Is Malaysia Entering a Golden Age of Cycling?

Automologist MAC experiences the good and the bad of cycling around KL. 

Get up early on any given Saturday or Sunday and take a cycle into old Kuala Lumpur, and you may be forgiven for thinking that we are already in a Golden Age for cyclists. Malaysia is not alone, apparently. As long ago as May last year, my old mate Boris Johnson (actually, we don’t know each other and I don’t really like him) announced his vision to create a ‘Golden Age of Cycling’ within the UK and pledged GBP2 billion to achieve this.

We got cycle paths.

Of course going out for a ride, either as a leisurely way to spend a Sunday morning or as a mode of transportation to and fro the workplace, has numerous health benefits and not just for those who are doing it. There has been a global surge in cycling since that pesky virus from Wuhan hit us (aka Covid-19 of course). This was partly due to the desire not to be locked up in a small train or bus compartment with potential plague-carrying others but also because the roads have been delightfully free of traffic, making the whole experience so much more enjoyable.

A really pleasant way to spend Sunday morning.

Good ol’ Boris in his foreword to his plan wrote: ‘All of us, cyclists and non-cyclists alike, have suddenly found out what it is like to have streets where you can breathe clean air, hear birds singing at noon, and walk or ride in safety”. He is not wrong. I have revelled in my daily cycles, during which I do not have to constantly fight for my space on the road and ride in constant dread of becoming just another traffic accident statistic.

Sometimes I am there as well…

The Right Honourable Boris Johnson has set out some key measures in his plan, like the creation of protected bike lanes. Well, good luck with that. We have them in Kuala Lumpur as well but they have become not much more than a convenient parking space for other vehicles. There is also cycling lessons for those who want them, vouchers for bike maintenance, creation of more bike-only areas, etc etc etc. We have a lot of that in KL but the real problem is the other drivers.

Putrajaya Wetlands has some awesomely friendly tracks.

The sad fact is, I rarely let my kids go out on their own, even though they are good cyclists, because it doesn’t matter how good you are if the guy in the metal box does not see you. Sadly, it is the Mat Rempit (guys on the small step-through bikes) who are the worst. To put it simply, if KL or any other city really wants to become a low- or no-emission city, not only do we need to create more safe spaces for cyclists, but we also need to run massive education campaigns for motorists to get them to THINK BIKE!

Navigating a not-so-well-maintained KL bike path.