Tuesday, 3 June 2014

Give an update on Safe City Programme, Mayor Chan told

By Simon Peter
KUCHING, June 3, 2014: PKR National Women vice head Vook Shiak Ni is asking Kuching South City Council (MKBS) mayor James Chan regarding the status of MBKS Safe City Programme launched exactly two years ago.



"We want to know how much of the programme has been implemented, under implementation or pending implementation," she asked at a press conference today.

"The objective of the programme is good, but if it is not implemented, what good is that?" she asked.

Voon called on Chan to update the City folks on the status of the programme which was launched on May 26, 2011.

She recalled that the government had allocated RM800,000 for the MBKS Safe City Programme.

"Under this programme, some 24 CCTVs would be installed in areas identified and recommended by the police," she added.

She said that the government funded project would have lighting installation in BDC commercial area for which an allocation of RM62,000 was approved while Tabuan Jaya commercial area would have an allocation of RM175,000.

A sum of RM4,000 was also approved to install safety mirror in Tabuan Jaya commercial area.

Apart from that, construction and completion of concrete footpath, galvanised hand railing and improvement of existing footpath would also be done at Jalan Song Thian Cheong (RM230,000), Jalan Padungan (RM67,000), Jalan Bukit Mata Kuching (RM145,000) and Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman (RM21,000).

In Jalan Simpang Tiga, installation of galvanised hand railing (RM250,000) and safety mirror (RM3,000) would be also be done.

At the launch of the safety programme, Chan was reported to have said that the programme was to create a safe city that was free from vandalising activities and endangerment of lives like snatch thefts, burglaries and robberies.

Voon said City folks want safety and security in their surroundings or be protected from snatch thieves when they go out from their houses.

"People do not feel safe anymore from snatch thieves when they go out. I was once robbed by a snatch thief in Jalan Petanak and in another time, I managed to hold onto my handbag from a lone snatch thief in Padungan," she recalled.

Meanwhile, Voon expressed surprise that Kuching North City Commission (DBKU) board member Wee Hong Seng had called for the installation of CCTVs in certain crime-prone areas to curb rampant cases of snatch thefts, robberies and other cases of crimes in the City.

Voon said that Wee should have asked the MBKS mayor on the status of the safe city programme which called for the installation of CCTVs in crime-prone areas.

Meanwhile, PKR Petra Jaya branch chairman Baharuddin Mokhsen blamed the rising cases of crimes in Petra Jaya to the government's economic failure to provide jobs for the people.

"If these people have jobs to feed their families, they would not have resorted to committing crimes.

"Many families in Petra Jaya are in constant fear of when their homes will be burgled or when they will be robbed," he said.

He said his foodstall at Petra Jaya had been robbed twice while the house of his uncle was robbed 27 times.

"We have lodged reports with the police, but nothing seemed to have been done to nab the culprits. Now, we do not bother to lodge the reports with the police anymore because we feel that the police have not done enough to curb the crimes," he said.

"It is a waste of time to lodge the reports," he added.




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