Selangor government should reconsider proposal to rename a road in Petaling Jaya as “Jalan V. David”

Media statement by DAP ADUN for Kampung Tunku Lau Weng San on 2nd May 2015 in Petaling Jaya:

Yesterday, May 1st 2015, was a day to be remembered in the history of Malaysian Labour movement. For two consecutive years, tens of thousands of people took to the street in demanding the Federal Government to scrap the notorious and infamous Goods and Service Tax (GST), implemented since 1st April 2015.

However, celebration of May 1st Labour Day in Selangor will be more meaningful if Selangor State Government can rename a road in Petaling Jaya as “Jalan V. David” to commemorate and celebrate the life of the late V. David, a true unionist who committed his life for the betterment of the workers and downtrodden in Malaysia.

In fact, doing it this year would be meaningful as year 2015 marks the tenth anniversary of the passing of the late V. David, undeniably a towering figure in the nation-building history of our country.

The proposal to rename a road in Petaling Jaya, namely Jalan Barat as “Jalan V. David” was brought up by various NGO including Malaysian Trade Union Congress (MTUC) in 2010 and was well received by the community, particularly the working class in Petaling Jaya. This is particular true when the Transport Union Workers (TWU) building, which was formed and once led by the late V. David, is also located along the same road and he had been operating from that office ever since he took office.

In fact, I have constituents who were once workers and memories are still fresh how the late V. David assisted them when they were oppressed by employers and government officers. His office at Jalan Barat was then a popular spot among the working class.

Although V. David last stood on the ticket of DAP and won the parliamentary seat of Damansara in 1978 and Puchong twice in 1986 and 1990 General Elections, he should not only be remembered as a normal DAP politician as his lifelong contribution to the country and Selangor are immeasurable. 

In fact, this is also not the first time a road in Petaling Jaya is named after a unionist as Jalan 222 in Section 51A, Petaling Jaya is also known as Jalan PP Narayapan, whereby the late PP Narayapan was a prominent unionist in the 1950s.

He was elected as Kuala Lumpur town councillor and became Transport Union secretary in 1958. In 1959, at 26 year-old, he was elected as the MP for Bangsar on the ticket of Labour Party. The Workers Institute of Technology (WIT) which are now located at Jalan Banting, Kampung Idaman, Port Klang, was established by none others but by the late V. David in 1970s to provide education opportunities for the children of the working class.

The proposal to rename Jalan Barat in 2010 was put on hold sine die by the previous Menteri Besar, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, citing various technical reasons. It is now the right time for the state government to review this proposal particularly when we have a new Mentri Besar. I will write to YAB Azmin Ali to deliberate on this idea.

Lau Weng San

ADUN Kampung Tunku

A brief write-up on the struggle of the late V. David is available here.