From sinkhole to traffic nightmares: Can KL’s new mayor fix the city’s endless problems?

KL’s new mayor, Maimunah Mohd Sharif, just stepped into her role and already she’s been hit with a major crisis that’s making waves internationally.

If you’ve been living under a rock these past few days, you might have missed the news: an enormous sinkhole opened up at Jalan Masjid India and swallowed an Indian tourist. Since Friday, the search has been on, but sadly, she’s still missing. On top of the horror of this tragedy, right now, people are seriously questioning how safe KL really is.

In 2015, Laili Basir shared a post about the possible occurrence of a Giant Sinkhole in Kuala Lumpur, warning that it could be one of the most unsafe places to live in Malaysia.

This phenomenon might occur without warning, as around 40-60% of Kuala Lumpur’s foundation is… pic.twitter.com/BQZJePD1w8

— فارس فرهن (@mffismail) August 24, 2024

With all this drama going down, Maimunah’s definitely got her hands full. KL’s abuzz with excitement over having its first female mayor and her seriously impressive track record. But what matters now is whether she can actually sort this out or if it’ll just end up as another entry on KL’s ever-growing list of unsolved problems. We’ll dig into the details of that in a bit, but first, let’s clear up something you might be wondering about.

KL got mayor meh? What da heck does a mayor even do?

Back in the day, when KL was growing fast due to all that tin mining, the government realised they needed someone to handle the boring but essential stuff. We’re talking rubbish collection, managing markets, fixing roads and all that jazz. So, they created the Sanitary Board in 1890.

“The board was responsible for rubbish disposal, the management of markets, roadworks and other matters,” –excerpt from Perayaan 100 Tahun Kuala Lumpur Menjadi Penguasa Tempatan.

Today, that board has evolved into city and municipal councils. Big places like KL get city councils, which are led by mayors. In contrast, the smaller towns and kampungs get their local affairs sorted by municipal councils, which are handled by presidents.

So in that sense, the mayor of KL is essentially the big boss of the nation’s largest local government authority i.e. Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL). Meaning Maimunah’s job now includes making sure the city’s health services are running smoothly, trash is getting picked up, new buildings and roads are well planned, the environment is protected, and perhaps most importantly, that KL’s infrastructure doesn’t start crumbling.

So now that we’ve got that covered, your next question might be, well, why is our new mayor causing such a stir?

Both at home and abroad, Maimunah has been acing urban and community projects

Well, Maimunah isn’t just another civil servant plucked from the endless government ranks. As KL’s 15th mayor, she’s stepping in with almost 40 years of experience in town planning and urban development. She’s got the credentials too, with a Town Planning degree from the University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology.

She kicked off her career with Penang’s municipal council in 1985 and even won the Planner of the Year award from the Malaysian Institute of Planners. From there, she became the first female mayor of Penang Island and later led the UN’s Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) in Nairobi.

At UN-Habitat, Maimunah was all about making cities greener and more people-friendly. In Egypt, for instance, her team worked with local women to redesign the bus system, getting input on everything from safety to accessibility. Along the way, she’s also had a hand in shaping global policies, like the Global Compact for Migration. This is an international agreement that looks out for migrants and helps them settle into their new communities.

As the first Asian woman to lead this kind of work, it’s safe to say she’s done pretty well kan?

The locals are buzzing and it’s easy to see why. She’s got the kind of experience that promises great things and her list of achievements is long. But so far, we’ve pretty much just been reading off her CV. The big questions is…

How far can Maimunah go in cleaning up a city that’s been a hot mess for decades?

Since zaman Mahathir itself people have been complaining that KL is a super unfriendly city to live in. We’re talking about traffic jams that stretch on forever, roads that suddenly morph into chaotic, cone-filled nightmares, and sidewalks that either end abruptly or get hijacked by illegal stalls. Let’s not even get into the accessibility of most walkways!

Fast forward to today, and Maimunah inherits the fallout from these recurring issues. KL is stuck with quick fixes that never solve the root problems. One of the most pressing ones is the constant construction of skyscrapers, towering apartments, and massive flyovers that bulldozes homes and tamans. Instead of focusing on thoughtful urban planning, the city has become a playground for endless projects, regardless of the cost or consequence.

Environmental hazards are another major challenge Maimunah will have to face. Trees are falling over, sinkholes are swallowing people. And sure, it’s easy to blame it on heavy rains, our natural landscape or just bad luck. But these issues aren’t just random acts of nature. They’re symptoms of a city where unchecked development, poor planning, and sloppy maintenance have compromised both the environment and people’s safety.

Here’s a case in point to show you what we mean.

A few years ago, local authorities had the bright idea to repurpose retention ponds for commercial projects. Now if you don’t know what a retention pond is, it’s basically like a giant bucket that collects excess rainwater and ultimately prevents floods. But these fellas wanted to close it up and build apartments instead. Without these ponds, where do you think the water will go? That’s right, underground, on the streets, and wherever else that would wreck a ton of havoc.

Along the way, plans to fix these issues come and go, but with authorities tangled up in fund mismanagement and dodgy land deals, it seems like we’re still berjuta batu away from real, lasting change.

DBKL could really benefit from a mayor with a clear vision of moving the city forward

So let’s just say it as it is: KL suffers from a chronic dysfunction in city management. Whether it’s individuals, departments or the council as a whole, there just needs to be more empathy for residents, more concern for their daily struggles, and a genuine commitment to improving their quality of life.

To this we can say that Maimunah has got the experience and the track record. And perhaps that’s why locals are so optimistic about her coming into this role. She’s shown in her past work to genuinely care about the communities she’s served. Right now, she’s already made strides by taking a stand against corruption, which is a solid start.

Honestly, we have no idea how she’s going to go about korek-ing the mess that KL’s accumulated over the years, but here’s hoping she’ll shut down those half-baked projects and fix what really needs fixing. If she can pull this off, maybe, just maybe Malaysians can finally stop complaining about the heat, the traffic, the unsightly buildings, the random construction, the unfinished roads, the flash floods, yada yada yada… 🗣️