KUALA LUMPUR – Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan has apologised to the public for the traffic disruptions during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent state visit and said he will propose work-from-home (WFH) arrangements and home-based teaching and learning (PdPR) for the upcoming Asean Summits in May and October.
Mohamad, who is affectionately known as Tok Mat, said the suggestion will be brought to the Cabinet following the difficulties experienced by residents in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya due to road closures implemented for the high-level visit.
“I would like to propose to the Cabinet that relevant departments be allowed to work from home, and schools implement PdPR to ease congestion and reduce inconvenience experienced by the public, especially in the Klang Valley and Kuala Lumpur,” he said, as reported by Bernama.
Tok Mat also expressed regret over the situation and extended his apologies to those affected.
He was speaking at the Bunga Raya Complex, Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), where he bid farewell to the Chinese delegation.
Xi departed for Cambodia at 10.04am today after concluding his three-day state visit to Malaysia.
Over the past few days, multiple road closures in the Klang Valley and Putrajaya led to severe congestion. Starting from last Thursday, 17 routes were either closed entirely or redirected in stages for periods ranging between 30 and 45 minutes, depending on the movement of the delegation.
Among the affected roads were Lebuh KLIA, the North–South Expressway Central Link (ELITE), Putrajaya Ring Road, Putrajaya–Dengkil Expressway, Persiaran Selatan, Lebuh Gemilang, and Jalan P5.
The traffic chaos prompted many to voice their frustration on social media, with some claiming they were stuck in traffic for hours.
Still, others were more understanding, noting that the closures were in line with international security protocols for visiting heads of state. – April 17, 2025