Kuala Lumpur City Hall Halts TTDI Outdoor Pickleball Courts Over Loud Noise

Kuala Lumpur City Hall has reportedly issued a stop-work order on construction of four outdoor pickleball courts beside Menara Ken in Taman Tun Dr Ismail after neighbours complained the sport’s high-pitched “pop” is disturbing sleep and daily routines. The TTDI Residents’ Association led by spokesperson Khairudin Rahim objected to the site and demanded relocation or indoor, sound-insulated courts.

The proposed courts sit along Jalan Burhanuddin Helmi, directly behind homes on Lorong Burhanuddin Helmi 1, on land JUICE Malaysia says used to be a parking lot and, earlier, a gas station. Residents told the association that open-air courts “are simply too exposed for such a tightly packed residential area,” the association said in JUICE coverage.

Khairudin Rahim told FMT, quoted in local forums, that pickleball noise carries in a way tennis and badminton do not. “Unlike badminton or tennis, the sound of a pickleball game can carry. That’s the problem,” he said, adding that “It will disturb sleep, study, and the (peace) as there will be constant noise from the paddles from morning till night.” JUICE quoted the RA’s recommendation to “play in sound-insulated facilities” if the sport is to be accommodated near housing.

A local noise experiment published by Juiceonline recorded the sound level at 22 sone from the third floor of an adjacent building and called that “incredibly loud,” saying it is “the equivalent to sitting in a fully-packed restaurant.” JUICE accompanied the test with video evidence of the popping noise; separate outlets and FMT have reported residents sharing clips with the press.

Multiple outlets and social platforms repeated that DBKL issued a stop-work order, with BFM News citing FMT and social posts on X, Threads and Facebook echoing the action. Lowyat’s forum thread quoting FMT included a timestamped post on Feb 26, 2026 at 12:37 PM by user Sam Loo and noted FMT had contacted DBKL for comment, reflecting that the story was spreading through community channels as well as mainstream outlets.

Forum replies on Lowyat also surfaced practical alternatives from the community, naming potential indoor sites such as Dead Mall Glo Damansara and Tropicana Mall as relocation options for courts. The debate has already shifted from whether pickleball can be played in TTDI to where and how it should be sited and insulated.

Key questions remain unanswered in public reporting: who applied to build the courts, what permits were granted, the exact terms of any DBKL order and the methodology behind the 22 sone reading. For now, Khairudin Rahim’s complaints and Juiceonline’s measurement have forced a pause on the four-court project and pushed city planners, residents and players to consider indoor, sound-insulated venues as the next step.