#JOM GO: Sunshine and pretty pictures in Jalan Alor

By Loong Wai Ting - April 15, 2019 @ 9:01am

The once decrepit area and its surroundings have been given a new lease of life, writes Loong Wai Ting

ONCE shunned by the general public, the smelly and dingy backlane of Jalan Alor is now teeming with lively and vibrant murals, a foodie’s haven known for its local street food.

Jalan Alor has gone through tremendous changes, with high rises and posh hotels in close proximity to the vibrant street. Gone are the eyesores such as uncollected rubbish, uneven pavements and unlit pathways.

As I begin my walk along Jalan Alor, I see a painting of a stream on stone steps. The sign on the plastic placard mounted on the wall does little to explain the origin of the “stream”. It says: “...a 1921 map of Kuala Lumpur shows a small stream that once ran along this path”. That’s it, no further explanation is given. I need to find out more.

The walkable stream behind Jalan Alor

In The Disappearing Kuala Lumpur, a book by local researcher and architect Teo Chee Keong, the writer notes that there was once a (water) source, perhaps a stream, coming from the higher ground of Bukit Bintang before bypassing the Jalan Alor area and ending at the Pudu Dam.

The water from the dam then flowed westward towards Central Market before merging into the Klang River near Masjid Jamek. Once a popular fishing spot among the locals in the 1900s, Pudu Dam was eventually filled up and is where Pudu Sentral (Puduraya) now stands.

Jalan Alor hasn’t lost many of its charms, yet. You can still find the best BBQ chicken wings in town here. The famous Wong Ah Wah Restaurant, located at the end of Jalan Alor, is a popular haunt with celebrities from out of town. Popular Hong Kong singer-actor Alan Tam says the restaurant is his favourite and never misses a chance to get his hands on the BBQ chicken wings whenever he drops by Kuala Lumpur for work.

Although I’ve been calling KL my home for most of my adult life, my memory of Jalan Alor and the streets adjacent to it is quite vague. I remember wolfing down a plate of the famous chicken rice near Jalan Tengkat Tong Shin with my parents when I was younger. The stall is no longer around, of course. Occupying the once popular stall is a fruit stall manned by a Vietnamese worker, who smiles as I pass.

My only memory about Jalan Alor is a collection of stories from my parents as they regaled me with their romantic dates around the area. Jalan Alor is now teeming with food stalls and restaurants manned by foreigners. My dad remarked when he once brought us on an evening’s excursion that he couldn’t now recognise the place.

With our favourite chicken rice stall gone, dad tried to locate the vegetarian shop where he used to eat lunch with his office mates, when he was working as an auditor with the now-defunct Merlin Hotel (now Concorde Hotel) on Jalan Sultan Ismail, not far from where we are now. That, too, is gone, replaced with a Thai restaurant, which specialises in tom yum hotpot and some other mouthwatering dishes.

“My friend used to stay up there,” dad said as he pointed to one of the rooms above the Thai restaurant. Now, the flat is occupied by mostly foreigners who work at the stalls below at night.

THE NEW LANEWAYS

When Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) identified Jalan Alor as one of the seven backlanes and sidelanes to undergo a beautification process, the entire city, including myself, held our breath. Can it really be done?

The answer is yes! Under the Laneways Project, backlanes in the Bukit Bintang area including Jalan Berangan, Jalan Changkat, Jalan Rembia and Jalan Tengkat Tong Shin, were given major facelifts. The roads have been re-paved, the pavements repaired and the once-clogged drains cleaned. What’s left now is a bit of colour to attract visitors to the once decrepit place.

A realistic looking owl with its piercing gaze

The project, initiated in 2015, saw each of these backlanes given a specific theme.

Local artists were commissioned to paint colourful 2D or 3D murals on the walls of the buildings and the pathways. The themes include food and culture. For the most part, the efforts to transform the once dirty alleyways in Jalan Alor and its surrounding vicinity have finally paid off.

My visit takes me to the alleyway just outside The Yard Boutique Hotel near Jalan Rembia, a stone’s throw from Jalan Alor.

An old aunty, her back bent, eyes me suspiciously asIaim my camera at the front of her shop. But my subject is neither her nor her shop. I am aiming my camera at the bright yellow mural depicting birds and cats leaping on the walls. In some parts of the wall mural, cheeky cats are trying to catch the birds.

There are also pots of planter boxes with their sweet-smelling flowers hanging on the walls and windows of the shops to create that backyard garden feel. Located on the same Jalan Rembia stretch, I look up at Hotel Melange to find five orange tabby cats “peeking” at me through the windows.

The colourful mural at the back alley of Jalan Alor

The cute felines, one of them sleeping on the windowsill, are adorable! To the right of Hotel Melange, don’t be surprised to see huge dragonflies, big white rabbits, some butterflies and a couple of snails fashioned out of the exhaust fumes from the aforementioned Thai restaurant, “hanging out” on the walls. Painted against a sea of blue, these animals stand out from the backlane. This stretch is by far one of my favourites among all the murals I come across that day. Taking months to complete fromend to end, this is by far the most vibrant spot for your photo session.

The orange tabby cats on Hotel Melange

It stretches from one end of a shoplot to another, where it almost blends in with the blue sky ahead.

JALAN TENGKAT TONG SHIN

Next, I walk over to Jalan Tengkat Tong Shin, between the Jalan Alor and Changkat Bukit Bintang intersection, on the south end. Although Tengkat Tong Shin is a well regarded place among backpackers for cheap lodgings, the area is quite a hidden gem for many locals.

Here, you’ll find the famous beef noodle, which has been a round for decades. On the day of my visit, I find that the stall is closed.

Later, I learn that it only opens at night. Take a stroll at the quiet alley here and you’ll see old Kuala Lumpur mixed with the modern and urban set-up of the wealthy city

Cheeky cat trying to catch a bird

There are still remnants of pre-war shophouses along the route, though some were built much later, its architecture is synonymous with the 1950s. Most of these shophouses have been converted into restaurants, a boutique hotel or both. A couple are sundry shops.

Also located in the same area are the psychedelic rainbow-themed murals. A boy is seen blowing out leaf bubbles from a bubble ring,where a satelite dish sprouts from. Set against someone’s window is a painting of a cuboid-faced lady in grey as she proudly flashes the universal sign for peace.

Somehow I feel a connection to the lady.

Rainbow-themed back alley near Tengkat Tong Shin

Partly becauseI feel that Bukit Bintang and its surrounding areas in particular have come a long way from being known as a place with a chequered history to a world famous food and shopping area. We’ve definitely come a longer way in transforming the once dim backlanes into pockets of sunshine.

Kingfisher perching on the wall

HOW TO GET THERE

Located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, all these murals are accessible by walking. It is best to leave your car at home and take public transport. You can either hop on the free GOKL bus or go on the KL Hop On, Hop Off bus at RM15 per person.

One of the fastest and most convenient ways to get to Bukit Bintang is through the Mass Rapid Transit or MRT. Alight from Bukit Bintang MRT station, take the “C” exit, turn left and walk across the Jalan Bukit Bintang stretch. Jalan Alor is just behind a row of shops. From here, you can explore the alleyways and look at the colourful murals.

Tip: It’s double the fun if you bring along your friends and family.

Pictures by Loong Wai Ting