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Big Businesses And Renaming Of Malaysian Neighborhoods

Big Businesses And Renaming Of Malaysian Neighborhoods

Neighbourhood renaming is nothing new and is often driven by the real estate market.

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Property developers often rename districts to rebrand them and make them more attractive to potential buyers or renters.

By creating a new name for an area, developers can distance it from any negative associations it may have had.

Developers can then promote it as an up-and-coming, trendy location.

Such is the case in Malaysia, especially in Klang Valley, where many districts have been renamed.

What’s In A Name

The new names usually contain English words related to directions and heights.

Recently, a netizen shared a long list of places that had been rebranded, such as Batang Berjuntai, now known as Bestari Jaya.

However, someone pointed out that the rebranded names can be misleading.

An example is Cybersouth which is not in Cyberjaya as the name would suggest.

It is in Dengkil, a reasonably well-developed small town in the district of Sepang near Cyberjaya.

Creating A Sense Of Belonging, For A Price

Netizens said it is only fair game as renaming the district to something like “Midtown” or “Cove” would benefit the developer.

It can help position the development as a hub for young professionals or tech entrepreneurs.

Many agree that name change could also distance the neighbourhood from a negative reputation or attract a new demographic.

Finally, renaming districts allows developers to exploit rising property values in certain areas.

Buyers may be willing to pay more for a property in a neighbourhood with a prestigious-sounding name, ultimately benefiting the developers’ bottom line.

In all fairness to the developers, they are not the only ones doing that.

Google has also been known to change the name of places on Google Maps.

Individuals can also submit requests to Google to rename places, subject to terms and conditions.

In some cases, renaming a neighbourhood may be required by government regulations.

For example, the government may mandate a change if a neighbourhood has a name that is considered offensive or inappropriate.


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