Malaysians Share How The ASEAN Summit Made Their Work Commute So Much Better
The combination of road closures and implementation of work-from-home turned commuting into a joy for most KL-ites.
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When the 46th ASEAN Summit was announced, warning of road closures around Kuala Lumpur drew groans and moans from the capital city’s residents.
Authorities reported that six expressways and 25 major roads would be closed in stages from 23 to 28 May to make way for leaders and delegates from the Southeast Asian nations convening at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center (KLCC).
Many residents anticipated that their commute to work was going to be twice as miserable due to the road closures – but in a weird turn of event, the exact opposit happened.
Some city-dwellers shared videos of traffic in and around KL on social media in the week the summit was taking place and commented on how blissful it was to drive or ride to work during that time.
“So happy I reached office in ten minutes. It’s okay if they want to host the ASEAN Summit here in Malaysia. As many times as they want, it’s fine,” one TikTok user said.
@mariamaminnn ASEAN 2025 #asean #aseanmalaysia2025 #aseansummit2025 #jalantutup #pdpr #wfh #fyp #foryou #foryoupage ♬ dreams, books, power and walls – JANNABI
@elmohamedroslan ♬ like JENNIE – JENNIE
Many in the comments section highlighted how their commutes were cut significantly from a couple if hours to just under an hour or even minutes.
One user said “From Seremban to Damansara in just 45 minutes. Otherwise, it would take about two hours”.
Daily commuters saw the potential of smooth traffic when WFH is applied more widely
A few users on TikTok highlighted the benefits of implementing a work-from-home system more widely, to ease traffic congestion on work days.
“I feel like this is the best option to reduce traffic congestion. At least make it a hybrid arrangement because a lot of companies cann apply for work-from-home,” one user said.
Some agreed that those who could work from home should just do so. Since technology these days allow for much better communication, it’s not outside the realm of possibility that some roles could practice working from home.
What was your traffic experience while the ASEAN Summit was ongoing?
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