A viral X post captures public anger over Kuala Lumpur and Selangor traffic jams, pointing to car dependency, highway expansion, and years of public transport neglect.
MALAYSIA’s traffic problem is no longer just an inconvenience.
For many commuters, it has become a symbol of planning failures and car-first policies years in the making, particularly in KL and Selangor.
User @MyNegara took to X to lament, “This is what peak hours look like in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor,” sharing a screenshot of a map awash in red.
The post has reignited debate over the country’s worsening traffic congestion, with users pointing to car dependency, highway-first development, and the decline of public transport.
The discussion began with short, blunt remarks on the state of traffic that commuters face daily.
“The highways aren’t enough,” wrote @IkhmalAcu sarcastically.
Several users argued the problem was structural.
@me_siam blamed a “Combination of a car-producing country plus crony highway concessions,” adding that “Public transport has been neglected for years”, while @mahena77 was more direct, asking, “Where did the LRT, MRT, and feeder services go? Who slashed the LRT and MRT budgets? Why were both downsized?”
Car ownership culture was another recurring theme.
@ImanKeisuke replied, “One person, one car — how could there not be traffic,” while @kepalakoteyyy quipped, saying people nowadays “have their own cars” and use them to “show off new cars to make TikToks and all.”
Urban planning and daily commuting practices also came under fire.
“Town planners have failed us,” wrote @gooner_97, pointing to confusing flyovers, rain-related slowdowns, flooding, and VVIP police escorts cutting queues, just to add to the daily chaos.
“Let the people sit in traffic — clearly not their problem,” the user added.
A few people suggested work-from-home could ease things, especially when roads and infrastructure fail everyone every day.
@mussharif72 said companies should let people WFH instead of complaining that they leave early just to beat the traffic.
Some called for broader solutions. @parkourbacteria summed it up as: “WFH + public transport + better urban planning.”
Even Indonesian users chimed in.
@Maslutfiiii compared the situation to neighbouring capitals, saying, “Just like Jakarta,” a view echoed by @alexbuddies, who added, “Thought this only happened in Jakarta.”
Others saw it as a regional issue, pointing out that the decision to maintain KL and Selangor as company hubs, instead of venturing out to other parts of Malaysia, worsen traffic in the already compact area.
Commuters’ frustration over traffic—again and again—raises a bigger question: is it our cities, the public transport, or simply too many cars on the road?
