Yap Ah Shak

Yap Ah Shak was born in Xinan, Guangdong province, China. He became the fourth Kapitan China of Kuala Lumpur and a prominent businessman involved in trading and mining.

In the 1860s, clashes broke out between the local Malay chieftains over some taxation dispute and mining rights in Sungai Ujong. The then Kapitan China of Sungai Ujong, Shen Ming Li, was slain because of his support for one of the chieftain. Local business community then elected Yap Ah Shak, who was by then already an influential businessman, to be the next Kapitan China of Sungai Ujong. As he had no taste for politics, he soon passed the Kapitanship to Yap Ah Loy. Yap Ah Loy left Sungai Ujong after few years and went to Kuala Lumpur. In the 1870s, Yap Ah Shak also moved to Kuala Lumpur and was appointed as the assistant and overseer of Yap Ah Loy's mines and coolies. By 1880 Yap Ah Shak had 10 tin mines around Kuala Lumpur. He also served as Kapitan China of Kuala Lumpur from 1885 to 1889 when he passed away.