re-presenting place: publication
TRANSCRIPT
“The most colourful fruit-seller I’ve ever seen! The green and
purple hues of his kaftan shirt matched his grapes so well.”
Art director: Sia Hong Jie
Project Manager: Wong Carol
All rights reserved. No part of this
publication may be reproduced or
transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopy, recording or
writing from the publisher.
This is a journal of a traveler.
A traveler who seeks to understand Petaling Street through the minds of the people.
A daytrip to experience, observe, examine, and investigate. A collection of honest
facts with a personal touch.
3
Preparation
Preparation
Preparation
“Half a metre wide, this narrow strip of ‘wet kitchen’ is
illuminated by bright sunlight penetrating through the holes in the plastic tarp above...emanating dark poetics.”
7
the geographical, demographi-
conform to its
to conduct my personal study. This
allows me to produce more conducive
and focused results!
the geographical, demographi-
conform to its
to conduct my personal study. This
allows me to produce more conducive
and focused results!
researcher, I have come up with a few
methods to conduct this simple survey. The information we need originates from a wide range of sources, thus there should be a variety of techniques used when gathering data from the community of Petaling Street.
Conducted by direct approach (interviewee and interviewer) with questions that are focused and clear which encourage open-ended responses.
Careful investigation allows data to be collected qualitatively and quantitatively, allowing the study of a wide range of a situations, besides providing additional info.
Short questions with answers presented as multiple-choice and numeric bar to gather concise data and to ease analysis afterwards.
Direct observation
“Two curious but interested 15-year-old girls that frequently visit Petaling Street as they attend a school nearby.”
“A friendly couple from Argentina.”
“The famous Mochi-Aunty of Petaling Street hard at work.”
11
researcher, I have come up with a few
methods to conduct this simple survey. The information we need originates from a wide range of sources, thus there should be a variety of techniques used when gathering data from the community of Petaling Street.
Conducted by direct approach (interviewee and interviewer) with questions that are focused and clear which encourage open-ended responses.
Careful investigation allows data to be collected qualitatively and quantitatively, allowing the study of a wide range of a situations, besides providing additional info.
Short questions with answers presented as multiple-choice and numeric bar to gather concise data and to ease analysis afterwards.
Direct observation
parameters are to be included in
my survey.
Social Economic
Standard of Living
Community Health standard
Public Satefy Culture
Utilizes cultural knowledge and experience of members of every level in a community. Influences a cultural construct that could operate a mediator of change.
Defines the recognition of safety culture attained from the people in Petaling Street in terms of the beliefs and practices that they apply.
Shows references or experiences from individuals with different backgrounds to increase the perceived relevance of information in health communication and health education interventions in Petaling Street.
Significance of study
13
parameters are to be included in
my survey.
Social Economic
Standard of Living
Community Health standard
Public Satefy Culture
Utilizes cultural knowledge and experience of members of every level in a community. Influences a cultural construct that could operate a mediator of change.
Defines the recognition of safety culture attained from the people in Petaling Street in terms of the beliefs and practices that they apply.
Shows references or experiences from individuals with different backgrounds to increase the perceived relevance of information in health communication and health education interventions in Petaling Street.
Significance of study
“A quick snap of one of the many aunties of Petaling Street.”
1. Explore the coexistence of different forms of community
The number of homeless people or beggars roaming around the street should be observed.
Remain alert to identify hawker stall operators and pirated goods sellers when entering the street.
Keep eyes open on the number of passing tourists and record it down.
2.The level of authenticity (food, products, and cultures) is slowly vanishing from the original.
Identify stalls that employ foreign workers to work.
Identify vendors selling local food that owned by foreign workers.
Shopping for fake branded items and calculate the number of countries involved in the global produc- tion trail of the product.
How does the increasing number
of foreign workers and foreign
tourist in Petaling Street affect
the living
Standard of Living
3. Maintenance and up keeping of features and facilities (Petaling Street was just a night market before the state government converted it into an iconic pedestrian street market by installing the green dragon roof)
Maintenance works executed for the newly built green dragon roof.
15
1. Explore the coexistence of different forms of community
The number of homeless people or beggars roaming around the street should be observed.
Remain alert to identify hawker stall operators and pirated goods sellers when entering the street.
Keep eyes open on the number of passing tourists and record it down.
2.The level of authenticity (food, products, and cultures) is slowly vanishing from the original.
Identify stalls that employ foreign workers to work.
Identify vendors selling local food that owned by foreign workers.
Shopping for fake branded items and calculate the number of countries involved in the global produc- tion trail of the product.
How does the increasing number
of foreign workers and foreign
tourist in Petaling Street affect
the living
Standard of Living
3. Maintenance and up keeping of features and facilities (Petaling Street was just a night market before the state government converted it into an iconic pedestrian street market by installing the green dragon roof)
Maintenance works executed for the newly built green dragon roof.
drivers in Petaling Street affect the level of
public safety of the local community?
1. Road Culture
Evaluate high-visibility of overhead crosswalk and pedestrian crosswalk users across the flow of vehicular traffic.
2. Unlicensed Hawkers
Identify the number of licensed stalls.
Get quality feedback from patrons over the licensed and unlicensed stalls.
3. Public Transportation
Listen to opinions from patrons regarding overly-charged taxi charges.
Justify taxis as an unsafe mode of transport from their feedback.
4. Street Culture (additional survey, will include if information is obtainable from local authorities)
Record the number of cases involving pickpocket- ing or theft from stalls from patrons and stall owners at Petaling Street.
Public Safety Culture
drivers in Petaling Street affect the level of
public safety of the local community?
1. Road Culture
Evaluate high-visibility of overhead crosswalk and pedestrian crosswalk users across the flow of vehicular traffic.
2. Unlicensed Hawkers
Identify the number of licensed stalls.
Get quality feedback from patrons over the licensed and unlicensed stalls.
3. Public Transportation
Listen to opinions from patrons regarding overly-charged taxi charges.
Justify taxis as an unsafe mode of transport from their feedback.
4. Street Culture (additional survey, will include if information is obtainable from local authorities)
Record the number of cases involving pickpocket- ing or theft from stalls from patrons and stall owners at Petaling Street.
Public Safety Culture
1. Lack of Greenery
Speak to the visitors if they have any comments, suggestions and complaints regarding poor air quality.
Observe and experience the green spaces along the street.
2. High Noise Level
Get opinions from different types of community (e.g. foreign tourists, stall owners, and patrons) regarding high noise level.
3. Low Street Hygiene
Speak to the visitors if they have any comments, suggestions and complaints regarding hygiene level.
Quantity of rubbish and recycling bins observed based on a maximum of walking distance point along the sidewalks.
Investigate the number and routine of cleaners.
Notice the amount and type of litter(e.g. plastic bottles, can, packets etc.) in the area and take pictures of them.
“These exhaust ducts look exactly like tall mushroom manifestations growing on the side of a shophouse!”
19
1. Lack of Greenery
Speak to the visitors if they have any comments, suggestions and complaints regarding poor air quality.
Observe and experience the green spaces along the street.
2. High Noise Level
Get opinions from different types of community (e.g. foreign tourists, stall owners, and patrons) regarding high noise level.
3. Low Street Hygiene
Speak to the visitors if they have any comments, suggestions and complaints regarding hygiene level.
Quantity of rubbish and recycling bins observed based on a maximum of walking distance point along the sidewalks.
Investigate the number and routine of cleaners.
Notice the amount and type of litter(e.g. plastic bottles, can, packets etc.) in the area and take pictures of them.
Standard of Living
“This uncle sits in front of his antique shop after lunchtime, smoking a cigarette.”
21
People from all walks of life are gathered in this street, visitors queueing patiently with hopes to satisfy their cravings. Its community consists mainly of hawker stall operators, local visitors (such as myself), tourists, taxi drivers, and the homeless.
I pulled out the checklist I made earlier in the day and started jotting down relevant data and information.
it was lunch time......
As I tread along the roads of Petaling street, its bustling ambience engulfs me wholly, awakening my senses. The sight of its historical setting, the sound of street vendors hollering, the smell of local delicacies entwined in the breeze. It is then I remembered,
19.10.16
The standard of living in Petaling Street is studied by the type of communities present, the authenticity of the original community, and the maintenance of facilities. After calculating the ratio between the number of hawker stalls that are operated by locals against the ones operated by foreigners, the results are truly shocking!
People from all walks of life are gathered in this street, visitors queueing patiently with hopes to satisfy their cravings. Its community consists mainly of hawker stall operators, local visitors (such as myself), tourists, taxi drivers, and the homeless.
I pulled out the checklist I made earlier in the day and started jotting down relevant data and information.
it was lunch time......
As I tread along the roads of Petaling street, its bustling ambience engulfs me wholly, awakening my senses. The sight of its historical setting, the sound of street vendors hollering, the smell of local delicacies entwined in the breeze. It is then I remembered,
19.10.16
The standard of living in Petaling Street is studied by the type of communities present, the authenticity of the original community, and the maintenance of facilities. After calculating the ratio between the number of hawker stalls that are operated by locals against the ones operated by foreigners, the results are truly shocking!
More than 70% of stalls at Petaling Street are being
BANGLASDESH INDONESIA VIETNAM MYANMAR PAKISTAN
Rate the quantity of stalls being managed by foreign workers along Petaling Street.
B Y S T A L L S
76%
24%
B Y R E S T A U R A N T S
100% LOCALS
MANAGED BY FOREIGNERS.
F O R E I G N E R S76 % L O C A L S24%
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
Sadly, the high intake of foreign workers as sellers and cooks has indirectly diminished the authenticity of the original community in terms of local food, products, and most importantly, its culture. Most of the traders are senior citizens who need help when transporting goods and lifting heavy objects.
This probably became the main reason for them to hire foreign helpers from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Myanmar etc. with valid working permit to assist them during the setting up and closing of their stalls.
Other than that, the youth of today rarely possess the drive to continue in their parents’vendor business, thus discontinuing its long line of tradition and culture.
19.10 .16
Foreign Worker
More than 70% of stalls at Petaling Street are being
BANGLASDESH INDONESIA VIETNAM MYANMAR PAKISTAN
Rate the quantity of stalls being managed by foreign workers along Petaling Street.
B Y S T A L L S
76%
24%
B Y R E S T A U R A N T S
100% LOCALS
MANAGED BY FOREIGNERS.
F O R E I G N E R S76 % L O C A L S24%
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
Sadly, the high intake of foreign workers as sellers and cooks has indirectly diminished the authenticity of the original community in terms of local food, products, and most importantly, its culture. Most of the traders are senior citizens who need help when transporting goods and lifting heavy objects.
This probably became the main reason for them to hire foreign helpers from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Myanmar etc. with valid working permit to assist them during the setting up and closing of their stalls.
Other than that, the youth of today rarely possess the drive to continue in their parents’vendor business, thus discontinuing its long line of tradition and culture.
19.10 .16
Foreign Worker
25
My heart sank a lile as a foreign worker placed my plate of noodles in front of me, but I breathed a sigh of relief as I peeked into the kitchen to see a bearded old Chinese chef braving the sizzles of the hot stove.
1961
I stopped by a local stall which sells the all-famous wantan mee, a well known and established business within Petaling Street that I knew I had to show support to. Its peeling paint and faded signages and newpaper clippings hanging on its walls tells the story of its humble origins, its struggle of the present, and the uncertainty of its future.
One of the things I am interested to find out regarding the standard of living in Petaling Street is how they feel about the amount of homeless people that are scattered around the area.
I left the stall, in search of approachable individuals to aid me in my survey. I aimed for people from different levels and background of the community so as to get a wider perspective when tallying the data afterwards.
As I reached into my bag to locate my purse, the corner of my pink hard-cover file reminded me that I had a simple set of questionnaires waiting to be given out. A sudden sense of excitement ran through me, suppressing my usual “food coma”. I was dreading to find out what Petaling Street is like from the perspective of the people.
“Apam balik! Made in 2 minutes flat by this authentic-looking uncle here.”
My heart sank a lile as a foreign worker placed my plate of noodles in front of me, but I breathed a sigh of relief as I peeked into the kitchen to see a bearded old Chinese chef braving the sizzles of the hot stove.
1961
I stopped by a local stall which sells the all-famous wantan mee, a well known and established business within Petaling Street that I knew I had to show support to. Its peeling paint and faded signages and newpaper clippings hanging on its walls tells the story of its humble origins, its struggle of the present, and the uncertainty of its future.
One of the things I am interested to find out regarding the standard of living in Petaling Street is how they feel about the amount of homeless people that are scattered around the area.
I left the stall, in search of approachable individuals to aid me in my survey. I aimed for people from different levels and background of the community so as to get a wider perspective when tallying the data afterwards.
As I reached into my bag to locate my purse, the corner of my pink hard-cover file reminded me that I had a simple set of questionnaires waiting to be given out. A sudden sense of excitement ran through me, suppressing my usual “food coma”. I was dreading to find out what Petaling Street is like from the perspective of the people.
27
<18 18-25
26-40 >40
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
Rate the quantity of homeless people/ beggars observed along Petaling Street.
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
h i g h33% a v e r a g e67%
number of beggars
Homeless people
19.10 .16
Personally, I feel that the presence of the homeless community in Petaling Street impacts the site greatly. They influence the image of the place as a whole, subconsciously but evidently lowering its standard of living.
As I continued my journey along the street, I felt uncomfortable as a beggar pushed a crummy paper cup towards me with an outstretched arm, the coins inside the cup jingling and demanding attention as he trembled in starvation. I declined his plea with a slight shake of my head and immediately directed my gaze to the ground as I walked past him hurriedly. My mother always told me I lacked the skills to decline with confidence.
<18 18-25
26-40 >40
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
Rate the quantity of homeless people/ beggars observed along Petaling Street.
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
h i g h33% a v e r a g e67%
number of beggars
Homeless people
19.10 .16
Personally, I feel that the presence of the homeless community in Petaling Street impacts the site greatly. They influence the image of the place as a whole, subconsciously but evidently lowering its standard of living.
As I continued my journey along the street, I felt uncomfortable as a beggar pushed a crummy paper cup towards me with an outstretched arm, the coins inside the cup jingling and demanding attention as he trembled in starvation. I declined his plea with a slight shake of my head and immediately directed my gaze to the ground as I walked past him hurriedly. My mother always told me I lacked the skills to decline with confidence.
29
31
“The homeless in KL are far from invisible. This man sleeps on the marble slabs on the stairs of this office tower to keep himself cool on a hot day like this.”
It seems the public agrees with my personal opinion that the government should put more effort in maintaining this cultural jewel. However, a part of me also feels that, it is this aging skin of the place that gives it a
Half are not satisfied with the
along Petaling Street.
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
3. How would you rate the condition and maintenance level of the public facilities along Petaling Street?
maintenance level of public facilities
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
a v e r a g e50 % l o w50%
historical, auentic air......
It seems the public agrees with my personal opinion that the government should put more effort in maintaining this cultural jewel. However, a part of me also feels that, it is this aging skin of the place that gives it a
Half are not satisfied with the
along Petaling Street.
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
3. How would you rate the condition and maintenance level of the public facilities along Petaling Street?
maintenance level of public facilities
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
a v e r a g e50 % l o w50%
historical, auentic air......
35
“A collage of the sights, scenes and sounds in Petaling Street, framed through five-foot walkway arches. Blended and mixed, albeit not smooth. Just like the street itself.”
37
Upon approaching the crossroad of Petaling Street, a small-sized, elderly lady caught my attention immediately.
She was another humble vendor, with a stall that was visibly smaller than the rest, yet just right for her size. Small groups of people were seen lining up at her stall. With squinting eyes shielded only by the shade of her cap, she stood by her stand faithfully, as if protecting and upholding the identity and tradition of her business that she has spent so long strengthening.
Upon realizing I checked all the boxes in my checklist regarding the standard of living in Petaling Street, I figured it was time to dive into the topic of how safe the people actually feel as they walk among these streets.
19.10.16 I went closer to her stall and found out that she was selling the-one-and-only, must-try mochi of Petaling Street! What intrigues me even more were the faded newspaper clippings about her stall taped at the side of the glass, with headers (translated from Chinese to English) saying:
Knowing that she has spent more than five decades of her life here in Petaling Street, I knew I had to interview her.
“Woman Ses Mochi for o r 50 Years, Says at She Doesn’t Plan on Retiring Just Yet.”
Upon approaching the crossroad of Petaling Street, a small-sized, elderly lady caught my attention immediately.
She was another humble vendor, with a stall that was visibly smaller than the rest, yet just right for her size. Small groups of people were seen lining up at her stall. With squinting eyes shielded only by the shade of her cap, she stood by her stand faithfully, as if protecting and upholding the identity and tradition of her business that she has spent so long strengthening.
Upon realizing I checked all the boxes in my checklist regarding the standard of living in Petaling Street, I figured it was time to dive into the topic of how safe the people actually feel as they walk among these streets.
19.10.16 I went closer to her stall and found out that she was selling the-one-and-only, must-try mochi of Petaling Street! What intrigues me even more were the faded newspaper clippings about her stall taped at the side of the glass, with headers (translated from Chinese to English) saying:
Knowing that she has spent more than five decades of her life here in Petaling Street, I knew I had to interview her.
“Woman Ses Mochi for o r 50 Years, Says at She Doesn’t Plan on Retiring Just Yet.”
“Honey, as you can see, I’m a busy woman,
but I can spare you one question I suppose,
what would you like to know?”
“Ha! Well honey, Petaling Street is definitely safe!
That is because behind these main roads, lie dark
alleys where tough men of different gangs and
parties gather. And trust me when I say nobody
would dare to steal anything from any stall here,
unless they are ready to receive a good beating!”
“Hey aunty, are you free to accept a short
interview? Just a few quick questions on how
you feel about Petaling Street.”
(Conversation translated from Chinese to English)
“Over the years, do you think
Petaling Street is a safe place to be?
Have you heard of any crime or fights
happening around the area?”
“Honey, as you can see, I’m a busy woman,
but I can spare you one question I suppose,
what would you like to know?”
“Ha! Well honey, Petaling Street is definitely safe!
That is because behind these main roads, lie dark
alleys where tough men of different gangs and
parties gather. And trust me when I say nobody
would dare to steal anything from any stall here,
unless they are ready to receive a good beating!”
“Hey aunty, are you free to accept a short
interview? Just a few quick questions on how
you feel about Petaling Street.”
(Conversation translated from Chinese to English)
“Over the years, do you think
Petaling Street is a safe place to be?
Have you heard of any crime or fights
happening around the area?”
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
PETALING STREET IS SAFE
How would you rate the safety of Petaling Street?
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
s a f e50% a v e r a g e 33% u n s a f e17%
In general, I believe that the public safety of Petaling Street is harmed by its street and road culture, abundance of unlicensed hawkers and product sellers, and poor public transportation culture. Double parking has definitely become part of the Malaysian culture. It interferes with the flow of traffic and may cause accidents. It is observed that most taxi drivers prefer waiting in their cars to pick passengers up at the roadside. However, traffic congestion is not primarily a problem in Petaling Street, as no vehicles are causing an obstruction to the road.
19.10.16
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
PETALING STREET IS SAFE
How would you rate the safety of Petaling Street?
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
s a f e50% a v e r a g e 33% u n s a f e17%
In general, I believe that the public safety of Petaling Street is harmed by its street and road culture, abundance of unlicensed hawkers and product sellers, and poor public transportation culture. Double parking has definitely become part of the Malaysian culture. It interferes with the flow of traffic and may cause accidents. It is observed that most taxi drivers prefer waiting in their cars to pick passengers up at the roadside. However, traffic congestion is not primarily a problem in Petaling Street, as no vehicles are causing an obstruction to the road.
19.10.16
is overwhelming in Petaling Street.
Rate the amount of vehicles being double/triple parked along Petaling Street.
h i g h50% a v e r a g e 17%
l o w33%
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
double parking culture
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
Double Parking Culture
19.10 .16
Another notable bad road culture that Malaysians possess (and is clearly seen here in Petaling Street) is the act of crossing the road illegally without using proper mediums such as zebra crossings or overhead bridges. After skimming through this portion of the questionnaire, I was surprised to find that almost all the people in Petaling Street seldom or has never used the pedestrian crossing to cross the roads of this area.
is overwhelming in Petaling Street.
Rate the amount of vehicles being double/triple parked along Petaling Street.
h i g h50% a v e r a g e 17%
l o w33%
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
double parking culture
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
Double Parking Culture
19.10 .16
Another notable bad road culture that Malaysians possess (and is clearly seen here in Petaling Street) is the act of crossing the road illegally without using proper mediums such as zebra crossings or overhead bridges. After skimming through this portion of the questionnaire, I was surprised to find that almost all the people in Petaling Street seldom or has never used the pedestrian crossing to cross the roads of this area.
at Petaling Street.
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
pedestrian crossing
s e l d o m50% n e v e r50 %
How often do you use the pedestrian crossing?
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
To further understand how public transportation contributes to the overall public road safety of Petaling Street, I decided to conduct a simple social experiment.
RM60!
To set a baseline before I started my experiment, I went online to the currently trending transportation application known as “Uber” to survey the fares charged by “Uber” drivers for the same journey. The result was a fair price of around
It was a fine afternoon with volumes of clouds dotting the blue sky, and with good weather, comes good business, especially for the taxi drivers seen lining the roadsides of Petaling Street. My aim was to find out if taxi fares are overpriced, and if they would tend to set higher fares for foreign tourists compared to locals. I decided to act as a tourist from China and inquire the taxi fare charges from Petaling Street to KLIA.
50% have never used the
at Petaling Street.
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
pedestrian crossing
s e l d o m50% n e v e r50 %
How often do you use the pedestrian crossing?
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
To further understand how public transportation contributes to the overall public road safety of Petaling Street, I decided to conduct a simple social experiment.
RM60!
To set a baseline before I started my experiment, I went online to the currently trending transportation application known as “Uber” to survey the fares charged by “Uber” drivers for the same journey. The result was a fair price of around
It was a fine afternoon with volumes of clouds dotting the blue sky, and with good weather, comes good business, especially for the taxi drivers seen lining the roadsides of Petaling Street. My aim was to find out if taxi fares are overpriced, and if they would tend to set higher fares for foreign tourists compared to locals. I decided to act as a tourist from China and inquire the taxi fare charges from Petaling Street to KLIA.
47
Foreigner
Local
19.10.16My Chinese accent was a bit rusty at the time but I guess it will do. I approached the first taxi driver with a red vehicle and inquired the price, then, I walked further down the street to inquire the price of a blue taxi (which tends to be larger in size and more expensive than the red ones). The margin of difference of quoted taxi fare compared to the “Uber” drivers were alarmingly huge:
Foreigner
Local
19.10.16My Chinese accent was a bit rusty at the time but I guess it will do. I approached the first taxi driver with a red vehicle and inquired the price, then, I walked further down the street to inquire the price of a blue taxi (which tends to be larger in size and more expensive than the red ones). The margin of difference of quoted taxi fare compared to the “Uber” drivers were alarmingly huge:
49
“A tourist discusses the recent hike in cab fares amiably with a driver.”
The over 40’s are the only group thinking
are affordable in Petaling Street.
<18 18-25
26-40 >40
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
RM1,000
TO KLIA
Would you regard the public transport along Petaling Street as overpriced?
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
public transport services
d i s a g r e e67% a g r e e33 %
Less than 20% think the
at Petaling Street is unsafe.
<18 18-25
26-40 >40
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
s a f e50% a v e r a g e 33% u n s a f e17%
How would you rate the safety of the taxi service?
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
taxi service
are affordable in Petaling Street.
<18 18-25
26-40 >40
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
RM1,000
TO KLIA
Would you regard the public transport along Petaling Street as overpriced?
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
public transport services
d i s a g r e e67% a g r e e33 %
Less than 20% think the
at Petaling Street is unsafe.
<18 18-25
26-40 >40
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
s a f e50% a v e r a g e 33% u n s a f e17%
How would you rate the safety of the taxi service?
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
taxi service
51
Through this simple experiment, it can be concluded that the public regards taxis as an unsafe mode of transport due to its
My Teksi Apps
orly-charged fare
& poor aitude !!
of most taxi drivers. When interacting with the taxi drivers personally, I too did not feel safe and somehow could not trust them entirely. This is probably because most taxi drivers here (and generally in Malaysia) consist of middle to old age men, who mostly smoke and dressed in poorly-kept attire. All-in-all, I would say my mini experiment was a success!
Policeman checking on the stalls
To my surprise, the police was actually requesting the foreign stall owner to provide his license as legal proof. I guess the people here should change their assumption towards the licensing of hawker stalls here along Petaling Street, as results from the questionnaire show that majority of the people feel that the stalls on site are unlicensed and they also do not trust the cleanliness of the food served here.
As I turned to walk back into the welcoming embrace of familiar rows of heart-warming food stalls, a police whizzed past me in his motorcycle, a peculiar sight as he pulled up in front of a hawker stall and engaged with its foreign owner. As I figured this would provide valuable data to my survey, I inched my way to the stall, which by then has already started to gather confused glances and murmurs from passersby.
Through this simple experiment, it can be concluded that the public regards taxis as an unsafe mode of transport due to its
My Teksi Apps
orly-charged fare
& poor aitude !!
of most taxi drivers. When interacting with the taxi drivers personally, I too did not feel safe and somehow could not trust them entirely. This is probably because most taxi drivers here (and generally in Malaysia) consist of middle to old age men, who mostly smoke and dressed in poorly-kept attire. All-in-all, I would say my mini experiment was a success!
Policeman checking on the stalls
To my surprise, the police was actually requesting the foreign stall owner to provide his license as legal proof. I guess the people here should change their assumption towards the licensing of hawker stalls here along Petaling Street, as results from the questionnaire show that majority of the people feel that the stalls on site are unlicensed and they also do not trust the cleanliness of the food served here.
As I turned to walk back into the welcoming embrace of familiar rows of heart-warming food stalls, a police whizzed past me in his motorcycle, a peculiar sight as he pulled up in front of a hawker stall and engaged with its foreign owner. As I figured this would provide valuable data to my survey, I inched my way to the stall, which by then has already started to gather confused glances and murmurs from passersby.
along Petaling Street.
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
Do you think there is a high number of unlicensed stalls
along Petaling Street?
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
d i s a g r e e50 % a g r e e50 %
number of unlicensed stalls Only 1 out of 3 think the
is safe to eat.
Do you recognize/trust the quality of food from the stalls? (Even if they are unlicensed)
l e v e l o f c o n f i d e n c e
<18 18-25
26-40 >40
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
food sold at petaling street
h i g h33% a v e r a g e 17%
l o w50%
along Petaling Street.
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
Do you think there is a high number of unlicensed stalls
along Petaling Street?
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
d i s a g r e e50 % a g r e e50 %
number of unlicensed stalls Only 1 out of 3 think the
is safe to eat.
Do you recognize/trust the quality of food from the stalls? (Even if they are unlicensed)
l e v e l o f c o n f i d e n c e
<18 18-25
26-40 >40
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
food sold at petaling street
h i g h33% a v e r a g e 17%
l o w50%
”There wasn’t a moment they weren’t holding hands.“
I stared down at the plastic cup in my hand from a drink I bought earlier, struggling to locate a rubbish bin. Throughout the whole afternoon that I have been on site, sadly only two rubbish bins were spotted. I let out a sigh of frustration as I made my way to the location of where I spotted them.
.
I stared down at the plastic cup in my hand from a drink I bought earlier, struggling to locate a rubbish bin. Throughout the whole afternoon that I have been on site, sadly only two rubbish bins were spotted. I let out a sigh of frustration as I made my way to the location of where I spotted them.
.
Long established stall
It was then when I realized a cleaner walking past me. Wearing a reflective vest, he set his broom down on an area of litter and diligently does his job. I stood there for a moment, a sense of realization swept over me as to how the contribution of these silent heroes greatly impacts the health standards of a commu- nity.
As observed, majority of the people feel that the streets are generally quite clean. But with the scarcity of rubbish bins provided, I wonder, how on Earth do they achieve such level of cleanliness?
However, as I made my way to explore the back alleys of the site, the hygiene conditions there were far worse than I expect- ed. It was a stark contrast between the two settings. People come up with countless excuses to litter at the back lanes since there are no fines charged for littering. I assume only the cleanliness of the main streets are properly maintained.
More than 80% agree that
<18 18-25
26-40 >40
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
How would you rate the level of hygiene in Petaling Street?
l o w50% a v e r a g e 33% v e r y l o w17%
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
petaling street is clean.
Long established stall
It was then when I realized a cleaner walking past me. Wearing a reflective vest, he set his broom down on an area of litter and diligently does his job. I stood there for a moment, a sense of realization swept over me as to how the contribution of these silent heroes greatly impacts the health standards of a commu- nity.
As observed, majority of the people feel that the streets are generally quite clean. But with the scarcity of rubbish bins provided, I wonder, how on Earth do they achieve such level of cleanliness?
However, as I made my way to explore the back alleys of the site, the hygiene conditions there were far worse than I expect- ed. It was a stark contrast between the two settings. People come up with countless excuses to litter at the back lanes since there are no fines charged for littering. I assume only the cleanliness of the main streets are properly maintained.
More than 80% agree that
<18 18-25
26-40 >40
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
How would you rate the level of hygiene in Petaling Street?
l o w50% a v e r a g e 33% v e r y l o w17%
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
petaling street is clean.
in Petaling Street.
How would you rate the level of noise in Petaling Street?
<18 18-25
26-40 >40
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
THE LEVEL OF NOISE
s a f e50% a v e r a g e 33% u n s a f e17%
As I exit the back lane, a loud booming honk was heard from a lorry that was trying to drive into the main street which was congested with people. In comparison to other pollutants, the level of noise pollution is potentially hazardous here due to the increase in the number of vehicles.
Shouting vendors and high speaker level inputs are also the main contributors to noise pollution in Petaling Street.
Only 1 out of 6 was unhappy with
in Petaling Street.
How would you rate the level of noise in Petaling Street?
<18 18-25
26-40 >40
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
THE LEVEL OF NOISE
s a f e50% a v e r a g e 33% u n s a f e17%
As I exit the back lane, a loud booming honk was heard from a lorry that was trying to drive into the main street which was congested with people. In comparison to other pollutants, the level of noise pollution is potentially hazardous here due to the increase in the number of vehicles.
Shouting vendors and high speaker level inputs are also the main contributors to noise pollution in Petaling Street.
65
”Not uncommon to see these portable speakers around the stalls here,
doubling as the vendor’s powerful partner in pitching sales.“
<18 18-25
26-40 >40
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
Do you think there should be more greenery along Petaling Street?
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
D I S A G R E E0% A G R E E100%
more greenery in Petaling Street.
As I accidentally breathed in the fumes of the lorry that drove by, I let out an unpleasing cough as I gasped for fresh air. It was then when I realized the scarcity of greenery in the area. There are several possible reasons for not seeing a single tree growing here, but I do believe that the main reason for this is due to the street being taken-up entirely by shop-lots and vendors, with no proper planning and inclusion of green pocket spaces. Citizens voiced out their complaints about the serious lack of greenery along Petaling Street.
”This florist carefully snips of the end of a lily stalk, half-hidden by rows of ready flowers.“
<18 18-25
26-40 >40
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
Do you think there should be more greenery along Petaling Street?
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
D I S A G R E E0% A G R E E100%
more greenery in Petaling Street.
As I accidentally breathed in the fumes of the lorry that drove by, I let out an unpleasing cough as I gasped for fresh air. It was then when I realized the scarcity of greenery in the area. There are several possible reasons for not seeing a single tree growing here, but I do believe that the main reason for this is due to the street being taken-up entirely by shop-lots and vendors, with no proper planning and inclusion of green pocket spaces. Citizens voiced out their complaints about the serious lack of greenery along Petaling Street.
67
69
”A collage inspired by the strong cultural ties that bind Petaling Street to its long history.“
epilogue
epilogue “Next to a popular tau foo fa stall, an elderly man feeds his
hungry grandson some sweet, warm syrup.”
71
A traveler who experienced, observed, examined, and investigated. Who understood Petaling
Street through the minds of the people and thoughts of her own.
A journal that expresses its present, yet submits to the uncertainty of its future.
A traveler who experienced, observed, examined, and investigated. Who understood Petaling
Street through the minds of the people and thoughts of her own.
A journal that expresses its present, yet submits to the uncertainty of its future.
73
75
77
79
81
83
85
87
End.
Art director: Sia Hong Jie
Project Manager: Wong Carol
All rights reserved. No part of this
publication may be reproduced or
transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopy, recording or
writing from the publisher.
This is a journal of a traveler.
A traveler who seeks to understand Petaling Street through the minds of the people.
A daytrip to experience, observe, examine, and investigate. A collection of honest
facts with a personal touch.
3
Preparation
Preparation
Preparation
“Half a metre wide, this narrow strip of ‘wet kitchen’ is
illuminated by bright sunlight penetrating through the holes in the plastic tarp above...emanating dark poetics.”
7
the geographical, demographi-
conform to its
to conduct my personal study. This
allows me to produce more conducive
and focused results!
the geographical, demographi-
conform to its
to conduct my personal study. This
allows me to produce more conducive
and focused results!
researcher, I have come up with a few
methods to conduct this simple survey. The information we need originates from a wide range of sources, thus there should be a variety of techniques used when gathering data from the community of Petaling Street.
Conducted by direct approach (interviewee and interviewer) with questions that are focused and clear which encourage open-ended responses.
Careful investigation allows data to be collected qualitatively and quantitatively, allowing the study of a wide range of a situations, besides providing additional info.
Short questions with answers presented as multiple-choice and numeric bar to gather concise data and to ease analysis afterwards.
Direct observation
“Two curious but interested 15-year-old girls that frequently visit Petaling Street as they attend a school nearby.”
“A friendly couple from Argentina.”
“The famous Mochi-Aunty of Petaling Street hard at work.”
11
researcher, I have come up with a few
methods to conduct this simple survey. The information we need originates from a wide range of sources, thus there should be a variety of techniques used when gathering data from the community of Petaling Street.
Conducted by direct approach (interviewee and interviewer) with questions that are focused and clear which encourage open-ended responses.
Careful investigation allows data to be collected qualitatively and quantitatively, allowing the study of a wide range of a situations, besides providing additional info.
Short questions with answers presented as multiple-choice and numeric bar to gather concise data and to ease analysis afterwards.
Direct observation
parameters are to be included in
my survey.
Social Economic
Standard of Living
Community Health standard
Public Satefy Culture
Utilizes cultural knowledge and experience of members of every level in a community. Influences a cultural construct that could operate a mediator of change.
Defines the recognition of safety culture attained from the people in Petaling Street in terms of the beliefs and practices that they apply.
Shows references or experiences from individuals with different backgrounds to increase the perceived relevance of information in health communication and health education interventions in Petaling Street.
Significance of study
13
parameters are to be included in
my survey.
Social Economic
Standard of Living
Community Health standard
Public Satefy Culture
Utilizes cultural knowledge and experience of members of every level in a community. Influences a cultural construct that could operate a mediator of change.
Defines the recognition of safety culture attained from the people in Petaling Street in terms of the beliefs and practices that they apply.
Shows references or experiences from individuals with different backgrounds to increase the perceived relevance of information in health communication and health education interventions in Petaling Street.
Significance of study
“A quick snap of one of the many aunties of Petaling Street.”
1. Explore the coexistence of different forms of community
The number of homeless people or beggars roaming around the street should be observed.
Remain alert to identify hawker stall operators and pirated goods sellers when entering the street.
Keep eyes open on the number of passing tourists and record it down.
2.The level of authenticity (food, products, and cultures) is slowly vanishing from the original.
Identify stalls that employ foreign workers to work.
Identify vendors selling local food that owned by foreign workers.
Shopping for fake branded items and calculate the number of countries involved in the global produc- tion trail of the product.
How does the increasing number
of foreign workers and foreign
tourist in Petaling Street affect
the living
Standard of Living
3. Maintenance and up keeping of features and facilities (Petaling Street was just a night market before the state government converted it into an iconic pedestrian street market by installing the green dragon roof)
Maintenance works executed for the newly built green dragon roof.
15
1. Explore the coexistence of different forms of community
The number of homeless people or beggars roaming around the street should be observed.
Remain alert to identify hawker stall operators and pirated goods sellers when entering the street.
Keep eyes open on the number of passing tourists and record it down.
2.The level of authenticity (food, products, and cultures) is slowly vanishing from the original.
Identify stalls that employ foreign workers to work.
Identify vendors selling local food that owned by foreign workers.
Shopping for fake branded items and calculate the number of countries involved in the global produc- tion trail of the product.
How does the increasing number
of foreign workers and foreign
tourist in Petaling Street affect
the living
Standard of Living
3. Maintenance and up keeping of features and facilities (Petaling Street was just a night market before the state government converted it into an iconic pedestrian street market by installing the green dragon roof)
Maintenance works executed for the newly built green dragon roof.
drivers in Petaling Street affect the level of
public safety of the local community?
1. Road Culture
Evaluate high-visibility of overhead crosswalk and pedestrian crosswalk users across the flow of vehicular traffic.
2. Unlicensed Hawkers
Identify the number of licensed stalls.
Get quality feedback from patrons over the licensed and unlicensed stalls.
3. Public Transportation
Listen to opinions from patrons regarding overly-charged taxi charges.
Justify taxis as an unsafe mode of transport from their feedback.
4. Street Culture (additional survey, will include if information is obtainable from local authorities)
Record the number of cases involving pickpocket- ing or theft from stalls from patrons and stall owners at Petaling Street.
Public Safety Culture
drivers in Petaling Street affect the level of
public safety of the local community?
1. Road Culture
Evaluate high-visibility of overhead crosswalk and pedestrian crosswalk users across the flow of vehicular traffic.
2. Unlicensed Hawkers
Identify the number of licensed stalls.
Get quality feedback from patrons over the licensed and unlicensed stalls.
3. Public Transportation
Listen to opinions from patrons regarding overly-charged taxi charges.
Justify taxis as an unsafe mode of transport from their feedback.
4. Street Culture (additional survey, will include if information is obtainable from local authorities)
Record the number of cases involving pickpocket- ing or theft from stalls from patrons and stall owners at Petaling Street.
Public Safety Culture
1. Lack of Greenery
Speak to the visitors if they have any comments, suggestions and complaints regarding poor air quality.
Observe and experience the green spaces along the street.
2. High Noise Level
Get opinions from different types of community (e.g. foreign tourists, stall owners, and patrons) regarding high noise level.
3. Low Street Hygiene
Speak to the visitors if they have any comments, suggestions and complaints regarding hygiene level.
Quantity of rubbish and recycling bins observed based on a maximum of walking distance point along the sidewalks.
Investigate the number and routine of cleaners.
Notice the amount and type of litter(e.g. plastic bottles, can, packets etc.) in the area and take pictures of them.
“These exhaust ducts look exactly like tall mushroom manifestations growing on the side of a shophouse!”
19
1. Lack of Greenery
Speak to the visitors if they have any comments, suggestions and complaints regarding poor air quality.
Observe and experience the green spaces along the street.
2. High Noise Level
Get opinions from different types of community (e.g. foreign tourists, stall owners, and patrons) regarding high noise level.
3. Low Street Hygiene
Speak to the visitors if they have any comments, suggestions and complaints regarding hygiene level.
Quantity of rubbish and recycling bins observed based on a maximum of walking distance point along the sidewalks.
Investigate the number and routine of cleaners.
Notice the amount and type of litter(e.g. plastic bottles, can, packets etc.) in the area and take pictures of them.
Standard of Living
“This uncle sits in front of his antique shop after lunchtime, smoking a cigarette.”
21
People from all walks of life are gathered in this street, visitors queueing patiently with hopes to satisfy their cravings. Its community consists mainly of hawker stall operators, local visitors (such as myself), tourists, taxi drivers, and the homeless.
I pulled out the checklist I made earlier in the day and started jotting down relevant data and information.
it was lunch time......
As I tread along the roads of Petaling street, its bustling ambience engulfs me wholly, awakening my senses. The sight of its historical setting, the sound of street vendors hollering, the smell of local delicacies entwined in the breeze. It is then I remembered,
19.10.16
The standard of living in Petaling Street is studied by the type of communities present, the authenticity of the original community, and the maintenance of facilities. After calculating the ratio between the number of hawker stalls that are operated by locals against the ones operated by foreigners, the results are truly shocking!
People from all walks of life are gathered in this street, visitors queueing patiently with hopes to satisfy their cravings. Its community consists mainly of hawker stall operators, local visitors (such as myself), tourists, taxi drivers, and the homeless.
I pulled out the checklist I made earlier in the day and started jotting down relevant data and information.
it was lunch time......
As I tread along the roads of Petaling street, its bustling ambience engulfs me wholly, awakening my senses. The sight of its historical setting, the sound of street vendors hollering, the smell of local delicacies entwined in the breeze. It is then I remembered,
19.10.16
The standard of living in Petaling Street is studied by the type of communities present, the authenticity of the original community, and the maintenance of facilities. After calculating the ratio between the number of hawker stalls that are operated by locals against the ones operated by foreigners, the results are truly shocking!
More than 70% of stalls at Petaling Street are being
BANGLASDESH INDONESIA VIETNAM MYANMAR PAKISTAN
Rate the quantity of stalls being managed by foreign workers along Petaling Street.
B Y S T A L L S
76%
24%
B Y R E S T A U R A N T S
100% LOCALS
MANAGED BY FOREIGNERS.
F O R E I G N E R S76 % L O C A L S24%
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
Sadly, the high intake of foreign workers as sellers and cooks has indirectly diminished the authenticity of the original community in terms of local food, products, and most importantly, its culture. Most of the traders are senior citizens who need help when transporting goods and lifting heavy objects.
This probably became the main reason for them to hire foreign helpers from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Myanmar etc. with valid working permit to assist them during the setting up and closing of their stalls.
Other than that, the youth of today rarely possess the drive to continue in their parents’vendor business, thus discontinuing its long line of tradition and culture.
19.10 .16
Foreign Worker
More than 70% of stalls at Petaling Street are being
BANGLASDESH INDONESIA VIETNAM MYANMAR PAKISTAN
Rate the quantity of stalls being managed by foreign workers along Petaling Street.
B Y S T A L L S
76%
24%
B Y R E S T A U R A N T S
100% LOCALS
MANAGED BY FOREIGNERS.
F O R E I G N E R S76 % L O C A L S24%
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
Sadly, the high intake of foreign workers as sellers and cooks has indirectly diminished the authenticity of the original community in terms of local food, products, and most importantly, its culture. Most of the traders are senior citizens who need help when transporting goods and lifting heavy objects.
This probably became the main reason for them to hire foreign helpers from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Myanmar etc. with valid working permit to assist them during the setting up and closing of their stalls.
Other than that, the youth of today rarely possess the drive to continue in their parents’vendor business, thus discontinuing its long line of tradition and culture.
19.10 .16
Foreign Worker
25
My heart sank a lile as a foreign worker placed my plate of noodles in front of me, but I breathed a sigh of relief as I peeked into the kitchen to see a bearded old Chinese chef braving the sizzles of the hot stove.
1961
I stopped by a local stall which sells the all-famous wantan mee, a well known and established business within Petaling Street that I knew I had to show support to. Its peeling paint and faded signages and newpaper clippings hanging on its walls tells the story of its humble origins, its struggle of the present, and the uncertainty of its future.
One of the things I am interested to find out regarding the standard of living in Petaling Street is how they feel about the amount of homeless people that are scattered around the area.
I left the stall, in search of approachable individuals to aid me in my survey. I aimed for people from different levels and background of the community so as to get a wider perspective when tallying the data afterwards.
As I reached into my bag to locate my purse, the corner of my pink hard-cover file reminded me that I had a simple set of questionnaires waiting to be given out. A sudden sense of excitement ran through me, suppressing my usual “food coma”. I was dreading to find out what Petaling Street is like from the perspective of the people.
“Apam balik! Made in 2 minutes flat by this authentic-looking uncle here.”
My heart sank a lile as a foreign worker placed my plate of noodles in front of me, but I breathed a sigh of relief as I peeked into the kitchen to see a bearded old Chinese chef braving the sizzles of the hot stove.
1961
I stopped by a local stall which sells the all-famous wantan mee, a well known and established business within Petaling Street that I knew I had to show support to. Its peeling paint and faded signages and newpaper clippings hanging on its walls tells the story of its humble origins, its struggle of the present, and the uncertainty of its future.
One of the things I am interested to find out regarding the standard of living in Petaling Street is how they feel about the amount of homeless people that are scattered around the area.
I left the stall, in search of approachable individuals to aid me in my survey. I aimed for people from different levels and background of the community so as to get a wider perspective when tallying the data afterwards.
As I reached into my bag to locate my purse, the corner of my pink hard-cover file reminded me that I had a simple set of questionnaires waiting to be given out. A sudden sense of excitement ran through me, suppressing my usual “food coma”. I was dreading to find out what Petaling Street is like from the perspective of the people.
27
<18 18-25
26-40 >40
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
Rate the quantity of homeless people/ beggars observed along Petaling Street.
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
h i g h33% a v e r a g e67%
number of beggars
Homeless people
19.10 .16
Personally, I feel that the presence of the homeless community in Petaling Street impacts the site greatly. They influence the image of the place as a whole, subconsciously but evidently lowering its standard of living.
As I continued my journey along the street, I felt uncomfortable as a beggar pushed a crummy paper cup towards me with an outstretched arm, the coins inside the cup jingling and demanding attention as he trembled in starvation. I declined his plea with a slight shake of my head and immediately directed my gaze to the ground as I walked past him hurriedly. My mother always told me I lacked the skills to decline with confidence.
<18 18-25
26-40 >40
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
Rate the quantity of homeless people/ beggars observed along Petaling Street.
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
h i g h33% a v e r a g e67%
number of beggars
Homeless people
19.10 .16
Personally, I feel that the presence of the homeless community in Petaling Street impacts the site greatly. They influence the image of the place as a whole, subconsciously but evidently lowering its standard of living.
As I continued my journey along the street, I felt uncomfortable as a beggar pushed a crummy paper cup towards me with an outstretched arm, the coins inside the cup jingling and demanding attention as he trembled in starvation. I declined his plea with a slight shake of my head and immediately directed my gaze to the ground as I walked past him hurriedly. My mother always told me I lacked the skills to decline with confidence.
29
31
“The homeless in KL are far from invisible. This man sleeps on the marble slabs on the stairs of this office tower to keep himself cool on a hot day like this.”
It seems the public agrees with my personal opinion that the government should put more effort in maintaining this cultural jewel. However, a part of me also feels that, it is this aging skin of the place that gives it a
Half are not satisfied with the
along Petaling Street.
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
3. How would you rate the condition and maintenance level of the public facilities along Petaling Street?
maintenance level of public facilities
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
a v e r a g e50 % l o w50%
historical, auentic air......
It seems the public agrees with my personal opinion that the government should put more effort in maintaining this cultural jewel. However, a part of me also feels that, it is this aging skin of the place that gives it a
Half are not satisfied with the
along Petaling Street.
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
3. How would you rate the condition and maintenance level of the public facilities along Petaling Street?
maintenance level of public facilities
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
a v e r a g e50 % l o w50%
historical, auentic air......
35
“A collage of the sights, scenes and sounds in Petaling Street, framed through five-foot walkway arches. Blended and mixed, albeit not smooth. Just like the street itself.”
37
Upon approaching the crossroad of Petaling Street, a small-sized, elderly lady caught my attention immediately.
She was another humble vendor, with a stall that was visibly smaller than the rest, yet just right for her size. Small groups of people were seen lining up at her stall. With squinting eyes shielded only by the shade of her cap, she stood by her stand faithfully, as if protecting and upholding the identity and tradition of her business that she has spent so long strengthening.
Upon realizing I checked all the boxes in my checklist regarding the standard of living in Petaling Street, I figured it was time to dive into the topic of how safe the people actually feel as they walk among these streets.
19.10.16 I went closer to her stall and found out that she was selling the-one-and-only, must-try mochi of Petaling Street! What intrigues me even more were the faded newspaper clippings about her stall taped at the side of the glass, with headers (translated from Chinese to English) saying:
Knowing that she has spent more than five decades of her life here in Petaling Street, I knew I had to interview her.
“Woman Ses Mochi for o r 50 Years, Says at She Doesn’t Plan on Retiring Just Yet.”
Upon approaching the crossroad of Petaling Street, a small-sized, elderly lady caught my attention immediately.
She was another humble vendor, with a stall that was visibly smaller than the rest, yet just right for her size. Small groups of people were seen lining up at her stall. With squinting eyes shielded only by the shade of her cap, she stood by her stand faithfully, as if protecting and upholding the identity and tradition of her business that she has spent so long strengthening.
Upon realizing I checked all the boxes in my checklist regarding the standard of living in Petaling Street, I figured it was time to dive into the topic of how safe the people actually feel as they walk among these streets.
19.10.16 I went closer to her stall and found out that she was selling the-one-and-only, must-try mochi of Petaling Street! What intrigues me even more were the faded newspaper clippings about her stall taped at the side of the glass, with headers (translated from Chinese to English) saying:
Knowing that she has spent more than five decades of her life here in Petaling Street, I knew I had to interview her.
“Woman Ses Mochi for o r 50 Years, Says at She Doesn’t Plan on Retiring Just Yet.”
“Honey, as you can see, I’m a busy woman,
but I can spare you one question I suppose,
what would you like to know?”
“Ha! Well honey, Petaling Street is definitely safe!
That is because behind these main roads, lie dark
alleys where tough men of different gangs and
parties gather. And trust me when I say nobody
would dare to steal anything from any stall here,
unless they are ready to receive a good beating!”
“Hey aunty, are you free to accept a short
interview? Just a few quick questions on how
you feel about Petaling Street.”
(Conversation translated from Chinese to English)
“Over the years, do you think
Petaling Street is a safe place to be?
Have you heard of any crime or fights
happening around the area?”
“Honey, as you can see, I’m a busy woman,
but I can spare you one question I suppose,
what would you like to know?”
“Ha! Well honey, Petaling Street is definitely safe!
That is because behind these main roads, lie dark
alleys where tough men of different gangs and
parties gather. And trust me when I say nobody
would dare to steal anything from any stall here,
unless they are ready to receive a good beating!”
“Hey aunty, are you free to accept a short
interview? Just a few quick questions on how
you feel about Petaling Street.”
(Conversation translated from Chinese to English)
“Over the years, do you think
Petaling Street is a safe place to be?
Have you heard of any crime or fights
happening around the area?”
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
PETALING STREET IS SAFE
How would you rate the safety of Petaling Street?
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
s a f e50% a v e r a g e 33% u n s a f e17%
In general, I believe that the public safety of Petaling Street is harmed by its street and road culture, abundance of unlicensed hawkers and product sellers, and poor public transportation culture. Double parking has definitely become part of the Malaysian culture. It interferes with the flow of traffic and may cause accidents. It is observed that most taxi drivers prefer waiting in their cars to pick passengers up at the roadside. However, traffic congestion is not primarily a problem in Petaling Street, as no vehicles are causing an obstruction to the road.
19.10.16
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
PETALING STREET IS SAFE
How would you rate the safety of Petaling Street?
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
s a f e50% a v e r a g e 33% u n s a f e17%
In general, I believe that the public safety of Petaling Street is harmed by its street and road culture, abundance of unlicensed hawkers and product sellers, and poor public transportation culture. Double parking has definitely become part of the Malaysian culture. It interferes with the flow of traffic and may cause accidents. It is observed that most taxi drivers prefer waiting in their cars to pick passengers up at the roadside. However, traffic congestion is not primarily a problem in Petaling Street, as no vehicles are causing an obstruction to the road.
19.10.16
is overwhelming in Petaling Street.
Rate the amount of vehicles being double/triple parked along Petaling Street.
h i g h50% a v e r a g e 17%
l o w33%
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
double parking culture
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
Double Parking Culture
19.10 .16
Another notable bad road culture that Malaysians possess (and is clearly seen here in Petaling Street) is the act of crossing the road illegally without using proper mediums such as zebra crossings or overhead bridges. After skimming through this portion of the questionnaire, I was surprised to find that almost all the people in Petaling Street seldom or has never used the pedestrian crossing to cross the roads of this area.
is overwhelming in Petaling Street.
Rate the amount of vehicles being double/triple parked along Petaling Street.
h i g h50% a v e r a g e 17%
l o w33%
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
double parking culture
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
Double Parking Culture
19.10 .16
Another notable bad road culture that Malaysians possess (and is clearly seen here in Petaling Street) is the act of crossing the road illegally without using proper mediums such as zebra crossings or overhead bridges. After skimming through this portion of the questionnaire, I was surprised to find that almost all the people in Petaling Street seldom or has never used the pedestrian crossing to cross the roads of this area.
at Petaling Street.
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
pedestrian crossing
s e l d o m50% n e v e r50 %
How often do you use the pedestrian crossing?
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
To further understand how public transportation contributes to the overall public road safety of Petaling Street, I decided to conduct a simple social experiment.
RM60!
To set a baseline before I started my experiment, I went online to the currently trending transportation application known as “Uber” to survey the fares charged by “Uber” drivers for the same journey. The result was a fair price of around
It was a fine afternoon with volumes of clouds dotting the blue sky, and with good weather, comes good business, especially for the taxi drivers seen lining the roadsides of Petaling Street. My aim was to find out if taxi fares are overpriced, and if they would tend to set higher fares for foreign tourists compared to locals. I decided to act as a tourist from China and inquire the taxi fare charges from Petaling Street to KLIA.
50% have never used the
at Petaling Street.
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
pedestrian crossing
s e l d o m50% n e v e r50 %
How often do you use the pedestrian crossing?
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
To further understand how public transportation contributes to the overall public road safety of Petaling Street, I decided to conduct a simple social experiment.
RM60!
To set a baseline before I started my experiment, I went online to the currently trending transportation application known as “Uber” to survey the fares charged by “Uber” drivers for the same journey. The result was a fair price of around
It was a fine afternoon with volumes of clouds dotting the blue sky, and with good weather, comes good business, especially for the taxi drivers seen lining the roadsides of Petaling Street. My aim was to find out if taxi fares are overpriced, and if they would tend to set higher fares for foreign tourists compared to locals. I decided to act as a tourist from China and inquire the taxi fare charges from Petaling Street to KLIA.
47
Foreigner
Local
19.10.16My Chinese accent was a bit rusty at the time but I guess it will do. I approached the first taxi driver with a red vehicle and inquired the price, then, I walked further down the street to inquire the price of a blue taxi (which tends to be larger in size and more expensive than the red ones). The margin of difference of quoted taxi fare compared to the “Uber” drivers were alarmingly huge:
Foreigner
Local
19.10.16My Chinese accent was a bit rusty at the time but I guess it will do. I approached the first taxi driver with a red vehicle and inquired the price, then, I walked further down the street to inquire the price of a blue taxi (which tends to be larger in size and more expensive than the red ones). The margin of difference of quoted taxi fare compared to the “Uber” drivers were alarmingly huge:
49
“A tourist discusses the recent hike in cab fares amiably with a driver.”
The over 40’s are the only group thinking
are affordable in Petaling Street.
<18 18-25
26-40 >40
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
RM1,000
TO KLIA
Would you regard the public transport along Petaling Street as overpriced?
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
public transport services
d i s a g r e e67% a g r e e33 %
Less than 20% think the
at Petaling Street is unsafe.
<18 18-25
26-40 >40
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
s a f e50% a v e r a g e 33% u n s a f e17%
How would you rate the safety of the taxi service?
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
taxi service
are affordable in Petaling Street.
<18 18-25
26-40 >40
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
RM1,000
TO KLIA
Would you regard the public transport along Petaling Street as overpriced?
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
public transport services
d i s a g r e e67% a g r e e33 %
Less than 20% think the
at Petaling Street is unsafe.
<18 18-25
26-40 >40
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
s a f e50% a v e r a g e 33% u n s a f e17%
How would you rate the safety of the taxi service?
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
taxi service
51
Through this simple experiment, it can be concluded that the public regards taxis as an unsafe mode of transport due to its
My Teksi Apps
orly-charged fare
& poor aitude !!
of most taxi drivers. When interacting with the taxi drivers personally, I too did not feel safe and somehow could not trust them entirely. This is probably because most taxi drivers here (and generally in Malaysia) consist of middle to old age men, who mostly smoke and dressed in poorly-kept attire. All-in-all, I would say my mini experiment was a success!
Policeman checking on the stalls
To my surprise, the police was actually requesting the foreign stall owner to provide his license as legal proof. I guess the people here should change their assumption towards the licensing of hawker stalls here along Petaling Street, as results from the questionnaire show that majority of the people feel that the stalls on site are unlicensed and they also do not trust the cleanliness of the food served here.
As I turned to walk back into the welcoming embrace of familiar rows of heart-warming food stalls, a police whizzed past me in his motorcycle, a peculiar sight as he pulled up in front of a hawker stall and engaged with its foreign owner. As I figured this would provide valuable data to my survey, I inched my way to the stall, which by then has already started to gather confused glances and murmurs from passersby.
Through this simple experiment, it can be concluded that the public regards taxis as an unsafe mode of transport due to its
My Teksi Apps
orly-charged fare
& poor aitude !!
of most taxi drivers. When interacting with the taxi drivers personally, I too did not feel safe and somehow could not trust them entirely. This is probably because most taxi drivers here (and generally in Malaysia) consist of middle to old age men, who mostly smoke and dressed in poorly-kept attire. All-in-all, I would say my mini experiment was a success!
Policeman checking on the stalls
To my surprise, the police was actually requesting the foreign stall owner to provide his license as legal proof. I guess the people here should change their assumption towards the licensing of hawker stalls here along Petaling Street, as results from the questionnaire show that majority of the people feel that the stalls on site are unlicensed and they also do not trust the cleanliness of the food served here.
As I turned to walk back into the welcoming embrace of familiar rows of heart-warming food stalls, a police whizzed past me in his motorcycle, a peculiar sight as he pulled up in front of a hawker stall and engaged with its foreign owner. As I figured this would provide valuable data to my survey, I inched my way to the stall, which by then has already started to gather confused glances and murmurs from passersby.
along Petaling Street.
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
Do you think there is a high number of unlicensed stalls
along Petaling Street?
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
d i s a g r e e50 % a g r e e50 %
number of unlicensed stalls Only 1 out of 3 think the
is safe to eat.
Do you recognize/trust the quality of food from the stalls? (Even if they are unlicensed)
l e v e l o f c o n f i d e n c e
<18 18-25
26-40 >40
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
food sold at petaling street
h i g h33% a v e r a g e 17%
l o w50%
along Petaling Street.
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
Do you think there is a high number of unlicensed stalls
along Petaling Street?
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
d i s a g r e e50 % a g r e e50 %
number of unlicensed stalls Only 1 out of 3 think the
is safe to eat.
Do you recognize/trust the quality of food from the stalls? (Even if they are unlicensed)
l e v e l o f c o n f i d e n c e
<18 18-25
26-40 >40
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
food sold at petaling street
h i g h33% a v e r a g e 17%
l o w50%
”There wasn’t a moment they weren’t holding hands.“
I stared down at the plastic cup in my hand from a drink I bought earlier, struggling to locate a rubbish bin. Throughout the whole afternoon that I have been on site, sadly only two rubbish bins were spotted. I let out a sigh of frustration as I made my way to the location of where I spotted them.
.
I stared down at the plastic cup in my hand from a drink I bought earlier, struggling to locate a rubbish bin. Throughout the whole afternoon that I have been on site, sadly only two rubbish bins were spotted. I let out a sigh of frustration as I made my way to the location of where I spotted them.
.
Long established stall
It was then when I realized a cleaner walking past me. Wearing a reflective vest, he set his broom down on an area of litter and diligently does his job. I stood there for a moment, a sense of realization swept over me as to how the contribution of these silent heroes greatly impacts the health standards of a commu- nity.
As observed, majority of the people feel that the streets are generally quite clean. But with the scarcity of rubbish bins provided, I wonder, how on Earth do they achieve such level of cleanliness?
However, as I made my way to explore the back alleys of the site, the hygiene conditions there were far worse than I expect- ed. It was a stark contrast between the two settings. People come up with countless excuses to litter at the back lanes since there are no fines charged for littering. I assume only the cleanliness of the main streets are properly maintained.
More than 80% agree that
<18 18-25
26-40 >40
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
How would you rate the level of hygiene in Petaling Street?
l o w50% a v e r a g e 33% v e r y l o w17%
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
petaling street is clean.
Long established stall
It was then when I realized a cleaner walking past me. Wearing a reflective vest, he set his broom down on an area of litter and diligently does his job. I stood there for a moment, a sense of realization swept over me as to how the contribution of these silent heroes greatly impacts the health standards of a commu- nity.
As observed, majority of the people feel that the streets are generally quite clean. But with the scarcity of rubbish bins provided, I wonder, how on Earth do they achieve such level of cleanliness?
However, as I made my way to explore the back alleys of the site, the hygiene conditions there were far worse than I expect- ed. It was a stark contrast between the two settings. People come up with countless excuses to litter at the back lanes since there are no fines charged for littering. I assume only the cleanliness of the main streets are properly maintained.
More than 80% agree that
<18 18-25
26-40 >40
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
How would you rate the level of hygiene in Petaling Street?
l o w50% a v e r a g e 33% v e r y l o w17%
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
petaling street is clean.
in Petaling Street.
How would you rate the level of noise in Petaling Street?
<18 18-25
26-40 >40
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
THE LEVEL OF NOISE
s a f e50% a v e r a g e 33% u n s a f e17%
As I exit the back lane, a loud booming honk was heard from a lorry that was trying to drive into the main street which was congested with people. In comparison to other pollutants, the level of noise pollution is potentially hazardous here due to the increase in the number of vehicles.
Shouting vendors and high speaker level inputs are also the main contributors to noise pollution in Petaling Street.
Only 1 out of 6 was unhappy with
in Petaling Street.
How would you rate the level of noise in Petaling Street?
<18 18-25
26-40 >40
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
THE LEVEL OF NOISE
s a f e50% a v e r a g e 33% u n s a f e17%
As I exit the back lane, a loud booming honk was heard from a lorry that was trying to drive into the main street which was congested with people. In comparison to other pollutants, the level of noise pollution is potentially hazardous here due to the increase in the number of vehicles.
Shouting vendors and high speaker level inputs are also the main contributors to noise pollution in Petaling Street.
65
”Not uncommon to see these portable speakers around the stalls here,
doubling as the vendor’s powerful partner in pitching sales.“
<18 18-25
26-40 >40
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
Do you think there should be more greenery along Petaling Street?
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
D I S A G R E E0% A G R E E100%
more greenery in Petaling Street.
As I accidentally breathed in the fumes of the lorry that drove by, I let out an unpleasing cough as I gasped for fresh air. It was then when I realized the scarcity of greenery in the area. There are several possible reasons for not seeing a single tree growing here, but I do believe that the main reason for this is due to the street being taken-up entirely by shop-lots and vendors, with no proper planning and inclusion of green pocket spaces. Citizens voiced out their complaints about the serious lack of greenery along Petaling Street.
”This florist carefully snips of the end of a lily stalk, half-hidden by rows of ready flowers.“
<18 18-25
26-40 >40
MALE
FEMALE
MALAY CHINESE
INDIAN OTHERS
MALAYSIAN
NON-MALAYSIAN
B Y N A T I O N A L I T Y
Do you think there should be more greenery along Petaling Street?
S U R V E Y S T A T E M E N T
D I S A G R E E0% A G R E E100%
more greenery in Petaling Street.
As I accidentally breathed in the fumes of the lorry that drove by, I let out an unpleasing cough as I gasped for fresh air. It was then when I realized the scarcity of greenery in the area. There are several possible reasons for not seeing a single tree growing here, but I do believe that the main reason for this is due to the street being taken-up entirely by shop-lots and vendors, with no proper planning and inclusion of green pocket spaces. Citizens voiced out their complaints about the serious lack of greenery along Petaling Street.
67
69
”A collage inspired by the strong cultural ties that bind Petaling Street to its long history.“
epilogue
epilogue “Next to a popular tau foo fa stall, an elderly man feeds his
hungry grandson some sweet, warm syrup.”
71
A traveler who experienced, observed, examined, and investigated. Who understood Petaling
Street through the minds of the people and thoughts of her own.
A journal that expresses its present, yet submits to the uncertainty of its future.
A traveler who experienced, observed, examined, and investigated. Who understood Petaling
Street through the minds of the people and thoughts of her own.
A journal that expresses its present, yet submits to the uncertainty of its future.
73
75
77
79
81
83
85
87
End.