KUALA LUMPUR, March 11 ― Urbanites who use public transport ― or used to ― will remember this part of the city well.
The nondescript area between Central Market and Medan Pasar, known as the Bangkok Bank bus stop, was where those pink mini buses that plied the city’s streets converged. This was its hub.
Those mini terrors are long gone but the old public transport hub ― surrounded by pre-World War 2 shophouses ― is having a moment right now.
A group of town planners transformed this location, located in front of the city’s longstanding landmark of Bangkok Bank, into a parklet that also serves as a library for those living in the neighbourhood.
Named Lanai (meaning open veranda), it was actually designed by the Malaysian Institute of Planners (MIP) in conjunction with the World Urban Forum (WUF) 9 which took place in Kuala Lumpur early last month.
MIP said the response from the public was overwhelming, leading them to now source for funds to make it permanent.
Project co-ordinator Juwairiyah Ho told Malay Mail that MIP spent RM20,000, mostly contributed by its own members, to develop the parklet. It now needs up to RM50,000 more to make the place permanent.
Currently, the open space which was formerly empty with a single tree in the middle has a series of plastic-covered shelves with some English and Malay books donated by MIP members and volunteers. These range from novels to children’s books.
On the day we were there, some of the shelves were empty; evidence that the books had been taken home.
“We don’t want to impose on them when to return the books. Some of them are shy to read out in the open,” Juwairiyah said.
But return the books they did. And that is one of the key reasons MIP wants to make Lanai permanent.
In the early days of the project, there was concern that the books would go missing. Permanently.
But that was not the case. Without a “librarian” supervising who can take the books and for how long, the books were taken home, read and then returned.
“We have changed the perceptions of people on the behaviour of the less privileged community… we ourselves were surprised that the books and the bookshelves are still ‘intact’ and not vandalised,” she said.
Yes, except for taking a beating from the occasional heavy thunderstorm the parklet has not been vandalised at all.
MIP is now seeking funds to erect permanent fixtures such as shaded sitting areas as opposed to the “sitting rocks” in the parklet. It also needs stronger shelves with properly labelled books.
Juwairiyah said the parklet provides a positive experience for the children from less privileged communities, as they can use it as a library without the protocols attached to a normal library.
“This is what we call social inclusiveness ― whereby the space is for all without discrimination,” she said.
One of the unexpected hits with visitors to the area is the replica of the pink mini bus! Tourists think it is cute and for those who remember and used the buses “it is a nostalgic reminder of a time when this was ‘the most happening place in KL,” said Juwairiyah.
MIP is hoping that with additional funds, it can design a better replica of the mini bus, complete with a timeline of the location’s history and an information panel.
Currently, MIP is seeking Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s permission to continue maintaining the space until the World Library and Information Congress which will take place this August, also in Kuala Lumpur.
“We think it will be good to have this on display when the congress takes place,” said MIP’s council member Abdul Hamid Akub said.
