29/10/2024
CHOW KIT ROAD
Did you know? The infamous Chow Kit area in KL was actually named after a Penang boy who made it big!
While most of us think of Jalan Chow Kit as that bustling (and sometimes notorious) area in KL with its huge market and amazing street food, the story behind its name is pretty fascinating...
Meet Loke Chow Kit - a true blue Penangite who became one of KL's biggest business tycoons! 🌟
Born in Penang to Mr. Loke K*m Choon, young Chow Kit studied at Penang Free School before climbing the corporate ladder at Katz Bros and later Huttenbach & Co. When Huttenbach expanded to KL, they sent him there as assistant manager. He later worked with the legendary Loke Yew before starting his own mega-successful company!
Fun fact: His brother was Loke Chow Thye - yes, the same guy Jalan Chow Thye in Penang is named after! 👨👦👦
When Chow Kit passed away on 28 August 1918, true to his Penang roots, his body was brought back by steamship to his beloved island. His final journey started from 87 Bishop Street to his eternal rest at Mount Erskine Cemetery.
The 1908 "Twentieth Century Impressions of Malaya" described him living at the grand Loke Hall in KL - quite a journey for our Penang boy! 🌅
So next time you're shopping at Chow Kit Market or grabbing some late-night snack there, remember - you're walking on a street named after one of Penang's most successful sons! 🏆
Sources:
1. Arnold Wright (1908), "Twentieth century impressions of British Malaya"
2. Pinang Gazette and Straits Chronicle (1918), "Late Mr. Loke Chow Kit", 3 September 1918
