SS4C & 4D Resident Association

Official site for the SS4C & 4D RA

Our Local Councilor Cynthia Gabriel

		Friday, 08 August 08 - 03:54 PM (GMT +08:00) By Jasraj Sandhu in General

Giving voice to the people

By OH ING YEEN

FOR Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) councillor Cynthia Gabriel, public participation is important in the local government.

“As cliched as it may sound, it is power back to the people,” she said, adding that that people should have a say and give ideas for improvement.

“The MBPJ full board meeting is open to the public and people need to be encouraged to participate and observe how MBPJ conducts the meetings,” she said.

Since being sworn in on July 1, life has been hectic for Gabriel.

”We have been having meetings to sort out our responsibilities as local councillors.

”Someone just sent me a thick pile of complaints last weekend and I’ve got my hands full,” she said.

While this is her first time being a local councillor, she is no stranger to dealing with people given her experience in dealing with human rights issues. She is the regional director for Coordination of Action Research on AIDS & Mobility Asia (CARAM Asia) and a former Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) executive director.

It took some encouragement from her friends for her to become a local councillor.

“It’s an opportunity to make a difference within the local government and to actualise things that we’ve talked about as NGOs.”

Her challenge, and that of the other councillors as well, is to undo and reverse bad practices of the past.

“One year is certainly not enough but it is an important one year. Our challenge is to be more forward-looking and expansive.

“To ensure the effectiveness of the local government, terms should be revised and it should be more realistic.

“Legislation and policy issues can be discussed at the local council level,” she said.

Gabriel would also like to urge the state government to initiate elections to ensure democracy.

“It should be the people who elect the local councillors,” she added.

She also stressed the importance of transparency and openness.

“It’s the councillors who need to be accountable to the people they represent.

“The tender committee is not something we, especially for non-political appointees like me, can be part of due to the non-inclusion policy.

“It is part of my challenge to reverse it to ensure that there will be no cronyism or nepotism,” she said.

She added that contracts that were awarded needed to be clarified and the information should be shared with the public.

“It should be based on merit and there should be clear criteria,” she said.

Gabriel plans to raise the issue of public funds and wastage and suggested that the local government appoint an ombudsman to oversee complaints lodged by the people.

”The public should have access to information, to know how the council makes its decisions.

“There should be a mechanism to oversee the works of MBPJ, such as an external audit,” she said.

She pointed out that many were confused about the roles of MP, assemblyman and local councillors.

Gabriel is also concerned about environmental issues and the uneven development in MBPJ.

“When I moved to Petaling Jaya, it was undeveloped and there were more open green spaces.

“Now, residents are beginning to express concerns about density and new condos coming up,” she said.

On the issue of crime prevention, she believes that it is important to work with residents to form a Rukun Tetangga or residents association.

Gabriel also hopes that the job of a local councillor will be made a full-time one.

“Although it is a voluntary appointment, it’s almost like a full time job already,” she said.

She also hoped that councillors would be given the freedom to make appointments to meet with the people.

”In the long run, meetings can be a way to give residents an opportunity to provide suggestions and feedback,” she said.

• Full name: CYNTHIA GABRIEL
• Age: 38
• Marital status: Married
• Number of children: None
• Hometown: Petaling Jaya
• Education: Masters in Philosophy
• Profession: Former executive director of SUARAM and Regional Director of CARAM Asia Council: MBPJ
• Zone: SS4, SS25 and PJU1
• Contact: 012-379 2189
• Email: cynth@pd.jaring.my
  

MBPJ Full Board Meeting

		Tuesday, 05 August 08 - 02:32 PM (GMT +08:00) By Jasraj Sandhu in General

MBPJ to obtain TOL for billboards

By TAN KARR WEI at the MBPJ full board meeting

THE Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) will obtain temporary occupational licences (TOL) for billboards.

“We will then lease out these approved pieces of land to billboard operators to generate income for the council,” said councillor Derek Fernandez during the MBPJ full board meeting.

Fernandez said this would generate about RM4mil in additional income for the council.

PJ mayor Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman said they would issue licences to current billboards owners who already had their planning and structure permits and did not have any arrears with the council.

However, the state government has issued a directive to freeze new billboard applications.

All Mesra Rakyat billboards will also be taken down.

Roslan also said all religious structures, including mosques and suraus, built without permits on government land would be issued compounds until they obtain permits.

Cabins put up by political parties have to be removed unless the parties agree to hand them over to the council for community use.

“If they refuse, we will tear the structures down,” said Roslan.

He added that the state government had agreed to put on hold the tearing down of boom gates in housing areas because residents had voiced safety concerns due to the increase in crime cases.

Several councillors requested for the sub-committee reports to be given to them before the full board meetings so they can review them before approving the minutes.

MBPJ secretary Puasa Md Taib suggested that sub-committee meetings be held at least three days before the full board meeting so that the reports could be sent in time.

Councillor Latheefa Beebi Koya questioned why councillors were not allowed to review and approve the decisions made by the tender board.

“None of us are allowed to sit on the board and even the decisions made by them are just for our knowledge and not for us to evaluate,” she said.

Roslan said this was a state policy and suggested that the councillors bring up the matter at state level.

Also present as observers at the meeting were PJ Selatan MP Hee Loy Sian, PJ Utara MP Tony Pua, Subang MP Sivarasa Rasiah, Kampung Tunku assemblyman Lau Weng San, Bukit Lanjan assemblyman Elizabeth Wong and Kota Damansara assemblyman Dr Nasir Hashim.

Rakan Cop

		Wednesday, 18 June 08 - 02:38 PM (GMT +08:00) By Jasraj Sandhu in Notice

 

Free Water Debacle

		Tuesday, 10 June 08 - 02:26 PM (GMT +08:00) By Jasraj Sandhu in General

We have just added a new page under the "Press" section of this website. The new article added to this section is in regard to the Free Water Issue that is soon to be enjoyed by the citizens of Selangor.

The article features a quote from our President Ravinder in regars to the matter at hand. Do visit the article to find out more.

How to Prevent Dengue

		Tuesday, 29 April 08 - 01:46 PM (GMT +08:00) By Jasraj Sandhu in Warning

 As the number of dengue cases has gone up to alarming levels, this post is dedicated as an informational piece in order to educated and generally make the residents more aware of the dengue issue.

At present, the only method of preventing and controlling dengue fever is to eradicate the mosquito population. They are a number of ways to combat the vector mosquitoes are:

• Improved water storage practices. Cover all containers to prevent egg laying female mosquitoes access to it.
• Implement proper solid waste disposal.
• Eliminate any sources that may collect water such as tins, bottles, plastic food containers and old tires. Mosquitoes breed easily in any source of standing water.
• Appropriate insecticides, such as larvicide's can be added to water containers and man-made ponds. The insecticides can prevent mosquitoes breeding for several weeks. However, they must be re-applied as per directions.
• Always clean and check drains to ensure they are not blocked especially during the rainy season.
• Breed small mosquito-eating fishes in an artificial pond to eradicate the mosquito larvae.

In addition to the above, there are a number of factors to help prevent the mosquito being attracted to human prey.

• Avoid wearing dark and tight clothing because mosquitoes are attracted to dark colours. Wear loose, white and long clothes, which cover the whole body. Mosquitoes find it difficult to bite through loose clothes than tight fitting clothes.
• Environmental conditions. It is suggested to sleep under mosquito netting or in a room which has mosquito screens on the windows. Mosquitoes are unlikely to bite in an air-conditioned room and under strong fans. Mosquito coils are also useful to help prevent mosquitoes from entering the room.
• Apply mosquito repellants.
• Avoid reduce outdoor activities during morning and late afternoon because Aedes mosquitoes are daytime feeders.

For further information or general reading purposes, do visit the following articles:

1. Stop dengue at its source  by Anansa Jacob
2. Guidelines on the prevention of mosquito breeding - a full fledge guide to dengue and it's prevention.

Meet Your MP & ADUN Session

		Tuesday, 29 April 08 - 12:32 PM (GMT +08:00) By Jasraj Sandhu in Events

Please be informed that a session has been arranged for the residents to meet our Local MP and Adun. This will be a "To Get To Know You Better"  kind of gathering between the residents and our new representatives.

It is the desire of our MP and Adun to work closely with the residents on predominant  matters which is currently affecting the country. Residents are encouraged to attend the gathering and voiced your opinions, concerns and suggestions so that together we all can move our nation to greater heights.

Please personally notify your fellow neighbours so that they have the opportunity to attend the gathering and meet our MP and Adun.

* The event is listed in the Calendar page, where all activities and events are normally marked in order for quick reference.

Guard House Approval Rejected By MBPJ

		Wednesday, 26 March 08 - 10:56 PM (GMT +08:00) By Jasraj Sandhu in Security Service

Unfortunately it would seem that the proposed guard house locations were rejected by MBPJ because they were 'too near a junction' - though current consensus is that all guard houses are located at junctions to be more strategic.

Anyhow the RT/RA is formulating an appeal against this rejection with the aim to get feedback from MBPJ on what they would consider to be appropriate sites for our guard house. Wherever the outcome we will still persevere to put up guard houses up at all the 4 entrances to both SS4C & SS4D.

And hopefully some time soon, when we have enough houses subscribing to the security service, we will insure that all the guard houses are staffed with guards 24hrs a day. Currently at 220+ houses subscribed, we have only about half the estimated number of houses needed to hire 6 guards per shift (4 static guards in the 4 guard houses, and 2 motorbike guards on patrol all the time). Again as a plea to the residents, please consider chipping in and joining your fellow neighbours in subscribing to the security patrol service we currently have in place.

We will keep you all informed on the status of the guard houses as it develops. If anyone knows how we can get the approval or even if you have any suggestions, please do contact Mr. Michael or the RT/RA President Mr. Ravinder. Thank you for your contributions in advance.

Security Bulletine March '08

		Wednesday, 26 March 08 - 10:04 PM (GMT +08:00) By Jasraj Sandhu in Security Service

Security Incidence Report

Fellow residents, courtesy of our security service and also fellow residents, the following is the latest security bulletin updates for the past 2 month i.e. January & February.


Date        : 22nd January 2008
Location : SS4C/22
Time       : 3 AM

Failed car theft attempt! Barking dogs awoke a neighbour who saw some men fiddling with a car parked outside the neighbour's house. Police & guards were promptly called. 3 Chinese men were seen speeding off in a Datsun. The car was found to be tampered with but not broken into. Thankfully this incident was averted.


Date        : 23nd January 2008
Location : SS4D/12
Time       : Afternoon

An unoccupied house was found broken into by part-time cleaner maid. Owners are working abroad. House occupant recently deceased. Again, they seem to know who's around & who's not.
Who's leaking the info?
Are the maids talking to each other?

Date        : 29th January 2008
Location : SS4C/15
Time       : 6.20 AM

A dark Volvo, No. Plate: 244, with single dark-skinned driver seen observing houses from darkness. Another man got into the car from nearby when they realised they were seen, and drove off. No actual incident.


Date        : 14th February 2008
Location : SS4C/15
Time       : 1.30 PM

The house owner noticed, via the CCTV, that a Malay & an Indian man had jumped over gate into house. They stole the wheels from his Mercedes parked in the house & hopped back over the gate. The guards were called. The guards caught the thieves nearby & detained them until police arrived. Excellent vigilance & appropriate action was taken by house owner. Thus the crime event was concluded with the capture of the thieves.

Date        : 25th February 2008
Location : SS4C/22
Time       : 4.15 AM

The dogs' barking woke the neighbour who triggered his alarm manually upon hearing suspicious sounds from his neighbour's house. A car heard speeding off. Both the guards & police were called. However the guards responded slow, but alarmingly the police never showed up at all - what's wrong with them!. Nevertheless, a probable car theft was averted.

In Conclusion

So, fellow residents, please do take care when you spot unknown people(s) loitering about or even making rounds around your section of our Taman. We strongly urge that you immediately call the Police and inform them about your suspicions and/or if you're a Security Subscriber please call the Security Hotline to get our guards to check out these characters.

Overall it would seems that break-ins have reduced in number while snatch thefts are unheard of for a while now. Unfortunately we are seeing a spat of attempted car thefts in and around theSS4C/22 - SS4C/15 areas especialy those with dark areas around the field.

Below are a few notes & lessons from these incidents :

A Reminder

If anyone comes across any crime or suspicious incidences, firstly do not hesitate to call the security guards (for subscribers only) or the police directly. It's best to err on the side of caution than to risk being a crime statistic due to our own complacency.

Secondly, we would appreciate it a lot if you could inform Mr. Michael about your experience(s) so that we can then send it out to everyone via this website. That way we can watch out for the same things, and be aware of what's going on.

So everyone, eyes & ears open, and do tell us about it.

Highlights of the SS 4C & 4D's Chinese New Year Celebrations 2008

		Monday, 10 March 08 - 09:27 PM (GMT +08:00) By Jasraj Sandhu in Events

The Gong Xi Fa Chai Celebration by the Resident Association of SS4C & 4D and the Rukun Tetangga of SS4C was held this past Sunday the 24th of February 2008. The turnout from the residents and their families was well beyond astounding. Residents from the youngest to the oldest of them all flocked to the SS4C/18 padang where the celebration were held. Once there at the venue, residents were each registered and given name tags. This was to engender better interaction and foster any new relationships between the various residents that make up the community of SS4C & 4D. Children were treated to the funny antics of a professional clown who came loaded with balloons which he made into various shapes for the children. By the time the festivities kicked off there were well over a couple hundred of residents already present with more streaming in all the time.

The celebration was officially opened by the organizing committee chairman Mr. Steven Woon who proceeded to give a short but rousting speech to the audience. Thanking the residents for their great show of support followed by the organizing committee for taking up the challenge of putting everything together for the celebration to have successfully kicked off. Next our venerable President of the SS4C & 4D RA and the SS4C Rukun Tetangga, Mr. Ravinder Gill gave his speech. Among the various things he touched upon were issue relating to fostering better neighbourliness, issues concerning the collective security of our taman and a couple of other relevant issues.

Right after the speeches, the audience were treated to the first presentation of the night. In lieu of the CNY theme, the first performance of the night was a Lion Dance!. The audience, you and old, regardless of race, were one and all treated to the spectacle of not 1 but 2 lion dancers. Besides seeing the traditional lion dance the crowds were indulged, more so the children, when the lion dancers proceeded to engage the crowds with playful antics between the two lions and also with the audiences.

Next of the agenda was the speech given by MP Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun who has just arrived along with Datuk Michael Chong. Putting aside her busy schedule on nomination day non the less, the YB arrived to meet and greet the residents of her constituency and join in the CNY celebrations. After giving her speech to the residents it was finally time for the audiences to dig in the fabulous dinner provided. After dinner has progressed, the handing over of souvenirs to the VIPs was next on the agenda.

This was followed by a performance by our taman's idol who proceded to entertain the crowd firstly with a classical Chinese song then followed by another English number. Not to be left out the ladies of the line dancing group came on next and presented to dance to the crowd's delight. Next was the games session where the first game was musical chairs for the children to participate in. Following that was the 'Pass the Parsel' game and this time even the adults were roped into playing the game along with the children. The final item on the agenda for the nights celebrations was the highly anticipated Lucky Draw session. A grand total of 90 gift & packages were given away with the top ten prizes being worth well into the couple hundreds of Ringgits. As the final gifts were handed out resdients then bid adieu to their friends and new acquaintances and proceeded to leave the field. Some residents were kind enough to stay back and assist with the cleaning up of the venue.

All in all the celebration was a huge success in terms of resident turnout & participation, the fostering of better ties between residents and a general good fun time for each and everyone. The organizing committee would like to thank all residents for joining in and making the event a success.

Please visit this link in order to view the slideshow of all pictures taken for the CNY Celebration.

 

Gong Xi Fa Chai Celebration

		Saturday, 23 February 08 - 07:10 PM (GMT +08:00) By Jasraj Sandhu in Events

 

Dear Residents of SS4C & SS4D,

The Residents' Association of SS4C/SS4D and the Rukun Tetangga of SS4C are please to invite you and family to a Gong Xi Fa Chai Celebration which will be held at 6.30pm on Sunday, 24th Febuary 2008 at the SS4C/18 Padang. The occasion will be graced by YB Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development who is also the Member of Parliament for PJ Utara, YB Dato CK Lim State Assemblyman of Damansara.

Light food will be served. There would be entertainment including Lion Dance, Line Dance, Clowning, Games and Lucky draws. Residents are welcomed to bring along some snacks to share with our fellow residents to make the occasion more joyous. We look forward to see you there!

For direction please consult the following map :
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