Residents in guarded neighbourhoods cannot be forced to contribute

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RESIDENTS at guarded neighbourhoods cannot be forced to pay the fees for engaging security guards, said Lumut MP Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha.

They are required to pay the fees only if there is consensus from the majority of the residents at the housing area, he added.

“Residents at such neighbourhood ought to know their rights,” said Kong.

Off we go: (From left) Manjung Orang Besar Jajahan Datuk Abdul Wahab Datuk Seri Azizul Hassan, Lumut MP Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha and Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation vice president Datuk Kamarudin Ali launching the event.

Under the guidelines drawn up by the Town and Country Planning Department, a guarded neighbourhood can be set up if 51% of the residents there agree.

Kong, who is also Transport Minister, said the scheme is similar to a gated community, as both involve a collection of monthly fees for the upkeep of security features.

“A gated community, however, is managed by the housing area’s management.

“Its development is regulated by the Strata Titles Act 1985,” Kong explained, adding that the housing area would be fenced up and a guard house would be installed at the entrance.

The implementation of gated communities and guarded neighbourhoods arose from the need to ensure the safety of residents, especially in areas with high crime rates.

In an unrelated matter, Kong said the Rukun Tetangga should work closely with the police under the community policing programme.

“We cannot depend solely on the police all the time,” he said during the opening of the state Crime Prevention Month at the Tan Sri Ramli Ngah Talib hall in Marina Island Pangkor in Lumut recently.

Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation vice-president Datuk Kamarudin Ali said cases of break-ins and theft are on the rise and need to be tackled.

“It is time for the police to show that they are capable of restoring the public’s confidence in them,” he said.

About 500 secondary school students from various uniformed units, police, navy personnel and Rukun Tetangga representatives from all over the state attended the event.

The talk, organised by Orang Besar Jajahan Manjung Datuk Abdul Wahab Azizul Hassan, focused on safety in neighbourhoods and towns.