Chow Kit

The first time I heard the name Chow Kit I thought it was a Chinese name. I didn't know what it referred to. One of my aunts always mentioned that name.

What is Chow Kit?

Chow Kit is an area attached to Kg Baru, that is Chinese and has a wet market, Pasar Chow Kit. Chow Kit is a famous place where ladies would go to get cheap fresh produce for cooking. In the old days there weren't supermarkets and the wet market was where people shopped for food items.

Chow Kit history

There was once a Malay man (possibly a Johorian of Indonesian extract) who was the market supervisor at Pasar Chow Kit. His name was Muhamed Amin but was popularly known as Mat Amin Pasar or Mat Amin Chow Kit. A leader in his own right, Mat Amin participated at events and meetings at the Kelab Sultan Sulaiman. There was one meeting where Mat Amin was present at a meeting where 2 early Malay doctors were also present. One of the doctors was Dr Che Lah bin Md Joonos. The other doctor was Dr Mohamed Ghani. Chow Kit is famous for the night life and activities that it supports.

Chow Kit today

There are still surviving businesses in Chow Kit today. I have captured some activities at Chow Kit in the photos below. There is an Indian barber shop which is a rare representation of a thriving Indian business. There is an Indian restaurant that is famous for nasi briyani among others. I did not attempt to visit any of the brothels in Chow Kit. I have not been inside any of the shops at Chow Kit. Maybe I will do that next time.