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Lower crime rate raises
interest in gated townships
10/05/2007 The Star By By Elan Perumal, Salina Khalid, Stuart Michael and
Lim Chia Ying
GATED and guarded communities are gaining popularity in the housing sector
especially in the Klang Valley. The concept, initially derived out of
concern for safety and security, has today grown into an attractive
marketing tool for housing developers, adding a premium to the price of
properties. In this two-part article, StarMetro explores the pros and cons
of living in a gated and guarded neighbourhood and the measures introduced
by the authorities to minimise shortcomings for the residents.
Gated and guarded housing seem to be an attractive value-added feature for
housing developers in the Klang Valley.
For most housebuyers, safety and security are issues close to their hearts,
thus a neighbourhood which comes with such a feature surely adds premium to
the value of the property they intend to purchase.
Impressive: The arch and guardhouse at the entrace to the Tropicana housing
estate in Petaling Jaya.
Outgoing Klang Municipal Council president Abdul Bakir Zin said the council
had received applications from a few developers to have gated community for
their housing projects.
Bakir said the crime index at guarded and gated communities was minimal
compared with other residential areas.
Citing an example, Bakir said, the crime rate at Bandar Botanic was very low
due to the presence of guards at all the precincts.
“The mere presence of the guards is enough to keep the criminals away from
such areas,” he said, adding that gated communities should be encouraged.
In Petaling Jaya, gated housing at places like Aman Suria, Taman SEA,
Damansara Lagenda and Bukit Mayang Mas has managed to keep crime cases low
compared with housing areas without the facility.
Aman Suria has been equipped with security features such as close-circuit
television (CCTV) and intercom.
The guards use intercom to communicate with the house owner before allowing
non-residents to enter the housing estate.
Ever watchful: A guard from the guardhouse raising the barrier for a car to
enter a gated neighbourhood in Kota Kemuning, Shah Alam.
Its residents committee chairman Wendy Chan said there were no break-ins in
Aman Suria for the last three years due to the tight security.
“Once developers have created a guarded or gated community, the crime rate
is much lower. In fact, the property value will become higher and residents
feel safer at home than outside.
“In a gated community, every resident must pay. In a guarded community, not
every resident will pay but still enjoy the benefit of security and this is
unfair to those who pay. However, the government should support the move
because it helps with crime prevention,” said Chan, who is also chairman for
the Sunway Mas Commercial Centre.
Samson David, who lives in the gated community of Bandar Puteri in Puchong,
said gated communities offered a solution for crime prevention at
residential areas.
“My place is almost crime-free except for minor wire thefts and we feel very
safe living here,” said Samson.
With the consent of more than 70% of the residents, he said, an area could
be gated provided that there was a Rukun Tetangga or residents association
looking into the other matters such as the of right passage of roads as well
as backlanes.
MPSJ public relations officer Azfarizal Abdul Rashid said the council had no
objection to the creation of gated communities in the municipality.
While acknowledging that the presence of gated community had helped in
reducing crime rate in the housing estates, Azfarizal said the applications
for gating-up the existing areas would be studied on case by case basis.
“I don’t see it being a problem in a newly developed area but the scenario
is different in existing townships. We have to ensure that applications for
the new area meet the necessary requirements before approving them,” he
said,
Azfarizal also said the council had received the new guidelines on gated
community from the state and they were already implementing the new rules.
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