel rootless, and lose of strong bonds towards the older generations which pay so much importance to keeping the culture and heritage alive. Eventually, this theory has created some worries about the uncertain future of culture and heritage of Petaling Street which seems to be heading towards a wrong path.

01

Petaling streetPetaling street, also known as the Chinatown, is chosen as the site of our research on the daily pratices of cultural heritage among the locals.

03

Questionnaires are used as our main instrument in carrying out this research.

05

Multiple Diagram and Graphs will be produced based on the information gathered from the question-naires.

02

Different Races , such as Chinese, Indian and Malays of different age group are targeted for the research.

04

The answered questionnaires will then be recorded and analysed.

Method

方法

9

01

Petaling streetPetaling street, also known as the Chinatown, is chosen as the site of our research on the daily pratices of cultural heritage among the locals.

03

Questionnaires are used as our main instrument in carrying out this research.

05

Multiple Diagram and Graphs will be produced based on the information gathered from the question-naires.

02

Different Races , such as Chinese, Indian and Malays of different age group are targeted for the research.

04

The answered questionnaires will then be recorded and analysed.

MEA

SURI

NG A

DAPT

ATIO

N OF

CUL

TURA

L HER

ITAGE

01LANGUAGE

ADAPTATION

Amount of people who speak their mother tongue per square meterAmount of people able to understand their own language per square meterAmount of people able to read their own language per square meterAmount of people able to write their own language per square meterAmount of people able to write their own language per square meter

01LANGUAGE

ADAPTATION

Amount of people who speak their mother tongue per square meterAmount of people able to understand their own language per square meterAmount of people able to read their own language per square meterAmount of people able to write their own language per square meterAmount of people able to write their own language per square meter

02INFLUENCE OF FOOD FROM DIFFERENT CULTURES

Number of people from the same race whoacknowledges the existence of their own cultural food per square metercultural food per square meterNumber of people from different races who acknowledges the existence of other races’cultural food per square meterNumber of people who eat different races’ cultural food per sqaure meter

03culture and tradition practice

Amount of people celebrates their own cultural festival per square meterAmount of people celebrates their own and other races’ festival per square meterper square meterAmount of people still wearing their traditional clothing during cultural festival and daily routines per square meterAmount of people who practices their cultural supersition per square meter

The journey of Petaling street is something which is worth while. Individuals are able to not only experience the different kinds of delicious food around local food stalls but also able to get a chance to observe the traditonal architecture which exist at Petaling Street and its adjacent streets. One is also able to experience different cul-tures of the site in terms of the different religious grounds which exist around Petaling Street at such a close proximity.

01PETALING STREETTop tourist attraction in Malaysia, a Chinese influenced street. Most of the human density are foreigners but there are still some locals around.

02BUN CHOON EGG TARTOne of the best food hunt in Petaling Street. A must to line up during peak hours when goods are freshly baked.

03FOOD STALLSBesides shopping for cheap goods in Petaling Street, one of the most important reason for the tourist and some of the locals to be here is because of the delicious unforgettable taste of food found in Petaling Street.Food stalls are providing most of the delicious food or snacks that could be found in Malaysia.

04GUAN DI TEMPLEPrayers will stop by and ask for blessings from God. Visitors will also stop by to embrace the interesting interior architecture of Malaysia Chinese Temple.

05CHINESE WET MARKETSelling the freshest ingredients available in Petaling Street every morning. Business resume as early as 4am everyday.

DIVERSE,PROXIMITY,INTIMATE,REALITY.

Community reflects a group of people who share the same interest and beliefs. At certain times of the day, people will gather and pray at the temple to show their gratitude to God. Thus, creating a community of believers that understand and have respect to one another

Community

Prices of items sold in Petaling Street can be further whittled down, attracting more people to bargain, enhancing the sense of liveliness. People come and go as time passes by, however, businesses will still be going on no matter day or night.

SPRIGHTLINESS

Diversity

Diversity encompasses acceptance and also, respect. The diversity and the differences of stalls in Petaling Street creates many different cultural groups that lead to the understanding of a community that accept and understand each other. Hence, resulting in a dynamic community in Petaling Street.

supportBonds are strengthened, interaction is enhanced, new relationships are formed in Petaling Street from the support of thecommunity by purchasing items from one another. Loneliness will dissapear, new friendships shall arrise.

DIAL

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INTE

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35

“ Of course! It’s a huge disgrace if I do not

know my ethnic language in my family.”

- Pn. Kalthom, 31 when questioned if she under-stand her ethnic language.

“ Yes. I know my ethnic’s food quite well, I have

huge minat in Malay food in terms of how they prepare

and make them.”

- Pn. Kalthom, 31 when asked about how well she know her ethnic food.

37

- Pn. Kalthom, 31 when questioned if she would continue practicing her culture.

- En. Yusob, 46 when asked if he would introduce any ethnic food to tourists and foreigners.

39

- En. Yusob, 46 when questioned about cultural superstition practices.

surv

ey a

nal

ysis

41

43

SEQU

ITUR

So what is culture? It is understood most simply as a way of life of a particular society, culture entails a variety of aspects that include, but are not limited to: norms, values, beliefs, or expressive symbols. As a result, culture can encompass anything that provides meaning or can be given meaning among a group of people. Throughout our visit and survey at Petaling Street, we have touched mainly on the language adaptation, influence of food from different cultures, culture and traditional practices as an analysis to seek the actual truth about the state of culture and heritage of Petaling Street at the present day and the coming future. As per our conversation with Pn. Nesha, the lady who owns a road stall selling flowers nearby the Indian temple, she agrees that the culture of all races should be continued by the younger generations and should not be forgotten easily. Mr Kalai agrees that the younger generations today are starting to abandon their cultural practices, but he does not agree that the cultural heritage will fade away permanently as he strongly believe and have faith in that there are youngsters that are willing

to continue this cultural practice to the future generations. And hence, this proves that there is even though this shows that the cultural heritage of Petaling Street is entering the dead end, but after this survey we realise that there is still a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel for the cultural heritage in Petaling Street.

THEY SAY THAT EVERYTHING GOOD IN LIFE MUST COME TO AN END. BUT, DOES IT REALLY

NEED TO?

AS LONG AS WE ARE WILLING TO PUT IN THE EFFORT INTO PRESERVING THE CULTURE AND HERITAGE OF PETALING STREET REGARDLESS OF AGE OR RACE, THEN THIS CULTURE AND HER-

ITAGE WILL NEVER END.