In the late 19th century, there were trading ships that sailed between Kuching and Singapore. From the 1920s onwards, there were huge government and private warehouses built at the Sarawak Riverside, which is a testament to the extremely busy harbour. A group of workers with dark, suntanned complexions worked hard carrying heavy cargo on their backs every single day, from the ships to the warehouses and back. They were called coolies, which originated from the Chinese words ‘ku3 li4’ which means ‘hard labour’.
These workers were divided into many small groups which were each headed by a different leader. These groups were known as the ‘coolie keng’. Every day, groups of coolies would wait at the Old Bazaar for the ships to dock at the harbour, where they would fight for work opportunities. Most of them gathered at Upper China Street and Bishopgate Street, where many of the shophouses became their resting and living spaces. Before the 1970s, numbers 51, 52, 61 and 62 of Upper China Street, together with 19 Bishopgate Street were the well-known coolie keng.
In order to mediate the conflicts between the coolies who often fought over jobs, the Kuching Wharf and Port Labourers’ Union was officially founded in 1948. Its earliest address was at 78 Wayang Street, until the union purchased 22 Carpenter Street in 1953, which remained their permanent address until today. While the harbour at Sarawak River eventually moved away, coolies slowly disappeared from the Old Bazaar, and have now been reduced to be part of our generational memory.
Mural artist: Leonard Siaw
大井巷和苦力间
早在19世纪后期，砂拉越就有往返古晋与新加坡的货轮。自1920年代起，砂拉越河畔陆续建起了大型的政府与私人货仓，说明当时的港口活动已经非常活跃。晒得肤色黝黑扛着货的码头工友，靠着人力负重千斤，日间在货轮与货仓之间劳作，人们把这些工友称为苦力，也写成古里、估俚等，源自英文coolie或马来文kuli。
这些码头工友，分成很多小组织，各有工头带领，人们称之为“苦力间”，他们日常就一组一组分布在老巴刹的街巷间等着货轮靠岸，然后争取工作的机会。其中，大井巷和下横街是苦力聚集的地方，不少店屋作为苦力歇息或居住的地方。在1970年代或以前，大井巷门牌51、52、61和62号店屋；以及下横街门牌19号店屋等，都是街坊熟知的苦力间。
为了调解苦力之间因争抢工作而产生的冲突，古晋码头工友会在1948年宣告成立，最初的会址设在花香街78号。到了1953年，码头工友会买下亚答街22号店屋作为永久会所至今。随着砂拉越河畔的码头逐步迁移到其他地方，苦力的身影也慢慢在老巴刹消失了，成为几代人的回忆。
画家：萧全成
