Petaling Street - Our Chinatown

[sakuraguy]

Petaling Street - Our Chinatown


Petaling Street is a Chinatown located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Chinese Malaysians call it Chi-Cheong-Kai in Cantonese. It is infamous for pirated clothes and accessories along with bootleg DVDs and CDs. Petaling Street however does not exclusively offer pirated products. Haggling is a common sight here and the place is usually crowded with locals as well as tourists. The area has dozens of restaurants and food stalls, serving local favourites such as Hokkien mee, BBQ fish, assam Laksa and curry noodles. Traders here are mainly Chinese but there are also Indian, Malay and Bangladeshi traders.

http://img157.imageshack.us/img157/5704/800pxyosrimay2005jalanpetalingcb1.jpg

One popular item sold here is watches, with nearly ⅓ of the traders here sell this item.

Located behind Petaling Street is a 3-star Swiss Inn Hotel. Also near there is a Chinese bookshop and a few stalls selling Chicken Rice and Noodles. A small mata kucing stall is also located there.

http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/2770/petalingstreetyi9.jpg

Recently, there have been complaints that the traders here are particularly rude against customers. There have been calls to shut the area down completely due to its reputation but the suggestion was ill-received. (The Star)

Nearby is Masjid Jamek, an old mosque of Moorish architecture while a tourist spot known as Central Market is within walking distance. It is also nearby Pasar Seni LRT Station Kelana Jaya Line and Maharajalela KL Monorail Station.

 

[sakuraguy]

Central
Monday December 19, 2005


Customers, traders want bazaar to go on as it is

By JAYAGANDI JAYARAJ

TRADERS at the Uptown Midnight Bazaar may be conducting their businesses illegally, but many feel that they ought to be given licences to continue their operations at Damansara Uptown in Petaling Jaya.


Aini watching as Hafiz Matmot downloads hand phone ring tones at his stall in the bazaar.
Former Selangor Association of Malay Hawkers and Small Businesses (Uptown zone) president Jeffree Ishak is one such person. He said the business community consisted of about 300 traders who had been operating at the venue for eight years.

“It has become a tourists' spot,'' he said.

The bazaar opens after 11pm and goes on until 3am. It takes up three roads in the area – Jalan SS21/ 39, SS21/ 54 and SS21/ 27.

Over the years, it has attracted visitors not only from the Klang Valley, but all over Malaysia.

There are stalls that sell clothes, women's accessories, food, perfumes, antiques and even electrical and household items.

“It has evolved to become something like Petaling Street in Kuala Lumpur,'' said Jeffree, who has a stall that sells caps and sunglasses.


It's a place where there is everything for everyone.
“The only difference is that the traders only operate in the night.''

Jeffree said the traders had sent a proposal to the Prime Minister's Department, requesting for licences from the local council and to put the bazaar on Malaysia's tourism map.

Due to complaints over traffic congestions and dirty roads after the bazaar has closed for the morning, the traders were issued with notices to relocate to Kota Damansara by Dec 31.

“However, we have our reasons for staying put,'' said Jeffree.

“Traffic should not be a problem as we start at around midnight,'' he said.

However, Jeffree said licensing was important to control the number of traders.

“And, to implement after-bazaar cleaning programmes.''

Trader Soon Gaik Lee said moving to Kota Damansara was not ideal as its location was not central, nor was it convenient to customers.

“Besides, we already have a strong customer base at where we are now,” said Soon who has been trading at the bazaar for seven years.

Abdullah Idris, who sells clothes, said the area recommended for the traders in Kota Damansara was small.

“It isn't enough for all of us,'' he said.

Abdullah said the bazaar was bread and butter to most of the traders.

“We don’t hold other jobs,'' he said.


Soon Gaik Lee is one among about 300 traders who have contributed to the success of the Uptown Midnight Bazaar that is not only popular with residents in Klang Valley, but also from all over Malaysia.
“Besides supporting our families, we also have to care for our employees.''

“We wonder what our fate will be after Dec 31,'' said Siti Ratana who is into make-up products.

“We hope that our plight will be heard by the council.”

Even the bazaar's customers agree that Damansara Uptown was an ideal location, both for the traders as well as the visitors.

Aini Saaban, 27, from Damasara Jaya said the bazaar was “the next best thing after Petaling Street''.

“Petaling Street is in Kuala Lumpur, and for us in Petaling Jaya, the Uptown Midnight Bazaar is the place to shop for clothes and food.''

Customer Rina Jamal, 19, said if the bazaar was to be relocated to Kota Damansara, she would stop patronising it.

“I don’t know the place well enough,” said Rina from Subang Jaya.

For Shahirul Hilmi, 22, the bazaar was a place to hangout with friends on weekends.

“We come to window shop,'' he said.

“It is amazing,'' said Shahirul who lives in Bangi.

“Thousands of people shop till the wee hours of the morning.''

 

[sakuraguy]

Additional Links :

- http://www.petalingstreet.org/
- http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2005/12/19/central/12903985&sec=central

 

[evo3]

The Mata Air Kucing is NICeeeeee................. :)

never fail to go there when i'm in KL but seldom buy things from there lo... always kenak potong leher one...hehehehe

 

[satria_95]

Damansara Uptown bazaar? I've heard just quite a number of stories that says that's where your stolen goods go to. So go to those kinda bazaars. A thief and robber's bazaar. Hooray!

 

[BlackSamurai]

frankly, I'm one of those who against the idea to label Petaling Street as China Town.

China Town at oversea exist only if
1. Chinese are minority in the country (which we are not in Malaysia)

2. China Town never project a good image if you realise, Mafia, Gangster, illegal fighting, work without permit (illegal immigrant), drugs traffic are what they famours of.

and farking Sri Petaling street is the last place on earth I wanna shop.
1. Get scolded for no reason (The uncle call me "sohai" once when i accidentally touch his fruit store),

2. their price tag is high to cheat foreign tourist (which will project a bad image about both chinese and Malaysian)

3. Those VCD/DVD they sell is so low quality, and when you ask them "clear or not?" , those farker will tell you "CLEAR! Return if not CLEAR". You try look for him to do exchange or refund.

4. etc etc etc.

 

[simonchangwaimun]

if we're not minority...wat are we??
there's surely no such thing as mediumity...only majority and minority...malays are major...
so,it can be china town
besides...it has been decorated in such a way
so cute compare to last time

and i think the bad image of china town is wat potrayed in movies only loh...
although there's triads and stuff...everywhere oso got wan la...
juz that in PS/CCK,we hv less gang fights...coz only one gang control the area

 

[chypher]

i saw a chinese vcd seller whacking an african guy (black, not racist) and they contact thru walkie talkie.

that chinese guy just make a 'call' then over 20+ chinese guy running to his place...

i was eating steamboat there.... scary man.. but at least got some hong kong movie to watch lar

 

[PAUL_CJ]

i luv to buy things there. u can get the cheapest price if u be friendly to them n if u never meant to buy dont ever get nego....like u asking price for 30bucks, he say OK n u dun wana buy it.

 

[BlackSamurai]

simon, minority here I'm taking about is 1% - 5% population. Just like chinese population in New York City.