Ten KL suggestions for Yeoh

Ten KL suggestions for Yeoh

Andrew Sia
Published: Dec 20, 2025 9:05 AM
Updated: 12:05 PM



COMMENT | It’s fantastic that Hannah Yeoh has been chosen as the minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories), a post where she can make real, visible reforms.

This is a welcome change from her previous thankless task, hemmed in by various sports associations rife with old politics.

For example, in the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) scandal of foreign players made into instant citizens, it was too “sensitive” to use her ministerial powers, given that a VVIP was involved.

Kuala Lumpur is a national platform for Yeoh to shine, and that’s probably why racial missiles are already flying fast and furious against her.

These attacks are no better than the racists in New York City who proclaimed that an Indian-Muslim called Zohran Mamdani could not be elected as mayor because of his skin colour and religion.

So what can Yeoh do to improve KL? Here are 10 suggestions:

1. Bring back Maimunah Sharif

Maimunah was an excellent mayor who was ousted after just 15 months.

Yet she reversed a deficit of RM283 million in 2022 to a surplus of RM27.6 million in 2024 for the KL City Hall (DBKL).

These savings of some RM310 million were achieved by “value-for-money practices” within a “Procurement Integrity Framework”.

Translated into English, she plugged the ”lubang” (holes) where certain quarters had been “feeding” on overpriced contracts in the system. Perhaps this was her real “fault”?

Yeoh doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel if Maimunah is brought back in some kind of official role.

Former Kuala Lumpur mayor Maimunah Sharif

Another reason is to dilute the image that a Chinese woman is “ruling” over KL. Imagine two women leaders leading the transformation of our national capital!

2. Fair hawker licensing

Be fair to all races for hawker and trading licenses. Apart from street Ramadan bazaars, why not also promote Chinese New Year, Deepavali, Christmas, Gawai, and Kaamatan bazaars?

If done properly, these can become tourist attractions, just like Germany’s famous Christmas markets.


3. Reduce KL flash floods

Outline clearly what different ministries must do to stop KL’s notorious flash floods. This action plan will also prevent Yeoh from being unfairly blamed if floods continue.

Obviously, flood retention ponds must be preserved and improved. Incidents such as the development of the Kampung Bohol flood pond, under the previous PKR FT minister, Zaliha Mustafa, must be stopped.


4. Make KL a sponge city

It’s time to make KL more of a “sponge city” to absorb ever more intense torrential rains before they flow into overloaded drains. This is one crucial way to reduce flash floods.

This means mandating or encouraging rainwater harvesting and also half-grass, half-concrete outdoor parking lots.

Landed property owners should be given discounts on their local taxes for keeping, say, one-third of their compounds as gardens, rather than cementing everything up.

Sizzling weather will come more often with global warming, so it’s time to plant a lot more trees in KL. A team of arborists must maintain these trees, rather than untrained contractors.

This will prevent trees from falling over from lack of care, as happened in May 2024 at KL’s Golden Triangle area.

Fallen trees in Kuala Lumpur, May 2024


Please also create more small pocket parks, like the one at Pandan Indah. Add in jogging tracks and outdoor exercise equipment, too.

Yeoh can also build on Maimunah’s projects for B40 urban farming and composting to increase incomes and reduce garbage.

5. Solve Kampung Baru

The redevelopment of Kampung Baru, a Malay enclave just next to KLCC, has eluded various governments as it’s a hot racial and political issue with various vested interests.

Khalid Samad, the FT minister during the first Pakatan Harapan government, had done much work on this, including assuring that the Malay, Islamic character of the area would be preserved.

Khalid Samad


Perhaps Yeoh can bring him in as a “special commissioner” to tackle this issue, as a female Chinese DAP leader would be deemed too “sensitive” for this job.

6. Indirect city democracy

KL residents have long called for local council elections to ensure their cukai pintu and cukai tanah are properly spent.

Sadly, this has become another racial issue, with Umno and PAS leaders claiming that the Chinese will “control” the cities.

But this is ridiculous, as KL is now almost a Malay-majority city with 47.7 percent bumiputera, 41.6 percent Chinese, and 10 percent Indians, according to the government’s own statistics from 2020.

The proportion of bumiputera has probably already crossed 50 percent by now, or will do so soon. Don’t city folks of all races deserve local democracy?

While Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim lacks the political courage to do this reformasi, Yeoh can push for indirect democracy.

This is where KL will be overseen by councillors nominated by city MPs.

This idea was proposed by seven of Harapan’s 10 KL MPs last month as a “long-overdue reform” to curb the “concentration of power” in the KL mayor, who is a civil servant appointed by the federal government.

It’s also intended to fulfil Harapan’s 2022 election manifesto to “empower democracy and transparency in DBKL” by ensuring representation that “reflects the interests of the people, not developers”.

It is somewhat similar to the Singapore system, where elected MPs manage town councils such as Ang Mo Kio and Tampines.


7. Revitalise half-dead buildings

There are quite a few idle or barely occupied buildings in KL.

Yeoh can offer incentives to turn them into centres for small businesses such as food hawkers and flea market vendors, along the lines of Uptown Damansara.

Kuala Lumpur


Add in futsal, badminton, basketball, and pickleball courts, plus drama/arts workshops too.

Please also don’t forget non-halal food courts, as seen at the Aeon Maluri and Kepong shopping malls.

Some pasar malams can also be upgraded into “street fests” with buskers and other artistic performers. Tables should be provided for diners, as done at “Malaysia’s longest pasar malam” at Setia Alam near Klang.

B40 folks should be allocated certain sections so that struggling folks, especially Malays, can earn a living. Licence applications should be made easy using phone apps.

All these steps can provide more jobs and business opportunities for less wealthy folks, as well as affordable food, shopping, sports, and entertainment for people.


8. Cycling lanes for MRT, LRT stations

Over RM50 billion was spent to build the MRT system, but was even one percent spent to improve access to the stations?

Yeoh can direct that bicycle, e-scooter, and walking paths are built to connect MRT and LRT stations to nearby apartments to encourage the use of public transport.

MRT in KL

I even dream of city-wide elevated cycling paths slung beneath the MRT and LRT lines!

KL can also draw up better safety rules for e-scooters, especially speed limits. Remember that electric vehicles are not just expensive BYDs but also humble two-wheelers.


9. Improve city safety

Balloon seller Zaimuddin Azlan, or Abang Belon, was allegedly roughed up by DBKL enforcement officers until his spine was injured.

Perhaps such macho men can better use their excess testosterone by being converted into city auxiliary police? To deter snatch thefts and house burglaries?


10. Fair urban renewal

Yeoh should ensure that any projects under the Urban Renewal Act do not push the poor out of the city for elite gentrification.

Development approvals should be given only if both the poor and the rich are treated fairly. Why can’t they live close to each other in high-rise blocks, as seen in Petaling Jaya’s Section 19? Separate them with a wall if needed.

So these are some suggestions for our new FT minister. It’s a great honour for Yeoh, but also an immense challenge.

I hope that she does such an awesome job that people won’t be talking anymore about race, but meritocracy, in governing KL.



ANDREW SIA is a veteran journalist who likes teh tarik khau kurang manis. You are welcome to give him ideas to brew at tehtarik@gmail.com