It's Now Kampung Kerinchi Because 'Bangsar South' Has Never Been Bangsar
The urban settlement returned to its old name 'Kampung Kerinchi' on Saturday.
By Sadho Ram — 19 Jan 2019, 03:17 PM
In a proclamation ceremony officiated by Port Dickson MP Anwar Ibrahim, the urban settlement which came to be known as 'Bangsar South' was declared to return to its original name 'Kampung Kerinchi' earlier today, 19 January
The event was also attended by Permatang Pauh MP Nurul Izzah Anwar and Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil, under whose constituency the area falls.
Fahmi was at the forefront of the movement to restore the area's name back to Kampung Kerinchi as part of his election campaign promise to the people.
"There is a mismatch between a place being sold and touted as Bangsar South with the reality that this was not Bangsar to begin with. Bangsar is north of the Federal Highway on the other side. This has never been Bangsar. This has always been Kampung Kerinchi," Fahmi was quoted as saying by Malay Mail in an interview yesterday.
And to those, especially developers, who might object to the "Kampung" name because it means "village" in Malay, Fahmi said there's nothing to be embarrassed about it
"We always have this negative connotation that ‘kampung’ means backwards. It does not necessarily mean backwards. The only thing backwards is our mentality. What is the point of having a first-rate city but having poor mentality?" he asked.
Fahmi also explained that the decision to revert Kampung Kerinchi to its original name does not mean "we will obliterate everything that is Bangsar South but the re-emphasis that this area historically and culturally is Kampung Kerinchi."
Going forward, Fahmi said there are plans to construct arches at the major entry points into Kampung Kerinchi
"The arches would have a plaque that says 'Selamat Datang ke Kampung Kerinchi, Kayo Di Hati Kamai', which in Kerinchi dialect means 'Welcome to Kampung Kerinchi, you are in our hearts'", Fahmi told Malay Mail.
He added that the three major entry points into the area are the Universiti LRT station, the Petronas petrol station at the New Pantai Expressway, and Jalan Pantai Sentral.
