Yap Kwan Seng
| Kapitan China Yap Kwan Seng 葉觀盛甲 |
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|---|---|
| Kapitan China of Kuala Lumpur | |
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In office 1889–1902 |
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| Preceded by | Yap Ah Shak |
| Succeeded by | Post abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1846 China |
| Died | January 17, 1902 Kuala Lumpur, FMS |
| Residence | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
| Occupation | Kapitan |
Kapitan China Yap Kwan Seng (Chinese: 叶观盛甲, 1846–1902) was the fifth and last Kapitan China of Kuala Lumpur from 1889 to 1902. Kapitans were appointed chiefs or headmen of the various ethnic communities during the period of British colonial rule in what is present-day Malaysia. Kapitans played an important role in the history of the Chinese in Malaysia. They wielded considerable influence, contributing to social, economic and political development in areas under their jurisdiction.
Yap Kwan Seng, of Hakka descent, was born in 1846 in the Chak Kai district of China. He was a Hakka of the Fui Chiu clan. He moved to Malaya at the age of 18 and worked as a tin miner in Seremban.
On his death, The Straits Times carried the following obituary:
TOWKAY Yap Kwan Seng, the Captain China of Selangor, died at Kuala Lumpur on Friday, of consumption, at the age of fifty-five years, of which he had spent forty in the Straits. He came from the Canton province and had resided thirty-two years in Selangor. He had held the post of Captain China there since 1889. The deceased was popular among all classes and was a liberal giver to charities. He was a Trustee of the Victoria Institution to whose funds he liberally subscribed. He gave $10,000 to the Transvaal War Fund and also a handsome donation to St. Mary's Church building fund. He was always a good friend to his poorer countrymen, for whom he established a practically free dispensary. During the Pahang rebellion he rendered much assistance to the Government and was thanked for his services. He leaves behind him five wives here and three in China, also a large family consisting of fifteen sons and ten daughters.
In 1870, Yap packed his bags for Selangor, where he began his hard work to help pioneer the tin mining industry. He made his fortune in tin-mining. It is said he had a workforce of 7,000 and soon owned more tin mines than any of his contemporaries.
As a businessman, he foresaw an increased demand for bricks in fast-growing Kuala Lumpur and established a kiln in a district which came to be called Brickfields, a name by which it is still known today.
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