It will be a matter of time before the name of the town "Batang Berjuntai" will be well forgotten. Now, the name is written with a bracket after the new name "BESTARI JAYA"!!!! Apparently the new name was approved by the State Government in 2007.
In May 1966, almost 50 years ago, I reported for work at Socfin headquarters in Bangsar. The late Tan Sri Dato V. M. Hutson who was then the Industrial Relations Group Manager, carried out the customary briefing regarding my posting. He informed me.." You will be posted to Sungei Tinggi Estate, BATANG BERJUNTAI as a probationary assistant. The Company driver will take you to the estate and the journey may take 2 hours." Yes Sir was the reply. In my mind I was wondering where is this God foresaken place? I had never heard of this place!!Am I going to spend time with my "batang berjuntai "- (in hokkien .."shaking in between the legs"). Batang Berjuntai then was a one street town and there was a provision shop known as BB store where we obtained our supplies of food provisions.
How the town got its name is anybody's guess!! Probably there was a huge tree with one of its branches having a phallic shape and dangling. Anyway in those days we were innocent and the name just came off our lips without any other naughty connotations. Nowadays, the town has expanded in line with the development of the state and more people are uttering the name. So, the mere mention of the name can be the butt of jokes and may even incite sexual harassment!! And so the name Batang Berjuntai must be replaced. The authorities must have proposed several names but they chose "Bestari Jaya." Did they ever think of "Batang Bestari"?
Well, the name will taken off sign boards and be forgotten like the railway line that once connect this town to Batu Arang 100 years ago. NO MORE BATANG BERJUNTAI!!!!!
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