Kuala Lumpur is bracing for significant disruption next week as parts of the city will be shut down for six days to accommodate foreign dignitaries attending the ASEAN summit. This move has sparked public frustration over extensive road closures, school closures, and concerns about lost income.

As this year’s chair of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Malaysia has hosted numerous events across the country, with the capital, Kuala Lumpur, bearing the brunt of traffic diversions and logistical lockdowns.

Six major highways, including key routes to Kuala Lumpur’s two airports, and 25 other main roads are set to be closed. Schools along the affected routes have also been instructed to shut down, with students told to study from home – a measure that has drawn comparisons to pandemic-era restrictions.

On Monday evening, local police chief Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri stated that road closures would be implemented based on the needs of the attending delegations and the required safety levels. These closures will begin as early as 7:30 AM and are expected to continue until 8:00 PM throughout the summit. Mohd Yusri specified they would commence “30 minutes before the delegation starts to move and reopened after all official vehicles arrive at the designated location.”

While the actual summit runs from Friday to May 28, traffic police will also conduct trial runs along the routes on Wednesday and Thursday.

Unlike cities like Hong Kong or nearby Singapore, most people in Kuala Lumpur rely heavily on roads for commuting, despite the city having five rapid transit lines.

For parents, the school closures present a logistical nightmare, as most haven’t been granted leave from work. Kamil Said, 37, an accountant in Kuala Lumpur, explained, “Both my wife and I are working. Either one of us will have to take leave, or we have to find someone to watch [the children] at home while they do remote schooling.”

Online, many are questioning the government’s decision to hold the summit in Kuala Lumpur rather than in less disruptive locations, such as the resort island of Langkawi.

E-hailing drivers are expected to be among the worst affected by the traffic closures, with many voicing concerns about significant income loss during this period. “I am looking at one week of income being on the line,” said David Samuel, who frequently drives through the city center. “This is going to make a big dent in my income this month.”