Wolfestan Road was renamed Jalan Bendahara.
Wolfestan Road is one of a few road in Melaka during the Melaka Sultanate era.
The road was named after Littleton Pipe Wolfestan who was attached to the
colonial office from 3 December 1889 when he arrived in Melaka. Wolfestan had
served in Penang, Singapore and Kedah before returning to Melaka from 1910 to
1920. The Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Melaka and the Chinese Baba Peranakan
- Bristish Association held a farewell dinner for Wolfestan a week before he retired.
During the dinner, Tun Tan Cheng Lock
highlighted that Melaka has grown better with health services, electrical
lighting, road improvement and some other matter.
Apart from being rich in culture and cuisines,
Wolfestan Road is also rich in history, which involves a combination of purity
and wordly elements associated with goodness as well as tyranny.
A church is located at the beginning of the
road and at the end of the road there is a place for people to rejoice and
commit immorality.
The church at the intersection of Bunga Raya
Pantai is St. Peter Church, an oldest catholic church in Malaysia which was
built in 1710.
Lots of people would gather at the church
during religious festivals.
On the intersection of Jalan Munshi Abdullah,
the Meng Seng Charitable Association painted in grey, serves the less
fortunate. Not many knew of its contribution to the community and its role in
forming the country.
The Meng Seng Charitable Association was
established in 1923 in a shophouse on Lorong Bukit Cina before moving to Kee
Ann Road and finally to its present location.
The local folks frequented the Meng Seng
Charitable Association building to seek medical assistance, to present cultural
performances, to search for books in its library and the adults would go for
night classes provided.
Meng Seng Charitable Association building was
fully completed in 1941 but not long, the Japanese Army had converted this
noble place into a black hole.
It became a fearful Japanese Kempeitai location
where among those killed were the committee members of Ong Teck Ghee, Lim Tai
Tian and 50 other members.
Meng Seng Charitable Association also played an
important role in the achieving of independence for Malaysia. Tunku Abdul
Rahman used this place in 1954 to address the people to continue to fight for
independence after his first failed attempt in London.
Those participated Tunku’s talk, offered gold
accessories, watches, cash and other kinds enabling Tunku to make another trip
in April 1954.
Opposite of the Capitol theatre is a huge
colonial bungalow owned by a famous rubber planter, Chan Koon Cheng.
Before converting to a theatre, the Capitol
Dancing Hall opened in 1936 was a place for lively dance, Foxtrot, Tango and
Cha Cha. ‘Tea Dance’ was held on Thursdays and Saturdays. The lighting and the
sound system was considered advanced those days. The poet writer, Hugo Williams
had wrote in one of his book that the hall is “All the Time in The World’
On the left side of the Wolfestan Road, there
was an area called “The Coconut Islands” where immoral activities was common
among squatter houses.
Wolfestan Road is where Melaka first see its
highest building, the 9-storey flat in the 1960s.
Today, its intersection with Jalan Temenggong
is the famous “Little India” The oldest shop owned by K. Periakaruppan aka PK,
79, is Sri Lakshmi Villas where vegetarian foods is served from 1962
Comments
Post a Comment