WITH the exception of hostile architecture which discourages the homeless to sleep on public benches or private spaces, we can all agree that infrastructures should create convenience for the people.
So it comes as quite a surprise for a netizen to find that the walkway at a parking lot was fenced up. This makes it difficult for him to cross the place, which motivated him to post about it on the X social media.
“What are the fences for? Are pedestrians animals in a zoo? Stop fencing sidewalks unnecessarily and let us walk freely,” he said.
Thankfully the post came with several photos to better illustrate his complaint.
In hindsight, the fences appear to be nothing more than a silly inconvenience, but would people waste money fencing up a place just for the fun of it?
Aku memang takleh brain lah kat Malaysia nak buat laluan pejalan kaki tapi kena pagarkan. Pagar tu untuk apa?
Pejalan kaki mcm binatang kat zoo ke? Stop fencing sidewalks unnecessarily & let us walk freely!
Credit: rusydihariz (Threads) pic.twitter.com/bY9eetoVPO
— Annoyed Malaysians 🇲🇾 (@annoyedmsian) August 10, 2026
Perhaps our netizens in the comment section have the answer to this mind boggling design.
“How easily Malaysia forgets. That fence is meant to keep out snatch thieves. Then when this thing actually works and snatch theft cases drop, we forget the original purpose of the fence and start saying the idea isn’t effective, the government treats pedestrians like animals in a zoo,” said @AmrilsAvarices.
Besides for safety purposes, netizen @RelaxAlex_ thinks it is also a good way to prevent people from opening roadside stalls too.
Then there were several others who decided that their arguments were best made in the form of a photo.
Perhaps there is a simple solution to this problem too:
Netizen @abangboring further lamented that they should at least put gaps within the fence to allow people to cross.
Perhaps the answer is not to remove the fence altogether, but to rethink how it is designed. After all, public infrastructure should not force people to choose between safety and convenience.
A few strategically placed gaps, proper pedestrian crossings or a more thoughtful layout could address security concerns without turning a simple walk into an obstacle course.
At the end of the day, fences are meant to keep people out of danger, not keep pedestrians out of their way.—Aug 11, 2026
Main image: @annoyedmsian (X)
