EVERY time I take the LRT, I notice the same thing: no platform doors – just an open gap between passengers and the train tracks.
It only takes one wrong step, one moment of distraction or one accidental push in a crowded station and that unguarded space can mean the difference between life and death.
The sad reality is that most of us treat it like it is no big deal. We talk about how the authorities should do more – and they absolutely should.
We need better infrastructure, we need platform screen doors and we need real, enforceable safety measures. But while we wait for these upgrades, people are still falling and people are still dying.
Just a month ago, at the Pusat Bandar Puchong LRT station, an elderly man from Taiwan fell onto the tracks during rush hour. He stepped too close, lost his balance and was struck by an oncoming train. The entire line was disrupted – and just like that, a life was lost.
It is terrifying to think that something so tragic happened in a place so familiar to all of us – a place we pass through every day without a second thought.
We are told not to stand too close to the edge. That yellow line is not just there for decoration. Standing behind it, putting your phone away for a moment, holding someone back when the crowd surges – these are simple actions anyone can take. We do not need reminders.
It starts with us: with paying attention, looking out for one another and taking simple, mindful steps to stay safe. Let’s not wait for another name to make the headlines. Let’s not wait until it is someone we know.
Daninas Hezry
City University Malaysia
Cyberjaya
