GEORGE TOWN, Dec 2 — The Penang government today dismissed a rumour it wanted to rename Gurney Drive as Chin Peng Drive on January 1 next year after the late leader of the outlawed Communist Party of Malaya (CPM).
State Local Government, Traffic Management and Flood Mitigation Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow described the rumour as absurd.
“There is no truth at all in the matter,” he said when contacted by Bernama.
He was asked to comment on a statement by Penang Umno Youth chief Rafizal Abdul Rahim seeking clarification from the state government over the rumour.
Rafizal told a press conference that Umno Youth had heard about the matter from the office of Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, but declined to name the source of the information.
“We were unsure about the rumour and, therefore, wanted an explanation from the state government. The rumour was circulated on WhatsApp today,” he said.
Rafizal said if there was any truth to the matter, Penang Umno Youth would protest against the renaming of Gurney Drive because Chin Peng did not struggle for the nation’s independence, contrary to what was alleged by the rumour.
“We will protest in the strongest terms if there is any move to rename Gurney Drive as Chin Peng Drive,” he said. — Bernama
