Kapitan

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This article is about headmen of various ethnic communities in what is now Malaysia. For military rank, see Kapitan (rank).

Kapitans were appointed chiefs or headmen of the various ethnic communities during the Portuguese and Dutch colonial rule in what is present-day Malaysia.

[edit] Chinese Kapitans

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. Among Chinese settlements in the Malay Peninsula, Malacca was the oldest and most established, with an illustrious line of Kapitans. Yap Ah Loy was a kapitan in Kuala Lumpur and is considered as the founder of the city. The title was abolished in 1902 when the last Kapitan, Yap Kwan Seng died.