theSun Property April 2015

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ON FRIDAY APRIL 24, 2015
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Guardedandgatedcommunities
and townships > Social and emotional implications, plus
security issues
HAVING gone through the
GP022 document drawn up
by the Federal Town and
Country Planning
Department under the Housing and
Local Government Ministry and run
through its guidelines, and taken a
legislative look at what the local law
and its Acts state, we now look at
the social and emotional
implications of guarded
communities, which are fast
developing inMalaysia, as they have
been all around the globe. In fact,
over the last fewyears, many newly
launched local property
developments came with gated and
guarded features. It’s almost as if it
had become a norm to reside in
areas like these. One asks then, if
this is a privilege or a necessity? Are
we buying safety or exclusivity?
And howwill this impact society
down the road?
WESTERN VIEW
A dissertationwas written by Keith
Veal, a political science student at
the University of Michigan, for the
degree of Doctor of Philosophy. In
it, he cited his experience, having
walked into a G&G residential area
where the guardwas nowhere to be
found, and howhe was rudely
questioned and shown the way out,
when his entrywas discovered.
Hostile, sharp, accusatory and
unpleasant words were uttered by
the “security” personnel, almost
instantly putting Veal in defence
mode. Haven’t many of us
encountered similar experiences?
This sparkedmany questions, of
which Veal decided to ask those
living outside the boundaries of the
G&G area, their views on gated
communities.
On social and emotional
implications, it really boils down to
which side of the “gate” you’re on –
PART3
Gated communities are
quickly becoming the
fastest growing housing
development in the
United States (Blakely
and Snyder, 1997).
Currently over 7million
people live behind a
mechanical gate or private
security guard (American
Housing Survey, 2001).
From the early 1980s to the
present, the number of gated
communities has grown from
five thousand to over twenty
thousand (Blakely and
Snyder, 1997).
According to the latest
survey data, 5.9%of all
housing units report living in
a community that is
surrounded by a wall or a
fence (AmericanHousing
Survey, 2001).
The number of gated
communities varies by
region. On theWest coast,
11%of all housing units are
walled compared to 6.8% in
the South, 3.1% in the
Northeast and 2.1% in the
Midwest (Ibid). These
developments aremore
prevalent in new
construction and therefore
aremore concentrated in
X
X
X
X
X
HERE ARE SOME FACTS
VEAL LEARNT:
regions experiencing new
growth (US Census,
MetropolitanHousing
Survey, 2004).
The DallasMetropolitan area
has the third largest (after
Houston and Los Angeles)
number of gated
communities in the country
with 13%of all housing units
walled AND gated (US
Census, Metropolitan
Housing Survey, 2004).
Owners who live in gated
communities aremore likely
to beWhite, have higher
incomes and are older.
Renters who live in gated
communities are three times
more likely to be Latino or
African American, have
moderate to lower income
and are younger. In fact,
there aremore Latino renters
in gated developments than
any other group (Sanchez,
Lang andDhavale, 2005).
Renters are two-and-a-half
times more likely to live in
walled or fenced
communities and are three
times more likely to have
controlled access than
homeowners (Ibid).
Gated communities – overall
– do not have lower crime
rates compared to similar
communities without gates
(Blakely and Snyder, 1997).
Gated communities do not
tend to have higher resale
values in themarket when
compared to similar housing.
In some cases they even had
a slight price disadvantage
(Ibid). Gated communities do
not have higher levels of
community or being “close-
knit” (Low, 2001).
X
X
X
X
inside or out. No doubt, G&G areas
restrict access, limit interactions
and divide communities. Veal also
mentioned that if G&G areas focus
on safety, then those on the outside
become the “amorphous other … not
limited to solely criminals and
potential law-breakers …” And
whenG&G areas are occupied by
the “upper class,” Veal considers
those “gated-out” as “different from
the upper class – socially,
economically and politically.”
BEGINNINGOF G&G
Preferring to remain anonymous, a
reader (and “provider of security
for 10s of housing estate committees
in Klang Valley”) emailed his views
on howG&G first started. He says:
“Some 15 years ago, there was a need
to form some sort of security
scheme as crime, house break-ins
and snatch theft was on the rise.
We called this scheme ‘homeguards’
whichwas basically patrolling
without requiring any fencing or
boom-gates. Themonthly fee was
cheap. However, this did not deter
the ruthless and crafty criminals …
and the police could not do anything
but say to the public: ‘Itu biasa dah’.”
He adds that this led to complaints
that reached the ears of themany
politicians whowere further
enragedwhen “bad reports” from
themedia put them in tight spots
and the government was not much
help. “It was the local councillors
and politicians that came upwith
themany suggestions and ideas to
close up roads and place guards
fromprivate security companies in
hotspot crime areas. It all worked
well until law suits followed
(referring to the case where the fire
engine could not get to a location in
time, blaming the key to the locked
boomgate was not accessible, and a
person’s life was lost).” He also
names a couple of housing areas
where the developer’s or property
management company has put up
notices claiming no liability if
motorists get their vehicles
damaged by the boomgates.
“Crime rates still rose in the
subsequent years which led to the
residents associations deciding to
takematters into their own hands –
hence (to keep costs low/
affordable), foreign ‘guards’ were
employed.” Citingmany reports
including the Berkeley Gardens
case in Klang, go-downs in Banting
and Sungai Buloh area and such,
which led to the rakyat losing trust
in our police force and the
authorities, he states, “All this
mooted the idea of proper security-
guarded enclaves.”
The reader also says that there
are laws governing G&G housing
estates where the developers have
applied for this status (with one
main entrance and exit, with a
proper guardhouse and boomgates)
which has been approved by the
authorities. “Maintenance fees are
high and a joint management board
is engaged to run the day-to-day
activities. It is similar to an up-
market condo, with all the rules and
extras where one has to pay to keep
the premises clean and orderly.”
His point:“The government needs
to step in tomake every district safe
via the police force or some security
arrangement. Citizens should not
need to pay additional amounts for
the security of their homes and
families. The people also should not
have toworry and leave their homes
and families to ‘work out’ the security
and safety issues of their
neighbourhood. The lawmust be
followed through – policemust carry
out their responsibilities accordingly
and lawbreakersmust be punished.”
He also condones whipping in
public as punishment and asks for
more CCTVs. “AndG&Gmust be
government-controlled.”
OTHERS’ PERSPECTIVE
theSun considered the views of the
rakyat where gated communities
and social segregation is concerned.
Says Y S Ying, a retiree who lives in
a condominium: “I don’t believe in
gated communities.Why does the
work of the police, who are entrusted
to restore peace and safety, need to
be done by others, and the people
have to pay for safety? Besides, even
withG&Gareas, there still are thefts,
break-ins and such. In addition, I
knowmany residents who do not like
to be asked somany personal
questions and have to leave their
personal details with guards,
especiallywhen at times they are in a
hurry. Friends also prefer not to visit
due to this inconvenience.” On it
spurring social segregation, Sandra
doesn’t think it does. “Generally,
there is a perceived notion that gated
communities are better
neighbourhoods with real estate that
fetches better resale value.”
Susan Limwho resides in an
upscale area which is not gated
states: “I don’t think gated
communities cause social
segregation. It is a solution to an
already existing social ill that needs
to be addressed. Having lived in the
US for 11 years and at one point
having lived in a housewith no gates
or fences therewere crimes in that
area, thus, gates were relevant. Then
again, I wouldn’t want to livewith
10ft fences and gates aroundmy
house, but I need to dowhat it takes
tomakemy home safe. If social ills
are being taken care of, I would be
very happy not to have to pay each
month for home security services. On
thewhole, I feel that viewing gated
communities negatively, that it
segregates society, is just away of not
addressing the real issue.”
Sharon Saw comments: “It is a
sad reflection of society that we need
gated communities to improve
security. Personally, I do not like
gated residential areas as it causes a
lot of inconveniencewhen visiting
people living in that area – you need
to present your ICandwait for the
registration process, etc. However, I
don’t feel that it segregates society
becausewe are already segregated.
Many of us don’t even knowour
neighbours, sowhat is the big deal
about being segregated froma
particular communitywith barriers?”
Sawdoes state that she likes a
particular gated housing area in the
Klang Valleywhich “once you are
within the residential area, the
houses all have no fences or gates it
has an open feel where you can just
walk up to one’s front door. I wishwe
did not have to live behind fences and
grills likewe are in prison. But if
that’s the price of security in this
increasingly unsafeworld, what can
I say?”
Sheron and FarehMazputra
share their view as a couple.
“We are for gated as it provides
better security; offers a better
environment (landscaping,
maintenance, facilities etc);
properties tend to fetch better price
and better demand; and in general
gated communities provide a little
more privacy, quiescence, internal
roads are less busy and kids can cycle
and play outdoors with not many
issues, plus women canwalk or run
in safer surroundings than in non-
gated areas.”
Says Jenn Salim:“Gated
communities serve no purpose unless
the full and complete process of
identification/registration is adhered
to andmonitored properly. On the
residents, whether gated or not, it is
one’s attitude that causes segregation
in the community.”
One whowishes to be known as
AnakMalaysia states: “It will surely
lead to some social impact and create
amore prominent gap between the
communities on both sides of the
boomgatewhowill look at each
other differently.” AnakMalaysia
reminisces the days of Rukun
Tetangga where the rakyat were
seen “bergotong-royong, tolong
menolong satu sama lain”, in unity.
“Society has changed today … and if
the government does not dowhat it is
supposed to do, the rakyat will need
to be self reliant and take things into
their own can forget about
1Malaysia then.”