'This is not the KL I know'

During a recent trip to several areas including Jalan Tun Perak, Jalan Tun Tan Siew Sin, Lebuh Pudu and Jalan Silang I was taken aback when I saw the dilapidated condition of this part of Kuala Lumpur.

I started my Sunday afternoon from Bukit Kewangan as my colleague and I made our way to Jalan Tun Perak and Jalan Tun Tan Siew Sin where we were greeted with loud Hindi music blasting in the background.

The road was dirty, the buildings looked old and it was very dusty. The thick black exhaust fumes from the public busses only made matters worse.

I looked around me and there were many foreign nationals including Bangladeshis in the area.

From restaurants, sundry shops to carpet outlets, Jalan Tun Tan Siew Sin and Jalan Silang was practically a business district for foreign nationals.

My colleagues and I later arrived near a fast food outlet in Jalan Silang and this time I noticed there were a number of Filipinos and Indonesians selling items like make-up and IDD phone cards in front of Kota Raya.

The back lanes in the area were dirty and the drains were clogged. I wondered how can people walk here every day. There were plastics bags full of garbage everywhere and the stench made my flu worse.

There were also many food stalls in the surrounding area which were manned by foreigners. The food they were selling did not appear hygienic as some of these stalls were mainly due to the location.

I also came across several men sleeping at the walkways and corridors and I thought to myself that this is not the Kuala Lumpur I know.

Some of the locals I spoke to also agreed the area was dirty and has lost its charm.

After spending several few hours in the area, I felt that much can be done to improve the infrastructure in there. If left untouched; central KL could soon turn into a slum.