It’s decided - Jalan Alor will keep its name

KUALA LUMPUR: Jalan Alor will keep its name - that’s the decision of Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Zulhasnan Rafique.

It is understood that the decision was made by him after listening to feedback from the public and City Hall following the uproar over the name change of the world-renowned street to Jalan Kejora.

Sources said the minister had taken into account the views of both sides before making the decision.

However, Zulhasnan, when contacted, declined to confirm his decision, saying that it would be made known next week.

“I have listened to the explanation by the Datuk Bandar. I also understand the wishes of the people in Jalan Alor, especially the hawkers and traders in the area.

“I am fully aware that Jalan Alor is a world-renowned street, particularly its attraction as a food centre for tourists,” he said.

The name Jalan Alor has been in existence for 35 years. Alor means groove or lane in Bahasa Malaysia while Kejora means Venus, the second planet in the solar system.

Zulhasnan said he had studied the various views and had made a decision on the controversy.

“The Datuk Bandar will an­­nounce the decision next week, please be patient,” he said.

On Tuesday, Zulhasnan stepped in to intervene after many people voiced out against City Hall’s decision to rename Jalan Alor.

Zulhasnan said he had asked Datuk Ab Hakim Borhan, the Datuk Bandar, for a report on the rationale for the name change.

On Tuesday, The Star reported that web portal Yahoo! returned more than 900,000 results for a search on “Jalan Alor” while news of the name change made it across the globe.

Ab Hakim had said that the decision to rename the road was planned three years ago, with other roads in the Bukit Bintang area to be renamed after planets to create a new image.

Earlier yesterday, traders and residents of Jalan Alor embarked on a signature campaign to protest against the change in the road name.

A group of about 30 traders gathered at the road junction, shouting: “We want Alor! We want Alor!”

Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Lun, who organised the campaign, said the traders and residents found the name change a nuisance as they would need to revise their business address, company letterheads, business cards, rubber stamps and update the details in their MyKad, bank accounts and other legal documents.

“This is stupid! I have eight websites and now I have to change the addresses in all of them,” said a businessman.

“It is such stupid move and we are hoping that the DBKL (Kuala Lumpur City Hall) will change its mind on this,” trader Lee Kien Kee said.

Fong said he would submit the signatures to the Datuk Bandar next week.