Collaboration Project
Petaling Street Community Art Project
(PSCAP)
PSCAP was a collaborative effort by a coalition of grassroot art and activist communities, who were coming from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds, to employ art strategies as a form of resistance to the controversial land expropriation at the Petaling Street to carve way for the massive Mass Railway Transit (MRT) project and other related urban regeneration plans at an unprecedented scale.
This community project was jointly managed by an ad-hoc committee of PSCAP which consisted of Lostgens’, affected land/property owners, Local Chinese associations, engineers, lawyers, activists and the art communities.
The area most affected was Jalan Sultan which has a deep connection to the early history of Chinese migrants in Kuala Lumpur. It is also rich in culture and heritage where it hosted the city’s first Gospel Hall (since 1898), drama association Yan Keng Benevolent (since 1917), the last Cantonese tea house Restaurant Yook Woo Hin (since 1928, closed), one of the oldest photo studios in the city Pak Tai Photo Studio (since 1940s, closed) and many other old hotels, restaurants, schools, traditional businesses etc.
All these heritage sites were facing the imminent risk of demolition with the MRT construction site encroaching from Petaling Street (Jalan Sultan) all the way up to the Petaling Hill where a proposed second MRT station will be built beneath a 118-storey skyscraper. These colossal constructions would also severely affect the three nearby pre-independence sport facilities namely the Chin Woo Stadium (since 1953), Stadium Merdeka (since 1956) and Merdeka park (since 1958).
And the approaching impact brought by the large-scale gentrification and commercialization will also slowly destroy the fabric of historical environment and cultural values that are deep-rooted in Petaling Street. The disappearance of the old streets is also eliminating the sense of identity and collective memories especially to the local Chinese community.
Project Founders
Yeoh Lian Heng
Chong Keat Aun
Tang Ah Chai
Teoh Chee Keong
Committee
Project Director
Yeoh Lian Heng
Deputy Director
Chong Keat Aun
Team Members
Chai Chik Ying, Gan Sze Hooi , Lam Tsu Jiun，Leong Lih Sy, Low Khay Hooi, See Yee Wen & Wong Siew Juan
Acknowledgement
Ahmad Faizal • Alex Lee • Amir Jaafar Bakry • Benz Ali • Cikgu Haji Ishak Surin • Dinsman • Fiona Yen • Foo Wei Meng • Haji Buyong Manap • Hajjah Zabedah Abd. Manab • Hajjah Latipah Rahmat • Hamdi Aziz • Hishamuddin Rais • Hoe Sheau Fei • Irwan Baharuddin • Ismail Othman • Jeffrey Lum • Jimmy Chok • Kassim Mohamad • Khairul Hamidi • Khairul Salleh Ishak • Khairunas • Lee Bing Hong • Liew Kung Yu • Lim Kok Hong • Ngeow Chow Ying • Pushpalila • Pyan Habib • Rahmat Haron • Shaharuddin Mahmud • Sister Lina • Soleh • Stanley Yap • Sufian Suhaimi • Suhaidi Sulaiman • Tan Chee Hon • Tarmizi Mat Jam • Wesley Wong • YB Fong Kui Lun • Yee I-Lann • Yew Kuan Yee • Zaidi Jaafar Bakry• Zaid Jaafar Bakry • Zupfadli Suhaimi • 星羽
Institutions & Partners
Findars Collective • Hotel Lok Ann • Kuala Lumpur Gospel Hall • Kuala Lumpur Gospel Hall Teen Fellowship • Kampung Bandar Dalam • Kampung Railway • KL & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH) • Kumpulan Kompang Silaturahim • Life S.O.A.R Resource Centre • Madrasah Tarbiyah • Majlis Permuafakatan Perkampungan Melayu Tradisi Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur (MUAFAKAT) • Pemuda Madrasah Tarbiyah • Seniman Paksi Rakyat (PAKSI) • Yan Keng Benevolent Dramatic Association
Events + Activities
The first event under the PSCAP was meaningfully organized on Malaysia Day, 16 Sept 2011 called “Tanglong Festival” which consisted of community heritage tour and sketching exhibitions at the Lok Ann Hotel (now already closed down) during the day time while handfuls of performing arts performances during the evening. This event would kickstart a long campaign to continuously raise more public awareness to the issue.
In 2012, on the 01 Feb, in conjunction of the Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory Day and one year anniversary since the expropriation crisis has started, with the participation of the interracial communities whose villages were also threatened by the urban redevelopment, together with the committee of PSCAP, a cultural heritage tour was held to walk 3KM along the streets affected by the MRT projects. With the participation of the Malay community from Kampung Banda Dalam and the Indian community from Kampung Railway, PSCAP started to gain national media attention and was no longer a local Chinese affair.
Two weeks later, a massive street-art protest “Light A Lantern, Save Jalan Sultan” was held on the evening of 23 Feb along the whole Jalan Panggung (next to Jalan Sultan, the affected MRT acquisition area), participatory art and performing art performances were programmed non-stop for four hours which completely paralyzed the traffic and attracted over five thousand visitors. This cultural action caught the raving attention of the local media and created much pressure on the then ruling government where the former Prime Minister Najib Razak later announced Jalan Sultan to be kept as a cultural heritage site.
Despite the PM declaration and many public consultation sessions initiated by the MRT Corp to resolve the matter, they were mere pre-election promises and PR exercises as it did not stop the MRT project from progressing. The community protest would continue sporadically by self-organized art initiatives for another year but the battle was lost when during General Election 2013 where the ruling government failed to secure the two-third majority in Parliament, the land expropriation process became even more hasty and aggressive as many land/property owners were now been harassed, forced to sign compromising agreements and to be appropriated immediately. With the fading support from the local business community in the later stage of the movement, the PSCAP committee had reached mutual consensus to disband, which ended the three-year battle.
PSCAP has since become a project model especially for other grass-root communities who are facing similar issues as a strategy for community activation and social empowerment. The PSCAP working space at Jalan Panggung, which was also used as an activity and meeting space, was permanently taken by Lostgens’ to convert into an art space until today. As part of the PSCAP impacts, the building now hosts a number of other cultural spaces such as Moutou, Raw Art Space, Aku Café etc. which forms a unique alternative art cluster in the city.
Tanglong Festival 2011
Perayaan Tanglong Jalan Petaling
Initiated by the Petaling Street Community Art Project (PSCAP) with the support of the Kuala Lumpur & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH) and jointly curated by public intellectual Tang Ah Chai, folk archeologist Chong Keat Aun, heritage preservationist Teoh Chee Keong and community art curator Yeoh Lian Heng, the Perayaan Tanglong Jalan Petaling was the first program to kick off the PSCAP organised on the Malaysia Day celebration 16 September 2011.
It aims to revive the recognition of the Petaling Street culture by the community’s old and new residents. At the same time, it also brings in the public to participate, understand and experience this century-old living monument in the heart of Kuala Lumpur through in-depth guided tours and arts presentations.
This event attracted over a thousand visitors and kicked started the whole community art project campaign.
Art Workshops
Performance Art (Stampping Project)
Old Photo On-Site Exhibition
Night Performances & Parade
Light A Lantern, Save Jalan Sultan 2012
Light A Lantern, Save Jalan Sultan was held on the 05 February 2012, in conjunction with the Chap Goh Meh celebration where the public were mobilized to attend various site-specific arts and cultural activities in Petaling Street. The public were also encouraged to attend by bringing their own lanterns as a symbolic gesture to light up and bless the heritage streets. The evening before the event, taking the flash mob approach, with the help of many designers and volunteers, the entire Jalan Sultan was decorated with bright coloured hand drawn banners, signages, stickers and graffiti to convey the message of strong disapproval of the Mass Railway Transit project and how it will destroy the livelihood of the heritage of Jalan Sultan.
The project was participated by representatives and members from Kumpulan Kompang Silaturahim (Pemuda Madrasah Tarbiyah Kampung Bandar Dalam), Kuala Lumpur Gospel Hall, Archdiocesan Chinese Language Apostolate Commission KL, Persatuan Penganut Buddha Bodhi Kuala Lumpur and Anak Jati Kuala Lumpur.
The site-specific performances were participated by Nyoba-Kan Butoh Dance Company, theatre director Soon Choon Mee, Boyz Chew and Leow Zyee (drum percussionists), calligraphy demonstration Pang, Lantern installation by German artist Astrid Koeppe, percussion performance by students from Confucian Private Secondary School, theatre performances by New Era College Visual and Drama Department, Han Shou Tang Lion Dance Troupe and many more.
Attended by over 1000 spectators, this event managed to disrupt the normal routine of the Petaling Street and highlighted the underlying tension and issues faced by the old street community. The experience collaborating with various stakeholders and partners also carved an important path for future cooperation.
Jelajah Warisan
On the 1st February 2012, in conjunction of the Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory Day, the first Save Jalan Sultan, Save Heritage peaceful demonstration happened at Jalan Sultan, conjointly by a crowd of heritage preservation public individuals, activists and representatives .
Following on 18th March 2012, exactly one year anniversary since the massive land expropriation crisis started, a cultural heritage tour –
Jelajah Warisan: Pertahankan Warisan Kita was organized as an expedition to meet the affected local communities and to learn more about the histories, cultures and traditions of the varnishing heritage sites in Kuala Lumpur due to the mushrooming mega projects and poor urban planning. The tour started in the morning with two buses departing from Jalan Sultan and Kampung Banda Dalam respectively heading to the first site at the Kampung Kerinchi where Cikgu Ishak Surin, the president of Pertubuhan Pertahankan Tanah Warisan Kita and also the village chief of Kampung Banda Dalam (KBD) whose village also shared the similar threat with urban redevelopment, gave a welcoming speech to all the participants who mainly comprised of activists, artists, media, students etc.
Organised under the Majlis Permuafakatan Perkampungan Warisan Melayu Wilayah Persekutuan (MUAFAKAT) in collaboration with Petaling Street Community Art Project (PSCAP), the tour was designed to visit five strategic heritage sites within Kuala Lumpur which are all facing the imminent risks of being demolished. The chosen sites were 150-year-old Kampung Banda Dalam, 50-year old Kampung Kerinchi, 120-year-old Jalan Sultan, 110-year-old Kampung Baru and 110-year-old Mee Thor Gan Temple in Ampang.
At Kampung Kerinchi the tour met up with representatives of the remaining 35 families who refused to move out from their village to defend their homes. The tour continued to Jalan Sultan where they were greeted by the traditional Malay Kompang performance from the youth of KBD. At Jalan Sultan, the tour was welcomed by the PSCAP members who led them to visit and meet the local communities from the Hotel Lok Ann, Pak Tai Photo Studio, Kwong Fook Wing Tailor Shop and Yan Keng Benevolent Dramatic Association. The tour then proceeded to Kampung Baru, the only remaining Malay settlement in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, where they were greeted by some members from the Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS). The tour reached the final destination at the Mee Thor Gan Temple in Ampang where Cikgu Ishak Surin not only visited the temple but also performed a prayer (doa) inside the temple together with a monk.
This was a symbolic gesture of showing liberalism and pluralism in the context of Islam. During the tour, Cikgu Ishak also announced the establishment of a new collective called “Pertahankan Warisan Kita” which consisted of 21 nationwide non-governmental organizations to defend and preserve heritage sites in the country. This announcement gained national media attention and the struggle of PSCAP was no longer a local Chinese affair but a collective effort from all Malaysians.
Special Thanks to:
Madrasah Tarbiyah Kampung Bandar Dalam, Kampung Kerinchi Flat Committee and Residents, Kampung Baru, Mee Thor Gan Buddhist Temple
Jalan Sultan
Kampung Kerinchi
Kg. Banda Dalam + Kg. Baru
Mee Thor Gan Buddhist Temple
Save Jalan Sultan . Save Heritage
On 05 May 2012, another peaceful demonstration took place along Jalan Sultan to protest against the demolition of three historical buildings situated along Jalan Sultan carried out by the My Rapid Transit (MRT) project despite previously the then Prime Minister Najib Razak had promised to preserve Jalan Sultan as a heritage site. The demonstration was staged at the Klang Bus Stand, UDA Ocean and Plaza Warisan by an estimated 2500 people which was mobilized by various NGO and activist groups including the Petaling Street Community Art Project committee.
Rasa Sayang Jalan Sultan Album
Rasa Sayang Jalan Sultan is a collaborative music album that was launched on 30 June 2012 at the Gospel Hall Basketball Court to mark the one-year anniversary of the Petaling Street Community Art Project as part of the continuing campaign to save heritage landmarks in Kuala Lumpur.
The album Rasa Sayang Jalan Sultan consists of 12 newly composed songs which were performed by over 100 interdisciplinary and intercultural Malaysians artists during the launch. The main theme song “Rasa Sayang Jalan Sultan” is a collaborative and contemporary rendition from one of the most famous Malay Archipelago folk songs “Rasa Sayang” which is widely known and sung by most Malaysians.
The album launch was accompanied by the premiere screening of a music video which was entirely shot along Jalan Sultan featuring the affected community, their voices and the unique soundscape of the old streets. The album is still available at the KL Commercial Book at Jalan Sultan.
Architectural Drawing & Mapping
Taiwan Chung Yuan Christian University (Architecture Dept)
A group of architecture students from Taiwan were joining PSCAP for the historical sites mapping project during their on-site practical case study exchange program in July 2012. This mapping project covered the scale of Jalan Sultan, Jalan Panggung and Lorong Panggung which were the most affected area of MRT plan. The students were first guided for a tour around Petaling Street in getting to know the site history and background.The team was then began to documenting the shophouses along Jalan Sultan, as well as recording the building architectural structures at few significant targeted sites. The project includes photography of each Jalan Sultan shophouse and joining them as a horizontal map, drawing and sketching historical landmarks and calculating and drawing the actual building architecture plans. This project went on for approximately one month and the collective mapping content was completed and released during the 916 A Century of Moonlight Petaling Street Community festival, 2012.
Merdeka Fest 2012 : Goodbye KL
The aim is to draw attention to the unique historical and cultural landscape in the area and the need to cherish our common heritage.
There are many events lined up: stay at Hotel Lok Ann; last food order at Yook Hoo Hin Restaurant (the last traditional Chinese Dim Sum restaurant in Petaling Street area) ; informative talks and forums; food and architectural walks; film and video screenings; art and creative documentation; music and performances; cycling etc.
These events hope to invite people and tourist back to enjoy the city before more memorable heritage buildings and places disappear in the name of development. This event is a goodbye as well as a plea to protect our much loved and also, time-worn parts of KL – especially Tunku Park (demolished), Chin Woo Stadium, Merdeka Stadium, Stadium Negara, parts of Jalan Sultan/ Jalan Petaling/ Jalan Tun HS Lee/ Jalan Hang Kasturi/ Jalan Hang Jebat.
(Text Resource: Merdeka Fest 12′ Facebook Event Info)
Gotong Royong Day
*The idea of Gotong Royong is sharing of burdens between the member of community.
On the 09 September 2012, as part of the Petaling Street Community Art Project, a Gotong-Royong Day was organised with the support from the KL City Council (DBKL), Alam Flora, Persatuan Penjaja & Peniaga Kecil Kuala Lumpur, KL Gospel Hall, schools, shops and community members to collectively clean up the heritage streets (Jalan Hang Lekir, Jalan Petaling, Jalan Sultan, Jalan Hang Jebat and Lorong Hang Jebat).
This participatory community program allowed the participants and various stakeholders to get to know each other better and recognize the shared responsibility of the Petaling Street preservation. It was also a worthwhile effort to rekindle the community identity in order to create a safer and cleaner community for everyone. And it also aimed to raise awareness in the public on improving the health and cleanliness issue in cultural heritage sites. Furthermore, the program also hopes to revive the culture of Gotong-Royong which is evidently fading especially in the urban area among the younger generation.
Special Thanks to
Oloiya + 3nity + all participants in this event
916 A Century of Moonlight
In conjunction of the Malaysia Day on the 16 September 2012, PSCAP continued with the artivism campaign to organise a community art event called A Century of Moonlight in Petaling Street.
The event had yet again managed to pull in a large crowd which rejuvenated the old streets and reminded everyone that the struggle to protect Petaling Street must continue with consistent participation and support from all stakeholders and the members of the public.
Date: 16 September 2012
Time: 8am – 11pm
Venue:
Program 1 – Tour : Yan Keng Benevolent Dramatic Association
Program 2 -PSCAP Space Launch : 8C, Jalan Panggung (3rd floor)
Program 3 – Classic Cultural Performances : Chan She Shu Yuan
Program 4 – Moon Walk: old site of Chik Shin Tong, Jalan Sultan
Organizer: Petaling Street Community Art Project
Co-organizers:
KL Hawkers and Petty Traders Association
KL Gospel Hall
Life S-O-A-R Resources Centre
Selangor & KL Wui Leng Association
Chan She Shu Yuen Clan Association
3nity Design
Sponsors:
Oloiya
Hotel Lok Ann
Kim Lian Kee Restaurant
Supported by:
Yan Keng Benevolent Dramatic Association
Special Thanks to:
The great team of volunteer who participated in this event
Life Drawing
Culture & Heritage Tour
PSCAP Space Launch
Performances
Moving Great Wall
118 Towers for WHO?
Flash Mob Jalan Sultan
Photo Credits: Liew Chee Heai & Tan Chee Hon
Artivism + Guerilla Art : Heritage Preservation
Light A Lantern, Save Jalan Sultan 2013
Light A Lantern, Save Jalan Sultan 2.0
After a series of successful major public events, the Petaling Street Community Art Project continued with the momentum by organising “Light A Lantern, Save Jalan Sultan 2.0” on the 23 February 2013 in conjunction of the Chap Goh Meh celebration where once again the entire Petaling Street was disrupted and occupied by the thousands of public who came to participate and show support. The objective of the program was to use arts and culture as strategy and intervention to gather support from various stakeholders and the arts community to raise public awareness on saving the heritage streets.
The crowd started to gather as early as 5pm at various sites in Petaling Street area where there were many family activities available such as T-shirt printing and Chinese calligraphy writing. Gradually by the hour with more street performances started to take place, the number of visitors grew exponentially where they were entertained with various site-specific art performances i.e. choirs, dances, moving installations, multimedia projections, film screenings, poetry citations, modern and traditional percussion performances etc.
“Light A Lantern, Save Jalan Sultan” attracted participation from many established artists and organisations from the local arts scene such as Lee Swee Keong (Nyoba-Kan Butoh Dance Company), David Ngim (internationally acclaimed Soprano), Ng Chor Guan (award winning electronic music composer), Yii Kah Hoe (award winning contemporary music composer), Yuet Wan Cantonese Opera, Theatre Christian Fellowship KL and Bodhi Buddhist Fellowship Malaysia. Special mention to the participation from poets from Seniman Paksi Rakyat (PAKSI) and Kompang troupe from Kampung Banda Dalam community. In the event that lasted until mid-night, over 20 street performances took place and it was estimated by the local media that over 5000 spectators participated in the event.
This massive cultural action caught the raving attention of the local media and created much public discourse and pressure onto the then ruling government where the former Prime Minister Najib Razak announced Jalan Sultan to be kept as a cultural heritage site.
Artist-in-Residency Program, HK Wooferten
Residency Period
June 2013 – July 2013
Venue
WooferTen, Yau Ma Tei, HK
Exhibition
19 July – 4 August 2013
Opening + Performances
19 July 2013, 6:30pm
Talk
20 July 2013
Photo Credit: Liew Chee Heai
The Old Street of KL Photography Exhibition
Date: 28 July – 3 August 2013
Time: 10:00 – 20:00
Venue: KL Gospel Hall
Co-Organizers:
Photo – Art Institution, PSCAP, KL Gospel Hall, Life S.O.A.R
Photo Credits: Jeffrey Lum & Life S.O.A.R Resource Centre
Series Activities:
28 July 2013 |16:30 – 18:00
Old Days, Old Neigbourhood Talk & Sharing by Too Chi Cheong
29 July 2013 | 20:00 – 22:00
Street Photography Sharing Session by Khong Miaw Leong
31 July 2013 | 20:00 – 22:00
Keeping the Spirit of City by Hew Kuan Yee
2 August 2013 | 20:00 – 22:00
HK AIR Sharing – Old Street Preservation by PSCAP
3 August 2013
08:30 – 10:00
Heritage Tour by Khong Miaw Leong, Yeoh Lian Heng
10:30 – 12:30
Talk – The Changing of Old Streets
by Khong Miaw Leong, Yeoh Lian Heng
17:00 – 19:00
The History of Jalan Sultan Community by KL Gospel Hall
Heritage Tour
Sharing + Exhibition
Talk & Sharing Sessions
Oral History Sharing Session
by Phoon Yuen Ming
Hong Kong-Malaysia Community Conservation Work
by YC Chen
YC is a HK and MY culture studies scholar, ex-associate professor in the Department of Cultural Studies at Lingnan University HK, Founder of Mobile Democracy Classrooms during Occupy Central (HK) and he then established “Umbrella University”.
Regeneration and Revitalization of Old Streets
by Zu Hua Chiu (TW)
Zu Hua Chiu, a pioneer in the preservation of historical sites in Taiwan, explained to the audience her journey and practical cases of Taiwan heritage preservation. Chiu is the secretary-general of the Taiwan Historical Resource Managers Association and serves as a municipal consultant to the Taipei City Government. Over the years, she represent herself as non-profit status and has been devoted herself to the preservation of cultural assets and introduced new concepts and technologies in Taiwan.
Asahi Art Festival Sharing Session
An exchange of Japan art & culture spaces during Merdeka Fest 2012.
Special thanks to: Japan Foundation KL
HK pop-up book artist Kit Lau visit
To the artist’s surprise, the conditions of Petaling Street and Jalan Sultan are very similar to Hong Kong where the old streets are facing the same fate due to the rapid changes of urban development.
Exhibition
Shan Hai Jing
A Postcard Exchange Exhibition
by Low Khay Hooi & friends
Photo Credit: Art Baiduren
Have Nice Dream Lok Ann
by Moelyono
in collaboration with
Tan Chee Hon & Race Phua Wan Hui
Photo Credit: Tan Chee Hon
Art for Grabs
PSCAP participated in Art for Grabs at Annexe Gallery, Kuala Lumpur.
This event is a popular art bazaar cum annual bookfest in the city centre which include book launches, talks, screenings of award-winning films for all art lovers. PSCAP booth has exhibited the related events in conjunction with a series of art movements throughout the years. Meanwhile, audiences were able to purchase different version of culture maps, including a stamping map (a map production of PSCAP team for Petaling Street during 916 A Century of Moonlight festival in 2012).
Special thanks to: Pang Khee Teik, Goh Lee Kwang & Annexe Gallery
