Tek Soon Street

**Tek Soon Street**, within the George Town city centre, runs along some of the most modern landmarks of George Town, including KOMTAR, 1st. Avenue Mall and Prangin Mall. It stretches from northwest to southeast between Penang Road and Maxwell Road.

The street is named after Cheah Tek Soon, a 19th. century Chinese Penangite tycoon. He donated the street to the Municipal Council of George Town, which, in turn, named the street after him.

While most of the street lies within the KOMTAR shopping and administrative precint, the eastern junction with Maxwell Road has been left dilapidated, lined with derelict pre-war shophouses adjacent to the former Sia Boey market. As of 2016, the Penang state government has announced plans to turn the Sia Boey area into a heritage arts district, as well as an interchange station under the Penang Transport Master Plan.

## History

Tek Soon Street was donated to the Municipal Council of George Town in the 19th. century by a local Chinese businessman, Cheah Tek Soon. He was best remembered for commissioning the construction of the Shih Chung School at Northam Road. The council, in turn, named the street after him.

The street has witnessed dramatic changes in the latter half of the 20th. century and into the 21st. century. The shophouses that once lined Tek Soon Street were bulldozed to make way for the construction of KOMTAR in the 1970s. Later on, Prangin Mall was added a short distance away, while 1st. Avenue Mall was also built down the street in the early 2000s. Today, these modern landmarks of George Town line Tek Soon Street, turning it into an important thoroughfare within the KOMTAR shopping and administrative district.

However, the eastern end of Tek Soon Street near the junction with Maxwell Road has fallen into a derelict state, as the pre-war shophouses adjoining the former Sia Boey market were left abandoned. In spite of the nearby modern urbanisation, this dilapidated area has remained untouched, turning it into an eye sore.

In recent years, the Penang state government under the opposition parties, the Democratic Action Party and the People's Justice Party, has announced plans to turn the Sia Boey area into a heritage arts centre. Also, under the Penang Transport Master Plan, a major interchange station will be built within the area for the upcoming Bayan Lepas LRT Line, and the Air Itam and Tanjung Tokong Monorail Lines.

## Political Representation

### Penang State Government

**Between Penang Road and the eastern end of Prangin Mall :**

N.28 Komtar State Assemblyman : Teh Lai Heng (Democratic Action Party)

**Between the eastern end of Prangin Mall and Maxwell Road :**

N.27 Pengkalan Kota State Assemblyman : Lau Keng Ee (Democratic Action Party)

### Malaysian Federal Parliament

P.049 Tanjong Member of Parliament : Ng Wei Aik (Democratic Action Party)

## References

1. Khoo S.N., 2007. *Streets of George Town, Penang*. Areca Books.
2. http://www.penang-traveltips.com/tek-soon-street.htm
3. http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/dilapidated-heritage-sia-boey-market-to-be-reborn-by-2018
4. http://www.thestar.com.my/metro/community/2016/04/02/keeping-folk-in-the-know-website-answers-queries-on-transport-master-plan/