Loke Yew Memorial / 陸佑墓園.
Visiting this place was a task. We spend about an hour locating for the entrance to this location. Since this place is located inside the MINDEF Malaysia compound, getting in was a bit of an issue.
Born in 9 October 1845 in Dong Jiang village of Heshan, a Guangdong Province in China, Wong Loke Yew (黃陸佑) was a famous businessman and philanthropist during the British Malaya era. He was also once the riches man in Malaya. He passes away on 24 February 1917 in Malaya due to malaria.
There is even a road name after him which is called Jalan Loke Yew that still exist till today.
This location is the Loke Yew family graves. The area was once known as Hawthornden Estate. Buried here is Loke Yew himself, his wife (from the Lim family who passed away in 1912) Loke Wan Huai (died 1941) and Loke Wan Tho and wife (died 1964)
The tomb on the highest ground belongs to Loke Yew. In front of it’s tomb is the bronze statue. Following that would be his wife grave and at the bottom would be the two graves of its sons. It is reported that this place was probably design and build around 1927.
There is also a bronze statue of Loke Yew in this memorial and a pavilion. The pavilion is called Tsui Lan Memorial Hall / Cui Lan Ji Nian Tang (翠蘭紀念堂). Much of this place was build with feng shui principle. The tomb/grave was build following the traditional Fujian style design guarded with crafted imperial guardian lions. Unfortunately, I notice that the pearl that is suppose to be in the mouth has been stolen. The offering table on the tomb has also been desecrated.
What I would really like to know is… Who did the feng shui of this place back then. Or to have some really old photos where I could understand it’s layout more. Please email me or do leave a comment if you have some information to share.
Below:- Loke’s grave.
Below:- Surrounding feature.
Below:- Things that has been desecrated. Lions with missing pearl.
Below:- Dato and Datin Loke Wan Tho memorial plaque.
Below:- Tsui Lan Memorial Hall / Cui Lan Ji Nian Tang (翠蘭紀念堂).
-: part of an email from Mr Peter Biggadike an ex-member of the 656 SQUADRON. Many thanks to him, I was granted the permission to post these great photos. Do visit his website here.
“It would have been about July 1957. I had only just arrived at KL and I was only 18 years old at the time. I had never been out of England before so everything was very strange to me. I went for a walk on my own one weekend behind the airstrip. At the time the land there was mainly old tin mine workings (where we used to swim) and just small trees and bushes. I can remember following a large water pipe when I saw the “Temple” on a small hill. I didn’t know if I should be there but it looked such a beautiful place I just had to get a photo. So I climbed up to it and quickly took my photo’s and left. I had no idea what it was although I asked many friends over the years no one else seemed to know about it until a very old friend told me about 6 years ago.
The camera I used was an English make called a PERIFLEX. Unfortunately the shutter failed because of the heat and humidity a few weeks later. So I saved up hard until I could afford a second hand LEICA in Singapore. The rest of my old Far East pictures were taken with that”
THANKS PETE.
Below :- Tsui Lan Memorial Hall / Cui Lan Ji Nian Tang 1957
Below:- View from inside the Memorial hall.
Below:- The airstrip at RAF NOBLEFIELD. Pete’s quote “The actual airstrip was little more than 400 yards long. It wasn’t concrete just packed earth. Our aircraft operated all over Malaya from strips like that. Sometimes using roads for take off and landing.”
My Time – my.72dragon.com – A web blog cataloging chinese temples in malaysia / 記錄馬來西亞廟宇文化.
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Hi
I just found your photo’s of the memorial of Loke Yew. I was amazed to see the third photo down your page as being the very view I photographed in 1957!
I only have about 4 photo’s of the memorial site but you may wish to see them so please email me.
I was stationed at the nearby RAF airstrip of Noblefield (I think the Malaysian Army Museum is now on that site as I paid a visit in 2001)There is nothing remaining of the airstrip now.
If you go to my website you will see some photo’s of Noblefield and one of the Loke Yew pavillion. I refer to it as a Chinese temple because until recently I had no idea it was a memorial!
I look forward to hearing from you.
Regards
Pete
Hi Pete,
I am very happy to hear from you and I find your website very interesting especially those old photos that you have taken during the hard time of Malaya. I would be very interested in the said photos that you have. + Any old photos of Chinese temple in malaya back then would be nice. I will personally send you an email for correspondence.
Wow! And there still stands the memorial hall in all it’s splendour 54 years later!
Surely to goodness this tremendous area of Malay history should be preserved before it’s too late!
Yup. It still stands. According to Wiki, this place has been refurbish before by the granddaughters or daughters. I fully agree on the preserving part. 🙂
Brilliant SLim many thanks, I hope you get more responses and photo’s.
You’re welcome. Many thanks to you too. 🙂
Awesome, One word to described it all. a sincere Thank You to those who contributed to this entry. I like retro .
If I would like to visit the place. Do we need to applied for permit to visit?
Hi Ryan,
Will email You.
Very interesting place.It was my school’s cross country route in 1969.
Since then I am unable to locate the place and would like to show my children.
How do I get in since it is now in a military compound.
Do I ask from the Main Mindef or the entrance near Jalan Genting Klang?
Interestingly though, during our cross country in 1996 it was in our route too. I was in standard 6 at that time and was surprised to see a majestic place like that being tucked away like that. Never expected a place like that in the mindef compound. I was a student at sk desa tun hussein onn.
could you please take the
last fifth picture from below of this article
from same angle as the picture in 1957?
Hi Syathir,
The last picture was an arial view taken from a plane. I doubt i could replicate that. i think at the moment, you gonna have to use google earth to that. BTW, the airstrip is no more there.
Hi…i stayed at Tmn Keramat during my childhood years. Been there few times with friends in 1990’s. That time you can still see the place from Setiawangsa. Before there was Desa Tun Hussein Onn and other condo/apartment project, it is actually a hill where we can climb, but you have to trekking along long ‘lallang’ to go up the hill. Since the entrance thru Mindef is difficult to access, we always use this route to go there. Quite suprpised that it still exist. We thought that it was demolished after the Desa Tun Hussein Onn project and we cannot view the hill anymore.
Hi Myadmin,
Kindly please inform of your next visit to the memorial.
Best regards
Hi Thomas, Will send you a email when i plan to do a re-trip. Could you tell me why would you want to visit this place? Are you in anyway related to Loke Yew?
Hi
If you planning to revisit the place please let me know. Would like to take picture of the place.
Hi Ryan, Will Do,
Hi,
My late auntie (she was the second wife of Alan Loke) once took me up to the memorial when I was a kid then. At that time, the only accessible route up is from Setapak via Jalan Ayer Panas.
Hi Bro, there used to be Loke’s villa on top the hill above his grave, I was a kampung boy around the hill area and we used to picnic up there once a while when we get bored…I have some photos from my scout friends, how do I email them to you? cheers
Ganesh, It sounded long time ago. Could you please tell us when or on what year did you last visited the place with the villa been around. The last time i’ve visited, there nothing that suggest a villa used to be there.
We also receive the photo send by you but we find it unsuitable for the post at the moments. We curretly have an idea on what to do with the photos. Give us a bit of time to R&D and check back again soon.
Thanks.
UPDATE:
Hi, I’ve added the photos you’ve send to your earlier comment. It would be good if you could provide description of the photos.
Hi bro, the last time I was up the hills at Loke Yew’s villa was back in 1987, the villa is located on top a hill elevated about 300feet above his grave,the villa itself was shrouded in mystery as nobody seems to know if it was ever been completely built or have ever been occupied by Loke Yew’s clan and nobody know why it’s been abandoned, and as Amir commented above, during the 80’s the villa on top the hill was a visible landmark from surroundings of Mindef, Kampung Loke Yew, Taman Keramat and Setapak area, unfortunately the hill and villa have been demolished and levelled up for developments!
hi, Thanks for the great info. Was there 6 photos or just 3 that you’ve send? Describing whos on the picture would also be helpful. Thanks
Selamat! As a small boy in the 1950’s I used to live in HQ Malaya – now MINDEF. Our house was on the north-west boundary of the camp and I used to go walking around the tin mine lakes, and down to the RAF Noble Field airstrip, which was just near our house. I never knew about this memorial; can you explain exactly where it was / where it is located? Can you place it on a Google map?
I love your website – absolutely fascinating.
Hi, Thanks for the compliments. To prevent desreration to this place, i was informed by its decendants to keep its location private. BUT if you could still remember the location of RAF Noble Field, you would see this tomb on Google Map today. CHeers
Thanks Admin – I think I can locate Noble Field on Google Map so will have a look….or a Loke?
I was involved in the historical research into the Loke Yew Mansion at Medan Tuanku just prior to the most recent restoration. I am interested in all buildings connected to (Wong) Loke Yew. Loke Yew’s office on Cross Roads (Jalan Silang) was the HQ of his business empire and was purchased used by a series of taukehs in the belief that their business would grow. This historical well-maintained shophouse has just been vacated for the first time since it was built due to the escalating immigrant crime rate on Jalan Silang (murders, gang fights, etc) and rumour has it that a Bangladeshi entrepreneur is negotiating to lease this historical building and adapt it into a budget Bangladeshi restaurant! The heritage features of this building would be drastically degraded if the building becomes a low end restaurant for immigrants.
Hi Thomas,
I assume that your late aunt was related by blood to you and not by marriage. I am related to Alan Loke. Which sibling of your late aunt are you a descendant of (she had multiple siblings from my records)?
Tanster
Hi Andrew,
Where, exactly, do you mean by “Cross Roads (Jalan Silang)”? I can find a Jalan Silang but I can’t find any street nearby named “Cross Roads”.
Tanster
Cross Street was the old name. It was changed to Jalan Silang in the 1970s and later to Jalan Tun Tan Siew Sin (current name).
The property is question has been rented out and turned into a general goods store. The facade has been altered somewhat by the new tenant.
hi bro,
if you do have a plan to visit, do add me in. or probably we should include the mansion that is now refurbished and let us pay respect to the great man once upon a time … and now jalan loke yew
Hi Admin. I grew up and live in the nearby area. As a growing boy in the early 80’s i used to be able to see the bungalow from my parents house and also from now known as Jalan Jelatek. Always wanted to go visit it but never had the opportunity. And with the developement of Seri Maya condo, Desa Hussein Onn i thought it’s entirely gone. Would like to visit the memorial if possible.
Would appreciate much if you could reply this note. Thank you and Regards.
Hi Azrul,
Will send an email to you on my next intended visit.
Regards.
keep me posted too. thanks.
Keat….will do..cheers.
Hi Admin,
Please keep me in the loop if you plan your next visit to this place. Would really wanna see with my own eyes as my parent always tell me there is a someone grave up the hill when passing by there.
Hi
I’m researching Loke Yew’s buildings, particularly his residences. Please allow me to join your next visit to the Memorial Hall. Thanks.
Hi, I am a researcher of Chinese Metaphysics and Historical Architecture. Would be glad if you would let me know your next trip there, if any? Thanks in advance 🙂