Residents claim gated community concept does not have majority approval

Storty and photos by CHARLES FERNANDEZ
charlesf@thestar.com.my

A group of Taman Seri Bahtera residents in Cheras is against closing of certain access roads by another group which has taken the initiative to combat crime in the neighbourhood.

The group said it was illegal to bar access to public roads.

The group’s spokesman, David Wong, said when most of the residents were not in favour, the other group decided to form their own pro tem committee and imposed the rules thus making it inconvenient for other road users.


Since June 1, two guard posts were set up at both ends of Jalan Lancang and Jalan Payang and all other inner roads were barricaded and padlocked to allow only movement of vehicles exclusively for residents in the area.

“Jalan Payang and Jalan Lancang are main thoroughfares and it is against the rule to bar access to other road users although the pro tem committee claimed they received the go-ahead from City Hall,’’ said Wong.

He said the Street Building and Drainage Act 1974 provided for a gated-and-guarded concept, which had secured the approval but a gated community concept needed the consensus of at least 80% of residents on restrictions to prevent outsiders from entering the neighbourhood.

“In this case we are against the concept and yet the minority rules,” he added.

And since June, motorists in these areas have been issued stickers and those without were barred from using the two main access roads.

“As a result, most of us are taking longer route to our homes. The worst affected are guests and visitors to the Little Sisters of the Poor Home, Sri Seronok and the Hospice Malaysia Centre located off Jalan Sekuci,’’ added Wong.

He said all the pro tem committee members were also staying within the gated community.
“The children’s playgroud has become off-limits to other residents and roads within have been converted to one big open car park.

The pro tem committee had also sent notices to other residents outside the gated community on July 5 to inform them that these roads were off-limits to them.

Sei Seronok Sdn Bhd manager Kathy Revi and Hospice Malaysia accounts secretary Wong S.K said the closure had inconvenienced them because Jalan Lancang and Jalan Payang where their signboards were located were the main access to their centres.

“With the closure, the guests and visitors have difficulty locating the centres,’’ said Revi.
Wong said like Sri Seronok, their brochures and flyers only indicated Jalan Payang and Jalan Lancang as the route to take to both the centres.

“How can they impose their own rules on us when most of us were against the gated community concept which benefited a small group but inconvenienced a larger section of residents?’’ asked Wong.

Ayu Edisi Sdn Bhd manager (security services) Kejendran Moorthy said since the beginning of last month, the management had asked them to allow motorists to use Jalan Payang and Jalan Lancang but to bring down the barricade from midnight to 7am for security reasons.

“However, all the other internal roads are permanently padlocked,’’ said Moorthy.

A pro tem committee member said they had the support of 90% of the residents.

The spokesman said the crime rate was down to zero per cent from 60% six months ago when the gated community was formed.