I lived in Taman Maluri,Kuala Lumpur for about 25 years since mid-1984.At that time,there was a real Kampung Pandan Roundabout-no traffic lights and spagetti junction like today.It took me 20 minutes to drive to my office at JKR HQ.Now?It would take one hour or so..Those were the days.By 5pm,I will be back home with my wife and kids.
I estimated there were at least 1000 people living in Taman Maluri.Over the span of 25 years,I managed only to know about 25 families who are living in the same row of terrace houses and who frequented the local Surau Taman Maluri and the Masjid Imam Ash-Shafie.True,as they say,the longest distance to travel is to your neighbour's house.
There were no sidewalks along the roads in front of our houses.Sidewalks are only along the main connecting roads-Jalan Wira and Jalan Wirawati.Only 50% are paved and the balance is planted with grass.Since all of us have cars,no body used these sidewalks except by students and food vendors! Everyday,we go out to work in the morning;then we return home and repeat the next day.When we arrive home after work,we are dead tired to talk or visit anyone.When we don't meet, we don't talk and we don't know one another.I have lived on the same road for 25 years, but I only know about 10 of them out of 40!
We are neighbours only because our houses are connected by the common walls on both sides and we share the same road to go home.Other than that,we are strangers..And there exists no community at all.Everyone is for himself.They have their own friends at work as well as those who shared their hobbies.Now,I live in Bandar Baru Bangi.It is the same..However,I have noticed in the last five years that new housing estates ,notably in Putrajaya,have included a lot of space for sidewalks where people can interact and have a conversion.Whether they do is another story..
From my observations, the planning of the housing estate with its associated facilities is very important for people to live as a community.However,physical infrastructure is not enough if not complemented with community culture.This,I have to say,we have a long way to go..
