5. .
uncertain identity
Mosaic of culture
Intrinsic nature
The unbroken becoming vulnerable
Culture is a horn carrying
our divine given domain
Culture is a bond
binding the city together
8. H
aving had an interesting
past and being a part of
the international spice
route many hundreds
of years ago, Malaysia has
turned into a mosaic of cultures.
Everything from its people to its
architecture reflect a colourful
heritage and an amalgamated
culture. To understand Malaysian
culture, you must first get to know
its people. Malays, Chinese,
Indians and many other ethnic
groups have lived together in
Malaysia for generations. All these
cultures have influenced each
other, creating a truly Malaysian
culture. “Intangible cultural
heritage” consists of non-physical
aspects of a particular culture,
more often maintained by social
customs during a specific period
in history. Naturally, intangible
cultural heritage is more difficult
to preserve than physical objects.
The largest ethnic groups in
Malaysia are the Malays, Chinese
and Indians.
Our focus today is not about
Malaysia but rather it is about
Petaling Street. Petaling Street
has existed ever since late 19th
century. It was one of the popular
places that we visit during
festivals. Shop lots and stalls
existed more than 50 years ago
with rich historical events. It has
been Kuala Lumpur’s original
Chinatown and known for being
a shopping area since late 19th
century. Over the decades the
street is a huge market selling
many types of merchandise and
a food hunting paradise. This
outdoor food market has been
redeveloped into a pedestrian-
only zone. On the other side,
the heritage shop houses are
not well conserved and left to
be abandoned. The number of
pre-war shop houses are greatly
reducing, sign of deterioration
by lacking of maintenance and
replacement of modern high rise.
Introduction//
petaling street.
前
言
9. 7
street has become an issue that
are reducing the amount of tourist
in Petaling Street.
Up till today, Petaling Street has
still remain as one of the most
popular tourist attraction in Kuala
Lumpur. Despite its popularity,
there have been a number of
times in the past when people
felt that it had become more of a
foreign land than one representing
true Malaysian culture and its
people. However, one of the
main indispensable quality which
remain in Petaling Street is the
daily cultural practices which
is still practiced by the locals
before Malaysia’s Independence
Day. For example, the different
superstitions which are practiced
by different local races and
the different adaptation of the
younger generation towards their
culture and traditions.
In current times, through
the introduction of modernism in
this world, we have a theory that it
has given rise to certain negative
impacts in our lives. They are
mainly, the psychological and
moral hazards of modern life.
Individuals especially the younger
generation begin to neglect the
cultural practices that were once
vital in the olden times. Through
the introduction of advanced
technology, for example, internet
browsing and social media,
youngsters are influenced to the
western culture and may begin
to sway away from their roots.
This has influence the younger
generations to feel rootless, and
lose of strong bonds towards
the older generations which pay
so much importance to keeping
the culture and heritage alive.
Eventually, this theory has created
some worries about the uncertain
future of culture and heritage of
Petaling Street which seems to be
heading towards a wrong path.
10. 01
Petaling streetPetaling street, also known
as the Chinatown, is chosen as
the site of our research on the
daily pratices of cultural
heritage among the
locals.
02
Different Races , such as
Chinese, Indian and Malays
of different age group are
targeted for the research.
Method
方
法
11. 9
03
Questionnaires
are used as our main
instrument in carrying
out this research.
05
Multiple Diagram and
Graphs will be produced
based on the information
gathered from the question-
naires.
04
The answered questionnaires
will then be recorded and
analysed.
13. 01
LANGUAGE
ADAPTATION
Amount of people who speak their mother tongue per square meter
Amount of people able to understand their own language per square meter
Amount of people able to read their own language per square meter
Amount of people able to write their own language per square meterAmount of people able to write their own language per square meter
01
LANGUAGE
ADAPTATION
Amount of people who speak their mother tongue per square meter
Amount of people able to understand their own language per square meter
Amount of people able to read their own language per square meter
Amount of people able to write their own language per square meterAmount of people able to write their own language per square meter
14. 02
INFLUENCE OF
FOOD FROM
DIFFERENT CULTURES
Number of people from the same race who
acknowledges the existence of their own
cultural food per square metercultural food per square meter
Number of people from different races who
acknowledges the existence of other races’
cultural food per square meter
Number of people who eat different races’
cultural food per sqaure meter
15. 03
culture and
tradition practice
Amount of people celebrates their own cultural festival per
square meter
Amount of people celebrates their own and other races’ festival
per square meterper square meter
Amount of people still wearing their traditional clothing during
cultural festival and daily routines per square meter
Amount of people who practices their cultural supersition per
square meter
16.
17. The journey of Petaling street is something which is worth while.
Individuals are able to not only experience the different kinds of
delicious food around local food stalls but also able to get a chance
to observe the traditonal architecture which exist at Petaling Street
and its adjacent streets. One is also able to experience different cul-
tures of the site in terms of the different religious grounds which
exist around Petaling Street at such a close proximity.
18. 01
PETALING STREET
Top tourist attraction in
Malaysia, a Chinese influenced
street. Most of the human
density are foreigners but there
are still some locals around.
19. 02
BUN CHOON EGG TART
One of the best food hunt in Petaling
Street. A must to line up during peak
hours when goods are freshly baked.
20. 03
FOOD STALLS
Besides shopping for cheap goods in Petaling
Street, one of the most important reason for the
tourist and some of the locals to be here is
because of the delicious unforgettable taste of
food found in Petaling Street.
Food stalls are providing most of the delicious
food or snacks that could be found in Malaysia.
21. 04
GUAN DI TEMPLE
Prayers will stop by and ask for blessings
from God. Visitors will also stop by to
embrace the interesting interior
architecture of Malaysia Chinese Temple.
22. 05
CHINESE WET MARKET
Selling the freshest ingredients available
in Petaling Street every morning.
Business resume as early as 4am
everyday.
29. Community reflects a group of
people who share the same
interest and beliefs. At certain
times of the day, people will
gather and pray at the temple
to show their gratitude to God.
Thus, creating a community of
believers that understand and
have respect to one another
Community
30. Prices of items sold in Petaling Street can be further whittled
down, attracting more people to bargain, enhancing the
sense of liveliness. People come and go as time passes by,
however, businesses will still be going on no matter day or
night.
SPRIGHTLINESS
33. Diversity encompasses acceptance and also, respect. The
diversity and the differences of stalls in Petaling Street creates
many different cultural groups that lead to the understanding of
a community that accept and understand each other. Hence,
resulting in a dynamic community in Petaling Street.
34. supportBonds are strengthened, interaction is
enhanced, new relationships are formed
in Petaling Street from the support of
thecommunity by purchasing items from
one another. Loneliness will dissapear,
new friendships shall arrise.
37. 35
“ Of course! It’s a huge
disgrace if I do not
know my ethnic
language in my family.”
- Pn. Kalthom, 31 when questioned if she under-
stand her ethnic language.
38. “ Yes. I know my ethnic’s
food quite well, I have
huge minat in Malay food in
terms of how they prepare
and make them.”
- Pn. Kalthom, 31 when asked about how well
she know her ethnic food.
39. 37
- Pn. Kalthom, 31 when questioned if
she would continue practicing her
culture.
40. - En. Yusob, 46 when asked if he would introduce
any ethnic food to tourists and foreigners.
41. 39
- En. Yusob, 46 when questioned about cultural
superstition practices.
46. SEQUITUR
So what is culture? It is
understood most simply as a
way of life of a particular society,
culture entails a variety of aspects
that include, but are not limited
to: norms, values, beliefs, or
expressive symbols. As a result,
culture can encompass anything
that provides meaning or can be
given meaning among a group of
people. Throughout our visit and
survey at Petaling Street, we have
touched mainly on the language
adaptation, influence of food from
different cultures, culture and
traditional practices as an analysis
to seek the actual truth about the
state of culture and heritage of
Petaling Street at the present day
and the coming future. As per our
conversation with Pn. Nesha, the
lady who owns a road stall selling
flowers nearby the Indian temple,
she agrees that the culture of all
races should be continued by
the younger generations and
should not be forgotten easily.
Mr Kalai agrees that the younger
generations today are starting to
abandon their cultural practices,
but he does not agree that the
cultural heritage will fade away
permanently as he strongly
believe and have faith in that there
are youngsters that are willing
to continue this cultural practice
to the future generations. And
hence, this proves that there is
even though this shows that the
cultural heritage of Petaling Street
is entering the dead end, but after
this survey we realise that there is
still a glimmer of light at the end of
the tunnel for the cultural heritage
in Petaling Street.
47. THEY SAY THAT EVERYTHING GOOD IN LIFE
MUST COME TO AN END. BUT, DOES IT REALLY
NEED TO?
AS LONG AS WE ARE WILLING TO PUT IN THE
EFFORT INTO PRESERVING THE CULTURE AND
HERITAGE OF PETALING STREET REGARDLESS
OF AGE OR RACE,THEN THIS CULTURE AND HER-
ITAGE WILL NEVER END.
