"It's all about branding" say property developers

Property developers and property consultants have defended the move of their counterparts who sometimes opt to change the names of several places in a bid to fit their own commercial agendas.

Referring to the recent uproar over Kampung Pantai Dalam, now sometimes being called Pantai Sentral, Zerin Properties chief executive officer Previndran Singhe said when it comes to the naming their properties, to the developers, it is all about branding.

"You cannot build a condominium and call it a 'kampung'," he told Astro AWANI.

However, Previndran said there are some instances where the name of properties does not have a direct impact on the buyers' decision.

"It has happened before where a developer named their condominium as 'Kampung Warisan' and it didn't hamper people from buying the property. But that is a rare phenomenon.

Previndran also stressed that developers have no power, according to the law, to change the names of places.

"If the developers want to change the name of the location, for example the street, they have to go through the local authorities to do it, as it has to be gazetted by the authorities. At the end of the day, developers are only naming their properties but the names of the location remains the same and would be reflected in the address.

"The developers have the right to name the properties and purchasers are smart enough to know that the name of the location the property is located in remains unchanged," he said.

Meanwhile property consultant R. Haridash said names of properties are being modernised to suit the changing times and as such, people just have to get used to it.

"I think people have to move on with time and get used to more modern names such as Bangsar South, which used to be known as Kampung Kerinchi.

"Basically, developers come up with names that appeal to today's buyers. If you come up with traditional names for your property, most likely people would not be tempted to buy it. However if the developer's market survey says that the property will be a hit despite a more traditional name, there is no harm in bestowing the name," he opined.

Astro AWANI reported about a wave of criticism on social media following reports of the name Pantai Sentral being used for several commercial developments, instead of the traditional 'Kampung Pantai Dalam.'

Among others, former Balik Pulau MP Yusmadi Yusoff spoke out about the issue, saying that the government needs to consult the community before making such changes.

Even Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Abdul Aziz expressed his disgust over the move by some quarters.

He had said that the names of places must be retained and remembered and that the names were there for a reason.

Nazri had said that it was “ridiculous” to have another area with the 'central’ theme as Pudu Sentral, KL Sentral and Sentul Sentral already exists.

“I think Malaysians are not proud of who they are. They are copycats. They are thinking too much of commercialisation and not interested in retaining history.”

“I am disgusted with Malaysians who have this attitude,”

Other notable ‘name changes’ were Kampung Haji Abdullah Hukum to KL Eco City and Kampung Kerinchi to Bangsar South.