Need effective monitoring and enforcement of guidelines on gated schemes

DAP National Deputy Chairman and MP for Kepong stresses that the Central Government must ensure effective monitoring and enforcement of guidelines on gated communities and guarded neighbourhoods.

That the existing gated schemes are exempted is seen as inadequate.

The most important thing is for the police to improve its integrity and efficiency so that there will be no need for such type of community and neighbourhood schemes.

On 3.9.2010 Dr Tan comments on the Deputy Prime Minister's announcement that gated and guarded neighbourhood schemes will have to follow new guidelines.

Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the guidelines were approved and endorsed by the National Council for Local Government. They would be imposed with immediate effect on new applications.

As the incidence of certain crimes increases, the public look for alternatives to protect themselves and their properties. One is to engage private security firms to form gated communities and guarded neighbourhoods. What rights have security firms to protect the securityof residents? Will the police surrender some of its power or rights to these firms?

Just as ordinary citizens, the only rights security firms have is citizen's arrest. The Deputy Prime Minister must announce to the public the actual rights security firms have to safeguard residents who have paid them. He has said that residents of guarded neighbourhoods have no right to prevent others from going to schools or playgrounds through their areas.

Dr Tan Seng Giaw