To remember the person or the road

While in Ipoh for the weekend it draws me to the recent public re-action on the issue of re-naming Jalan Silibin to the name of the late P.Patto, a former stalwart of the Democratic Action Party.

The intention of the Perak PR state government was to remember the late DAP leader as a gesture of recognition for his contribution to society. It became an issue when some residents in Jalan Silibin and some other place objected to the proposal. While it is the right of each individual to voice their opinions it must be justified with facts which is truthful. Those who objected to it by claiming P. Patto did not do anything for the people must either be living in another country or just did not bother to look back on history.

Even though I do not know the late P. Patto personally, he was a very well known to the people of Perak during his time. Amongst my school friends in Teluk Intan who cares to read the newspapers about him in the 1970s and 1980s, we know of his pursuits for justice and democracy. The only time I had the "privilege" to talk to him was when I was in secondary school during a DAP ceramah at the San Min Primary School Open hall. I was curious to listen to the DAP leaders that time and since the ceramah was not in a closed door, I just stand near the stage and listen. Just as interested as what is DAP all about I ends up buying a copy of the DAP newsletter "Rocket" for 40sen. The person who sold me the "Rocket" was non other than the humble P. Patto himself!

I was dumbfounded. A top DAP leader selling the newsletter to me for 40 sen and he even did out the coins from his pocket give me back the change! If I am older that time, I would have been embarassed to asked for the change! DAP was not a rich party back then. I don't know about now though?

Talking about road names also enables me to shared with my kids when we drove past Jalan Koo Chong Kong at the Ipoh old town. I told them it was named after the former Perak Chief Police who was assasinated by the communist in the 1975 while serving there. Some years ago there was an attempt to erase Koo Chong Kong's name the then city council plans to change the road name to Jalan Tabung Haji but was prevented due to public out-cry.

For those powers-that-be, whichever party you represented, please a prepare a well research proposal before you come out with any bright ideas to change the names of roads, lanes, parks, buildings, towns, rivers or even the names of any states or country itself.

We were at the D.R. Seenivasagam Park last Sunday too. Hope no jokers will ever thought of changing it to another name. Read history please before you act.

By the way, what's the historical significance of the name Silibin itself. Nobody seems to highlight this matter other than what are there. - Loka