Malaysian infrastructure and Kuala Lumpur’s future.
One of the interesting things about Malaysia is its infrastructure, which seems an odd comment to make, until you look at the neighborhood the country is in. The Indonesian archipelago in particular is not a model of development. In that light, Malaysia’s reputation for the third-best infrastructure in east Asia — behind South Korea and Japan — is quite an accomplishment. This goes beyond the usual showcase pieces like the Malaysian Expressway System, and extends into Malaysia’s urban planning. We’ve already mentioned (in the context of Mahathir’s race-baiting) the Iskandar Development Region — and there is a plan afoot to expand and revitalize the capital city of Kuala Lumpur itself.
All of this is to say that the Star has a pretty good piece on the debate over Kuala Lumpur’s urban planning, which is worth your time to peruse. Let it not be lost that this sort of public conversation, on this topic, is a decided feature of developed nations — and regrettably uncommon with many of Malaysia’s neighbors.
