A symbol of hard work and persistence

Treasured past: Glenn (right) with (from left) his sister Laura Angela and father, James at James

MORE of a diplomat than a fighter.

That is how Glenn Yap describes his great, great grandfather, Yap Ah Loy.

While not many KL-ites are fully aware of the contributions of the third Kapitan Cina of the city, his stories remain vivid in the minds of his descendants today.

Glenn, one of Yap’s fifth generation descendants, says he has always admired Yap for being able to handle all the challenges that came his way, including the Selangor Civil War and other battles.

“It is my sincere hope that all Malaysians will recognise that this man helped build Kuala Lumpur, setting up fundamental public amenities and sowing the seeds for the city to grow to what it is in the present day,” says the unit trust agent in his 40s during an interview.

Glenn’s father, James Yap Mook San, said he hopes that more could be done to honour the Kapitan Cina, even though Kuala Lumpur’s landscape has grown by leaps and bounds since Yap’s days.

“As I walk through the streets of Kuala Lumpur these days, I feel a mix of sadness and joy.

“Much has changed since his time, of course, but the groundwork of the city’s development was carved by Yap,” says the 79-year-old father of two.

Glenn suggests that a main road in Kuala Lumpur could be named after Yap as a meaningful way to remember his contribution in the city’s history.

“The Sin Sze Si Ya Temple near Central Market was founded by him and should also be gazetted as a heritage site,” Glenn says.

Aside from that, Glenn, his family and Chinese associations are continuously trying to preserve memories of Yap’s contributions so that they do not fade with time.

Every year in April or May, a memorial ceremony to commemorate Yap’s contributions to society is held by a group of 25 Chinese clan associations and business groups.

Earlier this month, the annual event was held at the Kwong Tong Cemetery in Bukit Petaling, where Yap is buried. (He died at the age of 48, believed to be due to respiratory or heart complications.)

The memorial ceremony organising committee chairman Datuk Kevin Lai Tak Kuan says the event is normally held around the Qing Ming Festival (known as Tomb Sweeping Day or the Chinese All Souls Day).

“It has been about 160 years since Yap first arrived in Kuala Lumpur. Before that, he worked in Melaka and Negri Sembilan,” says Lai.

He explains that the committee wants to keep Yap’s name alive and promote his contributions to young Malaysians, who may not be aware of this significant figure in Kuala Lumpur’s history.

“Plans are in the pipeline to work with Pos Malaysia to come up with commemorative stamps and first day covers featuring images of Yap,” he says.

But before such stamps can be produced, Pos Malaysia says approval must be obtained from its regulatory agencies – the Communications and Multimedia Ministry and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission.

In the meantime, Lai says the committee is also working together with the Chinese government to set up a commemorative museum to honour Yap at his birthplace in Huizhou.

While the Hakka clan association has raised about RM1mil to finance the construction of the memorial in China, the local government there has also agreed to pledge some funds to contribute to the cost.

“We are also reaching out to Chinese schools to educate them about Yap’s contributions to society. Students are also invited to our annual memorial ceremony,” Lai says.

Calling Yap a great leader, he says the Kapitan serves as a symbol and inspiration to all hardworking Malaysians who want to succeed in life.

“Kuala Lumpur was hit by massive floods and fires but Yap persisted and stayed on to make sure the town recovered.

“He also promoted harmony among the races because he knew that peace among the multi-racial society here was key to Kuala Lumpur’s development,” Lai says.

Concurring with Lai, Glenn says Yap was a hospitable man who was very good in dealing with all kinds of people.

It was also in his nature to be industrious and enterprising, he says.

“When he left China for Malaya, he worked in the Lukut tin mine first before he came to Kuala Lumpur.

“He was paid to be a cook at the mine but gradually saved enough money to start a small pig farm,” Glenn says.

Another lesser known story about Yap is that he introduced an early system of law and order in the old days of Kuala Lumpur, imposing penalties for offences.

“He introduced very strict rules to curb crime. It was believed that if you were a thief, you would be made to carry your stolen goods and parade them around town to be shamed and so that others would learn not to steal,” says Glenn.

He adds that Yap had also offered rewards to his men if they successfully defeated their enemies.

If they died in battle, their next-of-kin would be given some money as a gesture of support and gratitude.

Although it has been 132 years since Yap’s death, Glenn says Malaysians can still learn from what he has done.

“His qualities as a skilled mediator and hardworking man can be emulated by all Malaysians,” he says.