Taylor's University Bachelors of Science in Architecture Elective Course

1. PROJECT 2: INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS
Evelin Devina 0322176
Ghaida Rashad Noman 0315601
Kan Sook San 0319326
Koh Sung Jie 0318912
Ong Seng Peng 0319016
Sham Zhen Wen 0317733
Sia Hong Jie 0323506
Ricco Soh Zheng Wei 0319890
GROUP 4

2. Objectives
a. To understand the origin of growth of
illegal trade.
b. To determine how the illegal trade affect
the overall economy of Petaling Street.
c. To understand how the illegal trades
affects the culture and residents’ life.
Methods
In order to conduct a proper documentation and analysis of Petaling street, the
following methods were taken to collect the necessary information.
• Site visit:
Through observation and experience of the site, individual
perceptions and interpretations are generated.
• Questionnaires:
Surveying the visitors, locals and business owners to get
quantitative measures of the different user groups and to conduct specific
data.
• Interviews:
Interviewing the visitors, locals and business owners to get
full information of the site as well as understand the users’ points of view and
opinions.
• Review of existing data and literature review.
Significance of Study
• Investigate why are there no issues raised or actions
taken against the illegal activities happening.
• To understand the factors that introduced the
illegal activities to the site.
• Conclude the effects of illegal activities towards an
area and its surrounding.
Expected Outcomes
• To investigate where do people draw the line
between legal and criminal
• To fully analyze the cause and effects of illegal trade

3. INTERPRETATION ON PETALING STREET
Looking back at how hard the original Chinese people worked to
start and build Petaling Street with the pride of their ethnic identity,
the spirit and culture seem to have been fading away. Aside of the
big, strong entrance gate as the remembrance of the former glory and
some small footmarks left, the place seems to have lost its way in the
globalization flow.
Our point of view
Who to blame when people are just trying
to scratch some pennies from the ever-
growing desire of other people? Still,
what about the sleepless nights, effort,
and time invested in a product to build its
trademark identity, only to be stolen later
on?
Not at fault of visitors to take interest in pirated products. Content with
their own life within their financial capability, help the owners to make
their living. Yet, is it just for the creator and inventor of such branding?

4. Where are the goods originated from? Not something the community
would like to consider in their mind so long the trade business is
profitable to them, both sellers and customers.
Signboards become silent, surviving
witness of the history and exhibit mute
explanations about the soul of the place at
present.
In the middle of the hustle and bustle of the market, some people are lying
around in their small, obscure bubble. Asking for some fortune and mercy
from the fast-paced, ignorant world. Passing yet another day.

5. In an attempt to get the best in their life, people are trying to involve the
confidence and help from something that they can’t understand with
their mind alone. A new hope, guidance, relief, taking every chance
they can have to peek at the future, the time and events which are yet to
come. People are not fond of unfavoured surprises.
A humble living of a meat seller in a
low profile old market. Hidden from
the eyesight skimming, the small alley
hidden by the street creates a life capsule
of unchanging lifestyle of the people from
old times.
Making a living from the nature, the ‘Amak’ mediates the nature richness
to the people. In faithfulness delivering the treasure of the land becomes
accessible to anyone, giving some smiles to families and new strength to
continue on with life.

6. Layered on the mold inherited by many generations before, layers of clay
mask are slowly and beautifully polished. A fast glance at the street shows the
gleaming and full of colour busy market daily life, passing by the darkness
haunting, creeping in the crowd of people.
Often ignored, but not forgotten.
The struggle of the little people surviving for their own life slowly corrupts
their mind to find alleys and shortcuts to financial freedom. Even if it’s only
a temporary escape. The dark dots then slowly radiate like a ripple on the
wet mold. At a slow pace, it grows creating, supporting, and defining the
community as a whole place.
Creeping in-between the dance of colours at Petaling Street, the black stains
become one of them.

7. An open secret is allowed to exist because people turn a blind eye against
it. Even when the signs clearly say “No counterfeit products allowed”, the
merchants persist. The customers engage the sellers and provide them
business. Even more, the present police officer also turns a blind eye and
accepted the trade as natural part of Petaling Street.

8. A common sight of counterfeit and second hand
goods sold in Pasar Pakat, Petaling Street. It is a cheap
alternative for locals seeking for goods at bargain
price. As we see many fake goods sold, we have to
remind ourselves that authentic products, culture and
shops are diminishing. The local Chinese community
is gradually replaced by the faces of foreigners.
However, they do contribute to the economy by
maintaining the working sector, making this situation
a dilemma of focus between the conservation of
culture and heritage and a need for working force.
The degradation of the place leads to the degradation
of the activities carried out. The young generation has
lost interest in the place and another party replaces
them by illegal and “seemingly” legal activities. What
they are doing might not seem right, but nonetheless
they do it openly, for all to see. This is the Open
Secret.

9. We interviewed more locals than foreigners as the locals are more approachable to us. Most of the people setting
up business here come from all ages. However, through observation, the local merchants are usually older than
the foreign ones.
Their opinion towards Petaling Street are mixed, more of them being positive. As Petaling Street has become their
daily lives, 63% do not consider Petaling Street as the Chinatown of Kuala Lumpur anymore and most of them
want the government to take action on improving the location. When asked about illegal shops and stalls, they
commented that they do not affect their business thus 63% of them do not want them to be eliminated.
ANALYSIS ON PETALING STREET
OWNERS/WORKERS
The people’s point of view

10. The types of visitors interviewed were even, having 50/50. However, the visitors interviewed with the
questionnaires were young adults as most older visitors were office workers who do not have time nor interest in
taking part of the survey.
When asked about their impression on Petaling Street, 4 of them had a more positive opinion while 2 of them
thinks that the place has lost its character. Most of them visit Petaling Street because it is a tourist attraction and
they found interest in buying apparel, food and other products. Moreover, all of them have bought them from
roadside stalls.
VISITORS

11. Half of the visitors consider Petaling Street still as the Chinatown and the others do not. Only one of them are
aware that there are illegal activities at work there. None of them has tried the illegal services. Two-thirds of them
wants the illegal activities abolished.

12. Comments/Opinions by Locals
Rubber shop owner (family business)
The business is hidden at the upper floor of the shophouse along Jalan
Sultan and a back alley of Jalan Sultan. If there are old men sitting at the
entrance of staircase, they are mostly pimps who approach the customers.
It is usually patronized by the foreign workers to fulfil their sexual desire. If
prostitution is eliminated, the rape crime rate might increase as there’s no
place for them to satisfy their “needs”.
The whole Kuala Lumpur is Chinatown as it is mostly occupied by Chinese.
I think not only Petaling Street can represent the presence of Chinese
culture.
Owner of Chocha food store and Interior Designer
We came back as Petaling Street is given that notorious impression such
as unsafe and unhygienic. As part of the young generation, we have the
responsibility to contribute something (through business) to this society.
I would still go to Petaling Street’s florist to purchase some fresh flower for
my café.
A customer (old lady) who is waiting at false teeth shop
Regarding the illegal foreign workers, they managed to escape from police
by closing their stalls and then hiding at the places where the police could
not find. Even though they are arrested by the police, they will be released
if they are willing to pay the “coffee money”. This is the “open secret”. The
law enforcement is not strict enough and nobody is willing to stand up
for this issue. If there is any discussion on “inappropriate” issues such as
“buying second hand house”, the person will be arrested. Therefore, the
problem is still unable to be solved.
A false teeth maker
The problem of foreign workers cannot be solved anymore and it is not
a negative issue. We rely on them for many things. If they are eliminated
from our country, the shop owners will be helpless as they need the foreign
workers to help them such as preparing food, cleaning the shop and etc.
“Are you willing to do these? Are you willing to do it with a RM1000
salary? Are you willing to work at dirty place without air-conditioning? If
you guys are not going to do it, who is going to do it?”

13. Conclusion
According to an article from The Star published on 17 March 2016, about 20% of shops in
Petaling Street will close theirs doors in the next six months because of poor business. This
is due to the operational cost which was too high to sustain in the present slow economy.
These small retailers are forced to purchase in big numbers to get a lower rate, but then
struggle to sell these items over a long period of time. Not only this, the increasing cost of
raw materials and higher salary demanded by the workers as well as the hike on shop rent
and the introduction of Goods and Services Tax (GST) has crippled the shop owners.
Based on our findings, all of the visitors we approached bought from roadside stalls
instead of the shops, signifying that competition among shops and stalls is fierce or maybe
the visitors only intend to buy from the stalls. Moreover, the high number of middle age
and elderly people operating business gives us a clue that the younger generation are less
inclined to work here. The children of the shopowners received higher education than
their parents and thus they sought for a better lifestyle.
All of the storeowners have mentioned that business was better before and it has worsen
ever since. The loss of interest by the new generation and the low wage as led to another
party replacing the local merchants: they are the immigrants from the neighbouring
countries such as Myanmar, Indonesia, Bangladesh and more. This explains why many of
our interviewees thinks that Petaling Street is no longer the Chinatown of Kuala Lumpur.
An article from the Malaymail on 24 February 2016, states that these foreign labour have
more grit and are more willing to take in the low pay. This is because the condition in
their homeland is worse and they could better provide for their family by working here.
The occupation do not require advanced education and thus very easy to pick up. Some
travelled here legally while many others are illegal immigrants.
They came and start selling cheap products and stolen goods. Most stalls set up are illegal
which explains how they are not bounded by rent payment nor taxes. Quoting from
one customer we interviewed, “Even though they are arrested by the police, they will be
released if they are willing to pay the “coffee money”. ” Moreover, our observations show us
that the police have already turned a blind eye to these roadside stalls.
According to the rubber shop owner, the prostitution in Petaling Street is directly linked to
the presence of foreign workers as the demand comes from them. However, we have shed
light that there is a notion that the prostitution business is preventing potential rape crimes
from foreign workers. Not only that, the foreign workers are the ones that are maintaining
the economy in Petaling Street in the tourism aspect.
However, one has to argue that the notoriety of Petaling Street due to its illegal business
and the assumption by locals that foreign immigrants can threaten public safety brings
a negative impact to Petaling Street. This could further wound the interest towards the
place by the younger generation as people would not want to bring their kids there. Thus,
creating a cycle which cannot be broken.