A Malaysian man’s Threads post comparing Malaysia’s pedestrian walkways to Singapore’s has sparked a lively national debate online.
A Malaysian man recently suggested that Malaysia can learn a thing or two from Singapore in terms of urban development and management.
Posting on Threads, the man claimed that Singapore’s approach — from managing its airports to maintaining its public parks — is among the examples Malaysia could look to in order to improve the country.
However, one key issue he highlighted was the lack of proper pedestrian walkways in Malaysia, comparing their condition to Singapore’s better-maintained infrastructure.
“But why doesn’t Malaysia want to learn and implement what Singapore has done — providing user-friendly, covered pedestrian walkways that are well connected to various locations?
“How much longer will Malaysia continue to struggle to implement something like this?” he wrote.
In the comments section, the man also suggested that the Malaysian government can start improving pedestrian sidewalks in rural areas then progress to bigger cities.
While some netizens agreed that it is worthwhile to take a leaf out of the republic’s book, others believed the size of both countries plays a role in the issue.
“Singapore is roughly the size of Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya combined, so it’s more about managing municipalities. Malaysia, on the other hand, has 14 states to govern. Each of those 14 states has its own unique demands,” one netizen said.
“Managing a country with extensive bureaucracy, different state-level politics and varying agendas is very different — especially when compared to a republic that operates under a different system altogether. Still, Malaysia needs to find ways to improve public amenities and transportation,” another commented.
However, others countered that a country’s size is no excuse for neglecting something as important as pedestrian walkways.
“When it comes to pedestrian walkways, we really should learn from Singapore. They are a hot country like us and receive a lot of rain, just like we do — there’s no excuse not to follow their example,” another said.
“People love comparing Malaysia to Singapore and blaming ‘size’. But that’s why we have state administrations. If size is really the issue, why can’t even one state lead by example with pedestrian-friendly access?” a user questioned.
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