Before the mid-nineteenth century, Kuala Lumpur was still covered by unexplored jungle. In 1857, the Malay chief, Raja Abdullah, was lent 87 Fui Chiu Chinese from his brother to explore the tin mines in Ampang, but only 18 of them survived from the attacks of diseases and wild animals. His brother then sent a second group of about 150 Chinese miners to assist in the tin mining activities. Among the pioneer settlers were two Chinese traders, Hiu Siew and Yap Sze, who started their business near the confluence of the two rivers of Klang and Gombak. Two years later, the first batch of tin produced from Kuala Lumpur finally was shipped to Klang.

As the surrounding tin was gradually explored, Kuala Lumpur began to prosper. In 1861, Hiu Siew was appointed as the first Kapitan Cina of Kuala Lumpur.

In the earliest historical records, there were four leaders who played a key role in Kuala Lumpur’s settlement history, Raja Abdullah, Kapitan Hiu Siew, Yap Sze and Sutan Puasa.

Raja Abdullah
Raja Abdullah was a royal family member from Riau and was given the right to govern the Klang area, after becoming the son-in-law of the Selangor Sultan, Muhammad Shah. He died in 1869 in Melaka after a failed counter-attack on Klang during the Selangor Civil War.

Kapitan Hiu Siew
Hailing from Fui Chiu, China, Hiu Siew was once a businessman in Lukut. Under the recommendation of Sutan Puasa, Hiu Siew came to Kuala Lumpur with Yap Sze to sell foodstuff and daily necessities as well as purchased tin ore. They were the first Chinese businessmen to arrive in Kuala Lumpur. The location of their shops and stores was known as the “Three Trading Houses”. In 1861, Hiu Siew was appointed as the first Chinese Kapitan of Kuala Lumpur.

Yap Sze
Yap Sze came from Fui Chiu, China, and collaborated with Hiu Siew to operate a tin mine in Lukut. Later, they came to Kuala Lumpur for business and established the “Three Trading Houses”. Afterwards, he went to Kanching and operate the tin mines. During the Selangor Civil War, he sent help to assist Yap Ah Loy and was later attacked by Chong Chong and Ka Ying Hakka in Kanching, and died on February 25, 1869. After his death, he was worshipped as the deity “Sze Si Ya” in Sin Sze Si Ya Temple, Kuala Lumpur.

Sutan Puasa
Sutan Puasa was originally from Sumatra. When the Padri War broke out in Sumatra in 1837, Sutan Puasa moved to the Malay Peninsula with his followers and established a settlement on the upper Klang River. He was a businessman in Ampang and was the leader of the Mandailing people, leading villagers to build canals, open forests and plant paddy. He had good relations with the Chinese leaders in Kuala Lumpur, supplying food stuff to Chinese miners. He assisted Yap Ah Loy to fight in wars, but later joined the enemy camp. He died in 1908 and was buried in a Muslim cemetery on Ampang Road.

Coming from different places, these four pioneers laid the foundations for the future development of Kuala Lumpur.

First Phase:
Before telling story about the war, dear visitors, please have a look on this early map of Selangor. In the early period of the Selangor Sultanate, there were no clear borders on indicating the territories. The Sultanate’s jurisdiction was based on the five rivers controlled by the Sultanate. The Sultan would bestow each river to members of his family. As the chieftains of these rivers, these rajas ruled over the Malay communities residing along the rivers and managed all economic activities within the river territories. 

In the early days, tin mining in Selangor was carried out using the traditional method and production was limited. The output of tin mining gradually increased in the mid-19 century, with the entry of Chinese miners. Later, the Malay Chiefs fought over taxation rights, the Chinese miners fought over mining rights, and the Malay royal family competed for the throne after the death of Sultan Muhammad in 1857, which triggered the outbreak of the Selangor Civil War from 1866 to 1873. The appointment of Raja Abdullah as the chief of Klang triggered the dissatisfaction of Raja Mahadi, the grandson of the late Sultan, which led to war. Raja Abdullah was defeated, and Raja Mahadi declared himself as the ruler of Klang.

Second Phase:
After Raja Mahadi ruled Klang, he turned against the Sultan of Selangor. The Sultan appointed his son-in-law, Tengku Kudin, who was also a member of the royal family of Kedah, as the Viceroy of Selangor. After the death of Liu Ngim Kong in 1868, Yap Ah Loy was appointed as the Kuala Lumpur Kapitan by Raja Mahadi, but was opposed by Chong Chong, his former superior in Lukut. Chong Chong joined forces with the Ka Ying people from Kanching to overthrow Yap Ah Loy, but was unsuccessful. Raja Ismail, son of Raja Abdullah, formed an alliance with Tengku Kudin and finally defeated Raja Mahadi

Third Phase:
After Yap Ah Loy serve as Kuala Lumpur Kapitan. He increased the number of his followers to maintain law and order. He also maintains a good relationship with the Sultan of Selangor and Tengku Kudin. Soon after, Chong Chong alliance with Syed Mashhor from Borneo and attack Yap Ah Loy in 1870. At first, Yap Ah Loy won the battle of Ampang but then he was besiege in Kuala Lumpur and flee to Klang. With the help of Pahang and Kedah led by Tengku Kudin and new recruit from China. Syed Mashhor finally was defeated which brought an end to the Selangor Civil War. The Selangor Viceroy Tengku Kudin reappointed Yap Ah Loy as Chinese Kapitan.

In the south of Selangor is the state of Negeri Sembilan, which is made up of nine districts, one of which is Sungai Ujong. According to the records of British officials, Sungai Ujong was rich in tin. It attracted about 1,000 Chinese miners to work under nine companies as early as 1828. The second group Chinese miners from Melaka toward Sungai Ujong were Hakka, originally from Fui Chiu and Ka Ying, and belonging to the Hai San and Ghee Hin kongsi respectively. The leader of the Hai San was Kapitan Seng Meng Lee, assisted by Liu Ngim Kong and Yap Ah Loy. In 1860, a conflict broke out between two local chiefs of Sungai Ujong, Dato’ Kelana and Dato’ Bandar, who fought over the taxation of tin. The Chinese kongsi also allied with different local chiefs. Kapitan Seng Meng Lee, the leader of the Fui Chiu in Sungai Ujong, was killed by his enemy. Later, Seng Meng Lee was ordained as the Sin Si Ya deity. The Sungai Ujong War lasted for half a year, causing heavy casualties, including Chinese tin miners.

Next, dear visitors, please have a look on two old photographs showcasing an early tin mine in Sungai Ujong (now Seremban) as well as the exterior view of the Rasah police station in Sungai Ujong in 1878.

In 1864, Yap Ah Loy invited Seng Meng Lee’s spirit from Rasah to Kuala Lumpur. In 1868, Yap Ah Loy replaced Liu Ngim Kong as the third Kapitan of Kuala Lumpur. By this time Kuala Lumpur gradually formed a permanent settlement.

Ladies and gentlemen, now please shift your gaze to the Kuala Lumpur landscape model from 1875. This model was created by the artist Lim Pui Wan.

At this time in Kuala Lumpur, it can be said that Kuala Lumpur belongs to Yap Ah Loy. All the administrative affairs of Kuala Lumpur are managed by Yap Ah Loy alone.

After the end of the Selangor Civil War, Kuala Lumpur began to recover under the leadership of Yap Ah Loy.

Hiu Siew and Yap Sze set up the first Chinese settlement in Kuala Lumpur, three shacks (known as the Three Trading Houses) on the high ground where the two rivers met, selling food supplies and buying tin ores. They constructed a road connecting the Kuala Lumpur riverbank to the mining area. This road was located on Cross Road (Jalan Silang) now known as Tun Tan Siew Sin Road.

The market is the centre of commercial and economic activity during that time. When Swettenham visited the old market in 1875, he described it as: “a very insecure shed.” Between the market and the river “stands a huge Gambling Booth of jungle rollers roofed with attaps, in which literally all day and all night long, gambling is pursued by a crowd of often excited Chinese and Malays.” In addition, there were also opium dens, brothels, a Chinese medicine hall, hardware shops and grocery shops around the area, and this was the city centre at the time.

Yap Ah Loy’s house was located right in front of the market. It was the most decent wooden house in Kuala Lumpur at the time. It was turned into a brick house in 1884. The house was the administrative centre of Kuala Lumpur, where Yap Ah Loy held meetings with his followers and made decisions.

It is said that Yap Ah Loy, near his residence, built the earliest Hui Zhou Company by the riverside, providing a place for fellow countrymen to stay when they arrived in Kuala Lumpur.

Ladies and gentlemen, have you noticed a small thatched shrine in the backyard of Yap Ah Loy’s residence? It is a very interesting place! In the early days, this shrine was dedicated to Guanyin deity. In 1864, Yap Ah Loy invited the spirit of Seng Meng Lee from Rasah to be worshipped in this shrine. This small shrine was later relocated and reconstructed, becoming the present-day Kuala Lumpur Sin Sze Si Ya Temple. As for the deities enshrined in this shrine and the legendary stories associated with it, we will eagerly await in the second part.