Citizens lament ‘sorry state’ of Dataran Merdeka field after mega carnival

KUALA LUMPUR – As concerned city-dwellers predicted, the field at the iconic Dataran Merdeka here has been left in a wretched state following a major carnival held there last month soon after it underwent returfing.

Some netizens have shared accounts of the field’s damage after the 2022 Mega Festival for Hawkers, Traders, and Small Entrepreneurs was held on it from October 20 to 22. 

Most of them expressed disappointment with the current condition of the public space.

The netizens also lamented that it would be costly to repair damaged turf, and this would come at the expense of taxpayers’ funds.

Former lawyer-turned-actor Chacko Vadaketh aired his frustrations on Facebook with a photo of the damaged pitch.

“The usually immaculate lawn of the Padang at Dataran Merdeka ruined by a mass of stalls covering the whole field for a recent three-day mega hawker stall event,” he said in a posting.

“And this is months after it was returfed with taxpayers’ money.”

A visit by The Vibes to the site confirmed the poor state of the pitch, which will require extensive repairs to be restored.

The brief inspection showed that the field is riddled with mud puddles, clearly unbecoming for the usually-pristine site.

A visitor to the site who only wanted to be identified as Liew described the current condition of the pitch as an eyesore. He said it would be a disappointment to those visiting the historic site for the first time.

“It (the pitch) really looks to be in a sorry state and does not fit the status of a national landmark,” he said briefly.

Concerned citizens had already aired their views on the holding of the event there in late October, which saw more than 20,000 people flock to the field during the first day, raising worries about repeated damage to the grass.

Some 500 stalls and food trucks were set up on and around Dataran Merdeka for the event which was launched by caretaker prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

Caretaker Federal Territories minister Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim extended the two-day event for a third day citing the good response received.

Earlier this year, Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Seri Mahadi Che Ngah said the Merdeka Day parade on August 31, which saw some 100,000 visitors converging there, had led to massive littering and RM700,000 worth of damages to the decorative plants surrounding the field.

This followed a five-month closure of Dataran Merdeka last year from July for major maintenance work that included returfing the grass and repairing the landscaping.

A member of the adjacent Royal Selangor Club said the field is meant for sports like cricket or lawn bowling, and not events that entail massive footfall.

The Vibes has repeatedly reached out to DBKL but has not received a response on the matter. – The Vibes, November 2, 2022