The History of Yap Ah Loy, Kapitan Cina of Kuala Lumpur and Klang (1867- 1885)

A Production by Kongsi NetWorks in the year 2000 Content

Page Introduction 3 Our Mission 4 How was Yap Ah Loy as a person? 5 The History of Yap Ah Loy 8

· Before Malaya (1837-1854) 8

· Humble Beginnings (1854-1860) 9

· Hiu Siew and Yap Ah Sze set up shop in Kuala Lumpur 12

· Yap Ah Loy inherits the Kapitanship 13

· The Selangor Civil War 16 § The Death of Sultan Muhammad 16 § Raja Mahdi regained Klang 18 § Raja Mahdi is ousted from Klang 18 § The Death of Yap Ah Sze 19 § The Defection of Syed Mashhor 22 § The First Attack on Kuala Lumpur: The Battle of Ampang 22 § The Second attempt to capture Kuala Lumpur: The Battle of 25 Rawang § The Betrayal of Raja Asal and the Fall of Kuala Lumpur 30 § The Recapture of Kuala Lumpur and the End of the Selangor 34 Civil War

· Rebuilding Kuala Lumpur 37

· The Adminstration of Yap Ah Loy 39

· The Death of Yap Ah Loy 42 Life in early Kuala Lumpur 45

The History of Yap Ah Loy 1 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 · What does Kapitan Cina mean? 45

· Weapons and Armours used 46

· The Camps 46

· How the Chinese mined tin 46

· The Sin Sze Si Ya Temple of Kuala Lumpur 47

· The Mystery of Kuala Lumpur’s name 50

· Why are Junks called Junks? 51

The Dictionary 53 References 54 The Project Team 55

The History of Yap Ah Loy 2 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 Introduction

This site is about the story of Kapitan Cina (Chinese Captain) Yap Ah Loy, the man who governed the city of Kuala Lumpur during her founding years and laid the foundations of her development to become the capital of Malaysia and an international city.

He was one of thousands of Chinese who had left China for foreign shores in search of better lives. Through hard work, entrepreneurship and perseverance, he became a rich and powerful person in

Malaya. He also contributed to Malaya, and Yap Ah Loy in Qing Dynasty Costume specifically to Kuala Lumpur by building many public amenities, like schools, hospitals, temples, home for the aged etc.

We have put together many interesting articles and pictures in this site about the life and times of Yap Ah Loy and life in Kuala Lumpur in the late 19th century. Please feel free to browse through what we have compiled for you. You will probably find that Malaya then was just like the Wild West in America, with its share of tales of adventure, romance (maybe) and enterprise!

The History of Yap Ah Loy 3 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 Our Mission

Our objectives in publicizing Yap Ah Loy's contributions to the development of Kuala Lumpur, is to highlight to the world and Malaysians in particular, the achievements of our ancestors, including Yap Ah Loy, in building a prosperous and civil nation. They worked under the sun, in a hot, humid and new environment to have a better living. Their working conditions can hardly be imagined by our generation.

Yap Ah Loy's contributions were extraordinary in that not only did he built Kuala Lumpur, he was also a good example in economic cooperation between the Malays, Indians and Chinese.

He encouraged the Malay population to migrate to Kuala Lumpur and convert the undeveloped land around Kuala Lumpur into rice fields and other farms, so as to provide the Kuala Lumpur population with a stable source of food.

After gaining his wealth, Yap Ah Loy and many other Chinese tycoons, did not forget the others. They built many schools, hospitals, temples etc as a service to society.

Despite Yap Ah Loy's contributions, there is no mention of his role nor those of the early Chinese immigrants in the development of Kuala Lumpur and Malaya in modern Malaysian history school books. Hence, our intention is to highlight their achievements and concrete contributions to the people of Malaya.

The History of Yap Ah Loy 4 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 How was Yap Ah Loy as a person?

Yap Ah Loy's family name is Yap. His father's name was Yap Luan Hoi, and his mother's name was Fan Shi.

Yap Ah Loy's official name given at birth was Yap Tet Loy. His other names Yap Mao Lan and Yap Ah Loy were informal names used by his family and peers. According to records, he used the name Yap Tet Loy in his correspondence.

Yap Ah Loy was physically described as of medium height but was exceptionally strong. He had a scar between his eyebrows like the Chinese character "man" which was the result of a childhood incident.

He was the third and most prominent Kapitan Cina of Kuala Lumpur. Under his administration, Kuala Lumpur grew from a collection of attap houses to become a major town in Malaya. After his death, the power of the next two Kapitan Cinas was further cut

Wife of Yap Ah Loy, Kok Kang Kweon back by the British to the extent that the Kapitan no longer had overall authority in Kuala Lumpur, but was merely a figurehead of the local Chinese population.

Yap Ah Loy was known for his indefatigable energy, his generous hospitality and his adventurous spirit. He seemed to be genuinely liked by people who knew him.

Swettenham, the Resident of Selangor, who on a visit to Kuala Lumpur in the last months of Yap Ah Loy's administration of Kuala Lumpur reported to Singapore as follows:

The History of Yap Ah Loy 5 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 "The Capitan China, Ah Loi, is still the leading spirit in Selangor, his energy and enterprise are extraordinary. During the disturbances before the inauguration of the Residential System, this town was three times burnt down by the Malays and rebuilt by the Capitan China, who in spite of disaster held the place at the earnest request of Tunku Dia Udin. The Capitan China has connected the chief mines with Kuala Lumpur by long roads, his perseverance alone, I believe, has kept the Chinese in the country, and until quite recently, his exertions have kept the peace in Kuala Lumpur and the vicinity without, the Superintendent of Police informs me, one single serious crime being committed. He has provided the sick with an Asylum, administered justice to the satisfaction of his countrymen, opened a brickfield where he is doing excellent work and planted a tapioca estate larger than any in the Colony (i.e. Straits Settlement), the flour being obtained by machinery put up at Kuala Lumpur and now under the supervision of an English engineer.

I have mentioned these matters to show that there is prosperity and progress in Kuala Lumpur, to show to whose efforts this is mainly due, and to record the past history of the place...... "

He was a leader of the local Hai San gang, which had members in major Chinese settlements in Malaya. This part of his history has remained controversial in that he was a member of a secret society, however his contributions to the building of

Sir Frank Swettenham Kuala Lumpur remained undisputed despite his shady background.

At Yap Ah Loy's death, the then acting Resident, Rodger, reported to Singapore that:

The History of Yap Ah Loy 6 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 "by his death the Government has lost one of its most able and faithful officers; personally I have lost a friend for whom I had the most sincere liking and esteem."

The History of Yap Ah Loy 7 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 The History of Yap Ah Loy

The history of Yap Ah Loy is intrically related to the history of Kuala Lumpur. On one hand, Yap Ah Loy was an inexhaustible personality who was committed to the development of a thriving mining establishment and commercial centre in Kuala Lumpur, on the other hand, the rich tin-fields of Kuala Lumpur provided a stage for Yap Ah loy to make history as the most influencial man in Kuala Lumpur, Klang and the state of Selangor.

Before Malaya (1837-1854) Yap Ah Loy was born in Tam Shui village in the Kwai Yap district of the Fui Chui prefecture in the Southern Chinese province of Guangdong, on the eighth day of the second moon of the seventeenth year of the Emperor Tao Kong. that is on 14th March 1837. He was therefore by descent, a Hakka of the Fui Chui clan.

At this time, the Qing Dynasty was already in its decline. Yap Ah Loy was 3 years old when the Opium War broke out between China and Great Britain at the battlefield of Dongyuan Wumen, not far from his village. When he was 15 years old, worsening poverty and limited fertile land fueled the Taiping uprising in the Guangdong and Guangxi provinces. The put down of the uprising by the Qing army was particularly bloody, and few families were left unscathed.

In the midst of this tumultuous time, thousands of Chinese left their home to escape in search of better lives in foreign lands. In 1854, Yap Ah Loy left for Malacca in Malaya from Macao with 80 bronze coins.

His journey was described as follows:

"At Macao, he embarked in a junk, and voyaged out over the deep, wide ocean. The junk sailed southwards to Malaya. He was full of hope, though his property consisted of no more than eighty dollars in Chinese currency and a few cheap pieces of luggage. The junk sailed for more than a month, and passed through many dangers, before it reached Malacca. When at last he landed he found himself in a place very different from China. The scenery, with the tall coconut The History of Yap Ah Loy 8 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 and betel palms and the small attap houses, was new and attractive to him. The unhappy time he had experienced during the long voyage was totally forgotten. He was as peaceful and at ease as the blue sky over the Southern Ocean."

Humble Beginnings (1854-1860) When Yap Ah Loy landed in Malacca, he was received by a distant relative, Yap Ket Si. It was usual for the Chinese to help their newly-arrived relatives or clansmen settle down in a foreign land, they would accommodate them until they had found a job. If their passage money was unpaid, the passengers were not allowed onshore, and the relatives would have to pay for the passage money on their kinsmen's behalf. With eighty dollars, Yap Ah Loy probably had enough to pay for his passage money.

Yap Ket Si found Yap Ah Loy a job at a tin mine in Durian Tunggal, Malacca. Trade however was bad in Durian Tunggal, and after 4 months, Yap Ah Loy went to Kesang to work in a shop owned by another distant relative, Yap Ng. Yap Ah Loy remained in Kesang for a year. Then, either business was not good or Yap Ah Loy was not a good shop assistant, Yap Ng gave Yap Ah Loy his own savings of about one hundred dollars, and instructed him to return to China. Yap Ah Loy dared not disobey the commands and sailed for Singapore to catch a ship back to China.

On his way to Singapore, Yap Ah Loy lost his money in gambling. Unable to return to China and too ashamed to seek further help from his relatives, he walked with Yap Fook, a cousin of Yap Ng's, to Lukut in the state of Selangor in search of a living.

At that time, Lukut was the busiest town in Selangor. In the 1840s, rich tin fields were found in Lukut. Raja Jumaat, a Riau royalty and son-in-law to Sultan Muhammad, allowed the mining of the area and with the arrival of Chinese workers, tin mines were opened and Lukut flourished. In 1860, Captain Macpherson, Resident Councillor of Malacca described Lukut as follows:

The History of Yap Ah Loy 9 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 "The contrast between Lukut and Selangor is very striking; indeed the former can well bear comparison with any European Settlement; and it is equally striking and gratifying in the midst of a dense jungle to come suddenly upon the footprints of advanced civilisation. The roads are well formed and macadamized; the only street of China town is uniformly built of brick and tiled roof, kept scrupulously clean and well-drained; the godowns on the river's banks are large and massively built, and both the people and the place have an air of contentment and prosperity."

This description would not be applicable to Kuala Lumpur even twenty years later.

Yap Ah Loy reached Lukut in 1856 and found work as a cook and handyman under Chong Chong, a Fei Chew Hakka who was to become Yap Ah Loy's chief opponent in the early stages of the Selangor Civil War. Working as a cook had its advantages, besides free food and a wage, he received a commission on all the food he bought on behalf of his employer. In addition, it was the custom for the mine workers to give a few cents extra to the cook when they received their wages. After 3 years, he managed to save some money and with financial help from Yap Fook, he started a small business. He bought pigs to sell in the tin mines in exchange for tin, which he in turn sold to tin merchants.

Yap Ah Loy’s trading prospered and he extended his business to nearby Sungei Ujong and eventually to Rasah (part of present day Seremban in Negri Sembilan). Whenever he went to Rasah, he lived with Liu Ngim Kong, a Fei Chew Hakka and one of the two panglimas to Shin Kap, the Kapitan Cina of Sungei Ujong. It was also this time that he met Yap Ah Shak, who was to become an important ally and his succeeding Kapitan Cina. With the recommendation of Yap Ah Shak, Yap Ah Loy became an assistant panglima under Liu Ngim Kong, and thus joined Shin Kap’s clique.

The History of Yap Ah Loy 10 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 In early 1860, a conflict between 2 Malay chieftains on local mining rights erupted into open warfare. The Chinese became divided into 2 cliques, each allied with a Malay chieftain. Shin Kap was a leader of one of the cliques.

Shin Kap’s clique was poorly armed, and was soundly routed in the ensuing warfare. Many of his supporters were killed, the fortunate ones escaped to Lukut where they found refuge with Raja Juma’at. Liu Ngim Kong was wounded in the leg by cannon shot, and took refuge in Yap Fook's Kongsi house for several weeks to nurse his wounds.

Kapitan Shin Kap and a few of his men got lost in the jungle and run out of food. He decided to return to Sungei Ujong to seek help from Malays who had been friendly to him, but unfortunately he was captured by the enemy chieftain and was beheaded. It was reputed that when he was beheaded, the blood that gushed out was white in colour. Upon seeing this miracle, his Malay enemies begged for forgiveness. Kapitan Shin Kap's headless body was later found by his clansmen and brought back to Malacca for burial.

When it was clear that his Kapitan would be defeated, Yap Ah Loy escaped into the jungle and found refuge with a family of charcoal burners. A gang of Malays found him and attacked the hut at night with their guns, Yap Ah Loy was wounded in the thigh but managed to escape into the forest. He was found the next day by his friends, badly injured and weak from loss of blood. When it was safe, they escaped to Lukut guided by gong beaters sent out by Raja Jumaat to help the fugitives.

During this war, as many as four thousand Chinese were killed within six months.

After the battles had ended, the Malay chieftains and the Chinese made peace. An election for the next Kapitan Cina of Sungai Ujong was made, and Yap Ah Shak was unanimously elected. However, Yap Ah Shak wanted to concentrate on his businesses and soon made Yap Ah Loy his successor.

The History of Yap Ah Loy 11 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 Hence, in the short span of 7 years, Yap Ah Loy rose from an unknown immigrant to become a Kapitan Cina and the headman of a settlement of several hundred Chinese inhabitants.

Hiu Siew and Yap Ah Sze set up shop in Kuala Lumpur Before Kuala Lumpur was successfully prospected for tin, the Selangor chiefs had been prospecting for tin in other parts of Selangor. They had seen Raja Jumaat's success at Lukut, and thus were keen to prospect in their own territories and have a share of the profits. Sultan Muhammad's attempts in the late 1840s to prospect the Klang River met little success. The ventures of Raja Abdul Samad (nephew and son-in-law of Sultan Muhammad) in the Kanching Hills were more successful. He was given the Selangor River to administer upon his marriage to the Sultan's youngest daughter. He had decided on the location after knowing that Chinese were also prospecting the area. Within a short time, many mines were opened and Kanching became a mining centre.

At this time, the Klang River was under the administration of Raja Abdullah, brother of the successful Raja Jumaat of Lukut, and husband of the Sultan's second daughter. The Klang River was originally under

Raja Sulaiman's (the Hiu Siew and Yap Ah Sze's shop was on the right bank of the Klang River (R). Sultan's eldest son and father of Raja Mahdi) administration. The gift was for life, but when Raja Sulaiman did nothing to develop his territory, the Sultan revoked the gift and gave the Klang River to Raja Abdullah, since the Sultan was entitled to a share of the profits of the mines.

The History of Yap Ah Loy 12 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 Raja Abdullah was keen to prospect his Klang River, and in 1857 he partnered with Raja Jumaat and managed to borrow $30,000 from two Malaccan Chinese merchants, Chee Yam Chuan and Lim Say Hoe.

With this money, the two Rajas transferred 87 Chinese miners from the Lukut mines to prospect on a piece of land 40 miles from River Gombak, a tributary of Klang River, where tin was known to exist. The headman of the miners decided on a place called Ampang. The jungle was cleared and the ground searched for tin, but conditions were tough, and soon fever struck the miners and left 18 of them surviving. The Rajas were determined to carry on, and sent a further 150 Chinese men to Ampang. After 2 years, their determination paid off and the first tin was exported.

The success at Ampang attracted traders to the area, they sold provisions to the miners in exchange for tin. The first 2 traders to arrive were Hiu Siew and Yap Ah Sze They were mine owners at Lukut and had decided to supply provisions to these new mines. They set up a shop near the confluence of the Klang and Gombak Rivers, on the right bank of the Klang River, where they could go no further inland to Ampang via the river. This spot is where Kuala Lumpur originated from, it is now known as Medan Pasar (formally known as Market Square).

Within a short time, Kuala Lumpur became a thriving settlement and a headman was needed to administer her. Hiu Siew was duly elected as her first Kapitan Cina.

Yap Ah Loy inherits the Kapitanship (1862-1868) In 1861, Liu Ngim Kong (the former panglima of Kapitan Shin Kap of Sungei Ujong) arrived in Kuala Lumpur and became Hiu Siew's head panglima. He was not known to be a popular person, his nickname "Pah Loh Tsi" implied rapacity and ingratitude.

The History of Yap Ah Loy 13 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 Liu Ngim Kong had arrived less than a year when Hiu Siew died. Liu Ngim Kong took over both the Kapitancy and Hiu Siew's private property, even though Hiu Siew had a son to inherit the family's properties.

After Liu Ngim Kong became the Kapitan, he invited Yap Ah Loy who was now the Kapitan Cina of Sungei Ujong, to be his panglima and manager of his business. Yap Ah Loy realized Kuala Lumpur's potential was greater than that of Sungei Ujong's, thus he resigned from his Kapitancy in Sungei Ujong to take up Liu Ngim Kong's offer. He brought along three men, Teng Sam, Tung Khoon and Wong Poh. The first two men were to remain in Yap Ah Loy's service until their death during the Selangor Civil War.

In Kuala Lumpur, Yap Ah Loy soon became a wealthy man. Besides his salary as a panglima, he had opened 2 mines and a Chinese medicine shop. In the same year the medicine shop was opened, he married Kok Kang Keown, a Baba girl from Malacca, under Liu Ngim Kong's arrangement. In 1864, Yap Ah Loy led the locals in building the Sin Sze Si Ya Temple in Kuala Lumpur, in memory of Kapitan Shin Kap.

In the meantime, Kapitan Liu Ngim Kong had become a sickly man, and he knew his death was near. He tried to persuade Yap Ah Sze to take over the Kapitancy as Yap Ah Sze was known for his honesty. However, Yap Ah Sze was a shy man, and was more interested in taking care of his business. Hence, they decided that Yap Ah Loy should take over the Kapitancy. At this time, Yap Ah Loy was managing Liu Ngim Kong's businesses in Klang. After the decision was made, Liu Ngim Kong sought the support of the local Malays, including Sutan Puasa, the leading Sumatran trader of Kuala Lumpur and the local landowners, from whom the Chinese rented the land to mine. After their support were obtained, Liu Ngim Kong visited the Sultan to seek his approval, which the Sultan duly agreed.

In August 1868, when Liu Ngim Kong's death was near, he called Yap Ah Loy to his bedside and told him of the arrangements to make Yap Ah Loy the next

The History of Yap Ah Loy 14 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 Kapitan Cina. He knew Yap Ah Loy to be a faithful man and told Yap Ah Loy to take care of his son, to manage his estate on his behalf and gave Yap Ah Loy his keys. He also told Yap Ah Loy to move his remains to Malacca for burial. Liu Ngim Kong died the next month.

Yap Ah Loy signs an official document in Qing Dynasty costume.

As soon as Kapitan Liu died, his clansmen, those with the surnames of Liu, Kon and Chong, all clamoured for the Kapitancy and the family property. Yap Ah Loy promptly returned to Kuala Lumpur to carry out the late Kapitan's wishes. The late Kapitan's clansmen became annoyed with the arrangements and made trouble not only over the succession, but also seized some furniture and personal belongings of the late Kapitan. After Sutan Puasa explained that the arrangements had the blessings of the Sultan and the local chiefs, the dispute was settled.

Thus, Yap Ah Loy became the third Kapitan Cina of Kuala Lumpur.

The History of Yap Ah Loy 15 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 The Selangor Civil War (1866-1873) After the death of Sultan Muhammad in 1857, Selangor slowly slided into chaos. The Selangor Civil War began in Klang in 1867, and spreaded to the whole of Selangor, including Kuala Lumpur. Initially, it was a struggle for control of the tax revenues from the trade goods up and down the rivers of Selangor, then it became a war over the direct control of the state's tin mines. By then, the fighting was concentrated in the areas around Kuala Lumpur. The victor of Kuala Lumpur would be ensured of dominance over the rest of the state.

The Death of Sultan Muhammad In 1857, Sultan Muhammad died without appointing an heir to the throne, this raised the tricky issue of finding an heir to the throne from amongst the members of the royal family. By the Malay custom of the son of a royal wife taking

(Circa 1880) Sultan Abdul Samad (in the centre) and his retinue. The little boy to the left of the Sultan is Raja Sulaiman. Syed Mashhor is third from right. precedence over the sons of other wives, Raja Mahmud would be the legitimate heir. However, he was only a young boy then and was unable to exert his right. Sultan Muhammad's older and more competent sons, Raja Laut and Raja Sulaiman were sons of concubines, the Sultan's sons-in-law, Raja Jumaat and Raja Abdullah, were from the Riau branch of the family, hence they were all The History of Yap Ah Loy 16 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 ineligible. This left Raja Abdul Samad, the nephew and son-in-law of the late Sultan, as the candidate with the strongest contention.

Raja Mahmud's mother, Tunku Puan Basik, pressed her son's claim, saying that the Sultan wanted Raja Mahmud to take the throne, while Raja Abdullah and

Malay soldiers in battle Raja Abdul Samad be appointed the Raja Muda and the Panglima Besar respectively. This dispute lasted for 3 years.

Raja Jumaat and Raja Abdullah became convinced that they could become the power behind the throne if they supported Raja Abdul Samad to take the throne. In 1859, with the two Rajas' support, Raja Abdul Samad became the next Sultan of Selangor, though unlike his predecessors, he was not installed formally by the Sultan of Perak.

By now, Sultan Abdul Samad was an old man, and was contented with retiring to Ulu Langat. He left his son Raja Musa, who was 15 year old, in charge of Kuala Selangor. Meanwhile Raja Jumaat died in 1864, leaving two weak sons, Raja Bot and Raja Yahya, to inherit Lukut and keep peace in Selangor.

The History of Yap Ah Loy 17 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 Raja Mahdi regained Klang From then on, peace in Selangor deterriorated until 1866, when open fighting broke out in Klang between Raja Abdullah and Raja Mahdi. Raja Mahdi had returned to Klang as a trader in opium and other goods. He became unhappy over the small monthly allowance given by Raja Abdullah to him. Since he was the son of the former ruler of Klang and grandson of Sultan Muhammad, he thought he should have at least half of the revenue of the district.

The final spark came when Raja Mahdi imported two chests of opium to sell to the miners in Kuala Lumpur. Raja Abdullah levied a tax of a hundred dollars on it, but Raja Mahdi claimed he had paid it to the Raja's tax collector. In addition, Raja Abdullah had also infuriated Dato Dagang, Raja Abdullah refused to pay blood money when a Bugis Malay killed a Sumatran Malay over a quarrel.

Raja Abdullah, like the Sultan and other chiefs was a Bugis Malay, he occupied the coast and the lower reaches of the Klang River, beyond that, the river was controlled by the Sumatran Malays under Dato Dagang. Dato Dagang controlled the trading in the interior, but his goods were liable to taxes by the Bugis chiefs who resided at the river mouth. Moreover, the two groups harboured an old feud, the ancestors of the Sumatran Malays had fought the Bugis over the control of the Selangor state during the long wars of the 18th century.

When Raja Abdullah did not settle the grievance, Dato Dagang appealed to Raja Mahdi for assistance, they soon combined forces to attack Klang. The fighting lasted for 5 months, and ended with Raja Mahdi taking control of Klang, while Raja Abdullah and his family were allowed to leave Klang for Malacca.

Raja Mahdi is ousted from Klang After winning Klang, Raja Mahdi discontinued the $500 per month tribute to Sultan Abdul Samad, much to the Sultan's displeasure. He had also rescinded his promise of giving Dato Dagang the control of the whole of the interior. In addition, like Raja Abdullah, he refused to pay blood money when one of his brothers killed one of Dato Dagang's followers. Sultan Abdul Samad's youngest The History of Yap Ah Loy 18 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 daughter, Raja Arfah, was supposed to be wedded to Raja Mahdi, but the wedding was cancelled when Raja Mahdi's tributes stopped. Instead, Raja Arfah was wedded to the younger brother of the Kedah Sultan, Tengku Kudin, who was later appointed as the Viceroy of Selangor. Meanwhile, Raja Abdullah had died in exile in Ketapang, leaving his son, Raja Ismail, the task of regaining Klang from Raja Mahdi. Raja Ismail borrowed money from a Malaccan Chinese merchant and began recruiting men in Malacca. By July 1869, Raja Ismail sailed for Klang with his force, and reached Klang's river mouth at dusk. Under the cover of darkness, they took one of Raja Mahdi's fort with little trouble.

The Batu Bahara Malays in the stockade at the opposite bank of Klang River then surrendered to Raja Ismail, as they had grievances against Raja Mahdi. Two months later, Tengku Kudin arrived from Kedah with 500 of his fellow- countrymen, and joined Raja Ismail in the seige of Klang.

The siege lasted until March 1870. Before Klang was overrun by Raja Ismail and his allies, Raja Mahdi fled to Sungei Buloh, which belonged to Raja Ali of Jeram. Having lost his revenue with the loss of Klang, Raja Mahdi obtained the support of Raja Ali of Jeram and Raja Hitam of Bernam, and attacked the fort at Kuala Selangor. Raja Muda Musa was defeated, and was allowed to leave Kuala Selangor.

The Death of Yap Ah Sze The contention between the Chinese (primarily the Hakkas) started with the death of Kapitan Liu Ngim Kong, then Kapitan China of Kuala Lumpur. When Kapitan Liu was dying of sickness he had wanted Yap Ah Sze to take over his position but the latter declined the offer. Kapitan Liu wanted Yap Ah Sze for the position was because he was reputed for honesty and straight dealings, and commanded great influence with the miners. However, Yap Ah Sze declined the offer. After due consideration, they decided that Yap Ah Loy (a Fei Chew Hakka) should be the new Kapitan China of Kuala Lumpur. Unfortunately, this decision was not well accepted by Kapitan Liu’s relatives (which included clansmen of the

The History of Yap Ah Loy 19 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 surnames Liu, Kon and Chong). Soon quarrel broke out between the two factions and the bitterness lasted for some time until Sutan Puasa came forward to explain that it was the Sultan’s intention to see Yap Ah Loy become the next Kapitan. This explanation had silenced the quarrel but not the enmity between the two sides. This showed that right from the start, Yap Ah Loy’s Kapitanship was challenged.

Knowing the fact that Yap Ah Sze played a role in the decision of Kapitanship, his popularity among the Liu’s relatives as well as the Hakkas (of Kah Yeng Chews) in Kanching had declined considerably. Furthermore, Yap Ah Sze was appointed the “nominal” headman in Kanching. In February, 1869 (during Chinese New Year), about five months after Yap Ah Loy became Kapitan China, Chong Chong arrived in Kuala Lumpur. Chong Chong was a mining headman who had given employment to Yap Ah Loy at Lukut nearly fifteen years earlier. Chong Chong like Yap Ah Loy was a Fei Chew Hakka and he came with the intention of challenging the Kapitanship of Yap Ah Loy. Kapitan Yap had suspected his intention of coming to Kuala Lumpur but gave him a warm reception anyway. When Chong Chong was staying in the town, news reached Kapitan Yap that Chong Chong and his men wanted to create disturbance and assassinate him that night. Thus, Kapitan Yap took full precaution by placing thirty special guards around the town. Nothing happened that night. But trouble soon broke out when Chong Chong and his men caused some disturbance in Sutan Puasa’s residence with the intention of wanting the Kapitan to arrest him so that he could cause an uprising from his people. Ever tactful and clever was the Kapitan, he did not do so, instead he compensated Sutan Puasa on Chong Chong's behalf, and told Sutan Puasa that the compensation was from Chong Chong. Seeing this, Chong Chong left Kuala Lumpur for Kanching. From this point onwards it becomes very clear that Chong Chong was not only the leader of the late Kapitan’s dissatisfied relatives but also the Kah Yeng Chew Hakkas at Kanching.

The History of Yap Ah Loy 20 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 The Kah Yeng Chews frequently created trouble for Yap Ah Sze in Kanching. The fact that Yap Ah Sze had a mild disposition and was only interested in trade did not affect their attitude. They resented the fact that a Fei Chew (Yap Ah Sze) was their commanding chief, instead of one from their own clan. Knowing this hostility towards himslef, on the twelfth day of the Chinese New Year, Yap Ah Sze left Kanching secretly on horseback, accompanied by a servant with the hope of escaping. However, his departure was known. As soon as he reached the hills outside Kanching, he was set upon by Chong Chong’s men and murdered. The horse he was riding subsequently arrived in the market place opposite Kapitan Yap’s house in Kuala Lumpur. Its empty saddle brought news of its master’s death. It was said that the horse neighed loudly three times and wept for its master. With the murder of Yap Ah Sze, Chong Chong had removed Kapitan Yap’s most important friend and ally.

Kapitan Yap took the necessary steps he could to investigate the circumstances of the murder. He assembled a large force including Sutan Puasa's men, and advanced to Kanching to demand an explanation as well as to recover the body of Yap Ah Sze. The Kah Yeng Chews denied involvement and simply said that they knew nothing about the matter. As they had no proof, the Kapitan was compelled to let them go. Kapitan Yap then sent a messenger to Chong Chong requesting for a meeting. But Chong Chong refused to come and merely replied that he knew nothing about Yap Ah Sze's death. Kapitan Yap had no choice but to moved to Chong Chong’s camp. As soon as the Kapitan’s men were near the camp, Chong Chong and his men fired their guns and fled into the jungle. Kapitan Yap’s men went in pursuit but failed to capture Chong Chong. The Kapitan and Sutan Puasa then went back to Kanching to demand debts owed to Yap Ah Sze’s widow but the Kah Yeng Chews refused to hand in the dues. This frustration resulted in fighting between the two sides that ended up in the death of more than 100 Kah Yeng Chews. This incident was known as the Massacre of Kanching and is considered a dark chapter in Kapitan Yap Ah Loy’s history. Ever since then, the enmity between Kapitan Yap Ah Loy and Chong Chong widened and soon ended up in open conflict. The History of Yap Ah Loy 21 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 The Defection of Syed Mashhor Syed Mashhor was a famous Malay fighter of that time. The name ‘Syed’ denotes part-Arab blood and a descendant of the Prophet Mohammad. Syed Mashhor was born in Pontianak in Borneo, but at the time he and his brother, Abdullah, had settled in Langat He was initially under Tengku Kudin's command, and was ordered to go to Kuala Selangor to aid Raja Muda Musa in the defence of Kuala Selangor. When he was there, he received news that his brother was killed by Raja Yaakob, a son of the Sultan and full brother of Raja Arfah. Although Tengku Kudin was not likely to be involved in the killing, Syed Mashhor nevertheless blamed him and abandoned the defence of Kuala Selangor. From then onwards, he was to remain a bitter and powerful enemy of Tengku Kudin's forces, and will feature prominently in the Syed Mashhor subsequent episodes of the Selangor Civil War.

The First Attack on Kuala Lumpur (September-October 1870): The Battle of Ampang Chong Chong who had personal grievances against Yap Ah Loy had entered into an alliance with Syed Mashhor. They had started collecting men, provisions, and materials for the purpose of attacking Kuala Lumpur. News of this alliance reached Yap Ah Loy in June. He immediately got in touch with the Viceroy, Tunku Kudin, who was at Klang and at the same time increased the recruitment of his forces. His brother Yap Tet Fong, was sent to Singapore to engage men and buy arms, ammunition and provisions. Chung Piang and Hiu Fatt (two of his most able panglimas) were appointed local recruiting agents. By the end of September that year, they had recruited well over 1,000 men.

By 12 September 1870, Chong Chong and his army had arrived at Sa Phiang (Ampang Road 4th Mile) and had encamped there. It is believed that the exact

The History of Yap Ah Loy 22 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 camp should have been near the present village of Batu Ampat. There they built a well-fortified position, defended by bamboo stockades. Meanwhile, Mashhor’s men remained at Ulu Klang. The disposition of the camps, and the subsequent course of the fighting suggests that Chong Chong and his allies had intended to attack from the north side of Kuala Lumpur. Chong Chong and Mashhor began with a force of about 400 troops. While they encamped in Ampang, it is said that the number of troops had further swelled to a few thousand, largely due to the joining in of local militia. Through this account it is believed that Chong Chong’s army was well over 2,500 men. Kapitan Yap is said to have fewer, about 2,000 men (in addition to the Malays who joined him later under the leadership of Raja Asal and Sutan Puasa).

Kapitan Yap directed the fighting from Kuala Lumpur and did not take to the field himself. As soon as he learnt that Chong Chong was digging himself in near Ampang, he sent a force of 600 men under Hiu Fatt and Tung Khoon to Ulu Klang with the intention of cutting Chong Chong's line of retreat and threatening the right flank of his position. Immediately after arriving at Ulu Klang, Hiu Fatt’s men established contact with Mashhor’s contingent. The next day, they started to attack Mashhor’s army. Fighting began at about 10 or 11 in the morning and lasted until late in the afternoon. By then, Mashhor’s men were routed and suffered heavy losses. Mashhor himself made his way to Chong Chong’s camp near Batu Ampat and suggested an immediate counter-attack, before Kapitan Yap’s men could consolidate their postion. Chong Chong agreed with the proposal, and on the same night, he led a force of about 2,000 men (from the combined force) towards Ulu Klang.

In the meantime, Hiu Fatt and Tung Khoon had returned to their improvised camp at Ulu Klang. During the night, much to the surprised of Hiu Fatt and his men, they were woken up by sounds of firearms and shouting, and discovered that Mashhor’s force were in front of their position. Without hesitation, Hiu Fatt immediately gave orders for a direct attack to be made on the enemy. While the fighting was in progress, Chong Chong’s army emerged from the rear of Hiu

The History of Yap Ah Loy 23 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 Fatt's position (presumably along the north flank of Bukit Dinding and down the valley of the Sungei Gisir), thus Hiu Fatt and his men were trapped between two larger units of enemy forces.

Fortunately, Kapitan Yap had decided that evening to reinforce his troops at Ulu Klang, and had sent Chung Piang with 400 men to Hiu Fatt's camp. They arrived in the middle of the battle, and presumably at the rear of Chong Chong’s encircling force. After a long struggle, Chong Chong was forced to retreat to his stockade at Ampang. The Kapitan's force lost 40 men with another 100 wounded, but Chong Chong's force suffered heavier losses.

At this stage Kapitan Yap realized that the men at his disposal were not sufficient to dislodge Chong Chong and Mashhor from their positions in Ampang. He decided to ask Raja Asal, who was at Damansara, for help. Raja Asal responded immediately and joined the three Chinese leaders at Ulu Klang. After consultation, it was agreed that they would move their combined forces down the valley to take up positions opposite Chong Chong’s stockade. On learning this, Chong Chong proposed to Syed Mashhor that they should harass the Kapitan’s fighters before they could settle down in their new positions. Daily skirmishes therefore took place and continued for about a month with varying success but without definite results.

The Kapitan further dispatched another 600 men to Chung Piang to reinforce the troops there. This force consisted of 400 Malay fighters under Sutan Puasa and 200 Chinese fighters under Ten Sam. On their arrival in Ampang, they adopted the following plan:

· Raja Asal and Sutan Puasa together with their men will watch the outlet to Ulu Klang and to strike at the enemy's rear when opportunity arises.

· Ten Sam with 300 of Kapitan's men will defend Sungei Puteh.

· Hiu Fatt and Tung Khoon with 500 men will open up the attack on Chong Chong's position.

The History of Yap Ah Loy 24 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 · Chung Piang with the remaining men will follow up Hiu Fatt at the proper time.

The forces had encircled Chong Chong's position, but they left two outlets uncovered. Kapitan Yap could have devised the strategy of “Don’t force a dog over the wall” knowing that the main purpose of this attack was to dislodge Chong Chong’s camp in Ampang as well as not to let him retreat to any strategic position that can in future threaten Kuala Lumpur. Hiu Fatt and Tung Khoon were attacking from the west, along the line of the present road from Kuala Lumpur to Ampang. Raja Asal and Sutan Puasa to the north-east prevented a retreat to Ulu Klang, while the small force under Ten Sam covered the way over to Ulu Langat.

The battle began at about 10 in the morning; an early start never seemed to have been popular. By the late afternoon Chong Chong’s forces were routed with the loss of more than 500 men. This was due to the fact that he could not defend both directions. Many of his men became wounded from the fight. By nightfall Chong Chong and Syed Mashhor realized that they had been beaten, thus they fled in the direction of Batu Caves by way of Gonggang (Setapak). The defeat was described by Hiu Fatt (writen by Lee Ke Nan) as:

“The dead bodies of men and horses lay in piles in the waste, and blood was flowing like streams. Both had the intense hatred for the defeat …..”

From Batu Caves, Mashhor made his escape to Ulu Selangor, and Chong Chong to Kuala Langat. Having won the Battle of Ampang, Chung Piang gave orders to break up the camp and returned to Kuala Lumpur. On his arrival, he was welcomed by Voon Siew and was brought to the hall of the Kapitan’s residence. Voon Siew was asked by the Kapitan to reward the surviving fighters suitably, and make arrangements for the wounded.

The Second Attempt to capture Kuala Lumpur (May-June 1871): The Battle of Rawang After being defeated in the battle at Ampang, Syed Mashhor took refuge in Ulu Selangor and began at once to devise a new plan to take revenge. Within a short The History of Yap Ah Loy 25 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 period of time he succeeded in gathering a new force of about 1,000 armed men. Many of the latter troops came from Langat, but at Mashhors’s suggestion the forces were assembled in Ulu Selangor. At the same time, Yap Ah Loy had instituted additional protective measures more thorough than those in operation in September of the previous year. The different approaches to Kuala Lumpur were guarded, and advance positions were maintained some distance from the town.

Kapitan Yap’s troops were reorganized into five companies, each with a headman or captain, and all under the direct command of Chung Piang. As we have seen, Capitan Yap fought the Battle of Ampang from Kuala Lumpur. It was established that although he continued to direct the general strategy, Chung Piang was in charge of the troops in the field and was responsible for any immediate measures needed to be taken.

The northern gateway to Kuala Lumpur was defended by a camp of about 500 men under Yap Voon Lung and the camp was situated near Rawang. Mashhor and Chong Chong advanced towards Kuala Lumpur independently. When Mashhor was within a mile from the Rawang camp, he established contact with a small unit of Yap Voon Lung’s men, and thereupon halted for the night. On learning that an army much larger than his own was marching towards him, Yap Voon Lung immediately sent word to Kuala Lumpur asking for reinforcements. The next day Mashhor launched a fierce attack against his position. Yap Voon Lung managed to hold on to his position for some time. In the midst of fighting, Chong Chong’s forces appeared on the battleground. With the additional numbers against him, Yap Voon Lung was forced to retreat to a second position further to his rear. In this second stockade, he was able to hold off the enemy until nightfall. By this time, he had lost over 40 men with another 40 seriously wounded.

Immediately after Yap Voon Lung’s message was received in Kuala Lumpur, arrangements were made to go to his aid. Hiu Fatt set out for Rawang with 500 men at dawn, but due to the bad road conditions, he only managed to reached The History of Yap Ah Loy 26 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 Rawang at about 7 p.m. (even though the distance was only 20 miles from Kuala Lumpur). Without delay, the leaders held a council of war, and agreed on the following plan of action:

· Yap Voon Lung was to draw the enemy out by a ruse and lead them towards Hiu Fatt's camp.

· Chong Fung with 200 men was to ambush about half way between the two camps.

· Hiu Fatt and Tung Khoon were to tackle Chong Chong.

The plan of action was put into operation the following morning. Yap Voon Lung advanced to attack Mashhor’s forces, and after a short struggle, he feigned defeat and retreated rapidly. The Malays thought Yap Voon Lung’s army was in trouble and gave chase. Suddenly Chong Fung’s men emerged from their hiding place and caught them in the rear. At the same time Yap Voon Lung’s force turned back and began to attack, thus trapping Mashhor’s men between two fires. In the meantime, Hiu Fatt and Tung Khoon were keeping Chong Chong pinned down in his camp. Mashhor managed to reach his base safely, but he had suffered severe losses.

Mashhor was so depressed at his second defeat at the hands of the Chinese that he tried to commit suicide. But Chong Chong prevented him from doing so. After a short while he recovered and went to Ulu Selangor to obtain further help from his brother Che Dollah. Chong Chong was charged with the command of the remaining forces in Rawang “with instructions on no account to court engagement with the enemy until his return.” In spite of numerous attempts by Yap Voon Lung to lure Chong Chong out for a fight, Chong Chong refused to be drawn out.

News of the victory was sent to Kuala Lumpur. Kapitan Yap replied with presents of food and drink for his troops. He also sent Chung Piang with reinforcements, with the intention of destroying Chong Chong’s army before Mashhor could gain

The History of Yap Ah Loy 27 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 any ground and come back to help. As soon as Chung Piang had taken over command of the troops at Rawang, he issued the following orders,

· Yap Voon Lung with 200 men and sufficient provisions will proceed to Serendah in order to cut off the retreat of Chong Chong

· Tung Khoon and Chong Fung with 200 men will attack on the right flank.

· Hiu Fatt and Yong Kui with 200 men will attack on the left.

· While Chung Piang himself with the remaining troops (about 300 men) will do a frontal assault.

When Chong Chong learnt of their intention to take his camp by direct assault, he redoubled efforts to strengthen his defenses, in the hopes of holding out until Mashhor's return. Chung Piang launched his attack as soon as his arrangements were completed.

“After many days of fighting, no impression, however, was made on the defense. Meanwhile, through a scout, Chung Piang learned that the enemy’s weakest point was his left wing, which was feebly defended by raw Malay recruits. He therefore modified his plan of attack and one day (after) fighting had continued till 10 o’clock in the morning, he suddenly concentrated his thrust in that quarter with an additional 200 gunmen. After a short contest it gave way and, within a short time, the whole of Chong Chong’s camp was over-run by Chung Piang’s braves with frightful loss to the enemy. The casualties on Chung Piang’s side were mustered at 70 killed and over 100 wounded.”

In the chaos, Chong Chong and about 90 of his men managed to escape to Serendah. There his party was intercepted by Yap Voon Lung’s men and in a short period of time his troops were completely routed. However, Yap Voon Lung failed to capture Chong Chong. Some of Chong Chong’s men reached Ulu Selangor and reported the disaster to Mashhor. From this point onwards, Chong Chong disappeared without any trace. It is thought that he was killed in Serendah but Yap Voon Lung’s men did not manage to identify his body. The History of Yap Ah Loy 28 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 Syed Mashhor was said to have returned to Ulu Selangor to raise his third army. He certainly came back and began another, and this time ultimately successful, attack on Kuala Lumpur.

In August 1871, the Viceroy of Selangor Tunku Kudin had stationed two officers, Van Hagen (a Dutchman) and Cavalieri (an Italian) with 80 sepoys and some non-commissioned officers, at Kuala Lumpur. As he could not get much support from the local Malays, mercenaries instead were recruited. His intention was to strengthen his position in the field but it displeased Kapitan Yap. Kapitan Yap did not like the idea of his men put under the command of Van Hagen but he could not afford to disagree with the Viceroy at this time, knowing that he still needed the Viceroy's support.

At the same time, the Viceroy and Kapitan Yap decided to destroy Mashhor before his forces could be rebuilt. Their intention was good but it was executed badly. Thus

Tengku Kudin far, one of the reasons for Kapitan Yap’s success against his foe had been that he was on the defensive and his enemies were encamped in temporary stockades. In this expedition, Kapitan Yap and the Viceroy sent troops well into Ulu Selangor, a stronghold of Syed Mashhor. In addition they did not send enough men and supplies. Hence, their first attempt to eradicate Mashhor from his base at Kuala Kubu in Ulu Selangor failed and as a result they were unable to deploy a rapid counter-attack in overwhelming strength after their victory at Rawang. This mistake was possibly due to Tunku Kudin changing his mind in midstream. He seemed to have been prone to sudden changes of military plans. For example, at the siege of Klang he had attacked precipitately on the day after his arrival from Kedah. Then after some time of fighting, he abandoned the idea of an assault and sat down to starve Mahdi’s garrison into surrendering.

The History of Yap Ah Loy 29 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 The Betrayal of Raja Asal and the Fall of Kuala Lumpur (April – August 1872) The failure to capture Kuala Kubu in August 1871 had weakened Kapitan Yap’s forces under Chung Piang's command considerably. By the beginning of May, Chung Piang was in retreat, meanwhile Mashhor and his allies had surrounded Kuala Lumpur. When Chung Piang was badly in need of supplies such as rice, ammunition, liquor and other foodstuff; attempts were made to get provisions from Kuala Lumpur and Klang. The Viceroy attempted to send materials up to him. He had sent Raja Asal and Sutan Puasa together with the provisions to Chung Piang in the Ulu Yam camp. However, Syed Mashhor came to know about the plan and thus proceeded to intercept them and to try to win them over. Syed Mashhor succeeded in persuading Raja Asal to join him by promising liberal rewards. As soon as the deal was done, Raja Asal diverted the supplies to Klang where he was joined by Raja Laut, an ally of Syed Mashhor. Meanwhile, Sutan Puasa who was transporting the supplies overland, was also intercepted and agreed to join forces with Syed Mashhor, he was to join him in the subsequent attack on Kuala Lumpur.

When Raja Asal reached Klang, they immediately marched to Petaling Batu (about 3 miles from Kuala Lumpur on the Sungai Besi Road) and encamped there. Only when Raja Asal appeared at Petaling Batu was his treachery revealed to Kapitan Yap and his allies. Raja Asal and his allies had more than 2,000 troops while Kapitan Yap had only about 200 men (inclusive of 80 sepoys and 15-20 European and Eurasian non-commissioned officers) in Kuala Lumpur. All of Kapitan Yap’s troops in Kuala Lumpur were under the command of Van Hagen. Van Hagen was over-confident and quickly advanced to Petaling Batu with the object of defeating the enemy forces. The next morning, Van Hagen started to attack Raja Asal’s position and the fighting lasted for three days. (The battle was fought just beyond the Chinese cemetery about a mile south of Pudu). Van Hagen failed to dislodge the enemy from their base and suffered heavy casualties. Under this circumstance, he was compelled to retreat to Kuala Lumpur.

The History of Yap Ah Loy 30 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 The situation was now critical. Kapitan Yap had no choice but to ask Chung Piang and Mat Akil (Viceroy’s man) to withdraw from Ulu Yam and return to Kuala Lumpur to defend it. Throughout the retreat, Chung Piang's forces were constantly harassed by Mashhor’s men. Soon, Mashhor arrived near Kuala Lumpur and joined Raja Asal. At this point Sutan Puasa went over to Mashhor’s side. There could have been several reasons why Sutan Puasa should have done so, for exmaple like Kapitan Yap, he was a mine-owner and trader, and there must inevitably have been a clash of commercial interests between them. Besides that, a distorted account of the Viceroy being held captive by the British government in Singapore also convinced him to joined Mashhor’s forces.

As soon as Sutan Puasa joined him, Mashhor lead the combined forces to attack Kapitan Yap’s positions. Kapitan Yap now had taken the field in person. He had arranged his men in a crescent formation with one wing directly under his command and the other under Van Hagen. Mashhor attacked fiercely from 10 o’clock in the morning till about 3 in the afternoon, but the defenders managed to hold their ground. The next day Mashhor threw all his men against Van Hagen’s contingent, but again failed to make any headway. After this, the fighting gradually settled into a deadlock which lasted for more than two months. Throughout this period Kapitan Yap remained in contact with Klang, presumably by the hill path of Bukit Arang and Penchala to Damansara, thus supplies reached him regularly. Sensing the great danger they were in, Kapitan Yap started evacuating his family and other children and women down to Klang escorted by Yap Voon Lung and Tung Khoon. As soon as the children and women were safe in Klang, the two panglimas returned to Kuala Lumpur to help Yap Ah Loy defend the town.

By the beginning of July 1872, Raja Asal and Mashhor had devised a plan to end it all. They suggested that Mashhor kept the defenders busy while Raja Asal crossed the Klang river to Seputeh to cut Kapitan Yap’s lifeline. The plan was approved and was carried out successfully. At this juncture, Raja Mahdi, Raja

The History of Yap Ah Loy 31 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 Mahmud and several other Selangor chiefs (who had gone on hiding) appeared and joined the besieging army.

By August 1872, Kapitan Yap and Van Hagen were seriously short of supplies. Nothing was reaching them from Klang and they had only a handful of troops to hold Kuala Lumpur from the much larger forces of Mashhor. Van Hagen decided that they should abandon the town and try to cut their way through to the coast. In retrospect, had they held on for another week or two, they would have been safe when reinforcements arrived. In December 1871, the Viceroy had gotten a favour from the Sultan of Pahang in which the Sultan will provide troops to assist the Viceroy in quelling the rebels. By July, an army of 1,000 men from Pahang was mobilizing in Bentong. And in early August 1872, the Pahang troops under Raja Rasu and the Orang Kaya of Chenor had started attacking Raja Asal’s forts in Ulu Klang. Raja Rasu’s forces were stopped by Raja Asal’s men but the chief of Chenor made it to Kepong. An attempt was made to establish contact with the forces besieged in Kuala Lumpur urging them to retreat to Kepong if they could not hold the town. Unfortunately, Van Hagen never received the message from the Pahang men at Kepong or he may have mistrusted it.

Instead of trying to withdraw in that direction he attempted to cut through to the coast by way of Petaling and Damansara. He started his plan at night with only his party of sepoys and the non-commissioned officers, leaving Kapitan Yap and his men to defend Kuala Lumpur. Probably due to ignorance, Van Hagen and his troops marched to the valley of Sungei Kuyoh (to the west of the present village of Sungei Besi). The enemy’s men from Petaling had moved down the river earlier and were waiting for him in front while others were in hot pursuit. Finding himself trapped, Van Hagen tried to fight his way through to the main river. In the sharp engagement many of his troops were kill. About 40 men managed to escape through the jungle and made their way to Klang in small groups. Van Hagen, Cavalieri and the remainder surrendered and the following day were taken back to Kuala Lumpur where they were executed. Swettenham related how

The History of Yap Ah Loy 32 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 in digging foundation trenches many year later, a number of skeletons were found of those who had died in the fighting:

“Two skeletons were thus discovered. The bones were larger, the figures taller than those usually met with. They were the skeletons of two men face to face and locked in each other’s arms

Meanwhile, when Kapitan Yap saw that the majority of Mashhor’s men had gone in pursuit of Van Hagen and the sepoys, he told his own troops to prepare to evacuate at nightfall. As soon as darkness set in, they took to the jungle in the hope of reaching Damansara and thence going down the river by boat to Klang. When Mashhor and Raja Laut returned from the chase, they found the Kuala Lumpur undefended. They immediately chased after Kapitan Yap and his troops. Kapitan Yap’s retreating troops suffered heavy casualties and by the time they emerged near Damansara, more than 1,700 of them were killed. Tung Khoon and Teng Sam were among the victims.

“On looking into this tragic event, the Capitan looked to Heaven and sighed. He had never before suffered so severe a reverse. Moreover many of his close associates were either killed or wounded. His followers had to exhort him to keep calm. Later he left by sampan with his men for Klang where he rested. The Viceroy Tumku Kudin was much distressed at the disaster, and when he saw the Capitan wearing only a piece of underwear of Siamese make, he tried to calm him, and said he would send him to Kedah with a headman’s position if he thought no more of taking revenge on the enemy in Kuala Lumpur.” (A Short History of Yap Ah Loy – as told by Hiu Fatt).

True to his nature of being a resolute and contentious man, he thanked the Viceroy and said that he will take back Kuala Lumpur in due time. He rested for about a month in Klang and at the same time, made preparations for another attack on Mashhor.

The History of Yap Ah Loy 33 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 The Recapture of Kuala Lumpur and the End of the Selangor Civil War (1873) Kuala Lumpur fell towards the end of August 1872 and shortly after that, Syed Mashhor took the fort at Kuala Selangor by treachery. The sergeant in charged together with 52 sepoys were slaughtered. By now, the Viceroy had lost every major post except Kuala Klang and the fort at Klang itself. Mashhor and his allies had controlled most part of the interior of Selangor. The Pahang forces in Kepong had retreated to Bentong when they encountered difficulties in getting supplies. Communication with the Pahang forces in Bentong was extremely difficult if not impossible.

By the end of October 1872, Kapitan Yap had managed to assemble about 1,000 troops ready to move back into the interior. Out of these men, about 700 men were made up of those saved from his last defeat and the remaining were new recruits newly arrived from China. Among these newly arrived were more than 200 men who were expert in launching bamboo rockets. Kapitan Yap's adviser, Voon Siew had another innovation; in order to boost the morale of the men, he introduced very handsome rewards for the soldiers. The rewards were as follows:

· The reward for cutting down the head of an enemy leader was $100.

· The reward for cutting down the head of an ordinary enemy soldier was $10.

· The compensation allowance to the family for being killed in battle was $300.

When these rules were laid down his soldiers became very courageous. It was said that each day they went to the battlefield and fought without caring for themselves. The Viceroy also had about the same number of Malays fighters under Mat Akil, Haji Husain and To’ Lonkang. This expedition to recapture Kuala Lumpur was headed by Kapitan Yap himself.

By November 1872, Kapitan Yap’s forces had advanced to Petaling near Kuala Lumpur and he had tried to established contact with the Pahang soldiers in The History of Yap Ah Loy 34 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 Kepong. Soon he was informed that the Raja Rasu and the Orang Kaya of Chenor had already withdrawn to Bentong. After he got this information, he gave orders to advance towards Kuala Lumpur. On arrival, he found that the place flooded due to incessant heavy downpour. Kapitan Yap ordered his men to camp on selected high plain. There, he divided his men into eight battle groups, each under the command of a headman, namely:

· Hiu Fatt and Chung Piang

· Yap Kwee

· Yap Yeng Onn

· Yap Fa Tho

· Ng Ki

· Yap Tong Li

· Loh Ah Seng

· Hiu Lok

The men under Mat Akil were split into three bodies and those under To’ Lonkang and Haji Husain into 8 smaller groups. They were all assigned to defend their own positions. Kapitan Yap waited patiently for the rainy season to pass, and the battle did not start until February 1873. Throughout this time, regular supplies were reaching him from Klang. It was surprising to note that Mashhor made no attempt to disperse Kapitan Yap’s forces, or to cut them off from Klang. One of the possible reasons was that Pahang troops came over the passes from Bentong and Raub very soon after they had taken up positions in Kuala Lumpur. The Pahang soldiers under Raja Rasu attacked Raja Asal’s fort in Ulu Klang and Ulu Selangor. By March that year, Raja Rasu and the Orang Kaya of Chenor had reached the neighborhood of Kuala Lumpur and had established contact with Kapitan Yap. A conference was held between the Kapitan and his allies after which they decided that the Pahang troops were to defend the line between the The History of Yap Ah Loy 35 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 first mile on the Ampang Road and Gombak Hill. The Kapitan’s men would moved forward and camped along an arc, about a mile from the center of the town, stretching from the west bank of Klang River south of Kuala Lumpur to the Gombak River to the north. Kuala Lumpur was thus completely encircled except the south-east, the direction of Pudu.

Seeing that his forces were encircled, Mashhor did not wait for the enemy to attack and took the initiative. At that time, he had about 2,000 soldiers under his command. The Kapitan’s troops formed a circle and started firing their canons and guns at Mashhor’s men. A desperate and fierce battle ensued which lasted for two days and two nights. Mashhor’s men were continuously defeated and a great number were killed. Kapitan Yap’s “bamboo rockets” also destroyed Mashor’s camp. Mashhor had tried to retreat through the north but found that the Pahang troops were on guard. By the middle of the third night, Mashhor was unable to resist the attacks anymore when he discovered that his large force had dwindled down to only about 700 men. In the same night, he and his men managed to slip away by the Pudu Pass. Kapitan Yap soon discovered that the enemy had abandoned Kuala Lumpur. Thus, Kuala Lumpur was liberated. He gave chase the next morning all the way to Tanjong Malim by way of Pudu, Kanching, Rawang and Kuala Kubu. On the way many of Mashhor’s men were killed. Somehow, Mashhor and the treacherous Raja Asal managed to escape through the thick jungle. Thus, the Kapitan returned to Kuala Lumpur and when approaching the town, many inhabitants came out to greet and congratulate him on his success.

The civil war continued for another six months. The introduction of the bamboo rockets had sped up the liberation of Kuala Lumpur and hastened the end of the war. The greater part of the work in the final stages of the Selangor war was done by the Pahang troops. Stiff fighting occurred in Kanching, Ulu Yam and Kubu Masjid. In Kanching alone, more than 300 of the enemy troops were killed. The Kapitan’s “bamboo rocketeers” had accompanied the Pahang troops on the assault on Mashhor’s positions in the north. The civil war finally came to an end

The History of Yap Ah Loy 36 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 on the 8th of November 1873 with the fall of Kuala Selangor. Unfortunately, Syed Mashhor had fled to the court of Raja Muda Abdulllah of the Perak state. He could never pose any more threats to Kuala Lumpur. From then onwards, the people lived in peace and the miners in the tin fields resumed their work. Kapitan Yap also resumed his work as the administrator of Kuala Lumpur till his death on the 15th of April 1885.

Rebuilding Kuala Lumpur Yap Ah Loy's success in building Kuala Lumpur may have seemed to be easy and inevitable. But in reality, it was a desperately harsh struggle of which success was not guaranteed.

The once prosperous Kuala Lumpur was completely destroyed during the civil war. When Davidson visited Kuala Lumpur in 1875. he wrote that "most of the mines were completely flooded out during the last war and all their mine houses, machinery and property were burnt, or otherwise destroyed. After the fighting was over they had to reconstruct their mines with borrowed money which has not been paid off. Their creditors are now pressing them and traders will scarcely give them any credit."

The Chinese would have abandoned the devastated Kuala Lumpur had not been for Yap Ah Loy's persuasion and perseverance in rebuilding Kuala Lumpur. Swettenham remarked that Yap Ah Loy's "perseverance alone, I believe, has kept the Chinese in the country."

In order to rebuild Kuala Lumpur and restart tin mining, Yap Ah Loy needed a large labour. With the restoration of law and order, some Chinese had begun to return. Yap Ah Loy also actively brought in labour from Klang, Sungei Ujong and China. In early 1875, he brought in 2000 miners from Klang and 600 from Sungei Ujong.

With a labourer costing between $80-$100 annually in wages and food, and the need for a year's maintenance before any money can be recovered from the sale

The History of Yap Ah Loy 37 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 of tin, Yap Ah Loy faced severe financial difficulties. Until 1879, the price of tin was mired at the range of $50-60 per bahara, under the impact of new low cost production in Australia.

Financiers Interest Rates charged per annum Malaccan merchants 18% Guthrie & Co. 15% Selangor Government 10% Yap Ah Loy faced the two main problems of raising the capital to finance mining and reducing the costs of production by obtaining cheaper supplies and improving communications. When the Malaccan merchants took the opportunity to raise the prices of supplies, Yap Ah Loy, with Davidson's sponsorship, began to import supplies direct from Singapore. Davidson arranged for a Selangor Government guarantee that enabled Yap Ah Loy to purchase an initial supply worth $10,000 from Guthrie & Co. Although Yap Ah Loy undertook to sell all his tin through Guthrie's, and to repay Guthrie's loans with the sales proceeds, Yap Ah Loy in effect repaid Guthrie's enough to maintain the loan at $10,000 and sold the rest of the tin elsewhere.

At the same time, Yap Ah Loy encouraged the Malays to plant padi so that a cheap local source of rice would be available to town's population.

From 1875 to 1878, Yap Ah Loy became increasing hard-pressed as tin prices remained low. In 1878, the Resident, Douglas, reported that "the Captain China's power does hang by a thread as he is on the verge of bankruptcy."

By the middle of 1879, Yap Ah Loy's fortunes reversed when by less a stroke of good luck and more a boom in the demand for tin, tin prices doubled and rose above the $100 per bahara level. By mid 1880, Yap Ah Loy had paid off all his debts and was never to be in financial distress again.

Yap Ah Loy's success in rebuilding Kuala Lumpur was confirmed by its naming as the state capital in March 1880.

The History of Yap Ah Loy 38 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 The Adminstration of Yap Ah Loy As Kapitan Cina, Yap Ah Loy had the powers of a typical Malay chief, including the power of life and death over his followers. He could make laws when deemed necessary, but he did not have the right to collect tax.

He lived in good terms with the Malay communities and their leaders in and around Kuala Lumpur, of which the Dato' Dagang was the most important of the chiefs.

The Composition of Yap Ah Loy's Administration Secretary and Business Affairs Chew Yeok Justice Administrator Yap Ah Shak Legal Adviser Wong Tian Chan Military & Defense Chung Piang & Hiu Fatt Foreign Affairs Voon Siew Domestic Affairs Kok Fan Kui Custom, Taxation & Revenue Wong Chi Transport & Logistics Chee Kuan Tin English Translator Moi Fa Chong Malay Translator Che Ache Yap Ah Loy probably administered through the leading Mine employers and clan or secret society headmen; usually the same individuals were both the employers and the headmen. Yap Ah Loy's right-hand man was Yap Ah Shak, who was now the head of the Hai San society in Selangor and the largest mine owner after Yap Ah Loy.

Yap Ah Loy acquired a reputation for thoroughness in the treatment of criminals and other troublemakers. He built a prison large enough to accommodate 60 people, and drew up detailed rules for punishing all offenders. These offenses were graded carefully, with maximum penalties for repeat offenders. For a first offense, a thief was paraded through the streets with the stolen good tied to his back and shoulders; for a second offense, an ear was cut off; and for a third he was executed. The execution was not performed by hanging or beheading, the offender was made to kneel with his hands tied behind his back, and a sword

The History of Yap Ah Loy 39 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 was plunged through his throat by the executioner. On the other hand, minor offenders were more usually locked up before their trial. The punishments seemed severe, but they had a good effect on discouraging crime.

Yap Ah Loy's strict policies proved to be successful. In the months following his appointment, thieving became unknown. It was said that "no man dared stoop to pick up even which he had dropped on the road." Pirates no longer raided the boats moving down the river and the loads of tin reached the river mouth safely.As a result, he effectively kept peace amongst 10,000 Chinese with only a token force of six police.

Yap Ah Shak, successor to Yap Ah Loy. Kapitan Cina from Chew Yeok, Yap Ah Loy's chief 1885-1889 assistant and in-law.

Both Yap Ah Loy and Yap Ah Shak sat as magistrates to in minor cases. It was said that they acted as magistrates and mediated disputes amongst the people at a corner of Yap Ah Loy's Chinese medicine shop, Chop Tuck Sang. Until 1878, serious cases were tried in Klang, but between 1878 and 1880, the Resident and a magistrate came to Kuala Lumpur monthly to hold the High Court and the Magistrates' Court.

Swettenham commented on Yap Ah Loy as follows:

"As the confidence of his countrymen in Capitan Ah Loy is great, if not implicit, so is his stake in the country superior to that of all others, and from this fact I conclude that the government may rely upon him to use his influence for law and The History of Yap Ah Loy 40 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 order, and that his past loyalty and successful administration of the District entrusted to him would seem to entitle him to consideration and a careful hearing of his views on matters affecting the well-being of the Chinese population in general and in Kuala Lumpur in particular."

Yap Ah Loy's biggest contribution to Kuala Lumpur was probably his success in establishing Kuala Lumpur as the centre for commerce in Selangor. This success was to eventually compel the Selangor Government to relocate the state capital from Klang to Kuala Lumpur. In time, Kuala Lumpur was to become the national capital for the newly independent nation of Malaysia in 1957.

Yap Ah Loy was not ahead of his times as a municipal administrator. In 1882, Swettenham and his colleagues described the streets of Kuala Lumpur as only 12 feet wide and were "all but impassable alleys...... The filth of the market is indescribable, everything that rots or becomes putrid, all offal and refuse is thrown on to the ground or into ditches which surround the shed...... The refuse of the drains is simply removed therefrom and laid on the side of the road ..... small pox, cholera and fevers break out here very often."

His fire precaution consisted of an order that every household keep a barrel full of water ready at all times. On 4 January 1881, the entire town was burnt down, with a loss estimated at $100,000 of which Yap Ah Loy's shouldered the largest share of it.

After the disastrous fire of 1881, Yap Ah Loy started a brickworks at the outskirts of town to rebuild town buildings in brick or adobe with tile roofs. The brickworks is now gone, but nevertheless had left its mark with the an outskirt of today's Kuala Lumpur known as Brickfields.

Yap Ah Loy's road construction in and around Kuala Lumpur were more exemplary. The main mining areas were linked up with the town, and streets were laid out in the town. Yap Ah Loy told Swettenham that $20,000 had been

The History of Yap Ah Loy 41 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 devoted to road works, in the more ambitious constructions, each mile of road was estimated to cost $1,500. In return for these projects, Yap Ah Loy was compensated with the permanent titles to the land he occupied in the centre of Kuala Lumpur.

The tracks to the mines are preserved to this day in the form of Jalan Ampang, Jalan Pudu, Jalan Petaling and etc. The modern passers-by who walk along these roads can be sure that they are following the footsteps of heavily laden porters who threaded these paths some 130 years ago.

Yap Ah Loy also started a tapioca mill in Petaling Road with an imported 8 horsepower engine. This venture in which Sultan Abdul Samad had a $3,000 stake in the tapioca plantation, fell apart due to the fall in price of tapioca during 1880. The present Jalan Petaling (or Petaling Road as it was known then) has remained to this day been known to local Chinese as Chee Cheong Gai (or Tapioca Mill Road).

Yap Ah Loy also founded a refuge at which the sick could have food and shelter. It was maintained by a levy of $1 per pig slaughtered.

He took a big part in founding the first Chinese school in Kuala Lumpur and provided the school a schoolmaster until the Government brought in one from Singapore. The school was opened on Chinese New Year in 1884 in High Street. The Chinese towkays were known to take an active interest in the school, by visiting the school to test the pupils in reading and writing.

The Death of Yap Ah Loy In 1884, Yap Ah Loy began planning to visit China. He proposed to appoint Yap Ah Shak and Chew Ping to manage his property in his absence. His journey was delayed for several reasons, including a storm on 1 September 1884 in which 14 houses and a wing of the newly erected Police barracks were blown down. The storm also did some damage at the Residency and its flagstaff was blown down.

The History of Yap Ah Loy 42 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 At the end of 1884, Yap Ah Loy fell ill, with bronchitis and an abcess of the left lung. He rejected the use of Western medicine and instead relied on traditional Chinese medication from his medicine shop.

Yap Ah Loy's grave situated in Kuala Lumpur

In March 1885, he seemed to be recovering, but in the morning of 15 April, he passed away. He was 48 years old.

Yap Ah Loy had died before seeing his Kuala Lumpur become the leading town in Malaya by 1886.

Yap Ah Shak and Chew Ping, "the most intimate and trusted friends of the late Capitan", became the administrators of his estate, and Yap Ah Shak succeeded him as the new Kapitan Cina.

The following passage appeared in the Selangor Journal in 1893,

"The wish of his heart was to return to China, but who can tell Heaven's reasons for opposing the desires of men. He passed away ...... The English learnt he was dead by the flag flying at the Residency; for God, whose power to give honour to His servants is beyond our knowledge, on that day struck and broke the flagstaff. When the English found this, they dared not raise the flag again. They held a meeting and determined to be present at the funeral and follow to the grave. The History of Yap Ah Loy 43 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 Nonetheless the State continued to prosper greatly.

The tale is finished. May it be well mentioned in future ages! I am a writer of little knowledge, but others of greater skill may complete the lines and round the verses. Should such a man complete this work may he long prosper and his good name go down to his decedents.

This is the whole story of Capitan Yap Ah Loy."

The History of Yap Ah Loy 44 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 Life in early Kuala Lumpur

What does Kapitan Cina mean? The title of Kapitan Cina or Capitan China is thought to originate from the Portuguese who ruled Malacca after defeating the Malaccan sultanate. They continued the system practised by the Malaccan sultanate of administering the various foreign traders in Malacca, whether Indian, Arab, Javanese, Chinese and so on, through a headman of their own choice. The headman was then confirmed in their appointment by the ruler.

Kapitan Cinas had the powers of a typical Malay chief, including the power of life and death over his followers. They could also make laws when necessary.

The Kapitan Cina's primary duty was to keep peace, administer civil and criminal law, and occasionally collect tax when required. This institution spread to the Malay states with the arrival of foreigners.

The office of Kapitan Cina became closely assimilated to the Malay political system, as with the arrival of Chinese tin miners, Malay chiefs found it easier to collect their share of tin revenues through the Kapitan Cina. They were ready to accept any candidate who was supported by the Chinese, could keep peace amongst his countrymen, and was able to pay taxes promptly.

Yap Ah Loy held the honorific title of Dato and the personal title of Sultan Indra Perkasa Wijaya Bakti Kapitan China Kuala Lumpur Klang - which can be translated to "Yap Ah Loy (acknowledged by the) Sultan Gallant Victorious Loyal Chief (of the) Chinese (of) Kuala Lumpur (and) Klang."

He was given a silver seal, with his title inscribed in Jawi Malay and a drum as his office insignia. Like other Malay chiefs, he was allowed personal bodyguard under 2 captains, the Panglima Kanan and Panglima Kiri. He wore Malay dress during Malay ceremonies and sometimes wrote to the British Resident in a formal Malay letter.

The History of Yap Ah Loy 45 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 Weapons and Armours used Weapons

Some soldiers were armed with muskets. Other soldiers were armed with long swords with a dagger tucked into their waist belts. These men were specialists in close combat. Besides muskets and swords, spears and pikes were also used in the fighting.

Armours

The soldiers were dressed in coarse cotton cloths with straw sandals for their feet. Many had leather breastplates strapped to their chests to act as armour. They also carried wooden shields to ward off attacks by dagger and pike. The men wore split coconut shells to protect their skulls. Higher-ranking soldiers wore bronze helmets that provide better protection.

The Camps The camps were generally protected by a sturdy stockade made of tree trunks held in place by rattan lashings. Spikes of sharpened bamboo were attached to the stockade to act as deterrents to attackers. Sometimes a picket of banana stems were added to the stockade as a shield for gunshot. Beyond the walls would be lines of defensive pits, dug to cover all the possible approaches to the camp. The pits were filled with sharpened bamboo spikes to prevent a surprise attack. If any attackers did succeed in penetrating through the lines of defence, the defenders, wakened by the screams of those impaled on the spikes, would be ready for them. The usual procedure was for the fighting men to have their sleeping quarters near the defensive pits.

How the Chinese mined tin For many centuries, the Malays had mined for tin but their methods were crude and ineffective. Between 1820 and 1830, the 2 states of Selangor and Negri Sembilan produced 200 tons of tin annually; in the 1880s Selangor alone

The History of Yap Ah Loy 46 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 produced 4000 tons annually. This increase was due to the arrival of Chinese miners who had new mining methods.

The main Malay method was panning (also known as lampan). First, the miners chose a narrow valley with steep grounds on both sides, soil was pulled down with a changkol into the stream. The running water washed away the earth, leaving the tin ore at the bottom of the stream.

The Chinese developed the open-cast method (or lombong). Tin-bearing soil (karang) was dug from the ground and puddled in a washing-box (lanchut) to separate the ore from the soil. This method was however prone to flooding, and was aggravated by the fact that ore-rich lands were usually on low ground. This method of mining was labour intensive, and it needed skill in the control of water supply as well as the efficient extraction of tin ore.

To tackle these problems, the Chinese ingenuously adapted devices like the chain-pump, water-wheel and bamboo water-pipes, used in the rice fields of Southern China. With the arrival of the steam engine in the 1880s, flooding became more effectively controlled.

Tin ore was smelted twice a year in a furnace. The furnace was filled with alternate layers of mangrove-wood and charcoal. Tin ore was fed in once the fire was ready, and more fuel and tin ore were added in as required. Molten tin was then drained off through a pipe at the bottom of the furnace.

The Sin Sze Si Ya Temple of Kuala Lumpur The Sin Sze Si Ya Temple is one of the few remaining buildings or monuments that still remind people of the trials and tribulations that Yap Ah Loy faced during the early history of Kuala Lumpur.

The temple was first built by Yap Ah Loy in the 1864 in honour of the famous Kapitan Shin Kap of Sungei Ujong (present day Seremban) whom Yap Ah Loy had worked for before and during the Sungei Ujong conflict in 1859. During this conflict, Kapitan Shin’s hurriedly assembled force was defeated and Kapitan Shin The History of Yap Ah Loy 47 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 himself was beheaded after being captured by the opposing Malay forces. His death was extraordinary in that the blood that gushed out after his head was chopped off was white and not red. In Malay belief, the spilling of white blood by a dying person indicates that the person is a saint. When the Malays saw this, they begged for forgiveness and allowed the Chinese to retrieve his body for burial. As a result of Kapitan Shin’s miraculous death, the local Chinese began to worship him as a deity and he became the guardian deity for Chinese miners in Malaya.

It was said that Kapitan Shin had appeared to Yap Ah Loy in a dream telling him to go to Kuala Lumpur where he would have better prospects. Perhaps it was due to this dream or that Yap Ah Loy had heard stories that Kuala Lumpur possessed large tin reserves, that he finally decided to foresake the Sungei Ujong Kapitanship that he had inherited, and take up Liu Ngim Kong’s (the then Kapitan Cina of Kuala Lumpur) offer of a position in his business.

When Yap Ah Loy succeeded Liu Ngim Kong to become the third Kapitan Cina of Kuala Lumpur, he relocated Kapitan Shin’s temple from its original site in Sungei Ujong to a house in Kuala Lumpur in 1864.

In 1885, after he had made a fortune from the soaring tin prices, he relocated the temple to its present site at the north end of Jalan Petaling in Kuala Lumpur. It was said that during the Civil War, Kapitan Shin had appeared several times to Yap Ah Loy in his dreams to give him advice. He advised Yap Ah Loy to train archers, and that there was a man among his soldiers who knew how to make rockets with bamboo and gunpowder.

The identity of the second effigy is less certain. The temple's version of the story says that subsequent to the civil war, Yap Ah Loy added the effigy of Chong Piang (also known as Chong Sze) alongside Kapitan Shin’s, as well as tablets of soldiers who perished in the war, so that people may pay respects to them.

Chong Piang was Yap Ah Loy's chief general during the Civil War, he had repeatedly defeated the opposing forces, including Syed Mashhor, the famous The History of Yap Ah Loy 48 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 warrior whom he had beaten twice. At one time, Syed Mashhor was so distressed with the fact that he was defeated despite well-planned war preparations that he attempted to commit suicide. After the war, before Yap Ah Loy could reward him for the liberation of Kuala Lumpur, Chong Piang had died.

The other version says that the effigy represented Yap Ah Sze, who was murdered in Kanching. Yap Ah Loy probably considered Yap Ah Sze as a benefactor, as he had declined the offer to succeed Liu Ngim Kong as the next Kapitan Cina of Kuala Lumpur after Liu Ngim Kong's death, which paved the way for Yap Ah Loy's ascension to be the next Kapitan Cina. He, together with Hiu Siew, were first traders in Kuala Lumpur, and was already a wealthy merchant, hence he would have been more favoured for the position.

The present site of the temple was chosen after a Chinese medium was consulted, a deity possessed and spoke through the medium, and promised prosperity and wealth if a temple were built on the present site. The site of the temple is reportedly to be a place of good fengshui.

The temple was the Chinese religious and community center of Kuala Lumpur at that time. It was the place where the leadership of the Chinese community held meetings and made important decisions about the administration of Kuala Lumpur.

The temple is unique in that the two main deities worshipped were not traditional deities originating from China, instead two local persons were elevated to the status of deities based on their merit. Hence, the two deities can be considered patron deities of the local population of Kuala Lumpur.

The peak of the popularity of this cult was in the twenty years after Yap Ah Loy’s death, from 1885 to 1905. To commemorate Kapitan Shin's accession to become a deity, a procession was held annually through the streets of Kuala Lumpur, a larger procession was held every 7 years. In the procession of 1902, the Catholic priest, Father Letissier estimated the procession to have cost over $100,000 and that the procession took up to an hour and a half to pass by. The Chinese clans The History of Yap Ah Loy 49 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 often vied with each other in their contributions to the procession, and their leaders would walk at the front of the procession clad in their finest attire. The original purpose of the cult was no doubt to reassure the immigrant Chinese that they were protected against diseases and other insecurities that plagued them in a foreign land.

Even today, festivals related to this past era are still celebrated by devotees in the temple. On the 15th day of the third moon of the Chinese lunar calendar, the procession of the deities is observed, but the procession no longer parades through the streets of Kuala Lumpur, and is only celebrated within the temple's compounds. Likewise, remembrance ceremonies for Shin Kap, Chong Sze (or Chong Piang) and Yap Ah Loy are held annually in the temple, as well as the paying of respects to the brave soldiers of the civil war.

The temple is also known for ite charity work. Since 1907, the temple has been giving out two thirds of its income as charity to educational purposes and to hospitals.

The Mystery of Kuala Lumpur's name How Kuala Lumpur got its name is a mystery that is still unsolved today. We can only speculate how this name was derived.

There are 3 theories on how Kuala Lumpur got her name.

The first is that Kuala Lumpur got its name from the Hakka word "Lampang" which means "muddy uncleared forest". Kuala Lumpur was first established when the swampy land beside the Gombak and Klang river junctions was cleared, and it became known as Kuala Lampa, and later as Kuala Lumpur.

The second version is explained by Kuala Lumpur's location at the junction between Sungei Gombak and Sungei Klang.

In the Malay language, Kuala means a junction between 2 rivers, and Lumpur means muddy. Hence, Kuala Lumpur literally means "muddy river junction."

The History of Yap Ah Loy 50 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 In accordance with the Malay language, the point at which a smaller stream joins a large one is usually called the Kuala of the smaller stream. If that is so, Kuala Lumpur should rightfully be named Kuala Gombak.

J. C. Pascal stated that there was a Sungai Lumpur joining Sungai Klang a mile upstream from the Sungei Gombak junction. If Pascal was correct and the first settlement was at the Gombak junction, why should Kuala Lumpur be be named after a junction (now not identifiable) a mile away?

The third version is that the place was originally called Pengkalen Lumpur or the "muddy jetty." Klang was originally known as Pengkalen Batu or stone jetty, and the upstream jetty was named Pengkalen Lumpur to differentiate between the two jetties. The explanation assumed that the Chinese then shortened the original name to Kalen Lumpur and then into Kuala Lumpur.

Why are Junks called Junks? Encyclopedia Britannica defines Junks as:

"classic Chinese sailing vessel of ancient unknown origin, still in wide use. High- sterned with projecting bow, the junk carries up to five masts on which are set square sails consisting of panels of linen or matting flattened by bamboo strips. Each sail can be spread or closed at a pull, like a venetian blind. The massive rudder takes the place of a keel, or centreboard. The hull is partitioned by solid bulkheads running both transversely and longitudinally, adding greatly to strength. Chinese junks sailed to Indonesian and Indian waters by the early Middle Ages."

It is believed that the word Junk came from the Malay-Javanese word jung or ajung, which could have been derived from the Chinese word jung meaning "floating house".

As to the word's first European use, it appeared in Ibn Battuta's "Voyages" (translated in 1345) which stated that:

The History of Yap Ah Loy 51 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 "The Chinese ships are of three kinds : the big ones are called joncos (singular: jonc), the medium ones azzana and the little ones the alkakame."

The first Portuguese citation is from 1510:

"...un Junco do Rey de Malacca" [a junk of the King of Melaka] and it was well described, inclusively stating that some have several masts, and one, captured after a fierce combat, had four layers of sheathing, being almost invulnerable to artillery fire.

The Portuguese employed junks in big numbers, and brought one from India to be a warship in its Gibraltar Strait Fleet, the "Esquadra do Estreito". The only terms used are Junco and Junquo (plural: Juncos or Junquos).

The History of Yap Ah Loy 52 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 The Dictionary

Words Meaning A B Bahara Measurement in weight equivalent to 400 pounds. C D Dato A Malay honorific title still commonly given in Malaysia today. E F Fui Chui One of the Hakka clans. G H Hakka A Chinese dialect found in Southern China. I J Jawi Malay The Malay language written in the Arabised form. K Kapitan Cina Captain of the Chinese. Kuala The junction between 2 rivers. L Lumpur Muddy M Malacca A city on the coast of Peninsula Malaysia which was ruled in turn by its founding dynasty of Sumatran descent, and later by the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British respectively. N O P Panglima Kanan Literally means Right-side Commander and Left-side & Commander respectively. Panglima Kiri Jetty Pengkalen Q R S Sungei, Sungai River T Towkay Boss, tycoon. U V W X Y Z

The History of Yap Ah Loy 53 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 References

Our references include:

· Yap Ah Loy by S. M. Middlebrook and J. M. Gullick

· Glimpses of Selangor by J. M. Gullick

· Kuala Lumpur 1880-1895 : A city in the making by J. M. Gullick

· Old Kuala Lumpur by J. M. Gullick

We also referred to Chinese reference books, however their names could not be published in this pdf file. You may browse the website’s reference section at http://yapahloy.tripod.com

The History of Yap Ah Loy 54 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04 The Project Team

The Project Team at Kongsi NetWorks Unincoporated comprised of:

Tan Weng Kit

Sin Mun Wah

Our gratitudes to the following organisations and people:

· The Selangor-Kuala Lumpur Fei Chew Association

· The Sin Sze Si Ya Temple (KL)

The History of Yap Ah Loy 55 Produced by Kongsi NetWorks yapahloyv1.04