Chope: A Greater City

In the beginning, there was Kuala Lumpur, probably not much bigger than the area surrounding the confluence of the Klang and Gombak. A century and a half later, however, what we define as KL has changed dramatically—geographically, demographically, economically and culturally.

Of course, the physical boundaries of KL have been changing throughout the years, not to mention the increasing number of suburbs surrounding it. Petaling Jaya, originally developed as a satellite town to help ease overpopulation in KL, has since become a city of its own, though we all know PJ would be nothing without its proximity to the capital city. In any case, both KL and PJ make up the major parts of the Klang Valley, arguably the centre of Malaysia.

And this centre is growing. The rapid development of new and sprawling neighbourhoods in Sepang, Puchong, Sungai Buloh, Putrajaya, Cyberjaya, Shah Alam not only widen the breadth of the city but at the same time are constantly stretching our definitions of "far," "damn far," and "outstation." The numerous highways linking these peripheral outcrops to the city make commuting feasible, if not always pleasurable or economical. We're getting used to longer and longer commutes, even if it means that getting to the airport, especially the LCCT, can take as long as the flight itself.

While there isn't really an official boundary defining the Klang Valley, about three years ago the Chief Minister of Negeri Sembilan announced that more than 30% of his state, including Nilai and Seremban, would be gazetted as part of the “Greater Klang Valley.” In itself, that’s about as meaningful as the fact that Kuala Lumpur is sister city to Ankara in Turkey, and Isfahan and Mashhad in Iran. It’s safe to say government heads say random rubbish all the time, relying on our poor memory to get away with it.

Just recently, however, the Chief Minister announced that the ERL train will be extended to Seremban and Port Dickson, giving the whole “Greater Klang Valley” concept just a little more substance. Not that the introduction of a probably overpriced train system will suddenly make day trips to Port Dickson vogue. At the very least, it might mean the start of a closer relationship between the two areas. Plus, the Federal Government has pledged money to develop these new additions to this expanded Greater Klang Valley. Even the much-maligned Port Dickson will be receiving a facelift of sorts, with plans for new resorts, theme parks and more.

Like any other major city, the Klang Valley means different things to its multifarious denizens. Some see the Petronas Twin Towers where others see crumbling kampung houses. Some think of shopping malls as dens of leisure; others, workplaces. Some think of Cheras as an Ah Beng nursery; for many others, it’s home. As the Klang Valley grows, it will inevitably start to take on a broader definition.

The further expansion of the city's borders will also make it even more ridiculous for people to say, "KL is so small, everyone knows each other." As of now, KL has about 1.8 million official residents. Though still a fraction of neighbouring capitals such as Bangkok, anyone who really thinks everyone knows each other in this city needs to scroll beyond their handphone name list. A small social circle can hardly define an entire city, let alone one that’s literally expanding.

Almost all KL-ites, however, would be able to list out the problems facing our city. Take your pick: rising crime and lawlessness, traffic congestion, chaotic public transportation, lack of civic consciousness, pervasive corruption, and so on. It seems after constructing tall buildings and costly highways, we thought the job was done—just add new shopping mall every two quarters and everything will be fine. And that's why we live in a city that boasts a glittering skyline, but struggles with a more meaningful—dare I say it, soulful—development. No doubt it's never a bad idea to facilitate better economic cooperation and improve transportation between neighbouring areas, but I'm sure many of us would be happier to see a greater Klang Valley than a Greater one.

Brian Yap has lived in the Klang Valley almost all his life. But he still gets lost in Cheras. Give him directions at brian@freeform.com.my