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Free Malaysia Today
29-05-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
What the Asean Summit's road closures taught us about traffic
From Boo Jia Cher The past several days, something remarkable has happened in Kuala Lumpur. As dignitaries descended on the city for the Asean Summit, major roads were closed. Public servants were told to work from home. People were urged to use public transport, shift their travel schedules, or avoid unnecessary driving. Many predicted chaos and gridlock. Yet, a viral video told a different story: the Federal Highway, usually a choked artery of the Klang Valley, was smooth and clear. What we witnessed was not a miracle. It was a phenomenon known to transport planners around the world: reduced demand. Just as building more roads encourages more people to drive—a concept called 'induced demand'—limiting road availability can lead people to adapt, by changing travel times, routes, or even choosing not to drive at all. And the result? Less traffic. This is the traffic solution Klang Valley has been skirting around for years. Instead, we've gone down the exact opposite path. We've allowed our cities to sprawl around the car: endless expressways, flyovers and road widenings. And every time traffic gets worse, our answer has been to build more roads. Meanwhile, gridlock remains a daily reality. And somehow, officials from the works ministry continue to approve more highways as the cure. Seriously? It's time for a U-turn The Asean Summit gave us a live demo of what actually works: reduce the need and attractiveness of driving, and traffic goes down. So why aren't we doing this every day? Here's what we should be doing: Tear down highways, especially those slicing through our urban fabric. Narrow wide arterial roads in city centres to prioritise walkability and public life. Implement congestion pricing for motor vehicles entering key areas during peak hours. Raise parking fees and limit parking availability in dense areas. Phase out fuel subsidies, which artificially lower the cost of driving. At the same time, we must seriously boost public transport. During the summit, RapidKL increased train frequencies during peak hours. So, they can do it! What's stopping them from doing it year-round? We should be pouring funds into buying more buses, enforcing bus lanes, upgrading train infrastructure, and ensuring high-quality maintenance. And let's not forget the first and last mile: we need shaded walkways, safe pedestrian crossings, and dedicated cycling paths in every neighbourhood and around every station. Yes, it's politically unpopular—but it works. Many Malaysians, understandably, are deeply attached to their cars. Decades of car-centric urban planning, and a lack of real alternatives, have left us little choice and motivation to try alternatives. Changing this will be hard. But other cities have done it, and they're reaping the benefits: Paris removed space for cars, expanded bike lanes, and banned vehicles in parts of the city. Now, air quality and public life have drastically improved. London introduced congestion pricing and invested in cycling and transit. Traffic dropped and public transport usage soared. Seoul tore down a highway to revive the Cheonggyecheon stream and in the process, improved local climate and reduced car usage. Traffic improved as well, contrary to what everyone predicted. New York converted entire streets like Times Square into pedestrian plazas, which boosted local businesses and made the city more liveable. These weren't easy decisions. They faced backlash. But in the long run, they transformed cities for the better. Act now Each year of inaction pulls us deeper into a trap of gridlock, pollution, and widening inequality. Our current trajectory, marked by endless highways, fuel subsidies and neglected public transport, is a blueprint for dysfunction. It's a system rigged to benefit developers, car manufacturers, highway concessionaires, and oil companies at the expense of ordinary Malaysians' dignity, safety, and sanity. It's time to stop making excuses. Stop subsidising congestion. Stop putting corporate profits ahead of the public good. We already know what works. We've seen the solutions—efficient, inclusive, sustainable transport—succeed elsewhere and even here in glimpses. The only question that remains is whether we have the political will to make it real. If we don't reduce the demand for driving, the gridlock won't just persist. It will define us. Boo Jia Cher is an FMT reader. The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.
Free Malaysia Today
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
‘Urban renewal' not a dirty term
From Boo Jia Cher I would like to respond to Anand Krishnan's letter critiquing Bukit Bendera MP Syerleena Abdul Rashid's support for the Urban Renewal Act (URA). Anand makes a compelling case for thoughtful urbanism, heritage conservation, and a healthy scepticism toward Malaysia's latest legislative attempt at reshaping the city. But his critique, while eloquent and preservationist in tone, glosses over the deeper, on-the-ground realities that many Klang Valley residents live with daily. It's one thing to argue for sensitive reuse and the existence of adequate laws; it's another to ignore that large parts of Kuala Lumpur are already suffering from entrenched structural neglect. Take a walk through Pudu or Imbi Anand's claim that 'our cities are lovely and well-regarded by any standard' is, frankly, out of touch. Just minutes from the gleam of Bukit Bintang, urban decay is everywhere. Walk through Pudu, Imbi, or even areas near Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, and you'll find overcrowded shophouses, dark alleys overflowing with trash, rats darting through neglected infrastructure, and public amenities on the brink of collapse. Perhaps Anand should try waiting alongside the elderly poor and migrant workers at the undersized ageing bus stop on Jalan Pudu, then tell us how wonderful KL really is. These areas don't necessarily need to be demolished and rebuilt wholesale. But they do need serious, sustained reinvestment – just as Singapore did with old neighbourhoods like Tiong Bahru and Kampong Glam. To pretend these places are 'fine as they are' is to turn a blind eye to people living in substandard conditions. Plaza Rakyat: a monument to dysfunction Nowhere is KL's urban rot more evident than Plaza Rakyat: a half-finished megastructure sitting at the city's core, paralysed for decades by legal and bureaucratic inertia. Adjacent Pudu Sentral, once a bustling bus terminal, now limps along, hollowed out and forgotten. Jalan Pudu, the artery between them, is a pedestrian hazard: crossing it feels like a death wish, and continuous sidewalks are rare or nonexistent. For visitors to the city, this corridor leaves a jarring first impression – of abandonment, decay, and an infrastructure built with anything but people in mind. Are such places worth 'preserving'? Or are they symbols of abandonment, deserving bold and overdue intervention? Kuala Lumpur's contradictions are stark The real scandal isn't demolition; it's disrepair. Across KL, gleaming condo towers rise across the street from derelict flats and crumbling shoplots. This is more than just aesthetic contrast; it's a spatial expression of inequality. It reflects, as Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim noted, a tale of two cities – where some flourish, while others are left to rot. Are we meant to romanticise this contrast in the name of heritage? Or should we confront it? Car-centric planning has hollowed out the city KL's car-centric design is part of the decay. Much of the city is built not for people, but for vehicles. Wide roads, elevated highways, and mega-malls isolate neighbourhoods and sterilise streets. Walking is neither safe nor pleasant. Streets are not places to linger; they're obstacles to cross. Anand may find KL 'lovely' because, like many, he likely experiences it from behind the wheel. But step outside the car and a different city reveals itself: one where illegally parked vehicles choke sidewalks, noise and fumes dominate, and historical streets like Jalan Sungai Besi and Jalan Loke Yew are reduced to sad, forgotten corridors. This is not urban vitality; it's engineered alienation. If the URA is to mean anything, it must take aim at this form of urban planning. The housing and local government ministry must coordinate with the works and transport ministries, Kuala Lumpur City Hall, and urban thinkers like Think City to confront the real problem: we've built cities for cars, not people. How can we then reverse this death spiral? Preserve, but also intervene Anand is right to call for greater attention to heritage and adaptive reuse. These must be central to any renewal strategy. But to oppose the URA outright, or to rely on existing legal frameworks that have repeatedly failed, is wishful thinking. The very laws he defends are what allowed Plaza Rakyat to languish for decades and Jalan Sungai Besi's heritage stock to crumble along high-speed roads. They are not sacred; they are part of the reason we're in this mess. Urban renewal shouldn't mean blanket demolition or unchecked developer profit, nor should it be reduced to cosmetic fixes or nostalgic preservation. In a city grappling with neglect and inequality, renewal must mean real transformation, driven by public interest, equity, and thoughtful planning. Look at Mexico City: recent investments in underserved areas like Iztapalapa have improved housing, infrastructure, and public services without displacing residents. These projects show that renewal can be ambitious, inclusive, and community-driven. The question isn't whether to act – it's how. We must proceed with care, but let's not pretend that inaction is the more principled choice. Boo Jia Cher is an FMT reader. The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.
Free Malaysia Today
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
We don't need Mex II, but smarter, greener mobility
From Boo Jia Cher The work ministry's recent announcement that it is working closely with relevant stakeholders to resolve delays surrounding the Maju Expressway extension (MEX II) is deeply troubling. While not officially revived, the fact that it is still on the table is cause for serious concern. We do not need another highway. Originally launched in 2016 with completion slated for 2019, MEX II has become a glaring example of poor project management. Instead of using the delays as an opportunity to re-evaluate its necessity, the government is pressing on — holding endless meetings to 'resolve outstanding issues', as though the problem is merely technical. It isn't. The issue lies at the conceptual level. MEX II is rooted in the long-debunked belief that building more roads alleviates congestion — a belief now proven to be just a myth by research and real-world outcomes. More roads, more congestion Induced demand is not a fringe theory. It is well-documented: build more roads, attract more cars, and end up with more congestion. It is a vicious cycle that has already choked the Klang Valley into unlivable chaos. How many more interchanges must we build before the government admits it is building itself into a dead end? A choking Klang Valley Just look around: the Klang Valley is already clogged with highways, many of them gridlocked during peak hours despite being built to 'ease traffic'. Developments like Razak City Residences are textbook examples of how this logic fails: encircled by sprawling highways — including the original MEX — residents are left with little choice but to drive or rely on e-hailing just to leave the compound. Outside its gates, walkability is virtually non-existent. Public life is extinguished. The cost of this urban design is borne daily by the residents. They open their windows to the balconies, expecting fresh air, only to be greeted by the ceaseless roar of traffic and the invisible presence of toxic fumes, microplastics, and dust. The very air they breathe in is a cocktail of pollutants, while the promise of convenience is overshadowed by isolation and environmental degradation. And for what? More pollution. More noise. More isolation. It is a hollow trade-off, where the pursuit of development seems blind to its human cost. Financial burdens Let us not forget that building highways is incredibly expensive, and these contracts often go to companies with close ties to those in power. It is a cosy arrangement for the well-connected, but it is the public that pays the price. Not just through ballooning budgets and debt, but also through the everyday cost of car dependency: fuel, tolls, maintenance, and hours lost in traffic. Ordinary people are footing the bill for decisions that benefit a privileged few. Policy incoherence Meanwhile, the government continues to deliver conflicting messages. One day it wants to reduce carbon emissions; next it's laying more asphalt. One ministry talks about improving public transport; another keeps funding projects that directly undermine it. This incoherence is not just wasteful — it is dangerous. Improving existing public transport The truth is, we already have world-class infrastructure connecting Putrajaya and KLIA: the KLIA Ekspres and KLIA Transit. These are fast, reliable, high-capacity rail systems that should be the backbone of our airport connectivity. Instead of investing in more cars and roads, why not channel funds into increasing train frequency, improving maintenance, and subsidising tickets to make public transport a real alternative? The need for an integrated and modern mobility strategy Better yet, why not ask the harder question: why does the works ministry still operate with a 1970s mindset in a 2025 world? We need a serious reevaluation of its role. A ministry that prioritises highways over holistic mobility planning is no longer fit for purpose. Until we have an integrated strategy that aligns environmental goals, urban livability, and modern transportation needs, the Klang Valley will continue to suffer — and so will all of us who live here. Enough. Stop pretending more highways are the solution. They are the problem. Boo Jia Cher is an FMT reader. The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.
Free Malaysia Today
24-04-2025
- Automotive
- Free Malaysia Today
KL's car-centric nightmare: who is this city built for?
From Boo Jia Cher Kuala Lumpur wants to be a 'world-class city'. But walk down Jalan Tun Razak at noon and the truth is inescapable: this is a city designed for cars, not people. Pedestrians bake in the sun, dodging cracked pavements that double up as obstacle courses. Cyclists gamble with their lives at every intersection. Commuters wait endlessly for buses trapped in the same gridlock they are meant to relieve. Meanwhile, our skyline climbs ever higher — TRX, Merdeka 118, and other vanity projects that benefit no one but politicians, developers, and their cronies. These towering monuments to elite ego do nothing to improve the lives of ordinary Malaysians. Instead, they divert resources from what truly matters: well-connected, high-quality affordable housing, accessible green spaces, reliable public transit, and streets designed for people. The car-centric death spiral For decades, KL's solution to traffic congestion has been the same: more roads, more flyovers, more lanes. The result? More cars, more congestion, more pollution. You can't build your way out of car dependence: every new lane just invites more vehicles. Just look at Jalan Sultan Ismail or Jalan Maharajalela: pavements swallowed by illegal parking, pedestrian crossings spaced too far apart, drivers speeding through as if pedestrians were invisible. This is not urban planning. It's surrender. Some city roads now resemble highways more than streets. We already have the solutions KL's public transport backbone — MRT, LRT, monorail — is not bad. The problem? We refuse to prioritise it. Buses crawl in traffic because they share lanes with cars. Trains run fairly efficiently, but last-mile connectivity is a disaster. Even crossing the road from a monorail station feels like an extreme sport — roads are built for speed, not safety, with no pedestrian crossings nearby. We know what works: Dedicated bus lanes: Jakarta did it — why can't we? Shaded, continuous walkways: Medellín managed it with fewer resources. Car-free zones in Bukit Bintang: like NYC's Times Square or Seoul's pedestrian havens. Instead, we subsidise car dependency — through cheap parking, lax enforcement, and even Madani discounts for illegal parkers. It's madness. The great KL land heist While the city chokes on traffic and lacks green space, a grotesque injustice sits in its heart: the Royal Selangor Golf Club — 120 acres of elite playground, gated off while ordinary Malaysians swelter in gridlock. Cities like New York with its Central Park, London with its Hyde Park, and even Jakarta with its Taman Menteng, understand that prime land must serve the public, not private clubs. Yet in KL, a city starved of parks, this colonial relic hoards space that could: Cool the city: Golf courses are ecological deserts; parks reduce heat. Serve millions: Not just a few hundred members. Connect green corridors: Imagine a KL Central Park linking the city by walkways and cycle lanes. Seoul tore up highways to restore Cheonggyecheon Stream. Why can't we? Make driving harder, give power back to the people To save this city, we must stop empowering cars over human beings. Here's how: Eliminate free parking: Impose heavy taxes on users of parking spaces; convert lots into parks or for housing. Ban cars from key zones: Start with Bukit Bintang, then expand to Petaling Street, Masjid India, and beyond. Enforce traffic laws: No more 'Madani discounts' for illegal parking. Tow vehicles of repeat offenders; revoke licences for reckless driving. Reconfigure excessively wide roads: Convert car lanes into dedicated bus lanes, bicycle paths, and shaded pedestrian walkways. City streets should serve people, not just cars. Reinstate local elections: Let KLites vote for their mayor and councillors. Planning should serve the public, not politicians and developers. Who is this city for? Vibrant cities thrive when people move freely, not when they are trapped in steel cages. We don't need more highways or trophy towers. We need political courage and local democracy. The blueprint exists; just look at cities that have transformed themselves. The question is: Will KL finally wake up? We have a mayor, Maimunah Sharif, with an impressive international track record in sustainable urban planning — yet progress on the ground remains painfully slow. The City Hall is mired in outdated methods and bureaucracy, clinging on to a 'why fix what isn't broken?' mindset, even as the cracks widen around them. But here's the truth: Until we stop catering to cars and elite egos, and start designing for people, our city will never live up to its potential. Boo Jia Cher is an FMT reader. The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.
