Brickfields Indian Community
Brickfields is more commonly known as Kuala Lumpur’s Little India due to its large percentage of Indian residents. Ideally located outside the centre of capital city Kuala Lumpur, this is an interesting sightseeing destination as there are several unique Hindu and Buddhist temples located in the area.
The major road, Jalan Tun Sambathan is lined with rows of stores selling variety of Indian traditional clothing and other goods at a reasonable price. Traveling from other parts of the city into Brickfields is rather easy either by bus or elevated monorail.
To get into Jalan Tun Sambathan, just take the KL monorail and stop at Tun Sambathan station. Besides monorail, for those who would like to take a walk around town and have a look at local culture, then perhaps stopping at KL Sentral is a better idea. After all, one can reach KL Sentral either by taking KTM, Kelana Jaya line or ERL.
Besides train, you can also get into Brickfields by taking a bus. Most of the buses pass through Brickfields as it is located somewhere near KL Sentral. If you are not sure which bus to take to reach Brickfields, then just hop on to any of the Rapid buses as all go through KL Sentral. Brickfields is located around 200 metres from KL Sentral.
The history of Brickfields can be traced back to Yap Kwan Seng’s era. Yap, the last Kapitan Cina saw the potential to develop a centre to produce and manufacture bricks as the demand for bricks were growing drastically. Since good quality bricks are made from clay and the whole area was a clay pit, he put two and two together thus naming it Brickfields. Since then, the area has evolved and experienced tremendous growth.
The high percentage of Indian residents in the town today can be traced back to during British administration in Malaya. Back in the olden days, Brickfields was a major railroad station for KTM (formerly known as Malayan Railway). Thus, Indians were brought into the area to work for Malayan Railway.
Most of them used to stay in Brickfields quarters. Instead of moving back to their home country, the Indian community decided to remain and stay in Brickfields. The former Malayan Railway depot has now turned into KL Sentral.
Brickfields has undergone tremendous growth in the last few decades. Formerly a residential area, today it is well-known as a commercial centre located off downtown Kuala Lumpur. While some areas have turned into a modern residential area with luxury condominiums, the small village type structure is still available in the midst of high-rise buildings.
Similar to any other residential neighbourhood, Brickfields has basic infrastructure and facilities. In fact, one of the district headquarters is located in the area – Brickfields District Police Headquarter.
In addition to that, parents are spoiled for choices as there are plenty of schools in Brickfields – 7 primary and 2 secondary schools. Two private schools – Global Indian International School and Methodist College Kuala Lumpur are also located within the vicinity. For those who intend to further their education in higher learning institution, Brickfields Asia College offers exceptional law courses for bright students.