Old school cool - Story-Worthy Moments

Old school cool

Jacqueline Pereira | 5 June 2025

Kedai Gunting Rambut Ananda in Chow Kit, established in 1964, remains largely unchanged, a deliberate choice to preserve its iconic status. – Photos: Jacqueline Pereira

IN the quiet hum of the old barbershops, time melts into memory. Decades-old Takara chairs remain welcoming. Various sizes of blades, scissors and combs sit in neat rows, along with pots of gel and cans of hairspray. Scents of talcum and sandalwood linger, as do the commemoration of founders, famous customers and deities framed in photos lining the walls. A world unto itself, steadfast through shifting times.

The few remaining old barbershops in central KL have their roots in the city’s transformation from muddy mining town to bustling trade centre. Almost a century ago, these utilitarian shops catered to the labouring class: Tamil railway workers, Chinese miners and Malay traders. Many of the early barbers came from South India and Sri Lanka, offering more than haircuts to those who literally built this city.

It was also where the men gathered to exchange news, relax and seek comfort in familiar rituals. The barbers doubled as confidants, masseurs and even matchmakers. In modest rooms or roadside stalls, they built trust, community and connection, becoming fixtures in KL’s living history and silent witnesses to its evolving cityscape.

Styles and services offered at Kedai Gunting Rambut Ananda.

Akilan Ananda Krishnan, 55, carries on his father’s legacy at Kedai Gunting Rambut Ananda in Chow Kit, while also managing three other barbershops in Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya.

Established in 1964, the original shop is largely unchanged, a deliberate choice to preserve its iconic status. “I started helping my father at 19, after earning my London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) certificate,” says Akilan. “It’s my passion.” The shop has seen its share of notable clients, including the late judge Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram and politician Dato Seri Seenivasagam, alongside generations of loyal patrons.

Though Akilan is trained in modern unisex hairstyling, he firmly believes in preserving the traditional barbershop model. “It still works, it still matters, and it’s proven to last,” he says. The haircuts are fast, familiar and grounded in trust. When clients sit down, he instinctively knows what they want, especially the regulars. “We don’t talk about jobs or titles. Just the now,” he adds. With his son now handling the business and scientific side of hair, Akilan ensures the tradition continues, with straight razors, confident hands, and the calming ritual of an oil massage.

Standing witness to almost 90 years of urban history, Salun Gaya Rambut Stylo on Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock is arguably Malaysia’s oldest barbershop.

Salun Gaya Rambut Stylo on Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock holds the distinction of being Malaysia’s oldest barbershop. Now run by third-generation barber M. Mathenan, who oversees several other shops across the city. The business was founded by his grandfather, PA Thangayeh who, at 20, left Madras (now Chennai) for training in Colombo before arriving in Malaysia in 1931. He opened his first shop in 1937 with classic cuts beginning at only 30 sen!

Today, still only four barber chairs occupy the tiny space, a 10-by-15 shop lot, frequented by regulars ranging from students to soldiers, as well as tourists stopping by for a trim with history. Standing witness to almost 90 years of urban history, the iconic barbershop has seen just outside its front doors British rule, Japanese invasion and World War II, as well as the country's Independence.

Tools of the trade at Stylo.

At 69, Manonmani K. Muthusamy has spent more than four decades wielding the tools of his trade. But the story of The Royal Hairdressing Saloon on Leboh Ampang begins well before his time. Founded nearly 80 years ago by his father, who arrived from India at age 17, the barbershop once stood across from Masjid Jamek, its barbers clad in crisp white uniforms, grooming the city’s colonial elites and bustling Indian migrant workers alike. Now operating out of Petaling Jaya, the shop’s original Takara chairs from Japan are still in use, a nod to a bygone era where craftsmanship reigned. On any given morning, the chairs fill with customers young and old, including the likes of veteran politician Lim Kit Siang, sharing stories of life and cautious political banter.

Jeffrey Solomon, 36, only trusts old-style barbers to manage his hair. "They cut it exactly how I like it, even though I have tried out other more modern salons. These barbershops have seen a rise in status recently with youngsters on Tik Tok, displaying their novel experiences. A cheap and quick trim, with an eyebrow-raising swift, practiced twist, signature neck crack for a young boy. One girl gushingly posted about receiving her vigorous papaya-cream face massage and robust back massage!

Even as modern salons and trends evolve, these barbershops pay quiet testament to the passage of time, shaped by migration, urban change and personal histories. Though modest spaces, they offer affordability, camaraderie and continuity, their legacies living on in razor shaves, oil massages and precise partings.

Most of all, the stories shared in these tiny, trusted spaces linger, passed on from one generation to the next. Visiting these barbershops offers a unique opportunity to experience Kuala Lumpur’s living history, where each haircut is a blend of tradition, culture and community spirit.

Catered to the colonial elites and migrant workers almost 80 years ago, barber shops offer a unique opportunity to experience Kuala Lumpur’s living history.

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