SIBU, May 11: Starting June 1, Jalan Pahlawan will be known as Jalan Datuk Robert Lau Hui Chew due to a name change.
“The State Executive Council (MMKN) had in February this year approved our proposal to rename this road,” said Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) chairman Clarence Ting at a press conference today.
He said all main roads including Jalan Pahlawan lanes will be changed to Jalan Robert Lau Hoi Chew thereafter.
Ting said the council will start changing the road signs in each Jalan Pahlawan lane to the new name after the council’s full board meeting on May 31.
Related agencies such as the Land and Survey Department, Sesco and the Sibu Water Board will also be informed of this development.
“The council will issue a notice of home address amendment to a total of 333 homeowners affected by the renaming of this road.
“Owners can now start changing their address with the National Registration Department (JPN),” he added.
The renaming of the road, he said, was made to recognise the services of the late Datuk Robert Lau Hoi Chew.
“He left us too soon. He had served Sibu a lot in various capacities,” he said.
The late Datuk Robert Lau was Sibu MP for five terms from 1990.
Lau was also chairman of SMC from 1999 to 2004 that saw major development taking place in terms of infrastructure facilities and improvement of cleanliness around the city.
He was also the Deputy Minister of Housing and Local Government in March 2004, after winning the 2008 General Election.
However, after Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak took office as Prime Minister in April 2009, Lau switched portfolios as the Deputy Minister of Transport.
Lau succumbed to liver cancer in 2010, age 68. — DayakDaily
