In view of the economic downturn, residential housing estates have been targeted by thieves and robbers.

Those living in condominiums or gated communities feel safer as they are better insulated from criminal elements as they pay for private security services.

Of late, it is observed that some public residential housing estates which have already been handed over to City Hall, have resorted to installing boom gates without the proper authority.

Residents of Taman Bukit Hijau, a small residential housing estate sandwiched between Taman Taynton and Taman Connaught, Cheras, have installed boom gates to seal off all entry and exit points, even before approval is obtained from Dewan Bandaraya or any other authorities.

The boom gates are supposed to be lowered effective July 1 from 7pm to 7am daily. Taman Bukit Hijau, Cheras was never developed as a gated community.

It was handed over to City Hall after completion, and maintenance and upkeep of the area have always been carried out by Dewan Bandaraya and met from public funds.

Installation of boom gates must meet with the specifications approved by the authorities. The boom gates installed at Taman Bukit Hijau look heavy and sit on a concrete base which may not take its weight and can topple over and injure or kill a passerby.

The present residents' association is not a registered body as yet. Can such a body carry out measures to barricade the whole area knowing very well that members of the public and residents of neighbouring housing estates must use the public roads within Taman Bukit Hijau to access the main road, Jalan Dato Hj Harun?

The excuse given by Taman Bukit Hijau residents is that there have been thefts and two armed robberies within this housing estate. However, the police have since set up a police base, 500 metres away from Taman Bukit Hijau at Jalan Dato Hj Harun, Taman Taynton.

Another police base is half a kilometre away at Taman Connaught. Police personnel also patrol the area at night in their patrol cars.

Why then is there a need to barricade a housing estate which has been taken over by Dewan Bandaraya and is still managed as a public residential area? This is not a condominium complex or a gated community.

If the authorities do not clamp down on such illegal action, very soon residents in many housing estates will start barricading streets or sections of a housing estate when confronted with a real or imagined security threat.

Unless regulations are introduced now, boom gates as big as cranes will stand erect at every corner, to be lowered at different times, according to the whim and fancies of the vigilante group controlling an area.