< BACHELOR OF MANAGEMENT WITH HONOURS>

< MAY / 2020>

< OUMH 1203>

< ENGLISH FOR WRITTEN COMMUNICATION>

MATRICULATION NO : <970930086080001>
IDENTITY CARD NO. : <970930086080>
TELEPHONE NO. : <01136693497>
E-MAIL : <[email protected]>
LEARNING CENTRE : <JOHOR BAHRU>
ESSAY OUTLINE

TRAFFIC CONGESTION AND POLLUTION IN MALAYSIA

Introduction

 Introduction to the topic

 Main reason: Large Population and small road area.

1. Topic sentence 1 (Discourage city people to relocate to suburban or countryside)

A. Supporting Detail
Example :
 High turnover in companies
 Time consuming
 Tiredness for drivers
 Increase in transportation cost

2. Topic sentence 2 ( Persuasive techniques and devices)

A. Supporting Detail
Example:
 Work from home
 Improve standard of living
 Better amenities
 Job Opportunities

3. Topic sentence 3 ( Offering some suggestions)

A. Supporting Detail
Example:
 Encourage public transportation
 Carpooling and restriction of vehicle use
 Upgrade traffic light system
 Educate people on traffic light systems

4. Conclusion

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

CONTENT PAGES

1.0 INTRODUCTION 4 -7

2.0 TOPIC SENTENCE : WILL THIS WORK IN MALAYSIA? 8-9

3.0 TOPIC SENTENCE : PERSUADE MY READERS 10 - 12

4.0 TOPIC SENTENCE : MEASURES ON TRAFFIC CONGESTION 13- 15

5.0 CONCLUSION. 16

6.0 REFERENCES 17- 18

1.0 INTRODUCTION

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The modern dilemma in general people is avoiding traffic congestion . On a general note , living
our daily life with congestion is considered a major issue that every citizen or pedestrian wants
to fight and get a smoother flow on the road . In current era, problems related to traffic has
become a social issue that is often discussed in media since the lives of pedestrians are
jeopardized in terms of accidents and involving deaths. Traffic on roads has increased
consequential in metropolitan cities of Malaysia such as Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru which
has ultimately challenged traffic flow in urban areas , thus hindering a smooth traffic flow.
According to a report from The World Bank , Malaysia Economic Monitor , June 2015 –
Transforming Urban Transport , working class Malaysians are estimated to waste about 1 million
wasted hours annually , stuck in traffic congestion per day. (Malaysians Waste Rm 10–20 Billion
Annually On Traffic Congestion | Wapcar, 2021). Having vehicles stalled on roads and highways
directly contributes to pollution , delays in emergency vehicles and no room to expand .
Therefore , this problem creates a negative environment for pedestrians. Traffic Congestion is
explained where a condition in transport that is characterised by slower speed , longer trip times
and increased vehicular queuing. For example , physical use of roads by vehicles. (What does
traffic congestion mean?, 2021). Traffic congestion occurs when the traffic demand is great
enough for the interaction between vehicles as it slows and the speed of the traffic stream ,
ultimately leading to congestion. In a general context , traffic congestion on roads occurs due to
excessive vehicles from various directions , which may cause deadlocks and this condition may
lead the drivers to become frustrated and engage in road rage. (Ram, 2021) .

Picture 1 shows traffic congestion

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 Picture 2 shows images of road rage due to aggressive driving

Picture 3 shows analysis of vehicular congestion in Kuala Lumpur

Rapid urbanization in developing cities such Kuala Lumpur has caused large scale proliferation
in the usage of motor vehicles, thus making cities increasingly congested and polluted. Ideally,
the impact of motorized transport can be seen in congestion, pollution as well accidents since it
is considered as the greatest contributor to urban pollution with the highest levels of exposure at
roadside locations. Besides, congestion and traffic related pollution are typically the prime
contributors to air pollution which can be considered as a separate urban problem faced by
pedestrians on daily basis. Air pollution is defined as the presence of toxic chemicals in the air

5
at the levels that pose a health risk as well causes a detrimental change to quality of life. (What Is
Air Pollution | Environmental Pollution Centers, 2021). Subsequently, traffic congestion
maximizes the vehicle emissions of air pollutants such as carbon monoxide (CO), carbon
monoxide (CO2), Hydrocarbons (HC2) and nitrogen oxides (No) which degrades the air quality
we breathe in and contributes to various risks of morbidity and mortality for drivers, commuters
and especially for pedestrians living near roadways. For example, heart attacks, fatigue, stress,
anxiety, lung cancer as well asthma. (How sitting in traffic jams can harm your health, 2021).

Picture 3 shows the emission of vehicles

With surging population and urbanization, congestion and traffic related pollution are often
discussed and this has become a pressing issue among the citizens in Malaysia. (NST Leader:
Traffic-choked in KL | New Straits Times, 2021). The prime reason for traffic congestion and air
pollution is the growth of industry and the economy . The population in urban cities has grown
rapidly over the years. (2021). The majority relocate to urban cities in order to pursue higher
education or seek employment . The large population and small land area leads to high demand
for limited road space , especially during peak hours of the day, thus causing roads to be
congested.
For instance, It is understood that people have to go workplace simultaneously , so peak hours
are on roads where congestion is high. To conclude, traffic congestion is not a primarily
problem but it is identified as the solution to our basic mobility problem since many pedestrians
wants to travel at the same time , leading to roads getting congested. Some may argue that
moving to suburbs will be effective in tackling issue related to traffic congestion.

What is urban and suburban area ? Urban areas is synonymous to a larger number of residents .
The term urban encompasses to main city and nearby town. Urban area happens to be heavily
congested due to the density of larger population which proves the difficulty to fit the growing
population into a limited space. Moreover, in urban areas , social amenities such as
transportation , employment opportunities and educational facilities are easily available which
proves urban city provides better standard of living compared to Suburbs or countryside. Urban
area poses greater benefits for residents in terms of living due to economic development .
Conversely, suburbs are residential neighbours , although various development has shifted to
suburbs due to limited space offering and hight rent in the heart of city. In general context,
Suburbs are explained as the surrounding residential areas of a bigger city. Being compared to
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urban territories , suburbs has a lower population density , proving these areas are ideal to own a
property since the prices are relatively lower compared to urban cities as well avoiding
downsides such as traffic congestion or crowding. (Difference Between Urban and Suburban |
Difference Between, 2021)

Picture 4 shows comparison of urban and suburban

2.1 DISCUSSION ON WILL THIS WORK IN MALAYSIA ?

The ongoing debate on combating traffic congestion and air pollution by encouraging people to
move from the city centre to the suburbs or countryside has been widely discussed in media.
Shifting working class people to relocate to suburbs or countryside seems to be the new solution
discovered by pedestrians and citizens in order to avoid traffic congestion .

7
Well in my opinion, moving to suburbs or countryside seems to be great idea , perhaps for
temporarily . But for a longer period or permanently, will not be a viable way to combat traffic
congestion. It is proven fact that people may prevent themselves from getting stuck in traffic
jams as they will be moving out , far from the city , to a quiet and peaceful environment . But
will that tackle the traffic congestion issue on the whole ? Well this may not solve the issue
completely. But maybe a few solution such as improving public transport or innovative
regulations may help to ease the traffic congestion issues for pedestrian. Therefore, the idea of
relocating to suburbs merely to combat traffic congestion may not be an effective solution as
well may not be suit to be implemented in Malaysia.

In my point of view, I strongly believe that idea of moving to suburbs or countryside may not be
applicable in Malaysia especially in urban cities such as Kuala Lumpur where majority
population hails from working class . Subsequently , when a massive decrease in population
occurs in cities due to idea of relocation to suburbs or countryside, production companies in
cities might face difficulties due to high turnover. For example, people have resigned their jobs
due to seeking a livehood in suburbs or countryside. Hence, this results in companies facing
difficulties in finding manpower, which greatly affects the economic due to under production of
goods or resources. (Lettings, 2021)

Besides , many suggest that idea of relocating to suburbs or countryside helps greatly in avoiding
congestion and pollution since they live faraway from cities. Yes , I do agree on this , but
travelling far from suburbs to city is indeed time consuming for working adults or pedestrians
since most of have jobs in cities. For example, working individuals are required to wake up
early in order to reach early to cities since people who live nearby moves out to reach their
workplace on same time, simultaneously which leads to congestion on roads. Waking up early
and getting back home late due to increase in travelling time may results in poor working
environment since people might feel exhausted or sleepy . Overall, this situation may lead to
health issues such as tiredness or fatigue as well stress since they are unable to focus on their job.
Besides, longer travelling may not be ideal especially for students who live at city outskirts as
they might be tired during their travelling phase especially driving their own vehicle. A recent
survey shows accidents due to tiredness has become an alarming issue in Malaysia. (Borrelli,
2021)

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Furthermore, working adults who choose to relocate to suburbs or countryside might face
increasement in their cost of transportation since they are required to use their own vehicle . The
availability of public transport such as buses or commuters is lesser compared to cities. For
example, public buses may not be available to certain remote areas , thus proving difficulty to
when there is a need to travel . Hence , residents of suburbs or countryside are pushed to use
their own mode of transportation such as cars or motorcycles. .The incur of additional cost on
fuels. may cause concern for many . For example, students who are on limited budget might find
their travelling expenses increased in terms of paying for fuels , thus burdening them . A recent
survey shows hike in petrol has brought concern for many working individuals who travel on
daily basis. (Reporters, 2021). Besides , the presence of tolls seems to contribute to above costs
as well. Majority of the tolls are located outside the cities, near highways or outskirt of cities.
Hence people who are travelling to cities are required to pay toll in order to enter the city. For
example, working individuals who live in cities are not subjected to tolls. (Kaur, 2021)

3.0 PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES AND DEVICES

To support the debate even more , I would like to give more examples on proving my stand on
the issue above.

Inevitable congestion continues to grow , with a cost to the environments which proves that the
presence of excessive vehicles on the road contributes to pollution. For example, stalled vehicles
on roads emits chemical compounds which poses several risks to human health who breathe in
the toxic air. Therefore, to combat this, promoting working from home may considered as best
solution as well rather than suggesting to relocate to suburbs in order to escape from traffic
congestion. Numerous jobs could be performed remotely as it does not require the physical
presence of an individual in the office. By doing so , roads in cities appears to be vacant and free

9
for people who requires to work in their office and travelling is needed. Besides , working from
home helps people to avoid to travel on daily basis , thus reducing the number of vehicles on
road . For example, remote work helps in reducing traffic congestion during peak travel times as
well as exposing fewer people to harmful air pollution. ("The Move To Working From Home
Has Multiple Benefits", 2021). Besides , flexible working hours may help employees to decide
their working hours , therefore reducing the number of individuals traveling outside for work
purpose and does not collide with the rest residents. ("Flexible working, the neglected congestion-
busting solution for our cities", 2021)

Picture 5 shows benefits of working from home

Relocating to suburbs may provide temporary relief form the hustle and bustle of cities .
Generally, people who require relaxation tend to move to suburbs or countryside . But moving
permanently will never be a good option for residents in Malaysia since cities such as Kuala
Lumpur has been reported to have a higher population due to the city providing a better standard
of life for its residents since the most of amenities and entertainment are easy to reach. For
example, restaurants, clubs and cinemas are more prolific in busier area as city centre. ("Sunway
City Kuala Lumpur: Sustainable and Smart Through Technology", 2021). A recent survey shows
that numerous people from different cities and rural areas are shifting to Kuala Lumpur in order
to enjoy the urban life as well improving their standard of lives. (2021). The lack of amenities in
suburbs or countryside also encourages individuals to move to cities in order to enjoy the
amenities. Yes, they might be exposed to pollution which may affects their health, but the
availability of hospital and medical centres relieves them as they are within their reach in terms

10
of emergency aid. (Jayatilaka, 2021). Besides, it is proven that hospitals or healthcare access in
Suburbs or countryside are lacking of medical facilities and modern equipment’s since the
population is lesser compared to cities and they are located outside the city. Thus, people who
need to visit these hospitals has to enter the city , therefore exposing themselves to city pollution
as well. so it does not a make a difference. Therefore the idea of relocating to suburbs or
countryside just to avoid traffic congestion may not practically work in Malaysia.

Picture 5 shows pie chat of urban population

Picture 6 shows the statistics of urban population

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The availability of private colleges and education centres in city centre such as Taylor College,
Sunway Universities, Segi University as well public universities like University Malaya,
University Putra Malaysia, has proven to be an excellent choice for academic enrolment among
students . Metropolitan cities such Kuala Lumpur has proven to be the prime choice students to
migrate from all over the states in Malaysia in order to further their education. A good
educational institute that offers better studying experience has been a dream for numerous
students due to cities and town tend to have a greater mix of cultures and ethnicities which can
benefits them in making new friends as well meeting new people all over the country. Despite
facing traffic congestion or pollution on daily basis , students are still preferring to stay within
the cities as it is easy for them to get access of the modern amenities and the availability of
employment . There are larger number of jobs available for in cities . For example, students are
allowed to find a part time job which helps them to find pocket money and helps them to manage
their expenses. This ultimately teaches them to be more independent . Besides , cities has proven
to be an excellent choice for graduates to start their career due to number of opportunities
available in cities compared to suburbs or countryside. For example, many students choose to
stay in hostel or rent a house since they are not willing to travel everyday if they stay outside the
city, as this may help to cut down travel expenses. If getting caught in traffic congestion is a
worry for students, there are plenty of public transports available for residents in cities. For
example, buses , train, commuters . The usage of public transport may provide solution for those
who do not wish to travel on vehicle or facing traffic congestion. In addition, transport facilities
are highly developed and often receive funding for regular updates and this helps them to be
faster for travel purpose . ("Student life in Kuala Lumpur, Study in Kuala Lumpur", 2021). The
idea to relocate suburbs r countryside may not be idea for families or working individuals since
numerous benefits are within the city .
3.0 SOLUTION TO OVERCOME TRAFFIC CONGESTION ISSUES IN MALAYSIA

Other than encouraging people to move from the city centre to the suburbs or countryside, there
are some alternative ways to combat traffic congestion and pollution.

First and foremost , the usage of public transportation proves to be more efficacious and
considered the best solution for traffic congestion since it is very economical. Instead of driving
their own vehicle, people may opt for public transportation such as buses, trains or rails which is
a popular choice of transportation in metropolitan cities such as Kuala Lumpur since this usage
greatly helps in saving money. For example, public transportation does not cost much and
12
usually sold with a minimal fee , thus proving its benefits for working class individuals and
middle class individuals who travel on daily basis.

Picture 8 shows the city centre of Kuala Lumpur

For instance, Government provides discount for students senior citizens and visually impaired
individuals which makes it more economical for them if they wish to travel in larger groups
around the town instead of using a private vehicle. ("Concession Cards for Students, Senior
Citizen and OKU - Deals & Promotions", 2021). Besides , usage of public transportation also
eliminates the need to pay for parking , car insurance , car maintenance and of course fuel
consumption. All this expenses related to owning a vehicle can be easily replaced with one
simple fare. Hence , public transportation seems to be the ideal solution to reduce traffic
congestion. For instance, it helps to reduce the number of vehicles on road , leading to less
congested road. To conclude , by improving public transportation system may greatly help in
combating traffic congestion and pollution as this encourages people to use public transport more
often . ("ShieldSquare Captcha", 2021)

Picture 9 shows My Rapid Card KL

Apart from using public transportation , government authorities may ease the policy norms for
carpooling which greatly encourages people to share private transport. By doing so , this measure
will not only benefit people who wish to reduce travelling expenses but also helps in protecting
the environment. For instance , less car on roads means less emission of carbon which causes the
air to be polluted. Carpooling has been a popular choice for working adults as the idea of sharing
a vehicle seems to be a better solution rather than driving their own vehicle . The arrival of

13
carpooling platform such as Ryde City has greatly influenced Malaysians in opting for such
solutions. (Finance et al., 2021). Therefore, carpooling may be the best measure to be implemented
in order to conserve our environment . (NATHAN, 2021) . In addition, restricting car registration
per year seems to be efficacious to decongest the roads. For instance , our neighbouring state
like Singapore has implemented this policy which has proven successful in managing to curb the
increased private vehicles in city .Cars are considered expensive In Singapore because of the
levy imposed on them but traffics situation are more manageable . Due to this , people has
started to maximise the use of public transport rather than driving their own vehicle . Seen this in
light , I believe carpooling and limiting car registration will be extremely beneficial to deal with
traffic congestion as well avoiding pollution . ("Singapore to freeze car numbers", 2021)

Picture 12 shows founder of Ryde City , Terrence Zhou

Another way of to help our country to overcome traffic problems where authorities are required
to upgrade the traffic infrastructure . In major cities , condition of roads seems to be worrying for
the citizens , since the existence of roads are too small for high quantity of vehicles. To make it

14
worse, the degrading quality of road surface makes the movement of vehicles in cities to become
more slower and difficult, resulting in congestion. Therefore , broadening of existing roads as
well upgrading the road seems to be a practical solution and beneficial for road users. Besides ,
building an appropriate road proves to be equally important in terms of improvising traffic
congestion. Meanwhile, poor traffic light system also contributes to road congestion especially
during peak hours when there is a larger number of vehicles on road simultaneously. So,
installing a new and better traffic light system is imperative to minimise congestion. Other than
that , improving public’s consciousness when involved in traffic is considered vital to reduce
traffic congestion. In a better note, the presence of social media such as internet , tv , radio may
greatly assist educating on public media as well proves to be efficacious on uplifting common
people’s traffic knowledge. For example, educating a child on traffic rules implementation is a
simple way and this results in long term effect by creating good consciousness of traffic for
future civil. To conclude, upgrading traffic infrastructure and increasing people’s consciousness
is vital in solving traffic congestion. ("How to Reduce Traffic Congestion in Hanoi Free Essay
Example", 2021)

4.0 CONCLUSION

Traffic congestion is considered a critical issue in every cities that requires serious attention form
general public as it causes problems for every road user . Traffic congestion poses extreme effect
on smooth flow of traffic , causing limes lose , time and energy consuming and hence , loss of
nation. Well , the idea of encouraging people to move from city centre to suburbs or countryside
may not be considered as an effective way to reduce traffic congestion due to several factors.
Firstly , it creates negative impact on economy as it drastically reduces the population in cities
causing a high turnover for companies since people decide to move out from the city . Secondly ,
it increases the travelling time for road users who live far from the city , thus making them to be
exhausted due to longer trips on daily basis. Other than that, common people may find their
travel expenses has increases due to additional spending on fuel consumption and tolls. Thus this
proves moving out from city as not a effective idea to be implemented in Malaysia. To
conclude , there are several measures which can be followed by people to combat traffic
congestion effectively such opting for public transportation since it is very economical ,
carpooling which greatly reduces the emission of carbon , upgrading traffic infrastructure in
order to ease the movement of vehicles during rush hours as well increasing people’s

15
consciousness that’s may help in controlling illegal traffic behaviour. Overall, traffic is caused
by overpopulation and people reliance’s on their own vehicles. If government can provide better
facilities and encourage people to use public transportation, it may help greatly in declining the
level of traffic , thus reducing traffic congestion as well pollution.

5.0 REFERNCES

 NST Online. 2021. NST Leader: Traffic-choked in KL | New Straits Times. [online] Available at:
<https://www.nst.com.my/opinion/leaders/2020/03/573509/nst-leader-traffic-choked-kl>
[Accessed 12 March 2021].

 Wapcar.my. 2021. Malaysians waste RM 10–20 billion annually on traffic congestion | Wapcar.

[online] Available at: <https://www.wapcar.my/news/malaysians-waste-rm-10%E2%80%9320-
billion-annually-on-traffic-congestion-1244> [Accessed 12 March 2021].

 Definitions.net. 2021. What does traffic congestion mean?. [online] Available at:

<https://www.definitions.net/definition/traffic+congestion> [Accessed 12 March 2021].

 Ram, S., 2021. Taxi Driver & Motorcyclist Brawl With Steering Lock In Damansara Road Rage
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 Medicalnewstoday.com. 2021. How sitting in traffic jams can harm your health. [online] Available
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higher-than-on-the-open-road> [Accessed 12 March 2021].

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 Environmentalpollutioncenters.org. 2021. What Is Air Pollution | Environmental Pollution Centers.
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 Reporters, F. (2021). Brace yourself for tougher times as inflation is set to rise, warns Najib.
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as-inflation-is-set-to-rise-warns-najib/

 Borrelli, L., 2021. Drowsy Driving 2021 Facts & Statistics | Bankrate. [online] Bankrate. Available
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 Differencebetween.net. 2021. Difference Between Urban and Suburban | Difference Between.

[online] Available at: <http://www.differencebetween.net/miscellaneous/difference-between-urban-
and-suburban/#:~:text=Urban%20areas%20usually%20include%20the,city%2C%20or
%20surround%20the%20city.&text=Urban%20areas%20are%20more
%20congested,establishments%20compared%20to%20suburban%20territories.> [Accessed 12
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 Dosm.gov.my. 2021. [online] Available at:

<https://www.dosm.gov.my/v1/uploads/files/6_Newsletter/Newsletter%202020/DOSM_BPPD_4-
2020_Series-62.pdf> [Accessed 12 March 2021].

 Flexible working, the neglected congestion-busting solution for our cities. (2021). Retrieved 12
March 2021, from https://theconversation.com/flexible-working-the-neglected-congestion-busting-
solution-for-our-cities-122130

 Jayatilaka, T. (2021). The Most Luxurious Private Hospitals In The Klang Valley. Retrieved 12
March 2021, from https://my.asiatatler.com/life/luxurious-hospitals-medical-centres-in-the-klang-
valley

 Sunway City Kuala Lumpur: Sustainable and Smart Through Technology. (2021). Retrieved 12
March 2021, from https://deloitte.wsj.com/cio/2020/09/29/sunway-city-kuala-lumpur-sustainable-
and-smart-through-technology/

 (2021). Retrieved 12 March 2021, from

https://www.dosm.gov.my/v1/uploads/files/7_Publication/Technical_Paper/Kolokium_Statistik/201
5/2.%20Urbanisation%20and%20Urban%20Growth%20in%20Malaysia.pdf

 (2021). Retrieved 12 March 2021, from

https://www.dosm.gov.my/v1/uploads/files/6_Newsletter/Newsletter%202020/DOSM_BPPD_4-
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 The Move To Working From Home Has Multiple Benefits. (2021). Retrieved 12 March 2021, from
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%20can%20help%20to,respiratory%20disease%2C%20and%20early%20death.

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 ShieldSquare Captcha. (2021). Retrieved 13 March 2021, from
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 How to Reduce Traffic Congestion in Hanoi Free Essay Example. (2021). Retrieved 13 March
2021, from https://studymoose.com/how-to-reduce-traffic-congestion-in-hanoi-essay

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