My Time….Chinese temple in Malaysia / 馬來西亞神廟文化.

Kapitan Yap Ah Shak Memorial / 甲必丹葉亞石墓園.

Location:- Kuala Lumpur.

Kapitan Cina Yap Ah Shak was born Yap Chee Ying / Yap Zhi Ying / 叶致英 in Xinan, Guangdong province, China. He was the fourth Kapitan Cina of Kuala Lumpur. He arrive at Lukut from china and was involved in trading, farming and common gaming businesses.

In the 1860s, Clashes broke out between the local Malay chieftain over some taxation dispute and minings rights in Sungai Ujong. The then kapitan cina of Sungai Ujong Shen Ming Li / 甲必丹盛明利 in support of one of the chieftain was captured and slain during the uprising. The local business community then elected Yap ah Shak whom was already an influential businessman to be next Kapitan of Sungai Ujong. It was said that Ah Shak was a man of business with no taste for political adventures. After holding the position for a short time, he soon passes the Kapitanship to Yap Ah Loy / 葉亞來 whom was a close friend and once a trusted employee of Sheng Ming Li. Yap ah Loy held the position for a few years but decided to venture to kuala lumpur for better prospect.

Yap Ah Shak and Yap Ah Loy were close allied since the time of Sungai Ujong. So when Yap Ah Loy receive his kapitanship in kuala lumpur, he invited Yap Ah Shak to assist in his business and also to help administered the new establish town.

Probably due to Kapitan Yap Ah Loy / 甲必丹葉亞來 invitations, Yap Ah Shak decided to moves to Kuala Lumpur in 1870. He started a few mining business and at the same time was helping in Yap Ah Loy’s administration. Yap Ah Shak was made the Justice Administrator. He would sit in as the magistrates for minor crimes committed. He also ventured into multiple Mining and other business around Selangor and Kuala Lumpur making him one of the riches man in Kuala Lumpur. He is said to have negotiated with the British government to provided better work benefits and more land for mining purposes.

After Yap ah Loy passed away, Yap ah Shak was appointed the Kapitan of Kuala Lumpur in 1885. He became a member of the Selangor State Council replacing the late Yap ah Loy. He was also appointed to head the Hai San society / 海山 in Selangor. In 1886, He founded the The Miner’s Association of Selangor and it was also known to be one of the earliest association formed by the Chinese in Selangor.

Kapitan Yap Ah Shak passes away in 1889. A website stated that he died on July 4th but I have got no way to verify this.

Based on information obtain from the national archive, Kapitan Yap ah Shak remains were exhumed in 1972 from another location (could not obtain the exact whereabouts but presumedly at GuangDong Cemetery in Kuala Lumpur) and reinterred into this current location.

To this day, there is still a road in kuala lumpur which is named after him. It is called Jalan Yap Ah Shak and even after more than a century, his final resting place today is still overlooking the town he once helped administered.

Due to the limited information pertaining the kapitan, the above information are complied from hearsay, internet and newspapers. The accuracy is at doubt. Do leave a comment if you got more information regarding this topic. If you wish to visit this place, please leave nothing other than your foot print.

Below:- Pictures taken in 1972 before the exhumation. Photo by the late TAN SRI DATUK HAJI MUBIN SHEPPARD from the National Archive of Malaysia.

Kapitan Yap Ah Shak Memorial / 甲必丹葉亞石墓園 – My Time – my.72dragon.com – Cataloging Chinese temples in Malaysia / 記錄馬來西亞廟宇文化.

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