144 local authorities solve fencing & security huts in housing areas,11.4.2007.

DAP National Deputy Chairman and MP for Kepong Dr Tan Seng Giaw calls on the 144 local authorities (LAs) including the City Hall Kuala Lumpur (CHKL), to consider the ways to overcome the problems of fencing and huts as checkpoints for security, erected by residents of residential housing areas.

Dr Tan helps some residents' associations to request CHKL to find the best ways to solve the problems of fencing and checkpoints for security put up by residents of housing areas faced with increasing crimes. The media have highlighted these crimes and the response of the public.

Malaysians are concerned with the incidence of crimes in the country. From 2000 to February, 2007, there were about 1.18 million cases of crimes;180,000 were violent crimes and 1 million were property crimes. In the same period, Kuala Lumpur had 176,830 cases of crimes; 6,757 violent crimes and 140,073 property crimes.

The increase in the incidence of crimes causes anxiety among the public. Some people simply erect these structures for security around their housing estates or gardens and then hire security firms to patrol the areas. The Government must investigate complaints by certain people about security firms fishing in troubled water by creating more incidents, so that people appoint them.

There are those who build them first, and submit application after the LAs have taken action. Others apply before erecting them. Fences and checkpoints in gated communities on private land are different from these on public housing areas.

Apart from the Local Government Act, 1976, LAs have to consider various aspects, including the response from residents to fences and checkpoints.

The 144 LAs must be mindful of the anxiety of the public over the security or the relative lack of it. Then, they should help the people to solve the problems of fencing and checkpoints in various housing areas.

In KL, the structural plan stresses on building an internatioanal tropical garden city of light by 2020. This means that all structures including fences and checkpoints must conform with world standard.

Dr Tan Seng Giaw