PETALING JAYA, Oct 31 — Think Petaling Street is only known as Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown and the best place to score knock-off designer goods?

The curators of Ketuk Pintu Discovery Tour want to change just that and more as they prepare to take curious guests on a journey to rediscover the city for the upcoming Urbanscapes arts festival.

The guided tour will be helmed by six personalities who are familiar with the history of one of the oldest streets in the city.The six guides helming the walking tour know the Petaling Street area like the back of their hands. — Facebook/Diàm
The six guides helming the walking tour know the Petaling Street area like the back of their hands. — Facebook/Diàm

A unique selling point of the tour is that no two sessions are alike with each slot reintroducing the city from the perspective of the respective tour guides.

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“Everyone understands the city differently and the various guides will share their experience and story of Kuala Lumpur.

“These are people who have worked in Petaling Street for a long time — they know the locals, they know the architecture and the transition and have seen the evolution of the city first hand,” said Mah Jun Yi, one of the curators.

Some of the guides include veteran photojournalist Khong Miaw Leong, Petaling Street Heritage House owner Chong Keat Aun and Chinese architecture lecturer Koh Jing Hao.

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Surprises too are in store for visitors as they take in the hidden sights from Urbanscapes House located at Jalan Hang Kasturi all the way to the end of Petaling Street.

“There’s a temple that’s so secluded, no one is aware but it’s historical because it’s the oldest Taoist temple in town that is more than 100 years old,” said Douglas Ho.

Mah initially drafted the programme for the younger generation to talk about their lives while giving the tour but she found out that there weren’t many who were interested, only stakeholders and scholars.

“[Younger people] don’t feel like what they know is important, they don’t feel that their stories matter to the development of KL so it’s very hard for them to talk about themselves. In the end, we decided to get those who are familiar with Petaling Street and its surroundings on board,” she told Malay Mail.

At the heart of it all, Mah and her crew want to use the tour as a channel to counter gentrification as the city continues to undergo rapid change and development.

“When you talk about gentrification, it’s not about protesting and the refusal to vacate in the name of preserving heritage — it’s about using it wisely and to know who you are by understanding the history of your city,” said Mah.

She said it was imperative for city dwellers to actively think about their identity in relation to their city.

As developers scramble to commodify the next heritage building, Mah said the fight to retain culture and history often leaves her feeling helpless.

“Developers view things through a monetary value, they want to know culture and history from the perspective of money so they see this as an economic opportunity.

“Business owners try to turn these buildings into hipster cafes and budget hotels and they say they’re trying to preserve the history of KL but that doesn’t mean turning it into something that makes money for yourself,” she explained.

Mah also said there is a sense of detachment among KLites when it comes to their relationship with the city, evidenced by the lack of public spaces for people to mix and mingle.

“We don’t have a lot of activities that encourage that and the activities available are more entertainment-driven,” she said.

“We hope that those who have signed up will make a friend or two after the tour.”

Ketuk Pintu Guided Discovery Tour takes place this weekend until November 18, click here for the full schedule and to register. All walks are free of charge, limited to 20 pax per walk.

Malay Mail is the official media partner for creative arts festival Urbanscapes 2018, happening from November 3 to 18 across several venues in Kuala Lumpur.

For more information, head to urbanscapes.com.my.