When it comes to Malaysian place names, a village named after an American president would certainly stand out, even if only his initials remain in use today.
For decades, many have claimed that a village in Negri Sembilan called Felda LBJ was named after former US president Lyndon B. Johnson.
Is it true?
VERDICT:
TRUE
Yes, the village of Felda LBJ—now known as Kampung LBJ—was indeed named after the late Lyndon Baines Johnson.
The settlement was originally established in 1961 as Felda Labu Jaya. The name was changed following Johnson’s visit to Malaysia in October 1966 during his 21-hour state visit.
Johnson, the 36th President of the United States, visited the scheme on Oct 30, 1966, after being officially welcomed by Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman at Parliament.
During his stop at the scheme, about 25km from Seremban, Johnson took part in tapping a rubber tree and learned about Malaysia’s efforts to eradicate rural poverty.
The next American president to visit Malaysia was Barack Obama, who arrived 47 years later for a state visit in April 2014. He returned again in November 2015 for the Asean Summit.
SOURCES
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2014/04/26/when-lbj-came-calling-at-felda-lbj
https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/travels/president/malaysia
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16yH7ottXW/
