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Growing Up On Jalan Ali Pitchay - Part 1
Born in 1967, Lian Kim Keong spent most of his childhood days in Bercham until his father opened up Kah Foh Medical Hall along Jalan Ali Pitchay in the 70s. Kim Keong learned about traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) little by little from his father as he was a Chinese Physician. Over time he became more adept with the methods and herbs that were used to help cure a particular ailment as his father would talk about it to him ever so often. He would eventually take over the business in the 90s after his father suffered a heart attack.
Despite having knowledge in the field and being a practising Chinese physician, his true passion was always in art. Having graduated from the Malaysian Institute of Art (MIA), Kim Keong worked with a local entrepreneur magazine in Kuala Lumpur, at a time when computers were still being introduced, all the layouts back then had to be stuck down page by page and the front covers were done by hand with air brushes, marker pens, poster colours and etc.
Kim Keong studied in Sam Tet where he was also a percussionist in the school’s band. He even designed the logo for the school band in the 80s that wasn’t used at the time as the teacher in charge found it bearing a fierce representation of the band which he wasn’t looking for. The same logo was eventually altered and is used today by the school band.
Memories of childhood
We grew up doing things that kids today won’t do; trapping spiders and making them fight to see who had the better spider, spinning tops, playing kites and etc. Back then we could go wherever we wanted to unlike kids these days, but we’d always step on things like nails and broken as we never had shoes. We’d also follow the older kids to places to fish and also swim.
Despite moving to Jalan Ali Pitchay, you just can’t change old habits and so we continued moving about like how we did back in Bercham. We’d watch movies at the Star Cinema as it wasn’t far from Jalan Ali Pitchay, tickets were only at 20 cents each but as we were kids the ticket attendants would always bullied us by putting us in the front rows.
“I still remember the Bruce Lee movies where everyone’d be lining up just to buy the tickets and often times, you don’t get the tickets because they’re sold out. Whenever we talked about Bruce Lee back the, we’d always get excited and happy because all of us would imitate his moves and the way he fights.”
Another which we’d always go to would be the Capitol cinema, there was a lot of food and snacks along that street. Often times while waiting for movies, someone would swoop by, put his hand over your shoulder and go, “Where are you from boy?”, then he’d ask you for money. At the time gangs were still prevalent and there’d always be people collecting protection money even from kids! We were always terrified as they were much older than us, so in the end we’d give them our money.
Back in those days, our kind of entertainment was watching movies, food hunting, going for walks and etc. I still remember the “First night market” which was along Jalan Laxamana. If we wanted to get some essentials, we’d go hunting along Hugh Low Street after that came Super Kinta and subsequently Yik Foong. The first shopping mall in Ipoh to have an escalator at the time was located between Jalan Ali Pitchay and Jalan Yang Kalsom, known as Wisma Kinta. Everyone’d go there just go experience what it was like being on an escalator. On Saturdays and Sundays we would play in the compound of the Chinese Methodist Church along Jalan Yang Kalsom and then attend services as well because there’d always be food after that.
My happiest days I feel was in the 70s and 80s at a time when black and white television was transitioning to coloured units took place. Back then not every house had a television, next to our shop was a mah-jong parlour, we’d always go over with our dinner bowls and waited as TV programmes back then didn’t start til 6pm and the lottery results would always be the first program we saw and after that was Ultraman, the first show we’d watch. We all passed our days watching shows like The Six Million Dollar man and movies from Hong Kong when coloured tv units were available. When they became available, we’d go to another neighbour, a hair salon for men to the left of our medical hall which was very popular thus having the ability to purchase a coloured TV and a VCR player for the leisure of their customers.
Life back then was simpler, you’d meet a lot of people growing up, you’d meet those who’d take care of you, take you to places you’ve never been before, eat food you’ve never tasted before unlike how people are today.
*photographs from left to right
1) Kim Keong's father, Mr. Lian Chit Sin at the shop counter
2) Mr. Lian Chit Sin at his physician's desk
3) The facade of Kah Foh Medical Hall
4) Kim Keong (first from left) and his counsin brother who helped at the shop
5) Mr. Lian Chit Sin with his hunting rifle
6) The Sam Tet Brass Band