RAMPANT crime has left residents of Taman Tan Sri Lee Yan Lian, Section 17, Petaling Jaya, in a quandary. 

Faced with constant robberies and snatch thefts, a group of residents, registered as Taman Lee Yan Lian Section 17 Residents Association, have taken matters into their own hands by gating a section of their neighbourhood, stationing a guard post as well as hiring patrol guards. 

MBPJ enforcement officers who turned up at Jalan 17/35 at about 9.30am yesterday, left shortly after, without dismantling the gate as residents had appealed to the city’s mayor to let them keep it.

The security gates (at roads 17/62 and 17/35) provide security for some 67 homes within the enclosed area and bars two out of three entries into roads 17/35, 17/62, 17/60, and a portion of 17/58, as well as a park. The only way in is through the front portion of road 17/58. 

“We feel safe now as we are able to walk around without worrying about our safety,” said a resident who had been a victim of a brutal snatch theft incident that left her with a cracked skull and three fractured ribs. 

“Crime is so rampant, some houses have been robbed more than once and snatch thefts have occurred so many times that we are always so fearful. And, the police don’t do much,” she claimed. 

However, the catch is this – the structure is illegal! 

“It is an offence under Section 46 of the Street, Drainage and Building Act (Act 133), as the gates are on public roads,” said MBPJ public relations director Haniza Abdul Hamid. 

The matter has also caused dissatisfaction among other residents, mainly those living on road 17/33 - the main thoroughfare of the area. 

These residents say the security scheme has caused a rift in the neighbourhood, exposed them to thieves as easy targets and increased traffic volume on road 17/33. 

Yap Teong Seng says the guard post infringes on the privacy of nearby residents.

“The heavier traffic is causing noise pollution and increasing carbon monoxide,” said Yap Teong Seng, adding that the guard post had also infringed on the privacy of nearby residents. 

Krishnan Subramaniam said: “This is a public housing area and by that it means that the public should be allowed to access all public facilities such as roads and parks. 

“They have fenced up the hillock near the shop lots, and that has prevented my family and I from climbing the slopes for exercise.” 

The residents had filed a complaint with the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) engineering department on June 19 and lodged a police report on the same day, as well as sought the assistance of Bukit Gasing assemblyman Datuk Dr Lim Thuang Seng. 

On Thursday evening, StarMetro was informed that the MBPJ engineering department had issued an order to dismantle the gates the following morning . 

However, as of yesterday morning, the gates were not torn down.  

According to enforcement officials, the gates were to remain there as members of the RA had appealed to mayor Datuk Ahmad Termizi Puteh to intervene on the matter. 

When contacted, Ahmad Termizi said the residents would be given a further seven days to consider tearing down the steel gates on their own. 

“We will also take this time to consider their appeal to maintain the structure.” 

On the chances of their appeal being approved, he said: “Very slim”. 

A resident who only wanted to be identified as Steven said: “We have asked that the gates remain until our appeal goes through because our safety is at stake.” 

RA chairman Peter Sze told StarMetro that the RA had earlier applied to MBPJ to put up the gate, but there was no reply. 

Sze added that the gate was not meant to prevent entry or to alienate residents from road 17/33, but that it was impossible to erect barriers on the main thoroughfare. 

“If we can, we would include the other residents in our security scheme.” 

Dr Lim said there was a need for all residents to discuss a more viable solution to solving crime. 

“I understand why they put up the gate, but it is against the law,” said Lim, adding that he would be holding a dialogue on crime prevention between residents and the police this weekend.