I don't know about you but it's been a long time now since the first controversial 'pondok' sprouted a few doors down our condo and 'guards' appeared manning its boom gate. I thought Taman Desa was relatively safe so this was a surprise. But I should have seen it coming. Back in 2005, we already had motorcyle-bound security that provided 24-hour patrols to some effect (they weren't very helpful as some roadside car burglars would break windows, steal stuff and then easily out-speed them with faster bikes). I hoped the patrols would be better-equipped but I certainly didn't expect permanent structures, barriers and a plethora of booms that barred your entrance to what is essential a public space.
The alleged illegality of the actions don't trouble me as much as the fact that people do accept them. We've become tolerant of the fact that crime is not abating. There is a perception that we don't feel safe anymore to trust our fate in the police.
But seriously? Boom gates?
Anyway, they are almost everywhere in Taman Desa now and the quality of the work by the attendants has been patchy. In the last couple of weeks, they suddenly improved and took down registration plate numbers religiously before letting cars pass in-bound. The funny part is that out-bound cars only need to press a button that allows the boom gate to open automatically. I don't know about this last part as, if I were an escaping burglar, this means I would have an easier time getting away from my victim's suburb!
I don't know if anyone has stats to show that this whole scheme has helped drive crime rates down in Taman Desa. The truth is that things have traditionally been very quite here. People were careful and supportive of neighbours. They still are, I'm sure. However, the act of gating our suburb's many entry points is communicating a perception that we fear for our safety enough to act this desperately. We've lost the art of the old Rukun Tetangga or Neighbourhood Watch. We've almost stopped becoming the vibrant community we were a long time ago. Don't get me wrong. Taman Desa is still a great place to live in if you're in Kuala Lumpur. But now we're like other similar communities. And it's sad that we lost our unique identity.
The alleged illegality of the actions don't trouble me as much as the fact that people do accept them. We've become tolerant of the fact that crime is not abating. There is a perception that we don't feel safe anymore to trust our fate in the police.
But seriously? Boom gates?
Anyway, they are almost everywhere in Taman Desa now and the quality of the work by the attendants has been patchy. In the last couple of weeks, they suddenly improved and took down registration plate numbers religiously before letting cars pass in-bound. The funny part is that out-bound cars only need to press a button that allows the boom gate to open automatically. I don't know about this last part as, if I were an escaping burglar, this means I would have an easier time getting away from my victim's suburb!
I don't know if anyone has stats to show that this whole scheme has helped drive crime rates down in Taman Desa. The truth is that things have traditionally been very quite here. People were careful and supportive of neighbours. They still are, I'm sure. However, the act of gating our suburb's many entry points is communicating a perception that we fear for our safety enough to act this desperately. We've lost the art of the old Rukun Tetangga or Neighbourhood Watch. We've almost stopped becoming the vibrant community we were a long time ago. Don't get me wrong. Taman Desa is still a great place to live in if you're in Kuala Lumpur. But now we're like other similar communities. And it's sad that we lost our unique identity.
