The Pudu Incident and the Decline of Yap Ah Loy family
On 26 July 1909 (己酉年六月初十), 34 people were arrested for illegally gathering at This temple is likely the precursor to the present Chee Choong Temple 慈忠廟 (built in 1960) in Cheras.
The location of the temple was reported to be at the third mile on the Cheras road 蕉赖三支, between Pudu and Pudu Ulu.
Given the fact that the oldest religious monument in Batu 3 area is the Chee Choong Temple, the original temple named in 1909 must have been demolished. This aligns with the Government's intention to have the building demolished, as reported in Straits Times, 2 October 1909, p. 5.the temple in Pudu 普渡. The standoff, we were told, was between the Selangor mata-mata (\(\approx 10^{1.6}\) of them) and a group of Hai San 海山 Chinese (\(\approx 10^{2.9}\)). The group facing the police were reportedly weaponized with machetes and It was reported that the first gunshot on 26 July was fired from the Chinese group.guns, and they were wearing blood-red bands round their arms, waists, and heads. The deadly incident left In a well near the temple, the body of a Chinese male was found. This discovery, together with the earlier observation of a considerable amount of blood and machete near the Temple altar, supports the theory that a certain traitor was recently uncovered by the Society and he was executed in the Temple.four Chinese died of gun-shot wounds, probably inflicted by the mata-mata, out of self-defence.
Twenty arrestees were soon released. The remaining 14 were divided into two groups: (i) 4 of them were to be remanded indefinitely (ii) 8 of them were to be banished. Unfortunately, the 40-year-old Yap Hon Chin 葉韓進, the eldest son of the third Captain China of Kuala Lumpur, was in the second group.
Yap's misfortune was linked to the discovery of a set of documents and ledgers in the temple. Of them, the most interesting piece was probably a proclaimation purportedly produced by a certain Yap Hon Sin (韓興?). In the incriminating proclaimation, the author vows to rid Kuala Lumpur of British intruders, robbers, and soldiers. And for this, the acting chief police officer G. L. Jones-Parry (d. July 1914) decided to incarcerate the Bachi with an executive order.
Despite his family fortune, Yap Hon Chin was only able to secure his own ‘release' from Pudu Jail after 15 days. On 11 August 1909, he managed to convert his jail term to house arrest when a sum of bail money (10,000 was a huge sum of money. For reference, the cost of construction of Pudu Jail was 16,000.10,000 Straits dollars) was paid to government, together with the signatures of two guarantors (Ong Chee Siew and Yap Wee).
None of the three women heirs have any money. Two of them lived with Mrs. Yap Ah Loy at the little bungalow on the nine acres and live there still. One is the The total number of Yap Hon Chin's wife/concubines is 6 (3 Chinese, 2 British, 1 Japanese). The one who stayed with Kok was likely to be Auyong Kwee Hin 歐陽桂馨 (d. 24 May 1942). Auyong's children were Yap Swee Lin 葉瑞麟 (b. 22 June 1928, d. < 9 February 1955) and Yap Nget Fong 葉月鳳.
It is unclear how Yap Swee Lin was able to afford three wives given their economical conditions in the 1930s (see Robson's letter of 1925). wife of Mr. Yap Hon Chin who has been banished, and the other is the Yap Kim Neo 葉金娘, daughter of Kok, was married to Loong Len Yew.wife of Mr. L. Len Yew who manages to keep the home going. The other daughter-in-law is the Yap Loong Shin 葉隆盛 (b. 4 April 1875, d. <1925?) His wife was Chew Yee Yoke 趙如玉.
When Yap Loong Shin was 21 years old, he married the only daughter of (Cheow Ah Yok | Cheow Yoke Wing) 趙煜榮 (b. 1843?, d. 2 November 1892) and Leow Con Neo 廖春娘. The pre-wedding and post-wedding receptions took place in both Market Street (Yap's Residence, 6|7 Nov), Klyne Street (Chew's Residence), and Ampang Road (Chew's Garden House, 7|8 Nov, 10|13 Nov), and a large temporary theater was erected in the Market Square in November 1896.
The couple was memorialized in Selangor Journal (13 November 1896) as follows: . . . Tuesday evening (i.e. 10 Nov) was the occasion, with much pomp and ceremony, of the reception of the bridegroom in the house of the bride, the appearance of both was simply gorgeous, the bride being literally weighed down with fine robes and jewellery . . .
Note that Chew was buried in the grave-array of Yap's family in Kwong Tong Cemetery (1Chew Yee Yoke (d. ?) > 2Yap Leong Soon 葉隆顺 (d. 1907, Loong Shin's full brother who died young at the age of 27.8) > 3Kok Kang Keow 郭庚嬌 (d. 1924) > 4Yap Ah Loy 葉德來 (d. 1885, but Yap's remains were exhumed and relocated to Kwong Tong Cemetery in 1919/1920) > 5Yap Ah Loy's father 葉聯標).
Robson's letter suggests that Yap Loong Shin was probably died by 1925 but like his half-brother, Yap Hon Chin (d. 1933), we are unable to locate his grave.wife of Mr. Yap Loong Shin and is apparently entirely dependent for support on Yap Swee Wing 叶瑞荣, b. 3 September 1908, d. ?her son, who is a master at the Victoria Institution. May I ask that no action should be taken by the Public Trustee in regard to selling the furniture until the Government has considered the matter?
However, we know from a letter dated 23 March 1925, written by J. H. M. Robson to Oswald Stonor, the Resident of Selangor (Arkib Negara 1957/0235368W) that Yap was eventually banished from Selangor to Melaka and died on 5 January 1933 (in Kuala Lumpur, Nanyang Siang Pau, 11 January 1933, p. 6, incorrectly rendered his name as 葉漢清).
We were told by Wang (1958) that Yap Hon Chin was only 15 (15.29) when his father died in 1885.
The ages of Yap Hon Chin's younger brothers: Loong Shin 隆盛 (10.03), Leong Soon 隆顺 (5.11), Lóngfā 隆發 (2.68).29 December 1869 - 5 January 1933) published in the Commercial Directory of Overseas Chinese in the Federated States 南洋四州府華僑商業交通錄 (1928) by Xu Yujiao 徐雨郊 and Gao Mengyun 高夢雲, p. 37). The picture in the middle is a hallucinated version of the real photo. In the Directory, we were told that Yap's mother was Liao 廖氏, Yap Ah Loy's first wife in China (Guangdong 廣東省 Huiyang 惠陽县 Danshui 淡水鎮 Shakeng 沙坑鄉 Zhoudian 週田村), and that Kok Kang Keow 郭庚嬌 (1849? - 12 July 1924) was his step-mother 继母. And then proceded to contradict itself with: 郭氏生三子，一女。君居長，隆盛，隆順，其弟也。金娘其妹也 (Kok gave birth to 3 sons and 1 daughter, Hon Chin was the eldest, Loong Shin and Leong Soon were his brothers. Kim Neo was his sister). However, in Yap Hon Chin versus Jones-Parry and Cowan (1909), the Nyonya Bujang told the court that: . . . she was the wife of the late Mr. Yap Ah Loy 葉德来 (14 March 1837 - 15 April 1885), Captain China, and that she had live in Kuala Lumpur 44 years (i.e. since 1865). There were no Europeans here when she first arrived. Mr. Yap Hon Chin was born at Malacca, wither she had gone because there were then no good mid-wives in Kuala Lumpur and also because her relations lived there. She returned to Kuala Lumpur when her son was only a few weeks old. With the exception of a few visits, her son had lived continuously in Kuala Lumpur ever since . . . If the data in the Directory was correct, then Kok's statement was probably fabricated, together with their lawyer, H. N. Ferrers, to paint Yap as a Queen's Chinese and a British subject. Given Yap Hon Chin's birth year, the version given in the Directory is probably incorrect and Yap Hon Chin was indeed born in Melaka, as claimed by Kok. (Right) Yap Hon Chin's signature and seal in the last page of his letter to J. P. Rodger, the British Resident of Selangor (dated 4 December 1891, 1957/0028644W). In the land application letter for five acres at the back of Petaling Hill for building his bungalow, he concluded his application with the following words: . . . for the purpose, for which it is intended for as aforesaid, for which act of benignity. I shall every pray, Yap
It is not known if the two doctors were twin-sisters.children (5 boys | 3 girls) to their husband. Mary was with her husband when Yap was talking to the medium at the temple in Pudu 普渡 on that faithful evening in July 1908, which eventually led the banishment of her husband and the beginning of the decline of Yap's family. (Right) Hallucinated photo of Masushio Enya is the name retrieved from the genealogical record published by Sin Sze Si Ya MuseumEnya
Like Mary's daughters, Masushio's youngest daughter, Yap Nget Far 葉月華, was also a medical doctor.George Yap Swee Fatt 葉瑞發 (b. 1907, d. 24 January 2007), was then the last surviving grandson of the Captain China, who died about 17 years ago. We were told by Auyong Kwee Hin 歐陽桂馨 (d. 24 May 1942) that Masushio knew that Yap's love for her was not infinite and that she would one day be retired to Japan. To prepare for this, she sent most of the money given to her by Yap back to Japan.
One of Yap Swee Peng's son is James Yap Mook San 葉木生 (b. 14 March 1938) of Kampung TunkuSwee Peng 瑞彬, Swee Kit 瑞傑) and five daughters (Beng Neo 明娘, 慶娘, Eng Neo 恩娘, Cheng Neo 清娘, 北娘).
When the remains of Yap Ah Loy was moved from Ampang to Kwong Tong Cemetery, the old headstone in Jalan Ampang 暗邦一條石古壠窩橋 was not reused, instead a new stone was commissioned, 34 years after the death of the Captain China.
The date was memorialized on the right side of the stone as 中華民國八年仲冬月榖旦, likely between 22 December 1919 and 20 January 1920tombstone of Yap Ah Loy in Kwong Tong Cemetery 廣東義山, we were given the following list: 1隆興 (b. 29 December 1869, d. 5 January 1933), 2隆盛 (Loong Shin, b. 4 April 1875, d. <1925?), 3隆顺 (Leong Soon, b. 6 March 1880, d. 8 December 1907, died when he was only 27.8), 4隆發 (b. 10 August 1882, d. 21 September 1900, died when he was only 18.1. It is likely that Leong Sem 隆森 was adopted by Ho 何氏 after the death of her only son), 5隆芳 (Leong Fong, d. 14 June 1939), 6隆松. Note that the name of eldest son of Yap Ah Loy, as referenced in the legal documents in Colonial Office and National Archive, is Yap Hon Chin 葉韓進. And it is not found on the stone. In fact, the name was also not inscribed on his grandfather's tombstone. In the tombstone of Yap Ah Loy's father (Yè Liánbiāo 葉聯標, dated 18 April 1878 光緒四年戊寅歲丙辰月丙寅日, approximately 5 years after Kuala Lumpur was recaptured by Yap), we were given the names of four grandsons of Lianbiao (i.e. the sons of Kok 郭氏: 1隆興, 2隆盛, 3隆顺, the son of He 何氏: 4隆發). This important piece of epigraphic data suggests that the son named 隆森, another son of He 何氏 can be found in Yap Ah Loy's family genealogical record, but the name was not listed in Yap Ah Loy's tombstone. On the other hand, the name 隆芳 was epigraphically visible but not found in the family records.
The Chinese Directory also listed 隆森 as Yap Ah Loy's son but 隆芳 was not recorded by Xu and Gao in 1928. Also the name 隆松 was rendered as 觀松 in the Directory.
However, it is unlikely for 隆芳 and 隆森 to be the same person since a ANM document (1957/0118652W, Yap Hon Chin et al. versus Kok Kang Keow, 25 July 1904) in ANM listed Leong Fong and Leong Sem simultaneously (together with their other siblings).5隆芳 and the son of Lim 林氏 (6隆松) are not yet added to the Yap's family. It also gives us a conclusive evidence that Yap Hon Chin must be internally known as 1隆興 as early as 1878. Yap Hon Chin's chinese middle name was probably changed from Hon 韓 to Loong 隆 for some unknown reasons to match his other siblings. The middle-name change created a small problem, for there was another ✠隆興, whom we knew was the eldest son of Yap Ah Shak ✠葉致英, who came to Kuala Lumpur only in 1888, when he was 15-year-old.
Application of known genealogical data on Yap Choon 葉木春
Yap Choon 葉木春 would like us to believe that he is a descendent of Yap Ah Loy (of fourth generation), and his claim was backed with the following data points:
- In 1926, he was born in Huizhou, in the mansion (likely to be the Bìyàn House 碧滟楼) built by Yap Ah Loy.
- His mother brought him to Kuala Lumpur in 1929, and they were given a place to stay in the bungalow on Bukit Petaling. He was able to point out the the mansion was owned by his first granduncle The exact name reported by Guangming Daily on 3 December 2010 was 葉隆聖. The glyph shèng 聖 is not a valid given name of Yap Ah Loy's son and it cannot be located in Yap Ah Loy's tombstone. The second son by Kok was indeed given the name shèng 盛. It is not known if the error was committed by the reporter or Yap Choon himself.大伯公. He moved to Ampang Road when he was 10 (i.e. in 1936).
- The name of his father was Yè Ruìqìng 葉瑞慶. While his father was studying in Japan, Yap Choon stayed in his first granduncle's house on Bukit Petaling.
- The name of his grandfather was Yè Guānsōng 葉觀松, and he was mothered by the Yap Ah Loy's wife in China.
Point (2) is problematic because we know that, as early as 1925, the Yap family was no longer occupying the Bukit Petaling mansion after Yap Hon Chin was banished to Melaka. Point (3) and Point (4) are problematic when read together because Yè Guānsōng 葉觀松 was adopted by Yap Ah Loy's concubine Lim 林氏, and he was obviously not the son of Yap's first wife in China, Liao 廖氏. Yè Ruìqìng 葉瑞慶 was a grandson of Kok Kang Keow 郭庚嬌 through Yap Hon Chin's concubine, Lee 李氏. Thus Yè Guānsōng and Yè Ruìqìng are located on different branches of the genealogical tree. If Yap Choon was Yè Ruìqìng's son, then the owner of the bungalow on Bukit Petaling was actually his grandfather and not first granduncle. In the genealogical record, Yè Mùchūn 葉木春 was the son of Yè Ruìxī 葉瑞熙 (who reportedly deceased in Japan), and the grandson of Yap Loong Shin 葉隆盛 and Chew Yee Yoke 趙如玉. The exact year of birth of Mùchūn 木春 is not known but it cannot be earlier than 1929, as Chew Yee Yoke died in 1929 and her tombstone listed only Mùquán 木全 and Mùxióng 木熊 as grandsons.
Since (1) is epigraphically implausible, (2) is spacetime-incorrect and both (3) and (4) are genealogically contradictory. Yap Choon's claims cannot be made consistent with all the known public/private data on Yap Ah Loy's family.
| Generation | Paternal ancestor | Maternal ancestor |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yap Ah Loy 葉德来, \(\mathbb{Y}^{1}\) | Cheow Ah Yok 趙煜榮, \(\mathbb{Z}^{1}\) |
| 2 | Yap Loong Shin 葉隆盛, \(\mathbb{Y}^{\frac{1}{2}} + \eta^{\frac{1}{2}}\) | Chew Yee Yoke 趙如玉, \(\mathbb{Z}^{\frac{1}{2}} + \eta^{\frac{1}{2}}\) |
| 3 | e.g. Yap Swee Peng 葉瑞彬, \(\mathbb{Y}^{\frac{1}{4}} + \mathbb{Z}^{\frac{1}{4}}+\eta^{\frac{1}{2}}\) | |
| 4 | e.g. James Yap Mook San 葉木生, \(\mathbb{Y}^{\frac{1}{8}} + \mathbb{Z}^{\frac{1}{8}} + \eta^{\frac{3}{4}}\) | |
| 5 | e.g. Glenn Yap 葉客聯, \(\mathbb{Y}^{\frac{1}{16}} + \mathbb{Z}^{\frac{1}{16}} + \eta^{\frac{7}{8}}\) | |
| . | . . . | |
| n | \(\mathbb{Y}^{2^{1-n}} + \mathbb{Z}^{2^{1-n}} + \eta^{1-2^{2-n}}, \quad n\in[3,\infty)\) | |
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