DBKL orders immediate clean-up after viral video reignites scrutiny of Hicks Flats in Bukit Bintang

KUALA LUMPUR, July 2 — Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has ordered immediate clean-up works at Hicks Flats in Bukit Bintang after a viral YouTube video spotlighted the poor condition of the city-centre apartment block.

On Monday, DBKL said Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Fadlun Mak Ujud visited the Jalan Changkat property following complaints and concerns raised by residents and members of the public after the video went viral on social media.

“As an immediate measure, the Mayor has directed that cleaning works be carried out without delay to improve conditions in the area,” DBKL said in a statement on Facebook.

The city hall said it had previously carried out cleaning operations and joint enforcement actions with relevant agencies over various offences detected at the premises, but its latest inspection found that several longstanding issues remained unresolved.

DBKL said the Commissioner of Buildings (COB) had also been instructed to convene a special meeting with the Hicks Flats Joint Management Body (JMB), to be chaired by the mayor himself.

The meeting is intended to identify the root causes of the recurring problems, clarify the responsibilities of each stakeholder and coordinate a more structured action plan to address the issues at the building.

The renewed attention followed a nearly 30-minute video uploaded by Australian YouTuber Marco Roams, who revisited Hicks Flats about 18 months after his previous visit to see whether conditions had improved.

In the video, he claimed the ageing building remained dirty, poorly maintained and strewn with rubbish.

He also alleged the flats housed large numbers of foreign nationals, with some residential units occupied by numerous people at the same time, and argued that the conditions reflected poorly on Kuala Lumpur’s image as an international tourist destination.

The footage showed narrow corridors cluttered with belongings, rubbish strewn around common areas and public facilities that appeared to have fallen into disrepair.

The video quickly spread across social media, with many users expressing disappointment over the state of the building and urging the authorities to intervene.