Concerned about a pothole on the road, a man in Malaysia planted a banana tree in its place as an urgent plea for authorities to engage in repair works.
Interestingly, the authorities responded swiftly within hours of his social media post.
Netizens in the comments affirmed the man’s creative endeavour.
On Tuesday (30 Jan), Mr Mahathir Aripin shared a Facebook post showing a short banana tree he had planted in the area where the pothole was. The tree appeared to have been relocated from elsewhere.
Source: Mahathir Aripin on Facebook
In his caption, Mr Mahathir apologised to road users for causing inconvenience, promising to cover the pothole with tar in the future.
Malaysian authorities responded within hours of his post.
Upon learning about the incident, Malaysian authorities wasted no time and began working on the repairs in the affected area.
After a few hours, the Sabah Public Works Department (JKRS) shared that they had filled the pothole.
Source: Jabatan Kerja Raya Sabah on Facebook
They explained that continuous rainfall in the area had hindered them from patching up the pothole.
Despite the challenges, they were able to carry out the repair work that day as a separate road accident had occurred near the area.
Malaysian news site The Star reported that the incident resulted in one fatality and six people injured.
Most netizens reacted to Mr Mahathir’s endeavour positively, praising him for his creativity.
One user highlighted the power of social media in calling the authorities’ attention to such incidents. They also mentioned that Eid was not far away, and thus felt sorry for those who were returning to their hometown using the road.
Source: Facebook
Another netizen quipped that Mr Mahathir should’ve planted a durian tree in the pothole.
Source: Facebook
Residents in Malaysia can report potholes via the list of platforms here.
Potholes are relatively common occurrences on both ends of the Causeway. Last month, a delivery rider was reportedly flung 10m after his bike hit a pothole in Bukit Batok.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Facebook and Facebook.
Witnesses said the fire alarms didn't go off when the blaze occurred.
The father said he slapped his daughter to calm her down.
He also begged the laundromat owner not to press legal charges against him.
The dog was found lying next to a pile of faeces when its owners got…
Shockwaves from the explosion caused windows of nearby buildings to shatter.
The issue was resolved amicably.