‘No excuse’ for poor maintenance, Hannah Yeoh says after complaints over Putrajaya facilities

KUALA LUMPUR, June 19 — Federal Territories Minister Hannah Yeoh today said there should be “no excuse” for poor maintenance of public facilities, following complaints about broken lifts, faulty escalators and deteriorating infrastructure in Putrajaya.

Yeoh said Putrajaya Corporation (PPj) had already begun carrying out repairs, but stressed that maintenance standards should be upheld consistently rather than only after public complaints gain traction online.

“Putrajaya is a tourism hub and the PPj leadership has gone to the ground and carried out some repairs,” she told reporters during a site visit to Mini UTC Sentul.

“But moving forward, when it comes to maintenance issues, I think all local authorities, especially in places that receive large numbers of visitors.

“We have no excuse when it comes to cleanliness. We must ensure cleanliness is maintained,” she added.

Her remarks come after recent reports and viral social media posts highlighted problems in parts of the administrative capital, including non-functioning lifts and escalators, cracked tiles and signs of wear at several public facilities, prompting PPj to pledge faster repairs.

Yeoh acknowledged that some facilities would require additional funding for upgrades but said local authorities should prioritise basic maintenance, cleanliness and safety.

“There are locations that require additional budgets for upgrading works, but from now on I want cleanliness and safety to be prioritised first.

“I would like everyone to conduct site inspections more frequently and monitor the situation,” she said.

Asked whether she would raise the matter directly with PPj, Yeoh said communication with the local authority was already ongoing and some repairs had been completed.

“We are already in contact with them and they have already carried out some of the repairs.

“As I said, if it is a housekeeping issue, it should be dealt with consistently and not only because a video has gone viral,” she said.

Yeoh also cautioned against drawing conclusions based solely on viral social media content, saying videos often presented only a fraction of the full picture.

“In Kuala Lumpur alone, we have millions of residents. Anyone can make a video and make it go viral.

“For every issue, there are several perspectives that need to be heard, not just the perspective of the person making the video.

“For example, a trader can make a video that goes viral, but we have not yet heard from residents who may be complaining, or even from the local authority itself.

“There are many different views,” she said.

While acknowledging the role of social media in highlighting issues, Yeoh said users should exercise caution before accepting viral claims at face value.

“I think social media users should always remember that there are many angles and aspects that need to be considered before something is amplified online,” she said.

“Today, everyone can be a reporter. But the information and facts being presented may only represent 10 per cent of the full picture.

“Social media users need to be wise and discerning when assessing what they see online,” she added.