Rekindling the Soul of Kuala Lumpur, One Community Space at a Time - Story-Worthy Moments

Rekindling the Soul of KL, One Community Space at a Time

20 June 2026

Painting New Life into Old Kaki Lima: Group Chairman of PNB, Tan Sri Dato' Seri Raja Arshad, shares a light-hearted moment with DBKL's Shamshul Joehari and PNB Merdeka Ventures CEO Datuk Izwan Hasli Mohd Ibrahim as they add their colours to the Jalan Hang Jebat community mural – a collaborative artwork celebrating the memories, people and everyday stories that continue to shape the soul of Kuala Lumpur.

SOME OF Kuala Lumpur's most enduring stories were never written in history books. They unfolded beneath the shaded five-foot ways where barbers trimmed hair, kopi stalls greeted regulars by name, craftsmen practised their trades and neighbours paused for conversation.

Today, those familiar scenes are returning – not as nostalgia, but as a community artwork inviting the public to become part of the city's continuing story.

Stretching across a curved wall along Jalan Hang Jebat, a new Kaki Lima mural is transforming a key gateway into the Merdeka 118 precinct into a colourful celebration of everyday urban heritage. Inspired by the book Kaki Lima Stories: Life in the Five Foot Ways of Downtown Kuala Lumpur, the mural replaces a once-blank surface with a rhythmic series of painted arches, each framing intimate moments that defined old Kuala Lumpur.

Shopping, beca riders, children in a playground, daily kopitiam encounters unfold like snapshots of city life, encouraging passers-by to slow down and reconnect with the stories embedded in the streets around them.
The project goes beyond public art. Delivered by Dipapansembilan Studio through the Merdeka 118 Community Grants Programme Cycle 3 and managed by Think City, it forms part of the Jalan Hang Jebat Improvement Project under the Merdeka 118 Public Realm Improvement Programme, which seeks to create a more walkable, welcoming and connected public realm through art, landscaping, lighting, wayfinding and pedestrian enhancements.

Its creation has itself become a community exercise. Thirty-five volunteers from PNB and PNB Merdeka Ventures laid the first coats of paint before students from surrounding schools and members of the public joined in during KL Festival activations, turning the mural into a collective expression rather than the work of a single artist.
For grantee artist Fadzlan Rizan Johani, affectionately known as Pak Lan, the collaborative process is every bit as important as the finished artwork.

"The collective efforts and ideas between Dipapansembilan Studio, PNBMV, Think City and DBKL for the broader Warisan KL national commitment represent more than just a mural, but a shared journey of community building and dialogue," he said.

Warisan KL Joint Secretariat representative Dato' Mohamed Nasri Sallehuddin said the mural reflects the programme's vision of preserving Kuala Lumpur's cultural identity while ensuring it remains a living, evolving city.
"The community mural painting at Jalan Hang Jebat reflects the true spirit of Warisan KL where heritage, culture and community come together to shape a more meaningful urban experience," he said.

Members of the WarisanKL secretariat, PNBMV and Think City met at Malaya Nyonya House after leaving their mark on the mural. Warisan KL Joint Secretariat representative Dato' Mohamed Nasri Sallehuddin is fourth from the left.

Below: The group photo at the mural on Jln Hang Jebat. From left, Sherliza Zaharudin, artists from dipapansembilan, Daniel Lim of Think City, Pak Lan, Tan Sri Dato' Seri Raja Arshad, Shamshul Joehari and Datuk Izwan Hasli Mohd Ibrahim.

Positioned along one of the main arrival routes into Merdeka 118, the mural welcomes visitors not with abstract imagery but with familiar scenes drawn from Kuala Lumpur's collective memory, inviting them to step into stories that once unfolded beneath the city's kaki lima while creating space for new memories with every brushstroke.

A Place to Recharge the People Who Keep the City Moving

Just a short distance away, another community-focused initiative is also redefining what inclusive urban development can look like.

Last week, D'Tebing Recharge Rider was officially launched as Kuala Lumpur's dedicated P-Hailing Hub, providing food and parcel delivery riders with a purpose-built space to rest and recharge between deliveries.
The facility was launched by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh together with Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Seri TPr Fadlun Mak Ujud, reflecting the city's growing recognition of gig workers as an essential part of its urban ecosystem.

Designed around the daily realities of p-hailing riders, the hub provides a covered resting area, mobile phone charging stations, a surau, public toilets and a comfortable waiting area for delivery orders.

While modest in scale, the facility represents something larger: a public space designed around the people who keep Kuala Lumpur functioning every day, regardless of weather or working hours.

Yeoh said sustainable urban development must consider the needs of every segment of society, including gig workers whose contribution to city life has become increasingly significant.

"The rider community is one of the key drivers of the urban economy, helping to ensure that delivery services operate smoothly every single day. Urban development should not focus solely on physical infrastructure but must also ensure that those who contribute to the seamless daily lives of city residents have access to facilities that are comfortable, safe and suited to their needs,” she said at June 16th launch of D’Tebing.

She added that D'Tebing Recharge Rider reflects the commitment of the MADANI Government and DBKL to strengthen the welfare of the gig worker community through a more inclusive and people-centred approach to urban development.

The initiative also aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by supporting decent work, strengthening public infrastructure and reducing inequalities through practical facilities that improve the everyday working experience of delivery riders.

Together, activations such as the Jalan Hang Jebat mural and D'Tebing Recharge Rider illustrate a broader philosophy underpinning Warisan KL.

One celebrates the memories and social spaces that shaped old Kuala Lumpur, while the other creates new civic spaces for the people who sustain the modern city. One looks to heritage for inspiration, the other responds to contemporary urban needs. Both place people at the centre of city-making.

Rather than preserving Kuala Lumpur as a static monument to the past, these initiatives demonstrate how heritage can remain relevant through active participation, shared experiences and thoughtful public spaces.

Whether through a community brushstroke that revives the stories of the kaki lima or a shaded resting place that acknowledges the contribution of delivery riders, the city's soul is being rekindled in ways that are both deeply rooted in memory and firmly focused on the future.

In doing so, Warisan KL is showing that the most meaningful urban regeneration is not simply about restoring buildings or creating landmarks, but about creating places where history, community and everyday life continue to meet.