I need the correct signs

As I was riding my bike to KL today, somewhere in Sungai Besi, I saw this signboard saying: -

“KLIA Transit Bandar Tasik Selatan. 500 meters”

That was not the first time I saw the sign board but it caught me today and I did bother to look where the station was. I tried to map the station in my head and I found out that the station was not even near the signboard as stated on the signboard. It was like another 3 kilometres away.

So, what would a person from Johor do if he sees the signboard for the first time? Say his instruction says the junction is about 300 meters from the station and then turn left. He would spend his time trying to find that “bloody” station. Well the sign says another 500 meters. So, obviously he will turn at the wrong place and he will be lost.

Don’t we know that signage is important? If you tell a person to go somewhere, and you tell him to go by the road signs, well if the road signs are not “reliable”, then the results are expected. Like orang utara like to say “pi mai pi mai tang tu” jugak. P Ramlee likes to say, “Masuk Angin Keluar Asap”. Both means you will not get anywhere and you will not get anything.

I am staying in Putrajaya. It is the Federal Government’s Administrative capital but if one goes there, one will find that the signage is insufficient. One will only know where to go if he is the regular visitor at Putrajaya or if he stays there. I live there and so far there is no problem for me to go where I wanted to go. But what if the person is the first time visitor and he wants to go to the ministry of finance (MOF) for example? He asked the staff at the MOF and the staff at the MOF tells him the way. It will go usually like this: -

“if you are coming from the main entrance (how the heck I am supposed to know which is the main entrance or which is the “jalan belakang”. Okay the main entrance is the one where you will see the word “Putrajaya” once you reach the traffic light entering Putrajaya) from the traffic light you will see parcel E on your left (that’s among others the ministry of education). After parcel E you will find parcel D and then C. right after parcel c there is a left turning. That will lead you to precinct 16, the deputy prime minister’s residence complex, Wisma Putra (that’s the ministry of foreign relation (is that what they call it now because I always know it as Wisma Putra)) and also precinct 3 where the other ministry and government department are situated. After turning left go straight until you get to a t junction (it is a t junction and to be a cross junction once the Chief Justice’s house complex is ready). Go straight again until you get to another cross junction (to be also). Turn right and go pass 3 traffic lights. At the last traffic light turn right and follow the road. The MOF is the brown building on your left (or was it the building on your right?)”

There, that’s the instruction and try going there using my instruction and tell me whether you get there or not. If you in any way “sesat”, hey! Don’t blame me for that. It’s the Putrajaya Holding people who are supposed to put up the signage (sufficient signage).

Putrajaya Holdings also have “rules” to prevent the building from being covered by signage. So no signs on the building but banners are allowed. So you will see banners saying “Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara”, “Jabatan Immigresen” and some other Jabatan as well. Of course the banners are not cheap but the only thought which comes to your mind is: -

“ish…tak elok lah lagu tu….awat tak buat papan tanda hat elok”

Translation: What an eye sore. Why can’t you make a nice sign board.

But these banners are the only sign showing you where to go and whether you are at the right place or not. So the banners stay and signage out. How “convenient” to those who are going there.

Well hopefully there will be sufficient signage when the whole project is completed and no more wondering where to go.
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