RECENTLY, several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) called for Port Dickson to be renamed Pantai Dermaga.
The town and district was named after a British colonial officer who transformed the place into a strategic seaport and railway hub during the late 19th century.
The call was dismissed by Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun. Aware that the proponents were trying to replace colonial names and whitewashing history, he quipped, “Change the names all at once. Don’t just single out Port Dickson. Change Port Klang, Kuala Lumpur, George Town… why one by one? It will take too long.”
He also asked how Kuala Lumpur ended up with its name when the word “kuala” refers to an estuary near the sea. He said “Maybe, change it to Ulu (upstream) Lumpur instead.”
However, ‘kuala’ can mean river mouth at the coast or far upstream where rivers meet, such as the Klang and Gombak rivers in Kuala Lumpur, and the Pahang and Lipis rivers in Kuala Lipis. There are also other inland towns far from the sea such as Kuala Kangsar.
Kuala Lumpur, translated to English, means where two muddy rivers meet. I will take my hat off to any organisation that helps in turning the Klang River, particularly muddy after heavy rain, into a healthy waterway thriving with wildlife, and fishes caught from it are fit for human consumption.
Instead, many NGOs chose to dabble with identity politics, which is always divisive, and ignorant of the fact that the world is not just black or white, or that everything about one’s race, religion, language, culture and history is superior or right, and others must be inferior or wrong.
This insular mindset is best described in the proverb “Katak di bawah tempurung”, literally meaning frog under a shell.
Although we should shake off the crutches of colonialism, we must not treat everything left behind as bad. We managed to develop rapidly after independence, thanks to many systems in place left behind by the British.
Fittingly, no other party responded to the silly call of changing Port Dickson name until it was reported that Sri Ganesh Michiel, president of Malaysian Tourism Federation (MTF), warned that it would weaken brand recognition and undermine investor confidence.
Established in 2023, MTF claims to be Malaysia’s national umbrella organisation for the tourism industry and serves as the voice of the local tourism trade, working to promote and develop the country’s tourism businesses with a single private sector voice.
However, it would be implausible for MTF to play an impactful role as the tourism business is highly heterogeneous, with diverse issues and challenges.
It could only be useful should the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture or another government agency introduce grossly unfair measures that curtail the tourism industry.
Other than that, senior government officers will not be cowed by NGOs regardless of their size or clout.
However, all tourism associations can make significant contributions by putting forward sound proposals, especially in the middle of the year. in time for them to be considered for adoption in next year’s Budget.
In any case, the quality of trade associations is best measured by their annual reports and timely proposals, with individual NGOs describing the current status of their industry that includes hotels, restaurants, retail trade, car rental and tour bus services, and identifying critical changes needed for these businesses to thrive or flourish.
Unfortunately, such sound ideas are largely absent and the silence is deafening. Those helming NGOs love to be in the media’s limelight by issuing statements, even though they may be trivial and bring little or no benefit to its members or industry. ‒ Sept 17, 2025
YS Chan is master trainer for Mesra Malaysia and Travel and Tours Enhancement Course and an Asean Tourism Master Trainer. He is also a tourism and transport business consultant.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Main image: Wikimedia/angys
