The Elephant Fountain is an important Brickfields landmark but it is no longer fully functional due to lack of maintenance. — Filepic
Business community urged to adopt Little India installations
BRICKFIELDS community members are encouraging local business owners to take an active role in preserving iconic sculptures and installations in the Little India enclave.
As these symbols of cultural pride are showing signs of decay, residents are suggesting that the business community adopt these structures and contribute to their refurbishment.
Locals want businesses to participate in annual gotong-royong efforts and other initiatives aimed at restoring the area’s lively atmosphere.
“Every year, we have these clean-up efforts with Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and waste company Alam Flora but the businesses here rarely send any representatives to help out,” said Brickfields Rukun Tetangga chairman SKK Naidu.
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“Yet, they benefit the most from the area’s strategic location and the foot traffic it brings.
“It would be great to see them contribute, not just by keeping their store fronts tidy, but by actively participating in preserving the cultural landmarks that make Little India unique,” he said.
Naidu was referring to StarMetro’s report on Sept 9, “Treasures turned eyesore” about iconic landmarks in the city, especially in Little India, that had been commissioned to enhance Kuala Lumpur’s aesthetic charm but had been left to decay.
In Brickfields, there are several art installations and sculptures such as the Little India Fountain (also known as Elephant Fountain), the Little India Dancers, Palava-inspired columns and the Torana Gate that were installed to celebrate the launch of the multi-million ringgit Little India project on Oct 27, 2010.
These are experiencing various states of neglect.
Some of these locations have become the hangout and sleeping areas for vagrants and the homeless while others have been defaced with stickers and posters.
“The Little India Dancers and the Elephant Fountain, located at the busy junction of Jalan Travers and Jalan Tun Sambanthan, which are focal points, have sadly become eyesores,” said Saranya Gopal, a concerned resident.
“The Elephant Fountain isn’t even functioning properly – some of the water spouts are in working order while others aren’t, and the lights don’t come on at night.
“The entire fountain is in need of repair.
“With Visit Malaysia Year 2026 approaching, shouldn’t these art installations and tourist spots get a proper makeover?”
A DBKL spokesperson said the developer for Little India had commissioned the art pieces for the area in 2010.
“We are attempting to contact the contractor of the sculptures, because we have no file of any handover sessions; there is nothing in our records that the assets were handed over (to DBKL) and we are trying to get that sorted,” the spokesperson said.
Kuala Lumpur’s Little India in Brickfields underwent a RM35mil upgrade, which took a few years to complete.
The revitalised area was jointly launched by then Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his Indian counterpart at the time, Dr Manmohan Singh, marking a significant moment for the community.
