Dining on the streets of Kuala Lumpur The al fresco seating could be illegal

KUALA LUMPUR – It is a bustling Saturday night in Jalan Sultan, Kuala Lumpur.

At 11pm, the air is thick with the aroma of stir-fried noodles and sizzling meat as diners gather around makeshift tables and plastic stools.

Restaurant operators have taken over pavements and road shoulders, squeezing tables into every available space, forcing pedestrians onto the streets.

Once walkable pathways are now packed with diners, while cars inch forward through the congestion.

It is much the same in Brickfields, with eateries, hawkers and food truck operators claiming public walkways and roadside spaces, with little concern for regulations.

Jalan Tun Sambanthan and Jalan Thambipillai have effectively turned into open-air food courts, with tables spilling onto footpaths.

In some spots, diners sit inches from moving vehicles.

Despite Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s (DBKL) regulations prohibiting food trucks and hawkers from setting up tables and chairs in public spaces, enforcement officers say their hands are tied.

“If we take action against one, we’re accused of bias. If we allow it, others demand the same treatment,” a DBKL enforcement officer said on condition of anonymity.

Each time DBKL attempts enforcement, stall owners take to social media, portraying themselves as victims “just trying to make a living”.

Brickfields is a good example. Food trucks have taken over the stretch in front of the post office in Jalan Tun Sambanthan, setting up tables in direct violation of their licensing conditions.

Attempts to clear the area are met with complaints and political pressure.

Meanwhile, Jalan Sultan and Jalan Petaling have morphed into massive outdoor food courts, with businesses also extending onto the roads.

These