At each State Assembly sitting (one in May and another in October 2008), I have raised my concerns about this and have urged the State Government to review existing guidelines as I felt there were many areas in regards to the gated/guarded scheme which lack regulation and require much needed direction for implementation. For eg. existing guidelines provide that barriers can come down from 12 midnight to 6am. However most break-ins in an urban town like Subang Jaya happen when the residents go to work and not when they’re asleep. This is just one of the many challenges facing this community initiative.
Some residents are for gated/guarded scheme. Some are against it. Security vs Inconvenience.
A difference of opinion with regards to one such gated/guarded scheme in USJ 11/3 has been reported in The Star today. You can read about it here. I have received two petitions, one from the residents favoring the scheme and another from the business community objecting to the barricades that were set-up as part of the scheme. I will ensure both parties have a chance to be heard.
I would like to see this case serve as a good model for every stakeholder (state & federal govt, local council, residents, business community) to understand the complexities and challenges involved in the successful set-up and operation of such a scheme. I believe the gated/guarded scheme is viable, but we must ensure that adequate regulations are in place to safeguard its sustainability, i.e. it must serve its purpose without introducing new risks and burdens to the people.