About Kepong

History
(cited from i-Kampung Baru)

It took me some time over the internet to search for the history of Kepong. I stumble across this website, i-Kampung Baru that is managed by the Selangor State Government, under the Jawatankuasa Tetap Pembangunan Kampung Baru, available in English/BM or Mandarin. Apparently, the site contains information on all the "new villages" available in Selangor. I manage to obtain some information regarding the history of Kepong via the Kepong Ulu post available in the site. I summarized the post and put some some additional comments from myself in the text below.

According to i-Kampung Baru, there are two versions that describes the origin of the name "Kepong":

1. It is named after a tree called Pokok Seranti Kepong. However, the website did not relate the tree with Kepong. Probably there is many Pokok Seranti Kepong around the area, hence the name.
2. The area of Kepong is surrounded by hills called Bukit FRIM and according to the meaning of "kepong" in Malay Language, kepong means surrounded, hence the name Kepong.

The third version below is based on what I heard from my mother and also some senior citizen, which further proof is needed to justify the truth behind these stories.

During the invasion of communist before independence, the British setup a guarded area to isolate normal citizens away from the communist members in order to fight and suppress communism. This guarded area is surrounded and hence the name Kepong, as the meaning in Malay Language is mentioned above.

Which ever is the true origin behind the name "Kepong" is yet to be verified by professionals.

According to history, tin mining activity started in Ampang during 1859, it is then followed by the development of other surrounding mining sites including Pudu, Sg. Besi, Kepong and etc. However, not long after that, Kepong was involved in the Selangor Civil War during 1866 to 1874.

On August 1873, a rebellious army led by Syed Mansor managed to seize Kuala Lumpur and forced the army of Kapitan Yap Ah Loy to fall back to Pahang due to shortage of food supply. Two month later on October 1873, Yap Ah Loy launched a counter attack and manage to recover Kuala Lumpur with the help of  the army from Raja Rasu Pahang with a ambush attack from Kepong.

1880, Yap Ah Loy owned two-thirds of the tin mines in Kuala Lumpur, making him the biggest tin mine owner, with one of important mines located in Kepong, operated together with Yah Ah Shak. The development of tin mining in Kepong contributes most to the in flow of Chinese immigrant to Kepong, consist mostly Hakka descents. Some of them migrat on their own will to seek a living through tin mining, while others were the homefolks brought in by Yap Ah Loy from his hometown, Hui Zhou, China. This probably explains why many residents in Kepong has the surname, Yap.

With the high immigrant rate of Chinese to Kepong, it quickly evolves to a settlement, particularly concentrating in Batu 7 Kepong. The additional information available in i-Kampung Baru webpage describes the development of the tin mining industry right until the invasion of British colony.

The British involved Kepong in their big scale rubber plantation, influencing some Chinese to divert from tin mining to rubber plantation industry.

Kepong was also involved during the second world war where the Japanese invaded Malaya. People in Kepong were living in chaos and fear during the three years and eight months of Japanese ruling.

The suffer did not end after the Japanese surrendered, the thick jungle in Kepong quickly becomes the base of PKM. The state of emergency was announced on 1948 and on 1950, the British gathered all the Chinese immigrants and settle them in "New Villages", which apparently is much more well organized and guarded. However, the main purpose is to stop supply to PKM as most of the PKM members consist of Chinese people and by doing so, the British hope to weaken the PKM and ultimately stop all communist activities. Kepong Ulu, located in Batu 8 was one of the new villages formed, and among them, Jinjang probably the most famous new village of all as it is the biggest in Malaysia, even until now.

With the depletion of tin mines and the decreasing rubber price, the people in Kepong gradually transitioned into commercial and industrial, while most of the wooden houses are substitute with modern brick terraces. With its strategic location in the middle of busy areas such as Kuala Lumpur, Gombak, Segambut, Petaling Jaya and Sungai Buloh. Kepong has totally transformed into a high economic value area with the emerging commercial areas such as Metro Prima, as well as high class residential areas such as Desa Park City.



View Larger Map