I have a few wonderings that have been nagging me for a while. Who, what, which people and authorities are responsible and can implement change. I hope the answers are out there.

My husband and I frequent Kuala Lumpur’s numerous sprawling and well-tended parks. They are particularly busy at the weekends. Picnic spots are occupied. Children play on slides and swings. Some ride bicycles and tandem cycles. Some sit on benches, and enjoy just being. There is almost an air of festivity at parks on weekends and public holidays. With so many enthusiastic visitors, some parks still close at 7pm or earlier. They are, of course, accessible early mornings and all day.

That said, the window for outdoor activities in the afternoon/evening is short in a hot country like Malaysia. The sun sets around 7pm. The same time the park gates close. Parks are mostly lit. There are guards on duty. KL is generally safe. Parks allow people to exercise – walk, jog, play – in a green, clean and open environment. They are an alternative to fee-paying gyms. The KLCC and Taman Tasik Danau Kota parks are open until 10pm. So, why not allow people access to parks until 10pm?

From experience, I know a standard opening and closing time for parks will be helpful to visitors. Not long ago, my husband and I got caught out when we arrived at the Paya Indah Recreational Park only to be told it had closed at 6pm. We drove 50 km from KL, and arrived just after 6pm. Purposely in the hope that it would be less hot and we could take a stroll around the grounds. Two months later, we went back to Paya Indah. This time earlier at 4pm when it was still very hot and sunny.

Why? Because the park has a lot to offer. There are many trails to walk on. Expansive lakes. Rhinoceros and crocodiles that are attractions in themselves, especially the cuddly rhinos. This is true. The rhinos swam towards their enclosure, and watched us watching them, suspiciously. Bopped their heads a few times almost as if they wanted us to leave so they could return to their home. We left. Happy that we had seen them at close quarters. Parks in KL are beautifully landscaped and offer respite, even if it’s for a few hours, from the literal concrete jungle, city residents live in. 

My second wondering is cars and motorcycles parked on pavement. Its illegal, inconsiderate, and widespread. I appreciate that it’s not easy to find parking in KL, but the pavement is meant for pedestrians. Vehicles that blatantly occupy pavement force pedestrians to walk on the road, at their peril. While I might be able to slalom my way through the cars, what about the disabled in wheelchairs, the elderly with walking aids, and parents with children or a baby/child in prams? To be fair, when stricter enforcement is enforced, there are fewer vehicles on pavement. Unfortunately, selfish and irresponsible behavior returns the minute ‘eyes’ are averted. What about strategically placed cameras and AI to police and support authorities?

My third wondering is cracked tiles, slippery pavement slabs and loose-fitting manholes. I watch where I place my feet when walking on any pavement in the city. I wonder why slippery pavement slabs are used in the first place in a city that receives enough rain to make even the non-slippery tiles slippery. Water logged tiles are further damaged and loosened by the heavy weight of vehicles parked on pavement. I kid you not. A school along Jalan Damai actually has a notice requesting vehicle owners not to park on the pavement. I also avoid manholes for fear of falling in and/or tripping over and breaking some body part/s. Would legal action against vehicle owners, developers/companies and authorities that damage and/or not maintain pavement make a positive difference?

My fourth wondering is hawker stalls that operate by the roadside. There is one hawker stall, near the Ampang LRT/MRT station, that befuddles me. Mainly because there is a designated food truck site, located on a spacious parking lot, not more than a 100 meters away. The truck site is safe and lit with proper seats and tables, music and ample parking for customers. This hawker stall owner takes over the pavement with chairs and tables for his customers. His customers park on the outer lane of busy Jalan Ampang. This nightly occurrence means pedestrians must dodge his stall/s, and his customers to walk to and from the LRT/MRT stations. I thought one stall was bad until I saw three restaurants take over the pavement along Jalan Sultan in the Petaling Street/Chinatown area. My husband and I, joined other people, and walked on a busy road, avoiding cars and motorbikes. I was more befuddled. So how?

I have more wonderings. For now, a few answers/improvements would help.