The offer by Datuk James Hwong to plant more suitable trees in the main towns of Sabah is laudable and deserve our sincere appreciation. I hope it will not be too long when we can enjoy the promised shades of these trees.
While we are at it, wouldn’t it be nice if other kind souls offer their expertise, hopefully free of charge too, on the following problems facing our towns.
1. Chronic traffic jams. Would you believe it, even smaller towns like Keningau and Ranau are boasting jams which the bigger towns might envy. I am sure I am not the only one who would not mind having a smoother flow of traffic in our beloved capital, and the bigger towns, with or without shades. I nominate Putatan as a priority area to be planted with shady trees along the main road. People can expire of sun stroke in the heat of the jam there.
2. Better toilets. We are centuries behind in good toilet culture. Our public toilets are wet, dirty, smelly, and water-less most times. By the way, world toilet day was November 19. It passed us by unnoticed.
3. Dirty streets and dark, dirty, damp and smelly staircases in the buildings.
4. Ugly shop facades, ugly anjung selerea, ugly anjung senja. I will not mention the food at all, I mean it’s not worth it.
5. Polluted and smelly water on our water fronts. Over-polluted Papar river, ditto rivers in Keningau, Beaufort, Tenom, Tamparuli. Rivers dying in Kota Belud and Ranau. I should be writing odes for the rivers we once had in Kudat.
6. Make our towns more pedestrian-friendly. As it is now our roads are dedicated to the preservation of our metal cousins, who by the way, were designed without souls. Little wonder then that drivers easily lose theirs when they drive one.
7. Build better wet markets. Make them sparkle with colour; make them happy and exciting meeting places. The ones in KK, Sandakan, Putatan, and Papar, to name a few, look more like torture chambers, where sellers languish forever to expiate non existent sins.
8. Create art/culture belt in the heart of towns. Have library, art gallery and museum next to each other, in the same building even. Now they are miles apart in far away places as if planned to just decorate the landscape. Then build close by too, the music halls and cinemas.
9. Regular, reliable public transport system. With all the shades from the soon-to-be planted trees, it might be worthwhile planning for bicycle lanes.
I think a town should be planned starting from the heart. I fear we might be losing it. It might yet grow on trees. Datuk Hwong, please plant your trees quickly.
While we are at it, wouldn’t it be nice if other kind souls offer their expertise, hopefully free of charge too, on the following problems facing our towns.
1. Chronic traffic jams. Would you believe it, even smaller towns like Keningau and Ranau are boasting jams which the bigger towns might envy. I am sure I am not the only one who would not mind having a smoother flow of traffic in our beloved capital, and the bigger towns, with or without shades. I nominate Putatan as a priority area to be planted with shady trees along the main road. People can expire of sun stroke in the heat of the jam there.
2. Better toilets. We are centuries behind in good toilet culture. Our public toilets are wet, dirty, smelly, and water-less most times. By the way, world toilet day was November 19. It passed us by unnoticed.
3. Dirty streets and dark, dirty, damp and smelly staircases in the buildings.
4. Ugly shop facades, ugly anjung selerea, ugly anjung senja. I will not mention the food at all, I mean it’s not worth it.
5. Polluted and smelly water on our water fronts. Over-polluted Papar river, ditto rivers in Keningau, Beaufort, Tenom, Tamparuli. Rivers dying in Kota Belud and Ranau. I should be writing odes for the rivers we once had in Kudat.
6. Make our towns more pedestrian-friendly. As it is now our roads are dedicated to the preservation of our metal cousins, who by the way, were designed without souls. Little wonder then that drivers easily lose theirs when they drive one.
7. Build better wet markets. Make them sparkle with colour; make them happy and exciting meeting places. The ones in KK, Sandakan, Putatan, and Papar, to name a few, look more like torture chambers, where sellers languish forever to expiate non existent sins.
8. Create art/culture belt in the heart of towns. Have library, art gallery and museum next to each other, in the same building even. Now they are miles apart in far away places as if planned to just decorate the landscape. Then build close by too, the music halls and cinemas.
9. Regular, reliable public transport system. With all the shades from the soon-to-be planted trees, it might be worthwhile planning for bicycle lanes.
I think a town should be planned starting from the heart. I fear we might be losing it. It might yet grow on trees. Datuk Hwong, please plant your trees quickly.
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