Jalan Tun Perak

Jalan Tun Perak, formerly Jalan Mountbatten (1961–1981) Mountbatten Road (1946–1961) and Java Street (1889–1946), is a major road located in the historic centre of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was a major commercial street of early Kuala Lumpur, and is now the location of a few financial institutions. The entry to the Jamek Mosque is located here, and the light rapid transit stop on this street is Masjid Jamek LRT station.

Jalan Tun Perak
Mountbatten Road
Major junctions
West endJalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman
 Jalan Parlimen
Jalan Raja Laut
Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman
East endPudu Sentral roundabout
Location
Primary
destinations
Masjid Jamek
Highway system

History

Jalan Tun Perak is one of the oldest roads in Kuala Lumpur. It was originally named Java Street, and was initially settled by Malays and other people from Java and Sumatra, hence the naming of this street and the nearby Malay Street (Jalan Melayu). It formed the boundary between Chinese and Malay areas in early Kuala Lumpur.[1] A Boyanese community centre was once located on the street and a Kampung Rawa was locate to its north.[2] Indian Chettiars and Indian Muslims also settled in the area. A Malay cemetery was located close by and on which Jamek Mosque, one of the oldest mosques in Kuala Lumpur, was then built in 1909. Java Street was later renamed Mountbatten Road, and later still Jalan Tun Perak.[2]

By the beginning of the 20th century, the road had developed into a busy commercial street for local businesses but also what was described as "the slum of slums of our local paradise".[1] However, as it was located near the hub of colonial activities (the church, cricket ground, courthouses and government offices), the area soon developed into the favoured location for siting many well-known stores of the time, such as Robinson's (opened in 1928), John Little (1914, along New Embankment Road and Ampang Street), and Whiteaway Laidlaw.[1][3]

By the 1970s, the street had declined in popularity as a shopping area; many stores closed and were replaced by financial institutions. The Robinson's department store was acquired by United Asian Bank in 1976, and the building was demolished to make way for the bank's headquarters (now called Menara UAB) which was completed in 1984.[4] Another bank building is now the most prominent building on Jalan Tun Perak – the Maybank Tower which is located at the end of the street where it meets Jalan Pudu. The tower was built in 1987 on the location of the colonial era Subordinate Courts building at Bukit Mahkamah which was demolished in 1982.[5]

Opposite Menara UAB is a Mughal-style building by A. B. Hubback (who also designed the Jamek Mosque next to it) constructed in 1910 and once housed the Federated Malay States Survey Office.[6] It was later used as the Sessions & Magistrates Courts, and was also occupied by the Department of Information (Jabatan Penerangan) Malaysia after the courts moved out. Another surviving building from the early period is the Gian Singh Building at the corner of Lebuh Ampang built in 1909.[7] At the junction with Malacca Street (Jalan Melaka) is a five-storey Art Deco-style Oriental Building built in 1932, which at that time was the tallest building in Kuala Lumpur, and it once housed Radio Malaya.[8]

In 1996, the elevated track of the Ampang line of the light rapid transit (LRT) system was constructed along the entire stretch of Jalan Tun Perak. A station was also constructed with an elevated platform over the bridge at Klang River beside Masjid Jamek after which the station is named – Masjid Jamek LRT Station. [9] The underground Masjid Jamek station, part of the PUTRA LRT line, opened in 1999, and became an interchange with the Ampang Line. The station occupies the location of the former Whiteaway Laidlaw department store.

List of junctions

kmExitJunctionsToRemarks
West
Jalan Parlimen (Club Road)
Malaysia Houses of Parliament
Perdana Lake Gardens
Tugu Negara
Jalan Duta
Damansara
Kuala Lumpur Inner Ring Road
Jalan Kuching
Ipoh
Jalan Kinabalu
Seremban
Jalan Parlimen
Jalan Tun Perak
Jalan Raja LautNorth Only
Jalan Raja Laut
Jalan Sultan Ismail
KLCC
Jalan Ipoh
Jalan Pahang
Junctions
South Only
Jalan Raja
Dataran Merdeka
Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad
Muzium Sejarah Nasional
Dayabumi
Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin
Junctions
Note:
Closed for traffic from 7:00 pm until 5:00 am on weekends
Closed for traffic due to special events
Jalan Tuanku Abdul RahmanNorth Only
Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman
(Jalan Raja to the south)
Bangunan CIMB
Menara OCBC
Wisma Kraftangan
Jalan MelayuJalan Melayu
Masjid Jamek
Masjid Jamek LRT station
Sungai Klang Bridge
3 Ampang Line
4 Sri Petaling Line
5 Kelana Jaya Line
Jalan MelakaJalan Melaka
Jalan Ampang
Jalan BentengJalan Benteng
Leboh AmpangNortheast
Leboh Ampang (Ampang Street)
Jalan Ampang
Jalan Dang Wangi
KLCC
Junctions
Jalan Tun HS LeeSouth
Jalan Tun Hs Lee
Petaling Street
Jalan Cheng Lock
Junctions
Jalan Raja ChulanNortheast
Jalan Raja Chulan (Weld Road)
Jalan P Ramlee
Jalan Bukit Bintang
Muzium Telekom
Kuala Lumpur Tower
Leboh PuduLeboh Pudu
Sinar Kota
Menara Maybank
Jalan Tun Perak
Pudu Sentral RoundaboutEast
Jalan Pudu
Pudu Sentral
Jalan Hang Tuah (IRR)
Cheras
Seremban

Southwest
Jalan Cheng Lock (Foch Avenue)
Petaling Street
Jalan Tun Sambanthan
Junctions

References

  1. Yeoh Seng Guan (13 January 2009). Shail Mayaram (ed.). The Other Global City. Routledge. p. 140. ISBN 9781135851507.
  2. Lam Seng Fatt (15 October 2011). Insider's Kuala Lumpur (3rd Edn): Is No Ordinary Travel Guide. Open Your Eyes to the Soul of the City (3rd Revised ed.). Marshall Cavendish International Asia Pte Ltd. p. 54. ISBN 9789814435390.
  3. Lam Seng Fatt (15 October 2011). Insider's Kuala Lumpur (3rd Edn): Is No Ordinary Travel Guide. Open Your Eyes to the Soul of the City (3rd Revised ed.). Marshall Cavendish International Asia Pte Ltd. p. 46. ISBN 9789814435390.
  4. Eric Peris (12 November 1980). "Reaching Upwards and Outwards from KL..." New Straits Times.
  5. James Foong (Dato.) (2002). Malaysian judiciary: a record. ISBN 9789839088953.
  6. "Former FMS Survey Office Building – a 400ft-long historic building". Zain Abdullah. 10 January 2016.
  7. "Kuala Lumpur Heritage Trail". Malaysia Traveller.
  8. "BIG BUILDING FOR KUALA LUMPUR". The Straits Times. 26 November 1931. p. 18.
  9. Sager Ahmad (5 March 1996). "'Model' Station Ready in June". New Straits Times.
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