Aziff Azuddin's Blog

I’ve been thinking about the country a lot these past few months. What does it mean to be Malaysian? This is such a simple question that invites so many answers. We usually get surface-level answers on diversity, multiculturalism and unity. At this point, almost seventy years into our formation, these adjectives ring hollow. Our politics don’t reflect multiculturalism. Neither does it inspire unity. Nor does it value diversity. There seems to be, as is part of a global trend, for polarisation to...

Since the fall of the Barisan Nasional government in 2018, much has been discussed about Malay unity. This culminated in Muafakat Nasional, an alliance between Umno and PAS, and then Perikatan Nasional, with both PAS and Bersatu. The PN marriage appears resilient, with both political partners sharing a common enemy: the Madani government.

In the past six years, Malay society has posed the question of ideological and political fracturing, particularly on issues of race and religion. When Tun Maha...

The last time I read a magazine was six years ago. It was at the dentist, and I chose not to pick up my phone to pass away time and go through a lifestyle trade. Much of the information in the magazine could have otherwise been found in a blog or website dedicated to the subject. Better yet, for free and up to date. This is the losing battle of the printed word. Not only magazines but also the newspaper.

In the last decade, many newspapers and magazines have gone online, leaving behind the print...

How much does it cost a working individual to get around? The answer depends on where you live. Choosing where to live takes into account multiple factors, but very often, it has to satisfy one’s balance between access to work, public and commercial amenities – and for parents, education options for their children. It’s one of the reasons why buying or renting a house is a big decision. Property developers and salespersons will consistently market their properties as being within accessible dist...

What does the presence of a McDonald’s say about an area’s urban development? In the Malaysian context, McDonald’s is seen as a feature of localised progress and urban development. This is exemplified best through statements by politicians – in the recent 15th General Elections, a political candidate promised to set up a McDonald’s in his constituency if he won1. In another instance, a former politician claimed the establishment of a McDonald’s in his constituency when asked about his contributi...

The DASH Highway has been open for a few weeks now. A few months before that, it was the SUKE Highway in the eastern crevices of Kuala Lumpur. Both highways sold the premise of relieving congestion issues across the Klang Valley. Waiting in the wings is the PJD Link which is currently facing opposition from PJ residents but is pushed by both federal and state governments. While marketed to the public as a solution to traffic woes, countless studies have shown that building more expressways does ...

Over the recent month, congestion has led Klang Valley commuters to revisit the discussion of public transport. Part of these discussions concluded in calls for an expansive metro network that covers all edges of the Klang Valley.

The government and politicians are always willing to oblige with big-ticket infrastructure projects – the MRT 3 Circle Line project being such an example. After all, infrastructure projects are physical proof of development. The recent approval of the three highways in...

Before the pandemic, drivers in Kuala Lumpur spent over a week in traffic1. While congestion levels improved over the pandemic years (under 30% since last 2020), traffic is now expected to creep back to higher levels as the country moves into the endemic phase. While the government has been busy with highway development projects, the Kuala Lumpur City Council (DBKL) once again mulls the question of congestion charging2.

Congestion charging as a way to manage traffic and pollution has been propos...

Museums are a feature of modern nation-states. On the surface, museums act as a display room for the country’s history. But the museum is more like an art gallery; designed as a carefully curated experience. It intends to tell a story of the nation through a calculated selection of its exhibits; how and where the artefacts are placed in relation to each other, and the experience of moving through the gallery spaces1.

This is true for all museums. Publicly or privately funded. Certainl...

How do you break into a market dominated by a major player? This is the conundrum faced by many ridesharing services that have to go up against Grab. The behemoth company is a major player across Southeast Asia, commanding a 95% market share.

For Kumpool, the gap is to offer an on-demand mini-bus service — different from other players in the market who only offer private cars. The ridesharing service has been operating in Johor Bahru since December 2019 and has recently decided to foray into the...