Lau A Yok, the founder of Medan’s Chinatown
Kampung Lau A Yok in Medan, known as Sukaramai, was founded by Lau A Yok in the 1910s as a settlement for the poor. It is known as a Chinese ghetto in the early days, but after 100 years, the slum has turned into a cherished Chinatown.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Medan became the trading centre of Sumatra’s east coast. It had a large Chinese population. A 1905 census registered 13,205 people; 48% were Chinese, 28% Indigenous, and 7% European. Chinese dominated shops and trading. But not all Chinese were merchants, a perception that persists until today. Another survey that covered the East Coast of Sumatra indicated that amongst the Chinese, 44% were merchants, 22% operated small industries, and the rest were underprivileged. (That survey excluded more than 20,000 Chinese that worked as coolies in tobacco plantations.) The impoverished Chinese in Medan worked as labourers, servants, and drawing rickshaws.
At least a third of Chinese in Medan could not afford to live in the Chinese quarter. They had to live in kampongs on the edge of the Medan municipality. As a community that looked after its fellow countryperson, someone had to stand up and helped them.
Lau A Yok or Law A Yok championed the cause for the poor and homeless. He is a businessman and contractor who lived in Medan in the 1900–1930s. But little is known about him. Some myths were created that he was the godfather that ruled the kampong. This article tried to find out about the legendary Lau A Yok based on available Dutch newspaper articles.
A brief story of Lau A Yok
His Chinese name is 劉煜 (Liu Yu), or 劉阿煜(Liu A Yu). Lau A Yok is the Cantonese pronunciation of the name.
An advertisement in 1907 promoted LAW A YOK as an Architect and Contractor. His office was at Djalan Kling (now Jl. Irian Barat). He built and renovated houses and sold building materials of all sorts, including timber woods.
In 1910, Law A Yok was involved with Medan municipality with a plan for building a permanent cinema near the race track. At that time the cinema was a tent. However, the plan had to be shelved as there was no license for constructing a permanent building on site.
Lau A Yok is a Cantonese and the president of Kwong Tong Kong Soh, the Cantonese association of Medan in the 1920s. He lived on the corner of Hakkastraat (jl. Nusantara) and Wilhelminastraat (jl. Sutomo).
In 1912, his son was born, which he advertised at De Sumatra Post:
In honor of the birth of my son: Law Hien Khoen, May 11, 1912, I will hold a big party at 5 pm on Friday, June 7, 1912. All my friends are invited. LAU A YOK.
Business
Lau A Yok had several companies as a contractor and selling building materials. Later, he also sold second-hand cars and Chinese medicine. But his companies did not seem to work well. He liquidated them in the 1930s. His companies include
NV Handel Mij Seew Nam Kongsie, established in November 1918 at Kesawan and declared bankrupt in September 1924.
NV Handel Mij Lau A Yok at Lau A Yok straat, declared bankrupt 24 May 1935.
Lau A Yok declared bankruptcy in Medan in 1923. And in 1930, the Council of Justice at Batavia
“declared the bankruptcy of Lau A Yok, merchant, formerly resident Medan, now in Pontianak.”
Lau A Yok and Sukaramai
A newspaper article from 1921 mentioned that his house was in a dilapidated condition and had been repeatedly condemned to be demolished. It was patched up many times, with an excuse of “new arrival-homeless-need-a-home” in Medan. Lau A Yok indeed is known to care for the homeless.
Lau A Yok acquired a large piece of land at the end of Julianastraat (jl. Asia) in the 1910. The street is named Djalan Lau A Yok, or sometimes written as Lauw A Yok. This land was on the edge of Medan municipality, which was still a bush. It is called kampong Lau A Yok, which started from the current jalan Besi until the border of the municipality of Medan. He established this kampong for the poor and homeless Chinese.
The kampong was also the centre for the Chinese and indigenous people living around the area. It had Malay theatres, including The Indra Mahnikam Theater Coy. of F.S.M (Federated Strait Malaya) that performed regularly. The New Bangsawan, a Malay theatre with western themes, was also on show.
On the east of Medan municipality was a large tobacco plantation called Medan Estate, belonged by Deli maatschappij. Between the plantation and the municipality, were several Sultan’s kampongs, such as Soekarame, Soengei Kerah-Pertjoet, Kota Masoem, Soekaraja. These kampongs were not under the Dutch administration but the local Sultan’s rule. Kampong Lau A Yok bordered with Soekaramei, which was described as a very intensive built-up kampong (SP 06–02–1936). Crime and violence often occurred in these kampongs.
Kampong Lau A Yok
Kampong Lau A Yok was a Chinese ghetto. The Dutch called it Lauw A Yok nederzetting or settlement. Settled residents built small petak houses made from woods and atap roofs. They also established various home-based industries, such as coconut oil pressing, cakeand bread making, es lilin factory, clothing, bags, etc., all to make a living.
Sumatra Post reported: “The settlement is just falling outside the urban hygiene regulations and is an eyesore.”
This situation made it prone to fire. In 1937, twelve houses were burned because of an out-of-control fire while a resident was making bread. In 1952, it was hit by a storm and around 1500 people became homeless.” (Het nieuwsblad voor Sumatra, 13–06–1952).
Violence also occurred frequently. The story goes that even native Indonesian did not want to pass Lau A Yok; otherwise, he would be robbed and came out naked.
But it is also an area where the Chinese community helped each other. Many helping foundations and schools were established. In 1934, an asylum for the poor Chinese was established there with the Chinese Consul’s help. This association was financed by the Singapore millionaire Aw Boon Haw (the founder of Tiger Balm). It provided permanent and temporary accommodation for the poor and physically challenged. It also helped repatriate some of the Chinese labourers. In 1940, it provided shelter for 300 poor Chinese from Belawan (SP 10–1–1934).
Shortly after Indonesian independence, the “social revolution” by pemuda attacked Chinese who lived on the outskirts of Medan, including those staying in kebon pisang and Soekarame. Lau A Yok, once again, became an asylum for the Chinese refugee.
In 1934, a swimming pool was built by Mr. Ngo Ho Hian, a successful duckling merchant. The pool was particularly built for Chinese and indigenous communities because they were not allowed to go to the European pool. Native and Chinese students used to swim on the river of Gedong Djohore. A swimming school was established to teach schoolchildren how to swim.
Later, after Indonesian independence, Kampung Lau A Yok is referred to Sukaramai, or administratively kelurahan Sukaramai II, covering an area from Jalan Besi until Jalan AR Hakim (kereta api). Jalan AR Hakim is the border with the old Medan Estate. (Kelurahan Sukaramai I is the original Sukaramai kampong).
Kampung Lau A Yok was called Kampung Cina, infamous as a slum. Fires frequently occurred in this densely-populated area. In 1979, a big fire wiped out half of the homes made out of woods. It was estimated that about 13,000 people lived there. Later more permanent brick houses were built. And in 1986, rumah susun or apartments were constructed as public housing.
In the past 20 years, the area has come out of poverty and is currently known as Asia Mega Mas, a Chinatown with a captivating night market and a culinary destination.
Lau A Yok is the pioneer in building a settlement for the poor. Although he failed in business, he succeeded in building a community. After 100 years, kampong Lau A Yok is out of the slum and becomes a real Chinatown.
People may have forgotten about him, but his contribution would be on a par with Tjong A Fie. Lau A Yok should be recognised as the founder of Medan’s Chinatown.
References:
Buiskool, D.A., 2019. Prominent Chinese During the Rise of a Colonial City: Medan 1890–1942 (Doctoral dissertation, Utrecht University).
Sumatra Post, Deli Courant 1907–1940
Het nieuwsblad voor Sumatra, 13–06–1952