This article first appeared in City & Country, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on December 25, 2023 - January 7, 2024
The country’s history dates back to the Sultanate of Malacca, which was around 1400 AD. At the time of its glory, the sultanate’s territories covered most of the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra. According to the Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit, Malacca fell into the hands of the Portuguese in 1511. After that, it fell into the hands of the Dutch in 1641 and the British in 1824 through the Anglo-Dutch Treaty.
Sabah and Sarawak were put under the rule of the North Borneo Company and the Rajahs respectively. Both territories were ceded to the British Crown Colony after World War II.
Since the formation of Malaysia in 1963, the country has seen rapid urbanisation and industrialisation. Many towns have thrived and stood the test of time. Some of these towns have retained their old names. This photo gallery, showcasing some of the old towns, will be nostalgic for some and eye-opening for many.
All historical information were derived from books, journals and official websites, including The Towns of Malaya: An Illustrated Urban History of the Peninsula Up to 1957 by Dr Neil Khor, Mariana Isa and Maganjeet Kaur; The Early Development of Kuching (1820 - 1857) by Craig A Lockard; and From Gaya To Jesselton: A Preliminary Study On The Establishment Of A Colonial Township by Danny Wong Tze Ken.
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur dates back to the 1820s, starting as a trading post to serve the tin mining industry in Ampang.
In 1857, two brothers brought in 87 Chinese workers to open up the entire Ampang area for mining. They landed at the confluence of the Gombak and Klang rivers and carried out large-scale mining activities that led to wealth and success. Sutan Puasa, who had Mandailing ethnicity, was the main trader in Ampang and he later invited two other traders, Hiu Siew and Ah Sze, to Kuala Lumpur. The trio supplied essential items required by the miners and helped export tin in 1859.
The Selangor Civil War in 1867 saw the shutting down of many mines in Kuala Lumpur. Then, Yap Ah Loy came into the picture. Appointed as Kapitan Cina by Raja Mahadi in June 1869, he undertook most of the rebuilding of Kuala Lumpur as he owned most of the town’s real estate.Yap was involved in all aspects of the commercial activities of early Kuala Lumpur including the main market as well as licensing of brothels, casinos and drinking saloons.
However, in 1875, the world tin price fell due to new low-cost production in Australia. Fortunately, there was an upturn in the market in 1878 as demand for tin grew worldwide. With the boom, Kuala Lumpur’s population increased as well.
After a fire devastated a large part of the town in 1881, houses and buildings were built with bricks and tiles by the British Resident of Selangor, Sir Frank Swettenham.
By 1886, Kuala Lumpur was connected to Klang by railway and, by the following year, it had 518 brick buildings and mines in the outlying areas of Ampang, Batu, Petaling and Pudu. By 1909, the railway line had been extended to Penang and Johor Bahru.
Kuala Lumpur’s location in the centre of Peninsular Malaysia was a decisive factor in its selection as the capital of the Federated Malay States (FMS) in 1896. The town’s modernisation was paid for by the tin mining industry, which grew tremendously between 1880 and 1910.
In the 20th century, Kuala Lumpur enjoyed another boom owing to its large-scale rubber production. In the post-war period, its position was further enhanced when it became the capital of the Federation of Malaya, which was formed in 1948.
Today, Kuala Lumpur serves as the cultural, financial and economic centre of Malaysia. Business districts in the state include Kuala Lumpur City Centre, Tun Razak Exchange, Bukit Bintang, Mid Valley City and KL Sentral.
Port Swettenham
Named after Sir Frank Swettenham, Port Swettenham in Klang, Selangor, was established in 1901 by the governor of the Straits Settlements. Before that, Klang’s main business area was a small fishing and farming village called Kuala Klang.
Port Swettenham was bordered by the Pandamaran road, the Aur and Langat rivers as well as the wharf frontage. The town’s earliest inhabitants were officers from the Sanitary Board, FMS Railways, Immigration and Customs departments and the police, who were relocated from different parts of Klang into new quarters built around the wharves. Contrary to popular belief, the port did not have a natural harbour. Three-quarters of it was built over a mangrove swamp, south of where the Klang River formed an estuary.
A short while after the port was opened, a severe malaria outbreak affected 60% of its workforce. In 1904, the outbreak ended and the port was in full swing again.
As Port Swettenham was located about 42km from Kuala Lumpur, it served the central region of Malaya, from Seremban to Ipoh. It started out as a service centre for coastal steamers, operating with only a few sheds, a jetty and three docks. It was able to handle ocean-going steamers from 1914.
Besides that, the port also functioned as an immigration depot, which was later expanded to become the Indian Immigration Department in 1907, following the mass recruitment of Southern Indian workers. By the 1930s, Port Swettenham was Malaya’s main labour port.
Port Swettenham was renamed Port Klang in July 1972, almost two decades after Malaysia’s independence. Today, Port Klang is the main gateway by sea into Malaysia. According to the Klang Municipal Council, it is now under the Port Klang Authority, which administers three ports in the area, namely Northport, Southpoint and Westport. Northport and Westport have been privatised and are managed as separate entities.
Sungei Patani
Sungai Petani was formerly known as Sungei Patani. It is said that a group of settlers from the Pattani district in Siam (now Thailand) started the small village along the Patani River in the early 1800s.
The village grew, along with what is now called Jalan Kuala Ketil, into a small town that became home to settlers and visitors from Southern Siam areas such as Tongkah, Setul and Pattani, as well as Malay and Chinese ethnic groups. The town could be approached from the Straits of Malacca and via the mouth of the Merbok River.
Kedah’s first British adviser made plans to develop Sungei Patani as a new British township in 1912 after the signing of the 1909 Anglo-Siamese Treaty. The new town took over from Kota Kuala Muda as the administrative centre of Kedah in 1915 and grew to become the second largest town in the state by the mid-1920s.
The town had a district office and a courthouse, as well as banks, a school, a rest house, a police station, a post office and a padang. It is famous for the Art Deco style clock tower dedicated to King George V built in 1935.
Jalan Badlishah and Jalan Pengkalan marked the eastern entrances of the town centre, which later expanded to a commercial area to the west of Jalan Ibrahim within the boundaries of Jalan Petri, Jalan Dewa, Jalan Patani, Jalan Jerai, Jalan Merbok, Jalan Padang and Jalan Mat Deli.
The town’s rapid growth as a business centre was bolstered by the completion of the Sungei Patani railway station in 1915. The town became the primary junction for the Alor Setar and Bukit Mertajam lines, which increased its trading of resources collected around the area, including tin, paddy, tapioca and rubber.
In the late 1950s, after WWII, the name of the town was changed to Sungai Petani. Today, it is the largest city in Kedah. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) also play a part in the local economy, producing everything from semiconductors and television tubes to textiles and wood products. Sungai Petani is also a booming business centre with many large malls, franchise stores and business enclaves.
Tanah Rata
Tanah Rata has been the administrative centre of Cameron Highlands, Pahang, since 1931. Supported by the highland’s commercial agriculture and tourism activities, the town is located between Gunung Beremban and Bukit Mentigi in the Bertam Valley on the Titiwangsa Range.
As Fraser’s Hill, also in Pahang, had limited areas for expansion, the FMS government searched for an alternative hill station. A Government Agricultural Experimental Station of 18ha was set up in Tanah Rata in 1925 with a focus on tea plantations and new fertilising techniques.
In 1927, entrepreneur J A Russell and veteran planter A B Milne acquired 1,619ha for their Boh Tea Estate, establishing the country’s tea industry. Other early plantation establishments in Tanah Rata were Shalimar Estate (now Bharat Group), Blue Valley Tea Estate and Mersum Estate.
Besides tea plantations, Tanah Rata’s cool mountain air also created another business opportunity. The Cameron Highlands Development Committee formalised a master plan for Tanah Rata as a recreational hub and administrative centre for plantation affairs in 1931.
Following that, the town centre was developed along the main road of Jalan Besar with the establishment of shops, tenement houses, government offices, hotels, a hospital, a market, a post office, a police station, a fire station and the town hall.
The growth of Tanah Rata was synonymous with the local tea industry. Tea sales revenue turned it into an economically self-sufficient town.
Labourers for the plantations were brought in from India and the town’s population further increased with the arrival of Chinese farmers who worked at small farms. Today, Tanah Rata’s plantations contribute almost 70% of the country’s tea supply. The farms are the main suppliers of flowers, fruits and vegetables.
Some tea plantations have been redesigned to function as tourist attractions, making Tanah Rata a popular holiday destination.
KELIAN PAUH
Located in Perak, Taiping is known for having many of the first infrastructures in the country. It started as a tin mine and was then called Kelian Pauh. The earliest tin mine was located in Larut in the 1840s.
Although the mines were in operation for many years, conflicts over mining rights led to a series of wars from 1861 to 1873. The signing of the Pangkor Engagement in 1874 not only put an end to the wars but also marked the formal involvement of the British in the Malay states. After the treaty was signed, Kelian Pauh was renamed Thaipeng, and later Taiping.
Located within one of the world’s richest alluvial tin deposits, Taiping grew rapidly as the British administration was able to garner large revenues from the mining activities.
The town was also near the coast, only 13km from the railway port of Port Weld. In fact, Taiping boasts the country’s first railway line, which was established in 1885 to link it to Port Weld. The British administration further focused on building infrastructure and implementing administrative services to serve the town’s population. Government bodies such as the Mining Board, Treasury and courthouse were established, as well as the headquarters of the state administrative departments.
In the 20th century, Taiping’s growth stagnated as the tin mines of Larut gradually declined.
Today, the heritage town is home to the country’s first zoo, the first public garden, which was established during the British rule, as well as various local businesses that have served generations.
Tanjung Penaga
The founding of George Town started with the leasing of Penang Island by Sultan Abdullah Mukarram Shah II of Kedah to the British East India Company (EIC) as military aid against Siam (now Thailand) in 1789.
Under the EIC, the island was named Prince of Wales Island. Captain Francis Light established EIC’s trading station in the northeast of the island, known as Tanjung Penaga, and renamed it George Town, after reigning monarch King George III. It became the first British colonial port town in Southeast Asia, attracting merchants from various parts of the world.
Fort Cornwallis was built to enhance the presence of the EIC and became a naval defence base during the Napoleonic Wars (1799–1815). The administrative centre was constructed on an esplanade to the west of Fort Cornwallis. By 1799, George Town had a hospital, a provost guard, sepoy lines (barracks), a commissary and a joint residence and office.
The first streets established in George Town were Light, Beach, Chulia and Pitt Streets. These streets marked the boundaries of George Town’s commercial district. Beach Street became a hub for local commerce and trade where European merchants, banks and traders set up shop.
However, George Town’s role as the main British port in the Straits of Malacca diminished with the formation of Singapore. It continued to be a local trading centre for the surrounding territories and became an immigration point for the Chinese and South Indians.
George Town attained city status in January 1957 and is a Unesco Heritage Site that is popular among tourists.
Bandar Penggaram
At the request of then-Johor ruler Sultan Abu Bakar, Dato’ Bentara Luar Salleh built a new town in Kampung Penggaram in 1893, which was known for its production of salted fish. Dato’ Bentara planned and laid out the model port town on the left bank of the Batu Pahat River and named it Bandar Penggaram in December 1894. Today, it is known as Batu Pahat.
The town featured attap buildings that housed the district office, courthouse, prison, post office and hospital, located on the main roads of Jalan Rahmat, Jalan Zabedah, Jalan Mohd Ali, Jalan Penggaram, Jalan Shahbandar and Jalan Soga. A ferry service brought vehicles and passengers from Kampung Peserai until the Batu Pahat Bridge was completed in 1967.
Batu Pahat became a hub for agriculture, iron mining and rubber. Later, coconut and palm oil were introduced. In 1920, a Japanese company obtained a licence from Sultan Ibrahim to mine iron ore in Batu Medan, 20km from Batu Pahat, while another Japanese company ventured into bauxite mining in Bukit Pasir, about 5km away. The town became the centre of the bauxite industry in the country.
After the resources were exhausted, the mines at Batu Medan were turned into a lake as part of the Batu Pahat Lake Development in 1957.
The population of Batu Pahat grew to an estimated 26,500 by 1957 but declined in the late 1950s after the bauxite industry dwindled. The town has been a manufacturing hub since the 1980s.
Malacca
In 1400, Palembang prince Parameswara was resting under a Malacca tree when a mousedeer defended itself by kicking his hunting dogs into the Bertam River (now called Melaka River). Parameswara named the fishing settlement Malacca.
Under his rule, Malacca evolved to become an international port catering to merchants from all over the world. Malacca was the main mercantile destination for a myriad of goods such as spices, pepper, gold, Chinese perfumes, silk, porcelains, cannon balls and sulphur.
The Malacca River, which runs through the town, acted as a division between the royal administrative quarter in the south and the mercantile quarter in the north.
Malacca fell under the control of the Portuguese, Dutch and British over different periods of time. The Portuguese built a fort-city, dubbed A Famosa, in 1512. The town was expanded towards Bukit Cina. With the Portuguese in power, the Muslim merchants went to trade elsewhere, reducing Malacca’s position as a global trading hub.
Under the Dutch, prominent buildings such as the Stadthuys and Christ Church were built. Dutch building regulations greatly affected the streetscapes, which can be seen in the designs of some shophouses today.
In the late 1700s, the British took over Malacca. Shifting from trade, Malacca went into planting tapioca and rubber. It was linked to the FMS Railway network in 1905. Rubber was shipped to northern Malacca, Johor and Negeri Sembilan by rail while those that were to be sent to countries such as China, Russia, Japan and Hong Kong were shipped to Singapore.
In 2017, the name of the busy tourist-oriented town was standardised to Melaka.
Jesselton
The capital city of Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, was formerly known as Jesselton. It was named after Sir Charles Jessel, the vice-chairman of the British North Borneo Company.
Jesselton was founded in 1899 to replace the Gaya Settlement on Pulau Gaya after it was destroyed after an uprising in 1897 led by warrior Mat Salleh.
Construction work began in November 1899, with land being cleared to construct shops, a wharf, wave barriers and government buildings. The colonial port became fully operational by 1900.
Besides replacing Gaya Settlement, Jesselton’s inception was also to accommodate the construction of the North Borneo Railway, which runs from the southern interiors of Sabah and along the West Coast towns. The railway, which transported local goods from the interior for export, needed a suitable exit point and Jesselton’s location fit the bill. The railway (Beaufort-Jesselton section) was completed in 1902, with the tracks extending all the way to the wharf (known as Jesselton Point today).
During World War II, Jesselton suffered massive destruction due to aerial bombings. The British North Borneo Company could not afford to repair the port and ceded it to the British Crown Colony. After reconstruction, Jesselton was made the capital city in 1946, replacing Sandakan.
In September 1967, Jesselton was renamed Kota Kinabalu. It achieved city status in 2000.
From a narrow port that had only two rows of shophouses, the capital city has grown massively, thanks to several reclamation works.
Kuching
Before James Brooke arrived, Kuching was a small Malay trading village located on the bank of the Sarawak River and was under the nominal rule of the Sultan of Brunei. When antimony was discovered in the upper Sarawak River in 1824, the sultan asked Pengiran Makota to establish a residency in Kuching. The village was an administrative centre and port for antimony mines until 1841.
Brooke entered the picture when Pengiran Hashim sought his assistance to deal with unrest among the native tribes in the area. Afterwards, Brooke became the Rajah in 1841 and made Kuching the political, social and economic capital.
His nephew Charles succeeded him in 1868. Under his rule, Charles built Fort Margherita, the courthouse complex and the old Sarawak Museum. These buildings still stand today. He also ordered the reconstruction of wooden attap houses with bricks and mortar.
The territory of Sarawak, including Kuching, suffered extensive damage in WWII. The Rajah at the time, Charles Vyner Brooke (Charles’ son) ceded the territory to the British Crown Colony.
Kuching achieved city status in 1988. Today, it continues to be the main administrative centre of the state and has developed various industries such as oil and gas, timber, palm oils, manufacturing, energy and tourism.
Save by subscribing to us for your print and/or digital copy.
P/S: The Edge is also available on Apple's App Store and Android's Google Play.