From Guangdong to Kasturi Walk - On the Radar

From Guangdong to Kasturi Walk
Lynette Moey | 29 May 2025

Kwang Yeow Heng view from Kasturi Walk. – Photo: Ann Marie Chandy
IF you have dined at an upmarket Chinese restaurant, chances are that your seafood dish may have contained a marine ingredient from Kwang Yeow Heng, a renowned dried seafood shop located at the side of Central Market, Kuala Lumpur.

The shop itself is partially hidden behind some stalls on the covered pedestrian walkway, Kasturi Walk. It used to have better frontage. But the area around Central Market has transformed tremendously over the years so that it becomes almost unrecognisable to older generations who used to hang around there.

Kwang Yeow Heng, Kuala Lumpur, is definitely an older generation shop. Today, it runs as both a retail shop and top Malaysian marine wholesaler.
The products you can find at the shop, including KYH's signature brand, Skylight. – Photo: Eric Kwan
Walking through the entrance from Kasturi Walk, you are greeted by jars, trays, cans and transparent boxes of sea cucumber, shark fin, fish maw, and abalone. Here, you can buy dried shrimp, dried sausages and anchovies. You can also get all sorts of other foodstuff like canned longans, bird’s nest and mushrooms.

You can wander through the shelves and take your pick from the copious array. If you are too confused by the choices, Margaret Hiah, other members of her family and her shop assistants will be there to help you.
A typical Saturday at the shop. – Photo: Eric Kwan
First Generation
Margaret’s father, Hiah Siek Kee, founded Kwang Yeow Heng, on March 18, 1968. This writer remembers the cheerful Teochew nonagenarian whenever she would go into the shop. He was friends with my husband, and they would strike up a conversation in rapid Cantonese.

“My father passed away just last year in 2024 at the age of 98,” Margaret says. “I don’t know if there was a correlation, but my father’s driver, Ah Lee, for many years passed away first. They had been good friends for a long time. Then two months later after his driver’s death, my father passed.”

Hiah’s driver was not just a driver. When he wasn’t driving Hiah around, he was selling dried goods in the shop. “We put him in charge of the dried sausages,” Margaret reminisced. “He was very good at selling sausages, especially around Chinese New Year.”

Born in 1926 in the Guangdong province of China, Hiah was from a family of farmers. They were so poor that he had to drop out of school after only two years to help with the family farm. He never had it easy.

In 1937, China went to war with Japan. Life was extremely difficult for everyone. There was famine, and everyone was hungry. Life did not improve much even after the war ended. China was at an ideological crossroads. So Hiah decided to flee to Singapore in 1947. He found menial work at a Singaporean seafood store selling marine goods. He was only paid 18 yuan a month (RM10 today), but was given food and lodging. He was forever grateful for this start because it was there that he learned the marine seafood trade, which included how to procure and sell abalone, sea cucumber and other dried goods from all over the world.

Hiah and his brothers decided to go into the seafood business and opened their own shop. From Singapore, they expanded to Kuala Lumpur. Hiah’s brother remained in Singapore and he himself opted to emigrate to Kuala Lumpur with his new family.
Struggle and ascent
You would have thought that it was easygoing for the family after that, but no. The 1969 racial riots happened in Kuala Lumpur. The country was devastated. Kwang Yeow Heng’s business was devastated.

As Malaysia slowly mended, Hiah sought to build his business up again. But disaster struck again in 1971 when Kuala Lumpur suffered a major flood. Because Kwang Yeow Heng was situated near what is known today as the River of Life, which is the confluence of two rivers – Klang and Gombak – and serves as the historical site of where Kuala Lumpur was founded – his entire shop’s contents were flooded out and destroyed.

It was a very difficult time.

But Hiah persevered. He picked the pieces up, attracted new investors, including one from Japan, and literally saved his business. One of Kwang Yeow Heng’s flagship products is the Skylight brand of marine delicacies.

Although Skylight is synonymous with abalone, it also offers sharkfin, fishmaw and sea cucumber. These luxuries were only enjoyed by Chinese emperors in the past, but are served to commoners these days. Go to any big restaurant chain in Malaysia like Tai Thong, Ah Yat Abalone and Oversea Restaurant, or a big company like Resorts World, and it is likely they are clients of Kwong Yeow Heng.
Lim, now in his 80s, has been working for KYH for over 30 years. His mind as active as ever, he maintains accounts for the business. – Photo: Eric Kwan
Today, Hiah’s son-in-law heads the business in Kuala Lumpur. As it is a family enterprise, Hiah’s son and three daughters play significant parts in running it. Some of their employees have been there for decades. It is not unusual to see an 80-something man behind the accounts desk.

For posterity, Margaret shares some of her old photos of the shop and the people who have worked there for decades. You can see them here. “Some of the people are no longer with us,” she mourns.

Kwang Yeow Heng is more than just a dried goods store — it is a living time capsule tucked beside the ever-shifting bustle of Central Market. For those who remember the old KL of street hawkers, trishaws and wooden shopfronts, stepping into the shop is like walking back in time. And for newcomers, it’s a gentle reminder that behind every modern skyscraper lies a story of grit, hard work and family.

If you're ever in the city, take the time to wander past the souvenir stalls of Kasturi Walk and seek out this gem — because the stories of Kuala Lumpur aren't only told only in museums, but in places like this, where memory and trade still go hand in hand.
Dari Guangdong ke Laluan Kasturi
Lynette Moey | 29 May 2025

Pemandangan Kwang Yeow Heng dari Laluan Kasturi. – Foto: Ann Marie Chandy
JIKA anda pernah menjamu selera di restoran Cina bertaraf tinggi, kemungkinan besar hidangan makanan laut anda mengandungi hasil laut daripada Kwang Yeow Heng, sebuah kedai makanan laut kering yang terkenal, terletak di tepi Pasar Seni, Kuala Lumpur.

Kedai ini sebahagiannya tersembunyi di belakang beberapa gerai di laluan pejalan kaki berbumbung, Laluan Kasturi. Dahulu, ia mempunyai bahagian hadapan kedai yang lebih jelas. Namun, perubahan pesat telah berlaku di sekitar kawasan Pasar Seni sehingga kawasan itu hampir tidak dikenali oleh generasi lama yang biasa berkunjung ke situ.

Kwang Yeow Heng, Kuala Lumpur, merupakan sebuah kedai warisan generasi lama. Hari ini, ia beroperasi sebagai kedai runcit dan juga pemborong makanan laut utama di Malaysia.
Produk-produk yang boleh anda dapati di kedai itu, termasuk jenama terkemuka KYH, Skylight. - Foto: Eric Kwan
Sebaik sahaja anda melalui pintu masuk daripada Laluan Kasturi, anda akan disambut dengan deretan balang, dulang, tin, dan kotak lutsinar yang dipenuhi dengan timun laut, sirip yu, gelembung ikan, dan abalon. Anda boleh membeli udang kering, sosej kering, dan ikan bilis. Pelbagai barangan makanan lain juga boleh didapati di sini seperti longan dalam tin, sarang burung, dan cendawan.

Anda boleh berjalan-jalan di antara rak-rak dan memilih daripada pelbagai jenis barangan yang tersedia. Jika anda keliru dengan pilihan yang terlalu banyak, Margaret Hiah, ahli keluarganya yang lain, dan pembantu kedainya sentiasa bersedia untuk membantu anda.
Hari Sabtu biasa di kedai. - Foto: Eric Kwan
Generasi pertama
Bapa Margaret Hiah, Hiah Siek Kee, telah menubuhkan Kwang Yeow Heng pada Mac 18, 1968. Saya masih ingat lelaki Teochew yang ceria itu setiap kali saya masuk ke kedai. Dia merupakan rakan kepada suami saya, dan mereka akan berbual rancak dalam bahasa Kantonis.

“Bapa saya baru sahaja meninggal dunia pada tahun yang lalu, 2024, di usianya 98 tahun,” kata Margaret. “Saya tidak pasti sama ada ada kaitan atau tidak, tetapi pemandu bapa saya, Ah Lee, yang telah bekerja dengannya selama bertahun-tahun, meninggal dunia terlebih dahulu. Mereka berkawan rapat sejak sekian lama. Dua bulan selepas kematian pemandunya, bapa saya pula menghembuskan nafas terakhir.”

Pemandu Hiah bukan sekadar seorang pemandu. Apabila dia tidak memandu untuk Hiah, dia turut membantu menjual barangan kering di kedai.

“Kami beri dia tanggungjawab menjaga bahagian sosej kering,” kenang Margaret. “Dia memang pandai menjual sosej, terutamanya menjelang Tahun Baru Cina.”

Dilahirkan pada tahun 1926 di wilayah Guangdong, China, Hiah berasal dari sebuah keluarga petani.

Mereka sangat miskin sehingga beliau terpaksa berhenti sekolah selepas hanya dua tahun, demi membantu di ladang keluarga. Hidupnya tidak pernah senang. Pada tahun 1937, China berperang dengan Jepun. Kehidupan amat sukar untuk semua orang. Ramai yang kebuluran, dan semua orang kelaparan.

Keadaan itu tidak banyak berubah walaupun setelah perang tamat. China berada di persimpangan ideologi. Maka Hiah mengambil keputusan untuk melarikan diri ke Singapura pada tahun 1947.

Beliau mendapat kerja buruh di sebuah kedai di Singapura yang menjual hasil laut. Gajinya hanya 18 yuan sebulan (RM10 pada hari ini), tetapi dia diberikan makanan dan tempat tinggal. Beliau sangat bersyukur dengan permulaan itu kerana di situlah beliau mempelajari selok-belok perniagaan makanan laut kering – termasuk cara mendapatkan dan menjual abalon, timun laut dan pelbagai barangan kering dari seluruh dunia.

Hiah dan adik-beradiknya kemudian membuat keputusan untuk menceburi bidang perniagaan makanan laut dan membuka kedai sendiri. Dari Singapura, mereka mengembangkan perniagaan ke Kuala Lumpur. Adik Hiah kekal di Singapura, manakala beliau sendiri memilih untuk berhijrah ke Kuala Lumpur bersama keluarga barunya.
Pergelutan dan kebangkitan
Anda mungkin menyangka kehidupan keluarga ini berubah menjadi lebih mudah, tetapi tidak. Rusuhan kaum pada tahun 1969 berlaku di Kuala Lumpur. Negara berada dalam keadaan huru-hara. Perniagaan Kwang Yeow Heng turut teruk terjejas.

Ketika Malaysia sedang memulih secara perlahan, Encik Hiah berusaha membangunkan semula perniagaannya. Namun, malang sekali lagi menimpanya pada tahun 1971, Kuala Lumpur dilanda banjir besar. Memandangkan Kwang Yeow Heng terletak berhampiran kawasan yang kini dikenali sebagai River of Life – tempat pertemuan dua sungai iaitu Sungai Klang dan Sungai Gombak, serta tapak bersejarah di mana Kuala Lumpur diasaskan — seluruh kedainya telah ditenggelami air dan musnah.

Ia adalah waktu yang amat sukar.

Namun, Hiah tidak berputus asa. Beliau bangkit semula, menarik pelabur baharu termasuk seorang dari Jepun, dan berjaya menyelamatkan perniagaannya. Salah satu produk utama Kwang Yeow Heng ialah jenama makanan laut mewah Skylight.

Walaupun jenama Skylight sinonim dengan abalon, ia turut menawarkan sirip yu, gelembung ikan, dan timun laut. Dulunya, makanan mewah ini hanya dinikmati oleh maharaja-maharaja Cina, tetapi kini ia dapat dinikmati oleh orang biasa seperti kita. Pergilah ke mana-mana rangkaian restoran besar di Malaysia seperti Tai Thong, Ah Yat Abalone, dan Restoran Oversea, atau syarikat besar seperti Resorts World — kemungkinan besar mereka adalah pelanggan Kwang Yeow Heng.
Lim, yang kini berusia 80-an, telah bekerja untuk KYH selama lebih 30 tahun. Fikirannya masih aktif seperti biasa, beliau menguruskan akaun untuk perniagaan tersebut. - Foto: Eric Kwan
Kini, menantu lelaki Hiah mengetuai perniagaan di Kuala Lumpur. Sebagai sebuah perniagaan keluarga, anak lelaki dan tiga orang anak perempuan Encik Hiah turut memainkan peranan penting dalam pengurusan syarikat ini. Terdapat juga beberapa orang pekerja mereka yang telah berkhidmat selama berdekad-dekad. Tidak hairanlah jika anda melihat seorang lelaki berusia lapan puluhan masih berada di meja akaun.

Demi kenangan generasi akan datang, Margaret berkongsi beberapa gambar lama kedai dan individu yang telah bekerja di sana sejak sekian lama. Anda boleh melihatnya di sini. “Ada antara mereka yang sudah tiada,” katanya dengan nada pilu.

Kwang Yeow Heng bukan sekadar sebuah kedai barangan kering — ia merupakan kapsul masa hidup yang tersembunyi di sisi kesibukan Pasar Seni yang sentiasa berubah. Bagi mereka yang masih mengingati KL lama dengan penjaja jalanan, beca, dan kedai-kedai kayu, melangkah masuk ke dalam kedai ini ibarat kembali ke masa lalu. Bagi pelanggan baru pula, ia satu peringatan bahawa di sebalik setiap pencakar langit moden, terdapat kisah ketabahan, kerja keras dan kekuatan kekeluargaan.

Jika anda berada di kota ini, luangkan masa untuk berjalan melepasi gerai-gerai cenderamata di Laluan Kasturi dan cari permata tersembunyi ini — kerana kisah-kisah Kuala Lumpur bukan hanya diceritakan di muzium, tetapi juga di tempat-tempat seperti ini, di mana kenangan serta perniagaan masih berjalan seiring.

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