Motorcyclists on Sidewalks: Because Walking Space Is Apparently Optional In Malaysia, pedestrians are an endangered species—not because they’re disappearing, but because motorcyclists are hunting their habitat. Nothing screams “developing nation energy” louder than a grown adult on a 150cc kapchai zooming across a sidewalk like they’re auditioning for Fast & Furious: Pavement Drift. Sidewalks were designed for feet, not exhaust pipes, but tell that to the average rempit-wannabe and watch them stare back with the confusion of a man asked to solve quantum physics. Every Malaysian pedestrian knows the fear. You’re walking peacefully, minding your own business, when suddenly vroooom—a motorbike cuts past you so closely the wind hits your face before the realisation does. The rider looks at you like you’re the one invading their lane. And if you dare glare? Congratulations, you’ve just earned the “Apa tengok?!” death stare, free of charge. These sidewalk invaders always have the same ex...
Crossing Pedestrian Lines: A Rare Malaysian Myth If Malaysian road behaviour were a National Geographic documentary, the narrator would whisper solemnly: “And here, ladies and gentlemen, we observe a rare and nearly extinct creature—the Malaysian who actually uses a pedestrian crossing.” Sadly, this majestic being appears less frequently than Komodo dragons in Putrajaya. Because for reasons known only to the gods of stubbornness, Malaysians treat pedestrian lines not as safety features, not as rights-of-way, but as decorative white stripes painted for aesthetic purposes. Stand near any zebra crossing in the country and you’ll witness a theatre of absurdity. Cars bulldoze through as if the stripes are runway lights guiding them home. Motorcyclists weave across the white lines like they’re performing stunts in an action movie. And pedestrians? They stand helplessly at the edge, half-raising a hand, half-afraid to commit to the crossing, because the moment you step onto those stripes you ...