KUALA LUMPUR: Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) today (Aug 26) refuted rumours circulating on social media that Jalan Yap Ah Loy here has been renamed to Jalan Palestin.
"There is no such move. Jalan Yap Ah Loy remains the same," said a DBKL official when contacted today.
The official clarified that it was Jalan Raja Laut 1 that was renamed to Jalan Palestin in 2020 under the directive of former Federal Territories Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa during the previous administration.
The issue surfaced after a fake post on the matter went viral on social media.
In a Facebook post on Sept 26, 2020, DBKL announced the renaming of Jalan Raja Laut 1 to Jalan Palestin, which only involved a stretch of 80 metres and not the entirety of Jalan Raja Laut.
Jalan Raja Laut starts from the junction of Jalan Tun Perak until the juncture of Jalan Ipoh/Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman (Chow Kit), while Jalan Raja Laut 1 (Jalan Palestin) starts from the side of the KWSP Building until Jalan Esfahan (next to SOGO shopping mall).
Former mayor Datuk Seri Nor Hisham Ahmad Dahlan, who served from October 2018 to September 2020, also expressed his disappointment with the fake news about the road name, which triggered unnecessary disputes over social media.
"Jalan Raja Laut 1 was renamed in 2020 to show solidarity with Palestine, and it still exists," he told Bernama when contacted, adding that such fake news should not be sensationalised and manipulated by any party.