KUALA LUMPUR, April 16 — Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh today reportedly defended the “Bangun KL” campaign following criticism, saying it is a private sector initiative and does not involve government spending.
According to a report in The Star, Yeoh said the campaign and tagline were created by Zus Coffee Group, adding that Putrajaya would work with any party whose efforts benefit the public.
“It is better than doing nothing; if you want to criticise any programme, I’m sure anyone can find something wrong with every single one,” she reportedly said at an event in Bandar Tun Razak.
The initiative, launched on April 9, aims to encourage commuters to enter Kuala Lumpur earlier to ease peak-hour congestion through behavioural incentives and cross-sector collaboration.
As part of the campaign, 250 Zus Coffee outlets in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya are offering discounted drinks to customers who place orders through the company’s mobile application between 7am and 8am.
At the launch, Yeoh said around 1.2 million vehicles enter Kuala Lumpur each morning, and shifting even 10 per cent of that traffic to earlier hours could improve traffic flow.
The campaign has drawn criticism online, with some questioning whether discounted coffee can make a meaningful impact on congestion in the capital.
Yeoh said traffic jams were not unique to Kuala Lumpur, noting that many cities worldwide face similar problems.
She added that other measures were also being pursued, including work-from-home arrangements, efforts to improve public transport, and broader cooperation from the public to ease congestion.