Tek Tarik Session

Dear Residents


On Wednesday 19/8/2009 after our committee meeting as usual we had our teh tarik session at restaurant Syed in SS19/6. However what made our teh tarik session this time around special was the presence of the RA pro tem committees from SS19/4A. They were there to request our help and input on how to setup their RA and the selection of Security Company. It was a heart warming occasion as for the first time we have extended our friendship and share experience with our neighbouring residents from SS19/4A. The same experienced we received when we went to meet our RA’s friends in USJ11/3 for their inputs.

None of us want to be part of the polis crime statistics which was for the very reason the RA was formed. However, the consequence of the RA formation has far more implication than its original intended. During the teh tarik session, all of us agreed that the concerned over security and safety has united all the residents from all walks of life and races. We now know more about our neighbourhood then we used too. I myself have stays in SS19/1 since 1988 and amongst the early few who have moved in but only in 2009 or 21 years later I tend to know more of my neighbourhood from various races then I used to. There is no single purpose to do that as all of us city dwellers spend more time at work than at home.

As we part each other’s half hour after midnight, I couldn’t stop thinking about how far we have gone through from a simple ideas and concepts formulated during the residents meeting in February into a reality after enduring several obstacles and initial hardship, the same predicament that those guys in SS19/4A will be facing.


Below are the emails correspondance ( with permission) by our friends in SS19/4A in their quest to find solution to their security problem.


On Sat, Aug 15, 2009 at 11:16 AM, BP Chow wrote
Dear Hannah,
I would like to inform you that my neighbor, in Jln SS19/4A, when she came back from work yesterday at about 6pm, her house was in a shamble. It seems that 4 Indians broke into her house yesterday afternoon by climbing over the fence or the front gate. They entered the house through the back portion. The police found some prints but these burglars wear gloves. She was in a complete shock as she was staying alone. Luckily she was not at home then. Otherwise it could be worse.
At the same time, another house was also robbed by the same group yesterday at Jln SS19/4C. This is very very troubling. How can we live in this sort of way.
Whether fortunately or unfortunately my wife was at home yesterday with my daughter. She took off yesterday to attend to something. Can you imagine what could have happened if these robbers have chosen my house yesterday? You all must do something about this.

I have seen you both, Hannah & Theresa during the recent SS19 dialogue and and we really appreciate what you both are trying to do to improve the security and the neighborhood. However, we need to do something about this security issue urgently. We are all living with fear and under duress. Is there anything at all that you can help?

If not, can you try to assist to set up proper Resident Associations for all in Subang & USJ area? I know that some RAs have already been set up but there are still many in Subang & USJ where there is no proper RAs and as a result, there is lack of a co-ordinated approach towards security. The neighbors are not properly organized and as a result, the security in the area is totally lacking. Our SS19/4A is in the midst of setting up the security by our own committee in our row but we do not have a formal RA set up. I think that a formal set up would be very good to foster better relationship not only amongst the neighbors but with the authorities as well as it would assist future organization work. Can you kindly assist to push for this so that each Jalan and area have a proper RA set up?

If you have better ideas or better advice for us all on security, please let us know. We have heard enough of the lack of manpower by the police. To me, that is totally not acceptable. How can the Government of the day not have sufficient manpower to provide basic security to the people? This is our basic right and we should demand that and expect it. As I said earlier, if each household in Subang municipality pays a sum of even RM 30 per month, with a population of about 500,000, that would be at least RM3million per month or RM36million per year (assuming about 100,000 houses in MPSJ area). It is better for us to pay even RM50 per household per month (or about RM60million per year) to the Police rather than private security companies who are all doing a very poor job.
We are appealing for help.

Regards,
B. P. Chow


To: Theresa Ratnam Thong
Sent: Saturday, August 15, 2009 11:49 PM
Subject: Re: SS19/4 - issue of gated and guarded community & RA

Dear Theresa,

Thank you for your prompt reply. Also pardon our ignorance. Most of us have been staying in SS19 for the past 20 years, especially in SS19/4A. However living in city area means we hardly know each other. However the recent security crisis has resulted in our immediate neighbors in SS19/4A to know each other for the first time. As I have said, in the past, we do not know anything about the RA & RT. With these burglaries in SS19/4A (2 cases within a month), SS19/4C (yesterday), SS19/6A late last week, it shows that there is an urgent need for us to organize ourselves properly. We had a meeting today for majority of the neighbors in SS19/4A and we would like to know how to organize ourselves further by getting our Resident Association for SS19/4A. Perhaps there was another RA for SS19/4 but we (or at least I) in SS19/4A are not aware of any RA for our area.
So questions are:
1. Which RA is active in our area?
2. Would that RA also cover SS19/4A?
3. How can we contact the person or committee?
4. If existing RA does not cover our road, how do we go about to register our own RA to cover SS19/4A? We would like to get this RA immediately as we would like to implement our security as soon as possible. When our SS19/4A neighbors started talking about 3 weeks ago (because of a break in), we certainly did not think that another of our neighbors would be targeted. Within 3 weeks, 2 houses out of our row of only 41 houses is like 9.7%. All in, we have more than 25% of the houses in our road have experience some break in or some security problem. So how long more we got to wait before things would start to improve? Can someone kindly provide some information - on getting RA registered and on any advice on security?
I do hope that someone can kindly assist.

Thank you,
B. P. Chow, staying in SS19/4A.

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On Mon, Aug 17, 2009 at 10:01 PM, Fook Khiang Chin wrote:
Mr. Chow and Mr. Lee,

Greetings, this is chin fr SS19/1. Because of the support of many, incl. MPSJ, Theresa, ADUN YB Hannah, SJ Police, the support of abt 400 residences in SS19/1, we got ours to a good start, after a glitches in the beginning. The Protem Committee's efforts, esp. the dedication of Mohd Noh Samik (our Secretary), plus the co-operation of many, all these, make it happen. Suffice to say that our guarded community now is a safer neighborhood now.

We usually have a teh tarik session after our Wednesday committee mtg, this Wed is one. Do join us for teh tarik, we can share what works now, what have failed to work in the past. Our tt session starts 11 pm plus. Drop us your contact, will let you know the precise time of our tt session at Restoran Desa, SS19/1.

Thanks,

chin
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From: BP Chow : Thursday, August 20, 2009 1:00:27 PM
Subject: Re: Fw: SS19/4 - issue of gated and guarded community & RA

Dear Guys,

I would like to thank all of you for your kind assistance extended to us, your Neighbors from SS19/4A. The information collected by us has been invaluable and enriching for us who are forming a new RA for our area. It was great that we are able to see real muhibbah in the gathering of all races. I am also very impressed that your committee is able to meet at the Surau. All this was done without any external help and it gives us all a hope for our community and for our country.
I do hope that that the neighbors in our road, SS19/4A is able to emulate the close bond and your spirit of co-operation, such as spending way past midnight to share your experience and provide good advice to your neighbors. You guys deserve to have a medal, if we ever print one.
Thank you, Guys. We do hope to be able to reciprocate. If there are any new developments, we shall be in contact with you all again.
Best personal regards to all,

B. p. Chow, resident in SS19/4A.