Sri Damansara illegal stalls to be relocated

Sri Damansara illegal stalls to be relocated
> Hawkers’ activity poses danger to school children, causes congestion
by Meena L. Ramadas


BANDAR Sri Damansara residents are discomforted by the increasing number of illegal hawkers at Persiaran Meranti just outside SRK Bandar Sri Damasara.

In addition to poor sanitation and hygiene, the stalls are also the cause of traffic congestion along the stretch, which in turn endangers the lives of students of schools in the vicinity, especially during peak periods when school sessions start and end.

Bandar Sri Damansara Residents Association secretary Karen Sharma told theSun the hawkers’ activity has caused increasing congestion at the junction of Persiaran Meranti and several accidents have occurred.

She said the high traffic volume and congestion puts school children in danger as many who live in the neighbourhood walk and cycle to and from school,” she said.

Karen said there are no pathways or sidewalks for the children and to top it off, there are the illegal hawkers who are running their stalls on the fringes of the road.

She said the hawkers, who have been running their businesses for five years, do not have running water. “We also suspect that they are tapping their electricity supply from lamp posts along the road.

“We have complained several times to the Petaling Jaya Municipal Council (MBPJ) but so far, nothing has been done to solve the matter,” Karen said.

She said the council’s enforcement officers had broken down the illegal hawker stands seven years ago but the new illegal stalls started sprouting up again two years later.

Karen said the council had offered the hawkers a food court and hawker centre in Sri Damansara 2 but the hawkers declined to move there, citing high rental fees as a problem. “They say they are poor and they have children to feed,” she said.

MBPJ councillor for Bandar Sri Damansara Chan Chee Kong said the council has identified and proposed a plot of land at Persiaran Perdana to relocate the hawkers to and is working to get the necessary approvals.

“The land was allocated to the Selangor Islamic Council (Mais) but according to the land office, the land does not belong to Mais yet,” he said adding that the land still belongs to the state government.

However, Chan said MBPJ has contacted the religious council to get approval to use the land to which they can relocate the illegal hawkers to.

“They (the hawkers) are okay with it,” he said adding that the council met with the hawkers and they agreed to move to the proposed land and even pay rental.

“They did not want to shift to the empty lots in the hawker centre that the council offered because of the location which will affect their business,” he said.

Chan said the council has a difficult task of consolidating enforcement and human compassion when it comes to dealing with illegal hawkers.

“They tell us they are poor and they have families, we cannot just get rid of them, it is more complicated than that,” he said.


Updated: 10:10AM Wed, 19 May 2010

Residents give thumbs-up for gated community scheme

By S. KOMALADEVI
metro@thestar.com.my


THE Bandar Sri Damansara Residents Association is in support of the gated community scheme and urges the authorities to have it legalised.

In a dialogue with Petaling Jaya OCPD Asst Comm Arjunaidi Mohamed, those present agreed that the scheme had helped reduce crime in the area. However, they were not comfortable with the integrity of security guards.

They also urged the police to expedite the setting up of a new police station in the housing estate, as well as to strengthen the manpower at the two existing stations there.

“Crime has dropped significantly after we subscribed to the scheme, and the police have also played a major role,” said president Ravindran Raman Kutty.

He said the association spent RM600,000 last year on security fees.

“Does the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) think we are doing something wrong by putting extra money and putting the residents’ committee under extra duress?

“If the local authorities and police work closely with the RA, I am sure we can reduce the money and use the money for something else,” added Ravindran.

Resident Lau Seng Lee said the gated and guarded community was a necessity, adding that even developers think of security before building properties.

“The police and local authority should gazette Bandar Sri Damansara as a gated and guarded community and get all to pay for it.

“Rules need to be changed according to time,” said Lau, adding that the police could also help with the training of security guards.

Former residents’ association president Chin Choong Nam commended the residents association for its efforts in keeping the community safe but expressed disappointment that a number of residents had snubbed them.

“Residents should unite and appreciate the association’s efforts by encouraging and supporting them,” he said.

Making a point: A resident airing his views at the dialogue session.

Arjunaidi brought the residents some cheer by saying that police were only waiting for the issuance of title for the land near Persiaran Dagang that has been gazetted for a police station.

“Once the title is secured, we will apply for allocations to build the police station but we will only know after the next Malaysia Plan is made. So, I cannot tell you now when we will have the police station,” he said.

He explained that the community police station would be limited to provide better services, but all other bigger tasks would be handled by the Sungai Buloh police station.

However, he said there was a high possibility that the community police station would be gazetted as a full-fledged establishment in the near future.

Arjunaidi said the police districts would also be restructured to enhance their services, the Petaling Jaya police districts would eventually cover only areas that fell under the jurisdiction of MBPJ while areas under Shah Alam City Council would come under the Sungai Buloh police district.

Arjunaidi also thanked residents for their initiatives in helping to curb crime, adding that crime prevention through environmental design was an effective and proactive measure adopted by many developed countries.

“My team is often sent out to study the whole of Petaling Jaya to come out with recommendations on how to make the city safer, such as by improving streetlighting and walkway design,” he said.

He advised the residents to be cautious in selecting security firms, adding that the police could not vet or train the guards because it was under the purview of the Home Ministry.

The Streetlights in Bandar Sri Damansara need new pole numbers

Dear sir,

This is inform that the pole no. of most of our streetlights in Bandar Sri Damansara are either too blurred to be seen or they are covered by illegal postings of advertisements. It appears that TNB does not take action against such unscrupulous people. Why is that so?

As it is needful for us to give the pole(s) no. when we report faulty lights, we hope TNB will take the following actions:

(1) To remove all the indiscriminate advertisement which may be in the forms of signboards, 'banting' or posters, etc;

(2) To take appropriate actions against the perpetrators if they continue with their bad habits;

(3) To re-identify the pole numbers as was done in some parts of Bandar Sri Damansara by the posting of weather-proof stickers. They really look good, beautiful and lasting.

Thank you in anticipation of your attention and action.

Yours sincerely,

Lee Kim Seong

Note: This letter was sent to TNB via e-mail for their attention and action on 1 May 2008.

Re: Police Station in Bandar Sair Damansara

From: (Bukit Lanjan) Elizabeth Wong

To: Aw

Cc: Sdra Lee Kim Seong

Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 2008 10:26 PM

Subject: Re: Police Station in Bandar Sair Damansara

Dear Mr. Aw,

Your concerns have been noted and I shall first contact the Selangor Police, the Land Office (on usage of the land) and MBPJ.

Again, as per my previous email, I would like to find out if the RA has written any past letters or sent any memorandum to the concerned authorities. If would be good for me to obtain copies of them, in order to followup.

best regards,

Elizabeth Wong

ADUN Bukit Lanjan

Police Station in Bandar Sri Damansara

This e-mail was sent to YB Elizabeth Wong Keat Ping, ADUN Bukit Lanjan on the long overdue issue of having a Police Station in Bandar Sri Damansara. YB Elizabeth is also Selangor Chairman of the Committee for Tourism, Consumers Affiars and Environment (Pelancongan, Hal Ehwal Pengguna & Alam Sekitar):

On Apr 23, 2008, at 12:33 PM, Aw wrote:

Dear YB,

Last year because of the nation wide increase in crime & hue & cry from the people of Malaysia, the Federal government has allocated funds to the police to increase their presence among the people by setting up police stations in selected housing estates. The police have announced they will be renting shoplots & houses for their personnel to work & stay at the respective housing estates. This is a very good idea whereby the police can interact with the residents closely almost 24 hours.

I am a resident of Bandar Sri Damansara for the past 15 years. The Developer Bandar Sri Damansara Berhad has allocated a piece of land along Persiaran Dagang ever since this township was developed for the purpose of building a police station. But unfortunately this allocated piece of land was not use to build a police station in spite many appeals to the proper authorities (including the Police) concerned by the Resident Association of this township. Presently this piece of land is occupied by a private hawker center.

What have the residents done to have their houses robbed at night & in broad daylight, getting attacked by snatch thieves, cars stolen right in front of their houses, carjacked in their house compound not once but twice by the same robbers & many other related criminal offences. And now we have to set up our own security committees to employ private guards to guard our families & houses day & night. What irony!

Please use your good office to address the situation.

Thank You Very Much For Your Cooperation.

Thank You

Aw Jit Beng,

Life Member, Bandar Sri Damansara Resident Association

H/P: 019-3028378