Residents adopting safety measures
17/08/2006 The Star By Vivienne Pal

TWO years ago, a snatch theft incident left Section 17, Petaling Jaya resident Rose (not her real name) with a cracked skull, and fractures on her body and face.

“I was alighting from my car when the thieves attacked and pushed me down hard onto a cement floor,” she said. “The medical treatment cost me RM25,000. I spent 12 days in the hospital ward and took three months to recuperate.”

In Bandar Utama (BU), a reputed businessman and his family were robbed of their valuables and two luxury cars at parang-point in their home. Fortunately, the family was not harmed.

Security guards are a deterrent to criminals, but their vigilance can't be guaranteed.
Both Rose and the unfortunate family count it a blessing to be alive today, but not all are as lucky.

According to Petaling Jaya OCPD Asst Comm Mohd Hazam Abdul Halim, crime occurs as a result of opportunity and planning.

“Both elements play an almost equal part,” he said, adding that crime also occurred due to residents’ negligence.

With criminals becoming bolder and more violent, the public are left in a greater grip of fear for themselves, their possessions and loved ones.

This has caused some to take matters into their own hands, even to the point of flouting the law, out of desperation.

Security guards on duty at a guard post in Bandar Utama.
Residents in Bandar Utama, for instance, have put up security gates and hired 24-hour patrol guards, the latter deemed legal.

“The idea is to prevent suspicious persons any access into the area, especially after midnight,” said Bandar Utama Residents Association (Bura) chairman Tan Ban Loong.

“Criminals are becoming more daring, and robbing their victims of belongings in broad daylight, especially during the weekends,'' he said.

In Taman Tan Sri Lee Yan Lian in Section 17, Petaling Jaya, residents have barred two access roads into a section of the neighbourhood, built a security barrier with a guard post, and have also imposed 24-hour patrols.

However, the move has led to others in the area to cite division of neighbourhood and increased traffic through the main thoroughfare of SS17/33 as negative impacts.

RA chairman Peter Sze said the gates were not meant to keep people out but to keep crime at bay. He said the move served to bring the community within the gated enclave closer together.


Tan ... 'it is important that a community is united'
“I understand why they put up the gate,'' Bukit Gasing assemblyman Datuk Dr Lim Thuang Seng had said recently (The Star, Aug 08). “But, it is against the law.''

Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) deputy mayor and secretary Zulkepli Ahmad concurred with Lim.

“We understand their fears, but if you have hired patrol guards (which is legal) then there is no need to enclose the area with gates,” he said.

“Public roads are meant for all, and if you put gates or barriers, it inconveniences even utility companies like Alam Flora to clear rubbish. Residents should understand this.”

Damansara Utama Zone A residents have resorted to more legal means to ensure their security. They've also engaged the services of guards to patrol the neighbourhood round the clock.

“We cannot gate the neighbourhood because it is illegal,” said Damansara Utama Residents Association (Duroa) secretary Rajes Patel.

“The presence of guards is an effective deterrent as crime did decrease in the vicinity,” said Rajes, but cautioned residents that it helped only to a certain extent.

“Criminals these days are not stupid and, let’s face it, you cannot guarantee the vigilance of security guards

Tan agrees. He believes that 90% of crime incidences are due to opportunities one gives the criminals.

“It’s like a plate of food – if you don’t cover it up, ants will come.”

As such, he advocates constant communication between residents as an effective means to reduce crime.

“For instance, the Bura central committee meets once a month where representatives of each RA section (12 in all) come together to discuss issues in their respective areas, plan activities and exchange ideas,'' he said. “It’s important that the community is united.”

Party Gerakan Bukit Rahman Putra branch chairman Lee Hui Seng opines that ultimately, neighbourhood security boils down to an individual's role in the community.

“I feel that barriers and gates create segregation and are fire hazards, too, because the houses are boxed up within an area,'' said Lee, who is a resident of Bukit Rahman Putra 4 in Shah Alam and a regular visitor to Bandar Utama.

“Gates and guards help, but at the end of the day, residents need to get involved in maintaining the safety of their neighbours - no man is an island.”