Title: ‘No Chinatown, please!’: contesting race, identity and postcolonial memory in Kuala Lumpur
Abstract: Abstract From the 1980s onwards, the Malaysian government embarked on a policy to Malaynise and Islamise the urban landscape of Kuala Lumpur. At the same time, the historical Chinese oldest quarter of the city experienced various measures threatening to erase Chinese urban history and turn the area into a 'Chinatown', arousing strong resistance from the Chinese community. This paper examines the spatial struggle of the Malaysian Chinese community and its contesting of the state-sponsored representation and creation of 'Chinatown' in Kuala Lumpur in the 1990s. It argues that the making of 'Chinatown' symbolised the minoritisation of the Chinese. To challenge the conception of the post-colonial city which focuses on giving voice to the once-colonised nation whilst keeping the ethnic minority groups in the shadow of the nation, this paper explores a contested vision of Kuala Lumpur with the inclusion of the marginal Chinese urban spaces. It examines how the Chinese used the contested Chinatown to negotiate their cultural identity, to challenge the state's version of nationalism and multiculturalism, and to call for a more inclusive interpretation of the urban landscape of Kuala Lumpur. Notes Anthony D. King, 'Actually Existing Postcolonialisms: Colonial Urbanism and Architecture after the Postcolonial Turn', in, Ryan Bishop, John Phillips, Wei-Wei Yeo, eds, Postcolonial Urbanism: Southeast Asian Cities and Global Processes (New York, Routledge, 2003), pp. 167–186; see also James Sidaway, 'Postcolonial Geographies: An Exploratory Essay', Progress in Human Geography, v.4, n.24 (2000), pp. 591–612. 'Ba Ci Chang Jie Meihua Wei Zhongguocheng' ('The Beaufitication of Petaling Street into a Chinatown'), Shin Min Daily (30th March, 1992). In April, 2003, the Minister of the Public Works Department, Samy Vellu, stated that he would propose to the Mayor of Kuala Lumpur that Petaling Street should be renamed 'Chinatown'. Details of early Kuala Lumpur are to be found in J.M. Gullick, A History of Kuala Lumpur 1856–1939 (Kuala Lumpur, MBRAS, 2000) and The Story of Kuala Lumpur 1857–1939 (Singapore, Eastern University Press, 1983). J. M. Gullick, The Story of Kuala Lumpur, op cit, p. 43. James C. Jacksons, 'The Chinatowns of South East Asia; Traditional Components of the City's Central Area', Pacific Viewpoint, Vol. 16, No. 1 (1975), p. 47. See Kay J. Anderson, 'The Idea of Chinatown: The Power of Place and Institutional Practice in the Making of a Racial Category', Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 77(4) (1987), pp. 580–598. Frank A. Swettenham, Malay Sketches (New York, Macmillan, 1895), p. 39. Ibid., p. 53. Muzaffar D. J. Tate, Kuala Lumpur in Postcards 1900–1930 (Petaling Jaya, Malaysia: Fajar Bakti, 1987), p. 16. See Sharon A. Carstens, 'From Myth to History: Yap Ah Loy and the Heroic Past of Chinese Malaysian', Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, Vol.XIX, No.2 (September, 1988); for the debates and stories aboutYap Ah Loy, see Sharon A. Carstens, Histories, Cultures, Identities: Studies In Malaysian Chinese Worlds (Singapore, University Press, 2005). The Chinese population dominated other ethnic groups although the percentage of the Chinese population had decreased steadily. Wen Ping-Qiang, 'Jilongbo De Huaren Diming' ('Chinese Place Names in Kuala Lumpur'), Nanyang Siang Pau (1st June, 2006). 'Lizheng Yi Huarenming Mingming Jiedao' ('Fighting for Chinese Street-names'), Nanyang Siang Pau (13th February, 1987). Centre for Malaysian Chinese Studies archival record P50.3. Ji Miao-Zhen, 'Ci Chang Jie Jiang Gu: Ci Chang Jie Shi Mushu Chang Qu' ('Chinatown Stories: Petaling Street was a Tapioca Factory Zone'), China Press (24th July, 1991). Lai Pei-Pei, 'Ci Chang Jie Jiejing Chanlan' ('The Future is Bright for Petaling Street'), Xin Tong Bao (5th July, 1993). 'Zhongguocheng Ming Bushidang' ('The Naming of Chinatown is Not Appropriate'), Shin Min Daily (2nd April, 1992); Li Jing-Bo, 'Zheli Meiyou Tangrenjie' ('There is No Chinatown Here'), Sin Chiew Jit Poh (21st May, 1991). 'Zhongguocheng Ming Bushidang' ('The Naming of Chinatown is Not Appropriate'), op. cit. Li, 'Zheli Meiyou Tangrenjie' ('There is No Chinatown Here'), op. cit. Zheng Li-Hen, 'Dui Tangrenjie De Shensi' ('Reflections on "Chinatown"'), Nanyang Siang Pau (7th September, 2003). Zheng Ke-Da, 'Buyao Tangrenjie' ('Say No to "Chinatown"'), Sin Chiew Jit Poh (25th June, 1991). 'Ci Chang Jie Hebi Gaiming?' ('Change of Ci Chang Street's name is not necessary'), Sin Chew Jit Poh (25th May, 2003). 'Zhongguocheng Ming Bushidang' ('The Naming of Chinatown is Not Appropriate'), op. cit. Fei Ling, 'Weihe Chengwei Dama Zhongguocheng?' ('Why Chinatown in Malaysia?'), Kwong Wah Daily (5th April, 1992). 'Ci Chang Jie Mianmao Yi Gaibian' ('The Scenery at Petaling Street has changed'), China Press (5th May, 1992). 'Laojiefang Gankai Wanqian' ('Old Tenants of Petaling Street Saddened by Development'), Sin Chew Jit Poh (3rd September, 2002). Margaret Crawford, 'The world in a Shopping Mall', in, Michael Sorkin, ed., Variations on a Theme Park: the New American City and the End of Public Space (New York, Noonsday Press, 1992), p. 28. Refer to 'Garispanduan Pengekalan Bangunan Di Dalam Kawasan Pusat Bandar Kuala Lumpur' ('Guidelines for Buildings Conservation in the City Centre of Kuala Lumpur'), Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (Kuala Lumpur Municipal Council, 1996). Xu De-Fa, 'Ci Chang Jie De Youyou Anchu' ('Dark Corners at Petaling Street'), Orientaldaily (17th August, 2004). Tan Peng Peng, 'Project to improve Jalan Petaling area', The Star (2nd July, 1992). See Kay J. Anderson, Vancouver's Chinatown—Racial Discourse in Canada 1875–1980 (Montreal & Kingston, McGill-Queen's University Press, 1991). Kay J.Anderson, 'The Idea of Chinatown', op. cit., pp. 580–598. Michael Keith, Steve Pile, eds, Place and the Politics of Identity (London and New York, Routledge, 1996), p. 1. Jonathan Rutherford, 'The Third Space: Interview with Homi Bhabha', in, Jonathan Rutherford, ed., Identity: Community, Culture, Difference, (London, Lawrence & Wishart, 1990), pp. 207–210. Edmund Terence Gomez, 'Tracing the Ethnic Divide: Race, Rights and Redistribution in Malaysia', in, Joanna Pfaff-Czarnecka, et al., eds, Ethnic Futures: The State and Identity politics in Asia (Kuala Lumpur, Strategic Information Research Development, 2004). Chen Mei-Ping, 'Huaren Shehui Duoyuan Zhuyi Lunshu De Zhuanxin' ('The Discourse of Multiculturalism in Chinese Society'), in, Hou Kok Chung, ed., Bainian Huimou: Mahua Shehui Yu Zhengzhi ('100 Years of Malaysian Chinese Society and Politics: Review and Prognosis') (Kuala Lumpur, Centre for Malaysian Chinese Studies, 2005). 'Huashe Shiguan Buo Leizhisun' ('The Marginalisation of Chinese History and its Archives'), Orientaldaily (3rd June, 2003).
Publication Year: 2012
Publication Date: 2012-12-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 12
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