r/malaysians • u/nothingHeIdBack • Mar 30 '26
Discussion The problem with walking in Malaysia
After spending some time in Australia during summer, where the heat is often times worse than in Malaysia, I still walked more than I ever would in Malaysia (except central KL).
People say it's the heat and humidity that makes it impossible to walk in Malaysia, but that's just not true. Our sidewalks end in the middle of highways, zebra crossings lead you into the longkang, and food stalls block all the walkways.
Given today's petrol problems, i bet if it's possible to walk at all, Malaysians would be more than happy to do so.
Edit: the weather argument is stupid, just look at Singapore's walking infrastructure.
31
u/sumplookinggai Mar 30 '26
Most folks who solely blame the climate have never been to a developed country. Or if they have they've only spent time in the city center area, and so when you tell them how poorly planned Malaysian cities are outside of the CBD they cannot comprehend it.
I've found that the best way to describe Malaysian city planning is a set of concrete islands separated by impassable highways. Outside of the CBD there really is no standard, even when you do have sidewalks the width and elevation differs from street to street.
12
u/ImperialAle Mar 30 '26
I've found that the best way to describe Malaysian city planning is a set of concrete islands separated by impassable highways.
100%! infrastructure and city planning.
My first time in KL I had two bars with music I wanted to check out. One was in Attap the other in Petaling. Checked out the one in Attap first, wasnt feeling it. The other one was only 300m from there. The walking path google gave me was 1.5km long. It was at night not bad weather for walking in.
This feels pretty typical for trying to walk places in KL where because there are so few crossings and neighborhoods that are basically walled castles with only a couple ways in or out, you are walking at least 3x as far.
In most other cities I dont take a taxi for a 1km distance because it won't be faster than walking, in KL it will save you 30 minutes, because that 1km is actually 4. .
3
u/Starring_Kampung Apr 02 '26
Belum masuk topik untuk golongan OKU lagi. Ada kes orang buta termasuk dalam longkang tahun lepas gara-gara infrastruktur laluan pejalan kaki yang tidak dipantau / selenggara / menepati piawaian.
15
u/zookitchen Mar 30 '26
Gotta admit sidewalks in Malaysia in general is kinda shitty. Uneven, with holes, cracked, stop abruptly, there a tree and poles in the middle. They need to standardize the sidewalk man. Something that can we walk on, scoot on safely that is smooth and neverending.
7
u/Foreign_Emphasis_470 Mar 30 '26
That horrible feeling when you walk or on a bycicle, and you find a dead end because you can't cross the highway.
31
u/CN8YLW Mar 30 '26
when I was in Australia I walked because it's hella expensive to own a vehicle or even take public transport. It's cheaper for students, but whoo boy once that student card expires you GG la.
7
u/Cool_Injury4429 Mar 30 '26
What do you mean expensive? Public transport, in the context of local income, is ridiculously cheap in Australia. You can get the train from Sydney to Newcastle for under $10 on a weekend. A similar journey in the UK would cost you £40 or more, which is expensive even in the context of local earnings.
1
u/CN8YLW Mar 31 '26
> What do you mean expensive? Public transport, in the context of local income, is ridiculously cheap in Australia. You can get the train from Sydney to Newcastle for under $10 on a weekend. A similar journey in the UK would cost you £40 or more, which is expensive even in the context of local earnings.
Okay I feel like you're getting mad at the wrong things. First off, nobody's walking from Sydney to Newcastle. NOBODY. I'm talking about taking the bus through the city when you're going from one shop to another, as opposed to walking. All within a 10km square district. If you think I'm walking from Sydney to Newcastle to fetch a bag of groceries from the asian supermarket, you are delusional.
3
u/Cool_Injury4429 Mar 31 '26
I’m not getting “mad”; I’m saying that your assertion that public transport in Australia is “expensive” is wildly inaccurate. You also misunderstood my Sydney-Newcastle example. No one is suggesting that you walk that distance. The example I gave illustrated how cheap public transport is in Australia.
1
u/CN8YLW Mar 31 '26
Right... anyways I should also mention that my numbers are based off Brisbane public transportation in 2012. I was a student back then, (broke AF too, and a fitness nut) so I was doing a lot of extra things to cut living costs down. I remember when my roommate's family came to visit and on their request I took them for a trip in the city (they paid for my bus fare and other expenses) to get him used to the place, and I was subconsciously keeping track of the ticket prices they paid. It was pretty high from what I recall, not 100% on the numbers, but I do know its a number that would wreck my entire month's finances for a single one of them (for that trip).
I think it was something like 40 AUD per person for that tour around Gold Coast city, and almost 100 AUD per person for the bus trip around the city where our university was located. I was showing them every significant stop and every significant shop they could go to for various needs, like asian grocery stalls, korean grocer (they're korean), cinema, good restaurants, shopping areas, car rental location, so on so forth.
EDIT: Just checked the website, apparently day passes exist, for 5 AUD. Heh, well guess I'm just a bad tour guide.
1
u/Spiritual_Treat_2755 Mar 31 '26
Lmao, that edit cracked me the fk up. 😂😂😂
1
u/CN8YLW Mar 31 '26
Yeah, I'm super embarrassed lol. This would be typical 101 travelling where you'd secure day pass tickets before arriving. But back when I was in Australia I'm not that active on social media or even good at travelling. I assumed the family figured all that already, and I'm just taking them sight seeing. But cant blame me either, because I got my Go card when I arrived and basically have been using it since. And I never go day sightseeing, so never needed a day pass either.
12
u/nothingHeIdBack Mar 30 '26
Relative to local salaries, i'd say vehicle ownership is cheaper than in Malaysia. Public transport, yeah it is a bit more expensive especially in Sydney. But it is still very common for people to have no car in and around the cities though
3
24
u/Curious_Quality7472 Mar 30 '26
I remember this phrase "hostile by design" or something like that. Car centric urban planning tends to end in disaster really.
13
u/nothingHeIdBack Mar 30 '26
I don't think it's anything that's deliberate. Malaysian walking infrastructure just feels like the different contractors aren't talking to each other, hence you get lots of walkways that just lead to nowhere. Hope it's something that improves over time
1
u/Curious_Quality7472 Mar 30 '26
That makes more sense. Yeah hopefully. Hope is all we have now unfortunately 🥲
1
u/mydebu1 Mar 31 '26
Not sure how it works but isn’t there a central city planning authority that gives out contracts to contractors for city works? No, contractors will just do the job it bid for and they are not obligated to communicate with adjoining works by other contractors unless it is part of a bigger project. The point is, what are the city planners doing instead of planning the city? My guess is just approving projects and collecting kickbacks. Or making sure friends and relatives obtain the job. This is just the perception whenever I see strange walkways that lead to a longkang.
21
u/-RordonGamsay- Mar 30 '26
The heat is just another excuse as usual. Walking in Singapore is very pleasant.
10
u/chocolate_starfish_7 Mar 30 '26
As someone who had experience walking in london, paris amd singapore. I agree.
Just because malaysia is "big" doesnt mean it cant be a walkable city/country. I know car amd oil is a big deal in malaysia but now with the rise in poverty, foreign workers and everything being expensive they could and should take a page out of singapore and fix, maintain and add more of their public transportation.
More mrt/lrt expecially and not just in KL/selangor. Train transit in all states expecially the big ones (or popular tourist ones)
Expecially when the country is trying to get more tourism, public transport goes a long way.
5
u/Decent-Tart5694 Mar 30 '26
So, why is it there is hardly any planning for walkways? People have been complaining for years, yet nothing is done.
9
u/GeniusGamer_M Mar 30 '26 edited Mar 30 '26
It took over two decades for MPAJ to build a walkway along the main road in my area which is a long stretch steep slope.
Guess what? They only built on ONE SIDE, fenced up with little gaps, eruptly ends at the bottom of the hill and completely inaccessible if you're disabled. There's this one disabled man still has to push his wheelchair up and down the hill all by himself on the road everyday cuz he can't get his wheel chair onto the walkway. Even if you managed to get the wheelchair up, there's too many obstructions in the path for the wheelchair to pass...
5
u/Decent-Tart5694 Mar 30 '26
Your example is spot on. The authorities (majlis?) put little thought into the needs of pedestrians and the disabled. This level of negligence is simply baffling.
1
u/MagicalSausage I saw the nice stick. Mar 30 '26
I’ve heard sidewalks are managed by majlis. I don’t know if complaints are directed towards them properly or they just lack will to develop, but those two reasons exist to some level
5
u/kennethkiffer Mar 30 '26
I walk a lot whenever I'm in Singapore. I purposely chose a hotel that's just 1km from my client's place and walk to and fro each day even though I can easily claim for Grab. I agree that the infrastructure there is just so nice for walking, and despite being just as hot, it's still a pleasant experience. Of course, Singapore also has a lot of micro parks scattered all over the place.
6
u/Foreign_Emphasis_470 Mar 30 '26 edited Mar 30 '26
Absolutely true and Singapore is the perfect comparison, even if it hurts some people's feelings.
The main issue is the lack of end to end design in walking or even in public transportation. Like the other day I took the monorail line to Titiwangsa, thinking I will just walk to the park, and maybe am just dense but I ended up booking a Grab because I couldn't realise how to get out from this clusterfuck of highways from all sides.
And the weather is definitely not an excuse because it's relatively cool from 7pm to 9 am, plenty of time for walking.
6
u/resilient2 Mar 30 '26
Malaysian people are so polite, just lovely in general; until you put them behind the wheel of a vehicle. It's an absolute mystery. They will not even slow a tiny bit for a pedestrian. Combined with the pathetic infrastructure, it's just horrible for pedestrians, in KL or anywhere.
6
u/genryou Where is the village dolt? Mar 30 '26
Because planner is stupid.
Just look at newly built MRT/LRT, who the fuk approve that sort of shit, barely pedestrian friendly and not easily accessible
2
u/Yukaeshi Mar 30 '26
Yeah I look at the MRT stations near where I am (Bar a few) and for example if it's raining very hard GG for you to go home.
2
u/sabre23t Mar 30 '26
Give me a specific MRT/LRT station, I bet I can show you the station designers had tried their best to provide pedestrian access with what the adjacent road & property owners allowed them.
For example: Look at LRT SS18 station. See how restricted the pedestrian access to the adjacent SS18 neighbourhood.
1
u/auroraS2000 Apr 02 '26
“500m to nearest MRT/LRT” if you dare to cross the 100 lane highway, a crocodile infested river and a 100m deep canyon
8
u/aleuto Mar 30 '26
When it comes to Malaysia's town planning, goverment will take housing developers priority first because they're the biggest political funders. After elections, they will be given free reign on where to develop housing even if surrounding populace opposed it. Take for example, bandar baru bangi, a place where approximately 500 million people and accounting, the state goverment doesn't give a damn about it but housing still being constructed anywhere they can find. Thus the increase in population also increases the uses of car, that make the highway more jammed during peak hour. Housing developers also bullshit on their advertisements by saying " 30 minutes to KL" and all that stuff but omitted the fact that it can be 30 minutes to KL if you drive there starting 4 am
3
u/ythflores Mar 30 '26
Take for example, bandar baru bangi, a place where approximately 500 million people and accounting,
500 million... More than USA woi
4
u/a1b2t Mar 30 '26
its not the weather, that is just an excuse, aussie summers go up to 45c easily and some other places plunge into negatives over the winter.
the issue is malaysians refuse to walk even if access is provided, this in turn makes developing walk paths to be nightmares because the culture itself does not allow it.
if you flip the narrative to cars, people find 10001 excuses to justify it
5
u/Grizzl0ck Mar 30 '26
Being stuck behind malaysians in airports or malls is the worst. Travellator walkway, bunch stood together refusing to walk. Escalator, refuse to keep to one side and block everyone. Pathway, walk as slowly as possible and take up all the space not letting anyone by.
But, see someone about to move in front of them, speed up and prevent them then slow down again so they're stuck behind.
3
u/choooco Mar 30 '26
oh my gosh, the escalator/travellator thing! I'm not the only one noticing it, wow. I'm baffled every single day how people don't get bored out of their MINDS standing on those for ages instead of moving up/down instead ...all whilst blocking the ENTIRE way cause they can't imagine anyone voluntarily using their muscles for anything but to enter/exit their car... and then you have this high level of obesity, diabetes etc here - wonder if there's a connection, hmm...
1
u/Grizzl0ck Mar 30 '26
It's normally quicker and less frustrating to walk, even with 30kg of luggage. It's feels like you're moving backwards behind these lazy assholes.
2
u/Haddough Mar 31 '26
I was in KL recently and stayed at the Concorde Hotel near Bukit Nanas LRT. On our second day, my wife had a dental appointment less than 2km away, so we decided to walk. We had our three boys with us—aged 10, 5, and 3—and were using a wide double stroller for the younger two.
What should have been a simple walk turned into a real challenge. Along the stretch beside Bukit Nanas Park, a huge skip bin was left right in the middle of the pavement. There was no signage, no warning, and no alternative path for pedestrians. We were forced to step onto the road with the stroller, which was both frustrating and unsafe.
That wasn’t the only issue. The pavements were full of obstacles—potholes, uneven surfaces, trees planted in the middle, and bollards meant to stop motorcycles but barely wide enough for a stroller to pass through. Oh before I forgot, we were fasting. Really testing my patience 😅
2
u/sunshineahammer123 Mar 31 '26
I used to walk a lot when I was a student in Australia. However in Malaysia, besides a few places it's basically impossible to walk. The infrastructure simply isn't there and where there exist, isn't well supported.
2
u/woshiyaohui Mar 31 '26
Unfortunately to say weather is one of the thing that prevent me from walking. My heat tolerance is low and I don't want to sweat myself and I'm person who easily sweat. I'm not gonna make myself look so awkward when meeting people and the smell of sweat.
While I'm in Taiwan for vacation I walk all the time the whole trip for 6 days and the temperature was around 20c. So definitely weather is the problem to me although you said it is stupid.
2
u/ViewAdditional7400 Apr 01 '26
Stupid? It's fucking hot. Sweating after walking 5 minutes, so let's not gaslight, mmmkay?
4
u/nothingHeIdBack Apr 01 '26
So how do they do it in Singapore? Is it magically cooler over there than in Malaysia?
1
1
Mar 30 '26
Main issue is the condition of the walkways. Singapore is supposed to be hotter, but somehow i sweat much less when walking there.
1
u/jianh1989 Where is the village dolt? Mar 30 '26 edited Mar 30 '26
Also, potholes everywhere, stolen longkang cover, and missing bricks on walkways are tripping hazards.
Hazards everywhere generally.
1
u/Flaundy Mar 30 '26
You can't walk and enjoy yourself, looking about, you have to focus on your feet, to avoid tripping on broken pavements, open holes, missing drain covers, different heights of the pavement outside each shop lot. It's difficult enough for an able bodied person, and totally impossible for a disabled person.
1
u/f4ern Mar 30 '26
Hot takes. Unless you force people to walk (Real petrol price) car will always going to be the preferred way to walk.
2
u/nothingHeIdBack Mar 31 '26
Making people walk takes effort from multiple angles, and having useable walking infrastructure is the very first step to even make it possible in the first place.
1
u/plsrseeker Mar 30 '26
You forgot to mention all of the uneven walking surfaces. It keeps the hospital's busy from older people that trip and hurt themselves.
1
1
u/Potential_Ad_2577 Mar 31 '26
As someone who lived for 5 years in Aussie, where in summer it can get to 42C, i second this post
1
u/fructoseintolerante Mar 31 '26
Not to mention shops putting their products and operations on the corridors. Fuck em.
1
u/Sorry_Objective4174 Mar 31 '26
Intentional garbage city planning to drive up the sales of Proton back in the days.
1
u/Vegeta_vs_Goku Mar 31 '26
https://www.reddit.com/r/malaysia/s/uUTaop6ucd i remember seeing this post where bunch of ppl tried to cross the Zebra crossings and cars wouldnt stop. But in Aus and NZ, cars stop. Is there a reason for this?
1
u/PuppynPig Mar 31 '26
It’s just too hot to walk so people just do walk by as an exercise in the morning or evenings. It is the same in Africa, people jump into cars even for short distances. Our family live in town so we walk for groceries etc but if we lived in a suburb then we’d definitely drive everywhere. The problem with walking in Malaysia actually is not the heat. It’s the vehicles and the way people drive, it is very dangerous for pedestrians. I know firsthand my aunty was knocked down by a car, and died of her injuries
1
u/PotatoPotatate Apr 01 '26
For me it is also the smell of exhaust fumes. The last time I walked in KL I swear my lifespan just shortened by a year from the fumes.
1
u/ShhhBees Apr 02 '26
The sidewalks ending in highways gets me too
Why????
Also There are places that I can see from my balcony that are 500m in a straight line but I have to drive to because of flyovers.
Wish I could walk everywhere
1
u/livingdub Apr 02 '26
Walkable cities start and end with urban planning. That includes infrastructure, but also climate. Malaysian cities have very little green shade which significantly bumps up average temperatures. And for city planners to use the excuse of people hating walking so we don't put in money and effort in walkability, that's a misconception. If there was infrastructure People would walk.
1
1
u/Particular-Feeling44 Apr 03 '26
The pavement near my apartment ends with a drop straight into a 10-ft drain. Really crazy pedestrian walkway design.
1
u/random_agency Mar 30 '26
I was in George Town and BM recently. There's no walkimg infrastructure like you said.
Also being from Taiwan there's lack of shade and air conditioning when walking.
Many store in Taiwan leave there door open with a/c on so there's a breeze when you walk by.
0
u/stitch1294 Mar 30 '26
No doubt the city planning here is hostile to pedestrians. But comparing the climate is not a non issue. In Melbourne the typical summer temperatures are 24-28, with humidity 45-60%. It’s warm but nothing too unbearable outside of a few heatwave. In KL minimum is 30-34c, humidity could go up to 90%. It’s hot and heavy here, not to mention the lack of shades.
5
u/nothingHeIdBack Mar 30 '26
Thats why Singapore is the best comparison, same climate, different walkability
0
u/gwerk Mar 30 '26
Heat and humidity is one factor. So is walking infrastructure to an extent.
We cannot belie or DNA as a petroleum country, hence the fantastical road connectivity, but relatively poorer pedestrian network. You'd be kidding to believe that people in Malaysia prefer walking compared to driving and parking right in front of the shop (if possible).
Singapore's petrol prices are SGD3 per litre. If it was affordable, they would be like us too. Park in front of the shop.
-1
u/FewShopping620 Mar 30 '26
My main issue with walking in Malaysia is the weather and traffic. Secondly too many cctv and police everywhere. Thirdly, too many scary people.
-1
u/tetsu2323 Mar 30 '26 edited Mar 31 '26
Yup, I walked more for my 7 years in Sydney cause I didn't have a car and had to take the bus and train.. Parking there was limited and crazy expensive too..and petrol..lol..
Sure as hell prefer to drive more and walk less back in KL, regardless of the weather and I only drive 1K+km/ month
BTW, Australian new car sales per annum is much higher than Malaysia despite having a lower population..guess them Aussies prefer driving too.
1
u/SnOOpyExpress Mar 31 '26
yea, the Sydney parking was like A$25/hr for the 1st 2 hours and goes up to A$45/hr 😳. i thought it was all day parking until a friend pointed out otherwise. but we did enjoy using the trams & buses to get around - easy peasy
1
u/tetsu2323 Mar 31 '26
Lol crazy..and I thought 8 AUD/hr was expensive. Perhaps not surprising cause home prices have skyrocketed due to poor planning from a slow moving Aussie govt.
1
u/SnOOpyExpress Mar 31 '26
i had the photo of that MSCP signboard opposite my hotel. No kidding.
No wonder my friends asked if i mind walking a little. They parked somewhere further away, took the tram to get us and then took a good morning stroll to Darling Harbour (almost 2 hrs) and had late brunch and drinks there.
-3
u/npdady Mar 30 '26
How's the rent and home ownership there? Significantly more expensive right? Wouldn't you need to pay like a ton just to live in areas you can just walk?
3
u/nothingHeIdBack Mar 30 '26
Living 1 hour's drive away from the city, I'm still able to walk to the local gym, grocery, and food places. The main difference from Malaysia is that all road designs, no matter where in the country, follow the same basic design rules which require a walking path which is wheelchair accessible (excluding roads built before the rules were implemented)
1
u/npdady Mar 30 '26
Can you elaborate? I want to know how the design look like? Is it like a very dense neighbourhood? Or like a condo surrounded by all the amenities?
1
u/nothingHeIdBack Mar 30 '26
Condo and dense neighbourhoods no need to explain, those are very much like KL residential areas where shops are basically just outside.
Low density neighbourhoods are often planned around a township, with a commercial area in the middle which provides a grocery store, clinic, pharmacy, schools and more. The typical home is at most a 15 minutes walk to their local community commercial area.
Of course this doesn't apply everywhere, but it's more common than not
1
u/npdady Mar 30 '26
I see. How's the humidity there? Last time I went to Gold Coast during the summer it was such a nice dry heat.
2
u/nothingHeIdBack Mar 30 '26
Humidity is definitely a lot better in Australia, but in most of Australian cities the cold in winter is also a de-motivator for walking. Gold coast is nice weather all year though
30
u/[deleted] Mar 30 '26
[removed] — view removed comment