Padang Chetty at Jalan Bukit Jawa in Klang's Little India is now known as Dataran Klang@Padang Chetty.
PADANG Chetty, a recreational field at Jalan Bukit Jawa in Klang’s Little India that has been refurbished, is now known as Dataran Klang@Padang Chetty.
Klang Municipal Council (MPK) president Noraini Roslan told StarMetro that the new name for the 1.34ha field was needed as a new identity that embraces all.
“I agreed to the new name. Yes, previously it was known as just Padang Chetty. Everybody knows it by that name but for it to belong to all the people of Klang, it needs a new identity.
"Having the word Klang in the name allows people from far and near to easily identify Padang Chetty with the royal town,” she said.
Noraini added that the new name - Dataran Klang@Padang Chetty - was appropriate as it gives people of all races and cultural backgrounds a sense of identity to relate to the town.
“Our aim is to honour the Malay, Chinese and Indian sportsmen and sportswomen of the past who had trained on this field and represented Selangor and Malaysia at sporting events.
"It also celebrates the south Indian merchants who had built the business enclave, as it is now a Dataran or Square”.
“Adding the words Dataran Klang to Padang Chetty does not compromise on historical facts but uplifts the area in today’s urbanised environment,” she said
StarMetro had previously highlighted the issue where former athletes, politicians and Klang residents had objected to the field's new name — Dataran Majlis Perbandaran Klang.
After the chorus of disapproval grew louder, the council decided to take down the "Dataran Majlis Perbandaran Klang" sign on the archway at the field on June 4, 2021.
Padang Chetty, which was a training ground for many local athletes, got its name from Chettiar merchants from India’s Tamil Nadu who sold salt in bullock carts at the field in the 1940s.
Next to the field is the 150-year-old iconic Sri Nagara Thandayuthapani Hindu Temple, managed by the Nattukottai Chettiar community which is a religious hub for the Hindus.
They were also involved in the money-lending businesses across the field at Jalan Raya Barat, Klang.
The field had undergone a much-needed facelift, with the construction of a 3m-wide walkway, a maze and fountains, which was completed in May last year.
