THE English name of Kuala Lumpur’s new Bukit Bintang urban lighting project, “I LITE U”, is purely a marketing tool designed to appeal to international visitors, and not an attempt to diminish the Malay language, the city’s mayor has clarified.
Datuk Seri Dr Maimunah Mohd Sharif said the name carries its own meaning and creative purpose, drawn from the words “Innovative, Lighting, Infrastructure, Towards, Eco-Elegance and Urbanisation” — reflecting the city’s ambition to become a vibrant, sustainable and smart city that dazzles after dark.
“The programme has its own tagline – ‘Illuminate the City, Inspire the Nation’. It’s not just a slogan, but a symbol of our effort to beautify Kuala Lumpur’s cityscape through lighting as a new tourism attraction,” she said after launching Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s (DBKL) 2026 Calendar of Events and flagging off the fourth-generation KL Hop On Hop Off buses at Mayor’s Courtyard today.
Maimunah explained that the choice of the name “I LITE U” was deliberate and part of a wider promotional strategy to spark curiosity among locals and tourists alike.
“The name wasn’t chosen carelessly; it’s a promotional gimmick to create uniqueness and interest. We want to make Kuala Lumpur a bright, lively and vibrant city at night. When people see ‘I LITE U’, they wonder — is it ‘L-I-T-E’ or ‘L-I-K-E’? That’s the kind of curiosity we want,” she said.
She added that the purpose of the initiative is to enhance the city’s ambience, safety and visual appeal — not to start a debate over language.
“In my view, this (I LITE U) is a promotional campaign meant to bring life to the city. When there is light, butterflies come. Likewise, when the city is bright and beautiful, people will come — that’s our goal,” she said, noting that the city had already begun lighting projects before Malaysia’s ASEAN chairmanship, including competitions to illuminate key streets and buildings.
The project has come under public scrutiny for its English branding. During a press event earlier this week, Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming sparked controversy when he reprimanded a journalist who questioned the use of English for the campaign’s name, suggesting it was not a language issue but a creative effort to engage young Malaysians and attract foreign tourists ahead of Visit Malaysia Year 2026.
Nga’s remarks, and his suggestion that he would contact the journalist’s editor, drew criticism from various quarters, including politicians, language activists and the National Union of Journalists Malaysia (NUJM), which described his comments as undue pressure on the press.
Government spokesman Datuk Fahmi Fadzil later confirmed that the matter was raised at Friday’s Cabinet meeting, where Nga pledged to meet with the media organisation involved to resolve the issue.
“I believe there’s room for dialogue, and he has already informed us that he intends to meet the management to clear the air. That’s the commitment he’s given,” Fahmi said at a post-Cabinet press conference chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.
A video of the exchange, which showed Nga responding sharply to the journalist’s question, has since gone viral and triggered a wider debate about language use and government communication.
When asked if Nga would apologise, Fahmi said it would be left to the minister’s discretion. “He has given his views, and I have conveyed mine during the Cabinet meeting,” he added. - October 31, 2025
