M’sian Uses Own Money to Turn Dumping Ground into “DIY Playground” With Fun Rides

This is a really awesome move! Somehow, there are Malaysians who would still indiscriminately throw rubbish at dumping grounds around their house and make it into an unsightly mess. However, this one man decided to take matters into his own hands and transformed an ugly dumping ground into a beautiful playground that has been gaining international attention.

Source: facebook

Source: facebook

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So peaceful. ❤ #playground #Sunday #night

A post shared by Celine (@xcelinelimx) on Jan 18, 2015 at 6:30am PST

According to The Star, this 60-year-old known as Tan Ching Swee is a handyman and he got fed up of seeing the idle piece of land being turned into a dumping ground. He started clearing the rubbish from the 0.2ha land at Jalan Syed Abdullah in Batu Pahat, Johor and got the idea to turn it into a children’s playground using some discarded materials as he noticed 10 years ago that the kids in the neighbourhood did not have a place to play.

After much back-breaking work, he managed to transform the place into something awesome which even attracts tourists from Singapore, Hong Kong and even the United States. It is dubbed as the “DIY Playground” and features more than a dozen rides including a flying fox, merry-go-round, spinner, Japanese pirate ship, swings, see-saw, slide, bumper cars and many more! Sounds so cool!

Source: facebook

Source: facebook

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Hey where you want to go?☀️ #creativity

A post shared by ?Fish? (@fishchingyu) on Aug 8, 2015 at 8:39pm PDT

That’s not all;  Tan thought of everything and even made a small stage as well as a covered area where the neighbourhood can have activities. In fact, based on the park’s Facebook page, it looks like the place is an awesome venue for the community to gather, with various events such as markets and performances that have been held there.

Tan told the daily that he is happy that he managed to create such a fun place for the kids and loves seeing their smiles. If you’re concerned about the safety of the park, you can rest assured that it’s a safe place because Tan makes sure to check on the equipment every day. People who saw him trying to revamp the park would even donate some of their old items such as a piano or exercise equipment and he would place them in the playground.

Source: facebook

Source: facebook

Source: facebook

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Doesn't look too inviting after a 5-hour downpour. Completely not CE-compliant, but that's how playtime works in a village. There is a shack at the side selling Thai food. I made a donation because it's only right to pay for content (in this case, enriching the value of my Instagram account). #DIYplayground #DIYplaygroundbatupahat #oldtyre #playgrounddesign #kampunglife #southbound918

A post shared by Aina-Liyana (@pfrsch) on Oct 6, 2018 at 10:42pm PDT

“I forked out about RM6,000 (S$1,985) of my own money to repair all of these discarded items over the years. Safety is my priority and I usually check all the rides daily to ensure that the kids do not get hurt. I am happy when this place is packed, especially during school holidays, where more than 100 kids would be playing and having fun,” he added. Many other local residents such as retirees would also gather in the park during the evenings to chat.

Tan has also created a small business there with his wife, where they have a stall at the park selling Thai food such as barbecued meat, noodles, rice and tom yam. There is also a donation box at the park for those who want to ensure the park remains pretty. Tan says that he hopes similar parks can be set up in Johor where more empty space can be turned into a fun playground for the community.

Such a cool initiative that turned into a fun communal place for everyone!

Also read: This Uber Cool Indoor Activity Park is Opening in KL in December 2018, Here’s All the Deets