LETTERS: There is a park in Taman Tun Dr Ismail that has been abandoned by both man and beast.
It's the Taman Tun Dr Ismail Recreation Park, nestled between the residential houses in Jalan Datuk Sulaiman and the green hills beyond.
It's been deserted by man because of restrictions imposed due to the Movement Control Order (MCO). And, it was abandoned by the monkeys because there are no more joggers who used to feed them, much against the exhortation of Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).
Needless to say, both species are upset that they cannot utilise the park although they both live within walking and swinging distance from the park.
This then is a plea by humans to the authorities to reopen the park for its denizens to regain their health and sanity. And the primates are saying, "don't monkey around, that is our job"!
Their plea would possibly be echoed by the turtles and fish in the lake, and the visiting iguanas too. They will also rejoice.
It is understandable that MCO restrictions were imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, but could not other effective measures be introduced instead?
For instance, if the fear was that too many people would throng the park at any given time, could the park officials not introduce some sort of a timetable to allow a fixed number of people to use its facilities for a fixed period of time?
They could maintain a register where time slots are indicated and joggers and others could book their space and time. This will ensure that only a limited number of people are in the park at any given time.
Over to you, DBKL.
EMPHIL
Kuala Lumpur
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times