'Making things right': DBKL removes Padang Merbok metal fence

 

The government has taken down an “anti-climb” metal fence surrounding Padang Merbok in Kuala Lumpur, in a move that newly minted Federal Territories Minister Hannah Yeoh called “returning the field to the rakyat”.

This was slightly over three years after the fence was installed by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) when the federal government was under Perikatan Nasional leadership.

Yeoh said the move was proof of the Madani government’s commitment towards “making things right”, and it starts with freeing Padang Merbok.

“When we have a fence surrounding a public field like this, it makes it difficult for the rakyat to go in and out of the field.

“Padang Merbok is part of Kuala Lumpur life. We also have Dataran Merdeka near Padang Merbok.

“With the removal of this fence, it would also allow those who wish to assemble and deliver their memorandum to MPs to do so safely (at Padang Merbok), instead of doing it at the roadside which can be really dangerous and also troublesome for traffic police and Parliament officials on duty,” she told reporters during a visit to the field this morning.

Yeoh had gone to Padang Merbok with Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil, who is the Lembah Pantai MP, and Kuala Lumpur mayor Fadlun Mak Ujud to observe the fence removal works, which began two days ago.

According to the minister, the field would also be upgraded for recreational purposes that can be enjoyed by the public.

This includes the installation of a big screen so families can hang out at Padang Merbok at night to watch movies, which would be done in collaboration with the National Film Development Corporation (Finas).

Protest hotspot

In August 2023, Yeoh and Fahmi held a press conference at the same location to protest the then-government’s decision to erect metal fencing around the field, which had seen significant use as a rally point for protesters.

Yeoh (right) and Fahmi

They questioned whether the move was the government’s knee-jerk reaction to the Malaysian Bar’s Walk for Judicial Independence two months earlier, when lawyers marched from Padang Merbok to Parliament.

However, then-Kuala Lumpur mayor Mahadi Che Ngah claimed the fence installation was part of maintenance works.

He had said the public could still use Padang Merbok with scheduled permission. - Mkini