Malaysia has a
fondness for changing street names. History of the nation is being wiped out slowly but surely. The latest casualty of this history-wiping exercise is
Jalan Alor in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. The street name,
Jalan Alor, has been around for decades.
This street that runs parallel to yet another famous street,
Jalan Bukit Bintang, is well-known by locals and foreigners alike.
Jalan Alor is a food street and when night falls, the entire street comes alive with both human and vehicle traffic.
Jalan Alor serves one of the best Chinese food in Kuala Lumpur and some of the food-stalls and restaurants have been here for more than thirty years passing down the business from generation to generation. (The word
Jalan is local for
Street or
Road.)
Yes, the famous Jalan Alor has been renamed according to The Star on Saturday. It is now known as Jalan Kejora. This change renders foodstall and restaurant names with "Jalan Alor" or "Alor" irrelevant. The owners of Nasi Lemak Alor Corner and the Alor Kai Yik (chicken wings) are among
business-owners who are unhappy with the change.
The Star again headlined this issue today highlighting that Yahoo! returns more than 900,000 results. Indeed, it is that famous.
Yet,
Kuala Lumpur City Hall is adamant that changing the name to Jalan Kejora - a move that has sparked a public outcry - is the right thing to do.
.....Another one bites the dust!
