
Wah, they have it rough!
We all know Putrajaya. It’s the current administrative centre of Malaysia, where the Prime Minister’s office is located and everyone thinks it’s really far away – from everything that matters anyway. But do you know what it’s like to live there? Unlike many other parts of Klang Valley and Malaysia, there are some challenges that you could say are unique to the residents of Putrajaya.
Here are 8 shocking things that they have to endure on a daily basis:
1. Being lonely on the road
You will be riding solo, most days.
Driving around Putrajaya can be really lonely. You’re almost never stuck in traffic with anyone else because there is hardly any traffic to begin with. Residents working in surrounding townships can often be heard complaining that they can’t even finish a Katy Perry song before they’ve arrived home.
Hot Fact: Did you know that there are currently a total of 9 bridges that are designed to link the various Precincts within Putrajaya effectively and help ease traffic congestion?
2. Not needing 1,528 locks to secure your home
You don’t get to argue with hubby over who should lock up the whole house each night.

Most of us are like Kung-Fu masters. We can balance groceries in one hand, our kid on one shoulder while trying to open the lock on the grill, turn the wooden door handle and the padlock before getting into your house. Not that residents of Putrajaya would know what it’s like to be good at these things given that they have (gasp) no front gates in some housing areas, and a lot of houses are not secured like maximum-security prisons.
Hot fact: Did you know that Putrajaya has one of the lowest crime rates in the country? Based on Numbeo, the crime index there is only about 22%. Some of the other surrounding townships in the Klang Valley can clock up to 88% on the index.
3. Garbage bins that are actually empty
Us Malaysians are downright proud of our country, but being a good citizen and actually throwing rubbish into a proper bin can still be a challenge for many. We have all gotten used to avoiding trails of rubbish by the sidewalks besides holding our breaths when passing by a dumpster (unless you are one of the hardcore types who enjoy the aroma of three-day-old rubbish).
So imagine living in a city where the public bins are always clear and no Everest-worthy pile of rubbish tucked at the back of your housing areas to marvel at. Just the mundanity of a clean neighbourhood. Man, those Putrajaya residents have it bad!
Hot Fact: Putrajaya is on the right track to be a low carbon city within the next 7 years thanks to its Putrajaya Green City 2025 initiative which aims to reduce the city’s greenhouse emissions by 60% and the overall city temperature by 2°C.
4. Not starting your journey to the airport two days before your flight
Lies, we all know the traffic to the airport is always bad!
So you have a flight to catch tomorrow. You count backward from your boarding time to ensure that you have enough time for the commute. Somehow, you always end up having to leave your home days before your flight. Okay, that is an exaggeration. Maybe 12 hours before? I mean, you have to consider the possibility of a traffic jam, especially if you are driving out of the city centre. So to while the time away, we’ve gotten really comfortable with watching online videos, reading novels and pondering the meaning of life while sitting in the GRAB car and lounging about in the airport while waiting to board the plane.
Putrajaya-ians endure a far more colourless journey to the airport. They can leave their homes 1 hour before their boarding time and still make it. Like seriously, who wants to save that much time anyway?
Hot Fact: Don’t fancy driving or ordering a GRAB to the airport? The Putrajaya & Cyberjaya ERL station, also known as Putrajaya Sentral is located in Precinct 7 of Putrajaya. The train only takes about 16 minutes and 20 minutes to get to KLIA and klia2, respectively.
5. A view that’s not your opposite neighbour’s car license plate
Here’s normally what most Malaysians see when they step out of their homes, minus the cool car: A view of their neighbour’s cars parked all over the street.
Now, look at what the residents in Putrajaya have to face:
Putrajaya residents open their gates and some of them see a lake. Yes, a lake. A still and calm lake. And if there’s anything we learned as teenagers, it is that anything that’s so ‘still’ is uncool.
Unlike the rest of us who have the privilege (yes, privilege) of getting an eyeful of our opposite neighbour’s topless-self washing his car whenever we venture outside our home. I mean if we want to enjoy gorgeous landscapes, that is what vacations to Australia and New Zealand are for, right?
Hot Fact: Did you know that 40% of the Putrajaya master plan has been earmarked for just parks, open spaces, wetlands and lakes?
6. Not needing to drive everywhere
Another thing that makes a Malaysian really ‘Malaysian’ is that we drive to practically everywhere. We drive to the playground two streets away, to the grocery store just up the street and on a hot day, some of us may even back our cars out the front porch to collect our mail.
Meanwhile, poor Putrajaya residents actually cycle all around the township. To buy breakfast, maybe pick up some milk or head to the park. Like really ‘cycle’, under the open skies, chancing cool breezes and dappling sunlight. All because they have proper bike lanes running through various precincts, numerous business centres and parks that are bicycle-friendly and a lack of busy motor traffic. Phew!
Hot Fact: There is a Putrajaya Cycling Club that was formed by people who love cycling around Putrajaya. Their Facebook group has over 1,000 members currently.
7. To run an errand at government offices does not have to be a staycation
Things you normally need to pack when going to perform an errand at a government office:
• Identification card
• Relevant documents
• Book
• Phone charger
• Sweater
• Lunch
• Shower towel
• Sleeping bag
• Pet dog/cat (in case it gets lonely)
Well, mostly because you have no idea how long it’s going to take. It often ranges between an hour to a whole day. If you have to drop by more than one office to get your errand done then you had better budget a few days. Not that residents of Putrajaya would know what you’re talking about. With most essential government offices – from JPN to Immigration – centred within Putrajaya, residents there have adapted to getting their government office-related errands done within an hour, tops.
Hot Fact: Did you know that there are more than a 100 offices of government agencies located within Putrajaya alone?
8. Spending less time on social media
Admit it, we love our social media. We especially spend more time on them when we are queueing for stuff because there isn’t much to do but wait. And of course, it’s doubly important that we find out how many likes that recent picture of your cat has gotten.

So imagine our shock when we find out that the people of Putrajaya don’t check their social media that frequently because they barely have to queue for anything. And when they are done ‘not queuing’ for things, they head over to the many parks around the township and actually frolic around with their families in the green outdoors and fresh air.
Hot Fact: Did you know that there are currently 13 parks in Putrajaya, which includes a Wetland Park, an Equestrian park as well as a Botanical Garden? The Botanical Garden contains over 700 species of plants from 90 countries.
Edited by Reena Kaur Bhatt