Malaysian Indian Congress says Little India is already a famous icon

Kuala Lumpur, Mar 19 (ANI): A Malaysian Indian Congress leader has said there is no need to rebrand or rename Little India in Klang as it is already a well-known tourism icon.

Selangor Malaysian Indian Congress chairman G. Palanivel said on Wednesday that "the move to change its name will erase the area's identity."

He said the MIC is against the Klang Municipal Council's plan to rename the area Medan Kelana, and appealed to Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah of Selangor to intervene.

Palanivel was commenting on reports that the Klang municipality would soon remove two signboards with the name 'Little India' and replace them with Medan Kelana.

Little India is a famous shopping enclave with 100 pre-war shops on either side of Jalan Tengku Kelana, The Star reported.

It draws shoppers by the thousands and is an important income generator for Klang.

The move to change the name to Medan Kelana has sparked a public outcry. Elected representatives, businessmen, tourists and even a state executive council member want the name Little India to be retained.

In Johor Baru, Malaysian Indian Business Association president P. Sivakumar said Little India had significant business value as a tourist attraction and should not be renamed.

He said the Government should also consider promoting other locations like "Little Sabah" and "Little Sarawak" in the peninsula, to promote various cultural and traditional businesses. (ANI)