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1 comments about Insiders Kuala Lumpur.

1. I often keep my ears open for the romanticized tales behind this or that legendary man, place or building in the city I live in. And I often get more than one version.
   
   Now, with Lam Seng Fatt's portable, fact-filled reference, 'Insider's Kuala Lumpur' delving into the history behind the city's every nook and cranny, I have something to check my facts against.
   
   To get to know a city, one must go to its roots. All I knew of Kuala Lumpur was it was built on a tin-mining settlement. All I knew of the Chinese immigrant Yap Ah Loy was he was some big `tai kor,' who by sheer force of will, kept unruly Chinese gangs from tearing down the settlement. There is even a road named after him: Jalan Yap Ah Loy. But there's more here than I've previously been exposed to.
   
   'Insider's Kuala Lumpur' fine-tunes that fuzzy picture of the little, frowning Chinaman from my old Sejarah (History) book, whose contributions - opium trading, brothels, booze halls and gambling dens, tapioca plantations, flour mill, a smelting shed, tin mines, pigsties, cattle sheds and a quarry - were so significant to the economy of that mid19th century settlement the Assistant Resident, Sir Frank Swettenham believed the Kapitan Cina single-handedly kept the Chinese in the country.
   
   Apart from mass employment, he also provided a police force, a justice system, prisons, a hospital, and a market. As the town's governor, he also collected tax. At one point, he was said to have owned between 1/3 and 2/3 of all Kuala Lumpur, and was the richest if not the most influential man. Consider the fact that if contribution were the criteria by which to determine the founder of a city, Yap Ah Loy could go unchallenged.
   
   The rags-to-riches tales of the first generation Chinese immigrants were astounding. After Yap Ah Loy, another Chinaman was to become the richest man of his era, leaving behind when he died in 1917, a net worth of RM20 mil. This man also left behind a mansion in Jalan Medan Tuanku named after him. Because of a girl, a bicycle seller became a tycoon. Jalan Ampang's most famous love story is embodied in the Renaissance-styled Bok House facing the Wisma Selangor Dredging Building, today. Their stories are told here.
   
   There are many interesting insights into the life that was before. Apparently, long before the Federal Highway was built, it took a man 3 days to row a sampan upriver from Klang to Kuala Lumpur during the monsoons. Between 10 to 15 during the dry months. Nowadays, it will only take 20min behind the wheel of a Kancil. Your grandfather wasn't exaggerating if he told you that in the `30s, you could get a mug of coffee for 3sen at the Coliseum - a mug so big it could be shared with two other friends. And yes, Petaling Street really did once sell turtle and anteater soups, iguana and squirrel meats and even stir-fried dog.
   
   Every major and minor historical city landmark you can think is covered: The Old Railway Station; Selangor Club; Pudu Jail; Chow Kit Road; The Lake Gardens; Carcosa Seri Negara.
   
   Some stories are more comprehensively told, others less so. Here's where I start my complaint. There are chapters that read like teasers. Maybe it's to do with too many facts, too many directions. So, they don't always tie up neatly, creating a sense of expectation without the hope of fulfillment, which can be very unsatisfying for any reader. I can only hope these were attempts at teasers to stir-up an appetite for Insider's 'Kuala Lumpur 2', which will provide closure to where there wasn't before, in addition to more fascinating true tales. However, with the dearth of current historical books today, and overlooking that one complaint, this is still a welcome addition to my shelf.
   
   'Insider's Kuala Lumpur' comes with maps, color photographs, travel information and author's recommendations on where to eat. Lam Seng Fatt is an assistant editor at The Star, a leading Malaysian newspaper. He is also author of Through The Lens, a photography book.

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