Jalan Tun Perak

Jalan Tun Perak, formerly Jalan Mountbatten (1961–1981) Mountbatten Road (1946–1961) and Java Street (1889–1946), is a major road located in the historic centre of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

History

Jalan Tun Perak is one of the oldest roads in Kuala Lumpur. It was originally named Java Street, and was initially settled by Malays and other people from Java and Sumatra, hence the naming of this street and the nearby Malay Street (Jalan Melayu). It formed the boundary between Chinese and Malay areas in early Kuala Lumpur.^[1] A Boyanese community centre was once located on the street and a Kampung Rawa was locate to its north.^[2] Indian Chettiars and Indian Muslims also settled in the area. A Malay cemetery was located close by and on which Jamek Mosque, one of the oldest mosques in Kuala Lumpur, was then built in 1909. Java Street was later renamed Mountbatten Road, and later still Jalan Tun Perak.^[2]

By the beginning of the 20th century, the road had developed into a busy commercial street for local businesses but also what was described as "the slum of slums of our local paradise".^[1] However, as it was located near the hub of colonial activities (the church, cricket ground, courthouses and government offices), the area soon developed into the favoured location for siting many well-known stores of the time, such as Robinson's (opened in 1928), John Little (1914, along New Embankment Road and Ampang Street), and Whiteaway Laidlaw.^[1][3]

By the 1970s, the street had declined in popularity as a shopping area; many stores closed and were replaced by financial institutions. The Robinson's department store was acquired by United Asian Bank in 1976, and the building was demolished to make way for the bank's headquarters (now called Menara UAB) which was completed in 1984.^[4] Another bank building is now the most prominent building on Jalan Tun Perak – the Maybank Tower which is located at the end of the street where it meets Jalan Pudu. The tower was built in 1987 on the location of the colonial era Subordinate Courts building at Bukit Mahkamah which was demolished in 1982.^[5]

Opposite Menara UAB is a Mughal-style building by A. B. Hubback (who also designed the Jamek Mosque next to it) constructed in 1910 and once housed the Federated Malay States Survey Office.^[6] It was later used as the Sessions & Magistrates Courts, and was also occupied by the Department of Information (Jabatan Penerangan) Malaysia after the courts moved out. Another surviving building from the early period is the Gian Singh Building at the corner of Lebuh Ampang built in 1909.^[7] At the junction with Malacca Street (Jalan Melaka) is a five-storey Art Deco-style Oriental Building built in 1932, which at that time was the tallest building in Kuala Lumpur, and it once housed Radio Malaya.^[8]

In 1996, the elevated track of the Ampang line of the light rapid transit (LRT) system was constructed along the entire stretch of Jalan Tun Perak. A station was also constructed with an elevated platform over the bridge at Klang River beside Masjid Jamek after which the station is named – Masjid Jamek LRT Station.^[9] The station occupies the location of the former Whiteaway Laidlaw department store.

Gallery

• 
  Menara UAB - Former Bumiputra-Commerce Bank headquarter
• 
  Maybank Tower
• 
  Masjid Jamek LRT Station entrance on Jalan Tun Perak
• 
  Masjid Jamek, side view from Jalan Benteng across the Klang River
• 
  Oriental Building
• 
  The former Federated Malay States Survey Office

List of junctions

km	Exit	Junctions	To	Remarks
			West Jalan Parlimen (Club Road) Malaysia Houses of Parliament Perdana Lake Gardens Tugu Negara Jalan Duta Damansara Kuala Lumpur Inner Ring Road Jalan Kuching Ipoh Jalan Kinabalu Seremban
Jalan Parlimen
Jalan Tun Perak
		Jalan Raja Laut	North Only Jalan Raja Laut Jalan Sultan Ismail KLCC Jalan Ipoh Jalan Pahang	Junctions
			South Only Jalan Raja Dataran Merdeka Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad Muzium Sejarah Nasional Dayabumi Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin	Junctions Note: Closed for traffic from 7:00 pm until 5:00 am on weekends Closed for traffic due to special events
		Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman	North Only Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman (Jalan Raja to the south)
		Bangunan CIMB
		Menara OCBC
		Wisma Kraftangan
		Jalan Melayu	Jalan Melayu
		Masjid Jamek
		Masjid Jamek LRT station Sungai Klang Bridge	Ampang Line Sri Petaling Line Kelana Jaya Line
		Jalan Melaka	Jalan Melaka Jalan Ampang
		Jalan Benteng	Jalan Benteng
		Leboh Ampang	Northeast Leboh Ampang (Ampang Street) Jalan Ampang Jalan Dang Wangi KLCC	Junctions
		Jalan Tun HS Lee	South Jalan Tun Hs Lee Petaling Street Jalan Cheng Lock	Junctions
		Jalan Raja Chulan	Northeast Jalan Raja Chulan (Weld Road) Jalan P Ramlee Jalan Bukit Bintang Muzium Telekom Kuala Lumpur Tower
		Leboh Pudu	Leboh Pudu
		Sinar Kota
		Menara Maybank
Jalan Tun Perak
		Pudu Sentral Roundabout	East Jalan Pudu Pudu Sentral Jalan Hang Tuah (IRR) Cheras Seremban Southwest Jalan Cheng Lock (Foch Avenue) Petaling Street Jalan Tun Sambanthan	Junctions

References