The annual festival is expected to draw some two million people to the Batu Caves area in the northern part of Greater KL.

Staying close to home on Thursday might just be a good idea! A total of 23 roads in the Malaysian capital will be closed and diverted in stages starting Wednesday night for the Thaipusam festival on Thursday, January 25, according to Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Allaudeen Abdul Majid.

The closures aim to facilitate the chariot procession on several main roads and streets in the city centre, including notable thoroughfares such as Jalan Tun H.S. Lee, Jalan Sultan, Jalan Tan Cheng Lock, Jalan Pudu, and others.

The return procession is scheduled for Friday, January 26, at 3 pm using the same roads and will subsequently be reopened in stages. Allaudeen advised city residents, especially road users, to avoid the affected routes and urged those with queries to contact the Jalan Tun H.S Lee Traffic Police Station or the Traffic Hotline.

When asked about the planned Himpunan Rakyat #daulattuanku rally and memorandum handover at Istana Negara tomorrow, Allaudeen assured sufficient police mobilisation for security control, noting that the police had not received any notification from the organisers.

The full list of roads affected by closures: Jalan Tun H.S. Lee, Jalan Sultan, Jalan Tan Cheng Lock, Jalan Pudu, Jalan Tun Perak, Jalan Leboh Ampang, Jalan Munshi Abdullah, Dang Wangi, Jalan Raja Laut, Jalan Belia, Jalan Sri Amar, Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah, Jalan Tun Razak, Jalan Perhentian, Jalan Ipoh Lama (Batu Lima), Jalan Ipoh (Kuala Lumpur), and Jalan Salah.

CLOSURES IN BATU CAVES AREA

Meanwhile, seven roads in the Batu Caves area in Selangor will be closed from 10pm on Tuesday night until Saturday in conjunction with the Thaipusam celebration.

Selangor Police Chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said the roads will be closed to reduce traffic congestion in anticipation of some two million visitors expected to make the pilgrimage to the Sri Subramaniar Swamy Temple in Batu Caves during the festival period.

He said the routes that will be closed are from the intersection of Jalan Bunga Raya leading to Jalan Batu Caves, the traffic light at Jalan Stesen (Batu Caves bypass), slip road from Batu Caves roundabout (MRR2) heading to Kuil Batu Caves and exit from Gombak (MRR2) heading to Kuil Batu Caves.

Also to be closed are the intersection at Jalan SBC8 / Jalan Lama Batu Caves, Jalan Perusahaan heading to Kuil Batu Caves and the traffic light intersection at Sri Batu Caves heading to MRR2.

“Motorists are advised to plan their journey and use an alternative route (to Batu Caves) and to park their vehicles at designated parking areas in permitted areas,” he said at a press conference on Tuesday. He added, “The public is also encouraged to use public transport following the free fares provided by Rapid KL and commuter trains from January 24 to 25 as announced by the government.”

Hussein further announced that a total of 1,600 police officers had been assigned for the Thaipusam celebration to smooth the flow of the celebration and the ensure the safety of the public.