Message from SRA Security Chairman

Security Scheme starts Nov 1 -- Sign Up Now
The SRA Security Committee (SSC) is now ready to launch the SRA Security Scheme for Seputeh on Nov 1, 2009.
We have gone through a thorough and painstaking process of gathering feedback from residents, evaluating various options and finally selecting a service provider.
Our entire journey – from call for tenders to several rounds of evaluation and finally, awarding the tender to the successful bidder – has undergone scrutiny by 11 residents on Sept 5. These 11 scrutineers are independent from the SRA Committee and the SSC.
Further, they selected from amongst them, three individuals to peruse the process as well as details of the bids and how the SSC made its decision. These three, Mr Tan Chin Shu, Encik Sulaiman Ahmad and Mr Naveen Kumar, went through the documents for two hours on Sept 8 and were satisfied with the transparency and governance standards adopted by the SSC.
Having cleared these two levels of scrutiny, we proceeded into final negotiations with the successful bidder – Force One Security Sdn Bhd – from Sept 8 till end-September. We have now signed the service agreement for patrols to start on Nov 1.
For the scheme to work, we need the support of everyone in Seputeh. Here, we are lucky to have volunteers to be street representatives.In the next few days, these street representatives and SRA Committee members will visit you to seek your subscription to the scheme.
On behalf of the SRA Security Committee, I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to join us for a simple "launch" of our scheme on Saturday, 31 October, 2009 at 9 pm at the playground in front of the shophouses along Jalan Teluk Pulai. Please sign up and help contribute towards enhanced security in Seputeh.
All cheques should be issued to "SRA Security Fund" and all payments will be issued a receipt. We do not encourage you to pay cash but if you do, please insist on an official receipt immediately. Thank you.
Best regards,
Mazlan Kamaruddin
(mazlan_ey@yahoo.com)
Chairman, SRA Security Committee
Hon. Vice-President, SRA

How To Sign Up

Fellow Orang Seputeh,
Now that it is finally here, how do we sign up for the scheme?

Check out this link: http://sracommittee.blogspot.com/2009/10/what-is-seputeh-security-scheme.html


Best regards,
Orang Seputeh
Towards A More Secure Future

3 incidents to share

Fellow Orang Seputeh

We have more unfortunate news.

The first is a snatch theft on Sunday night at Jalan Batu Laut 2. Two guys on a motorbike. No further details.

The second and third came in an email from a caring resident of Jln Tmn Seputeh 2 received tonight:
"
Dear all,
I would like to share the following 2 unfortunate incidents :
(1) Today at 3.30pm my brother's girlfriend was parking the car outside of the house gate when Malay motor cyclist and pillion rider smashed the tinted side wind screen and stole her hand bag placed on the passenger's seat. Luckily she was unhurt and the house keys were in the car. She freezed her credit card and duly went to make a police report in Brickfields.
I got the phone number from Maxis, Gardens (next to Isetan) which you could call to suspend your post paid hand phone tel no. Not sure if it's the same for prepaid hp no. If you're calling from handphone 012 it's free when you dial 123. For calls made from fixed line eg your house you could call 1800821123
So, remember don't put your bags on the car seat.

(2) Last Saturday, a nearby house occupant went out at 11am and by the time she return at 3pm, she discovered the house was out of electricity. As the house was newly renovated, she called the contractor who came the next day and found the house wiring was in order. Lo and behold when he checked the electrical meter box at the gate, he found the new 3 phase electrical meter was stolen. It was a hasty job as part of the electrical wiring was on the cement floor. it seems the new meter could fetch about RM 1000. Then I showed him another neighbour's meter box which was also stored at the gate pillar, but it was an old design and not worth much.

Take care!
"

Yes, dear Orang Seputeh, take care is the word.

Best regards,
Orang Seputeh
Towards A More Secure Future

SRA Committee Blog warns of well-organised robbers

Fellow Orang Seputeh,

The SRA Committee blog (http://sracommittee.blogspot.com) has issued this alert:

Please be on the alert.
There have been two confirmed cases of daylight robbery in Seputeh in August.

In both cases, robbers entered the house in broad daylight and seemed to be well-organised with possibly even having look-outs for them.

On Aug 9, a Seputeh resident just left his home for about 20 minutes that Sunday morning when his alarm was triggered.

He immediately turned back and headed home.Arriving home some 10 minutes later, he saw that his home was already broken into and called the police.

He entered the house with the police but it was too late.
In a mere 10-15 minutes, the robbers had dismantled his CCTV cameras and disabled his alarm system.
He suffered quite heavy losses and fortunately no one was hurt because no one was in.

The second robbery was just down the same road and it took place on Tuesday Aug 25 at 2.30pm.

Three men jumped over the well-guarded fence to catch three children and two maids unawares.

They tied them up and ransacked the house. They even had the audacity to call in a vehicle to take over the loot.

Luckily, no one was hurt in this incident as well. Surely, it must have been traumatic for the victims.

So, folks, let us be more aware of goings-on in the neighbourhood and watch out for our neighbours.

In both these cases, the homes were quite well protected with cameras and alarms but alas, it could not stop or prevent these well-organised robbers.

The police have been urged to step up patrols but let us beware.

Cheers
KH Lim
SRA Vice-President


Let us hope we can do more to help ourselves, fellow Orang Seputeh,

Best regards
Towards A More Secure Future

Looking for volunteers... to scrutinise process of awarding security scheme

This posting is taken from the SRA Committee blog and done on behalf of Encik Mazlan Kamaruddin, chairman of SRA Security Committee (SSC).

The SSC has come to the final stage in its process of evaluating the various bids in the tender exercise for a security scheme for the entire Seputeh area.
We have shortlisted three contenders and will soon complete the process and award the security scheme to the eventual winning bidder.

The SSC is now looking for concerned residents to take part in the final process as a scrutineer. There have been many individuals who have expressed interest and to them, the SSC is grateful for their efforts.

We wish to open this to all residents so please pass the word around. The SSC wants more residents to come forward to scrutinise the tender award process. All are welcome.

The SSC is calling for a meeting of all such scrutineers at 10am this Saturday, Sept 5.

Those who are interested to serve as a scrutineer are welcomed to drop an email directly to mazlan at mazlan_ey@yahoo.com. Please provide your full particulars including name, address and mobile number.

The venue of the meeting will be decided later. Mazlan or any other SSC member will contact you to confirm the venue of the meeting. The time and day is fixed at 10am this Saturday.


Orang Seputeh adds: "Now is the time for all good residents to come to the aid of the SRA. Come and serve, come and help, if you can."

Best regards,
Orang Seputeh
Towards A More Secure Future

To GO, please provide contacts

This is in response to a comment posted by GO.

Please send me your contact particulars and if possible, attach the photo which you claimed to have taken of the van in question.

If you can, please provide me with the police report number where the van's particulars have been reported.

Best regards,
Orang Seputeh
Towards A More Secure Future

Sunday May 31 Seputeh Town Hall Meeting on Security

Dear Orang Seputeh,
Finally, we are seeing light at the end of our long dark security tunnel as we journey towards communal self-help.

Check out the official notice of Town Hall Meeting here .

Please come and attend the meeting.

Regards,
Orang Seputeh
Towards A More Secure Future

In NST today: Pistol-whipped in pre-dawn robbery

Fellow Orang Seputeh,

This was what happened to a family in Seri Gombak. Please read the last line:

NST Online » Local News 2009/03/01
Pistol-whipped in pre-dawn robbery
KUALA LUMPUR: When Tay Poh Yang was awakened early yesterday, she was horrified to see a bloodied face staring at her.

The face was that of her husband, who sustained a deep cut on his forehead after being pistol-whipped by one of four masked robbers.

The husband, who only wanted to be known as See, had woken up about 4.30am to turn off the air-conditioner and open the windows of their house in Taman Seri Gombak.

All of a sudden, he was confronted by three men brandishing parang and one armed with a pistol.Before he could react, the man with the pistol hit him on the forehead with his firearm.

"The robber cocked his pistol and aimed it at my head. "I was told not to move and to keep quiet," said See.

Shortly afterward, the 44-year-old Tay and the couple's two sons were herded into a corner and told to be quiet, while another robber pounded on their daughter's room door.

See said: "He went in and ordered my daughter to join her mother and brothers in the corner. "All the while, I was clutching my head and blood was oozing out from the wound."

Tay said she poured out the contents of her handbag for the robbers."I told them to take whatever they wanted as long as they left my family alone."

The robbers were believed to have climbed over the front gate of the house. They used an unidentified liquid and a crowbar to break open the lock on a door. The robbers escaped with mobile phones, jewellery and cash.

However, in their haste, they left behind a ski mask and two parang. A neighbour took Tay to the Gombak police headquarters to lodge a report while another took See to the hospital to have his head wound treated.

After the robbery, residents in the area have hired a security firm to patrol their neighbourhood.



Let us not wait for such a misfortune to befall an Orang Seputeh before we act.

Best regards,
Orang Seputeh
Towards A More Secure Future

Snatch Thieves: Seputeh Hits Back

Fellow Orang Seputeh,

I am happy to report that Robert Quah, SSTF chairman and SRA president, has had a meeting with Brickfields police over the recent spate of snatch thefts along our main road and especially around Jalan Taman Seputeh 1, around the U-turn at the Mid Valley loop road down to Jalan Syed Putra.

Of course, we hope to see more police action and that will be forthcoming.

Yes, we can also strike back. We are plugging the "escape holes" between the Mid Valley loop road and Jalan TS1. The Mid Valley management has agreed to help out with more materials to instal more barriers so motorcyclists cannot "ride over the barriers" or "squeeze through openings". How that will be done will be left to SSTF area volunteer (and now SRA Committee Member) Nisha to work out with Mid Valley.

Kudos to Robert and Nisha!

Best regards,
Orang Seputeh
Towards A More Secure Future

Grandma robbed at knifepoint in "safe" Seputeh

Dear Neighbours,
It is sad when these things happen in our neighbourhood.
Let us not sit back and think it will not happen to us.
Be extra careful during this festive season as well.

Best regards,
Orang Seputeh
Towards A More Secure Future

SSTF's Resolution: Annotated

Folks! Here's the SSTF's resolution which was named Resolution 2 with my comments. (It's called Resolution 2 even though it was submitted earlier than Resolution 1 endorsed by SRA Committee).

Recognising that:

1. The security situation of the Seputeh area has deteriorated in the past year making it necessary for a community self-help programme to be instituted;

2. A group of concerned SRA members have taken the initiative to form a Seputeh Security Task Force (SSTF) at a public meeting on April 7, 2008, to lead such a community self-help programme;

3. Initial studies by SSTF have indicated a majority of Seputeh residents do not support Rukun Tetangga patrols;

4. While Neighbourhood Watch can be implemented, there is no measurable level of acceptance within the community yet;

5. SSTF surveys have clearly obtained the support of 45% of households in Seputeh based on the proposed subscription rates;

6. With the subscriptions collected based on the 45% of households, SSTF is confident of mounting a private security scheme working in close collaboration with Brickfields’ police;

7. Such a private security scheme can also be further augmented by those residents who believe in the Neighbourhood Watch concept and who may want to organise a voluntary Neighbourhood Watch group; to embrace those who want and believe in Neighbourhood Watch

8. Such a scheme needs to be run by a legally-constituted body – the most appropriate of which is SRA for Seputeh residents – to be able to open bank accounts and enter into service agreements; a responsibility of the RA

9. Security is a stated objective of the SRA under Clause 4.3 on safeguarding property and security of members; any committee must abide by Clause 4.3

10. The SRA is duty-bound under Clause 4.4 to resolve problems faced by SRA members AND the community at large; embrace all, boleh juga, Constitution allows it under Clause 4.4 e.g. an SRA lantern festival surely cannot exclude children of non-members :)


Considering that:

11. The past SRA Committee:

a. has decided against such a private security scheme in the belief that either a Rukun Tetangga Scheme or a Neighbourhood Watch would be a better alternative; opinion respected but disagreed with

b. had initially agreed on May 7, 2008, to endorse SSTF as a sub-committee to run such a security scheme but rescinded its initial agreement for the aforesaid and other reasons in on Aug 17, 2008; "nuff said about SRA Committee's decision-making process and influencers within"

and,

c. had instead advised SSTF to form a Company Limited By Guarantee to run such a security scheme; Sept 7 Japan Club meeting of residents re-affirmed "tak boleh"


Further Considering that:

12. The SSTF, having considered all options, recommended that any security scheme for residents should rightly be under the auspices of the Residents’ Association (RA) as proven by the fact that most security schemes in Klang Valley are supported by the RAs;

13. A residents meeting held on Sept 7, 2008, at the Japan Club attended by over 100 persons has also evaluated these options and endorsed the recommendation of the SSTF that the security scheme should be “parked” under SRA;

14. This same residents meeting has concluded that a firm resolution be put to the SRA to facilitate such a security scheme as envisioned by the SSTF;


And,

Bearing in Mind that:

15. The past SRA Committee had concerns over:

a. depleting existing SRA funds for running such a security scheme; won't touch it, promise!

b. involvement of non-SRA members; embrace all, apa susah?, check Clause 4.4

and,

c. having to supervise and operate any such private security scheme and deal with security service providers, given its already heavy workload; Committee will be spared extra security workload, kita buat semua itu kerja



We, the under-signed members of the SSTF, request the Annual General Meeting – being the highest decision-making body of the SRA – deliberate and pass the following resolution pursuant to Clause 8 of the SRA Constitution:


This Annual General Meeting on December 19th, 2008, held at Japan Club premises RESOLVES THAT:

1. The SRA endorses the formation of the Seputeh Security Task Force (SSTF) with the status of a sub-committee and with its initial members drawn from the current proposers and seconders of this resolution for the specific purpose of managing and regulating security matters, including but not limited to providing, sourcing and operating security services for Seputeh residents; enabling clause

2. The SSTF, being formally endorsed as a sub-committee of the SRA, will choose two representatives to sit on the SRA Committee as ex-officio members with the expressed portfolio of overseeing security matters; still report to committee -- still in charge, no one wants to usurp

3. The SRA facilitates the SSTF to set up a bank account in the name of “Seputeh Security Fund” or any variation of such name as the SSTF’s chosen banker may require, including but not limited to endorsing any banking form, note or document to enable the account to be operational within 30 days from the date of this AGM; operational necessity

4. The “Seputeh Security Fund” bank account, or any such name as the SSTF banker may stipulate, shall be operated by the SSTF which shall nominate five (5) signatories on a signature condition that cheques and all banking documents or notes be endorsed by ANY three (3) of the five (5) signatories; ensures total accountability and transparency

Provided always that:

5. The security scheme shall be the responsibility of the SSTF which shall absolve the SRA Committee of any responsibility in running such a security scheme nor any direct involvement in its operations; SSTF takes the responsibility, committee can still be boss yet blameless

6. Existing SRA funds will not be drawn upon for the use of the security scheme; as promised

7. The SRA has obligations only to its members and expressly has no obligation whatsoever to non-members, including those who opt to subscribe to any such security scheme; reassuring clause

8. The SSTF maintains and operates the Seputeh Security Fund solely for the purpose of running the security scheme and matters directly or indirectly related to security; defining use of fund and scope of work

and,

9. Copies of the monthly bank statements of the Seputeh Security Fund account be forwarded to the SRA Committee and the account be independently audited. ensures good governance

So why this refusal to accept resolution and going to great lengths to draw up a "rival" resolution for the first time in 10-year history? Remember, we all have a common objective -- ensuring better security for all.

Final analysis: Let's see what's done in the coming year and whether all Orang Seputeh benefit.

Best regards
Orang Seputeh

What SRA 2008 Committee's Resol 1 means

Lest we forget, let us look at what Resolution 1 means.

Point 1: A PROMISE to work security into every project undetaken by SRA Committee like they have been doing all this while.

Point 2: Another PROMISE to continue to do so without asking members for money specially for security. Like they have been doing all this while.

Point 3: Another PROMISE not to accept funds from anyone else. Like they have been doing all this while.

Point 4: Another PROMISE not to expose members to outsiders who may "threaten" them. Like they have been doing all this while.

Orang Seputeh must ponder: Why the need for such a special resolution in the name of the SRA itself (note resolution on letterhead of SRA, not any individual member) if they have been doing this all this while?

Orang Seputeh must also ponder: Isn't security and welfare of members and Seputeh community at large already a "given"? (Please read Clause 4.3 and 4.4 of SRA Constitution). Why must there be a special resolution this time?

Orang Seputeh saw the "light": It is because the existence of SSTF put the focus on security that people become "security-conscious" though sadly defensively so. Cheers to Robert Quah and team for this initiative has already achieved the objective. But for not being docile and obedient. So, this Friday's AGM will see not 1 but 2 resolutions. Knotty, knotty :)

More on resolutions later...

In conclusion, let us work together. So what if people disagree, let's agree to disagree but get the job done -- paid or unpaid.

With apologies to Deng Xiao Ping: Never mind if the white cat is not paid and the black cat is paid, as long as both cats catch the rats. Let us not focus on checking which cat, whose cat and who pays the cat to the extend that "while the cat's away, the mouse comes out to play"!

Miao

Towards A More Secure Future

Two new CRVs gone & 1 daytime break-in

Fellow Orang Seputeh,
Two new Honda CRVs were stolen from homes in Taman Seputeh in the past week or so. Parked, locked and kept within locked home compounds. Is anything else safe in this neighbourhood?

A house in Jln Tg 12 was broken into last week as well. A police report was made and kudos to Brickfields cops for turning up quickly. Luckily, no one was hurt in this incident.

All the more, we should all turn up this Sunday at Japan Club at 5pm to discuss the Seputeh Security Scheme -- time for us to make a difference!

Those living in Taman Seputeh are advised to walk there (parking is limited to club members only). Others in Bukit Seputeh, Desa Seputeh and other areas are advised to car pool.

See you!

Orang Seputeh
Towards A More Secure Future

We are getting there

Welcome To Seputeh's Very Own Community Blog

Dear Orang Seputeh,

This community blog is created for all of you to share your experiences, views and thoughts about Seputeh by Orang Seputeh for Orang Seputeh.

Who is an Orang Seputeh? He or she is someone who lives in Taman Seputeh, Seputeh Heights, Casa Elita, Taman Bukit Seputeh, Desa Seputeh, Bukit Seputeh and, very soon, Mutiara Seputeh.

As Seputeh has seen much in the past few decades and thousands have gone through our area, this blog would like to embrace more than the current Orang Seputeh but also the Seputeh Diaspora. If schools and universities can have their alumni, I'm sure we can have our Seputeh Diaspora.

This blog will be moderated but there will be more than one moderator.


This blog can also hopefully serve as a sounding board and perhaps a clarion call if necessary for things and facilities which we need.


Right now, there is a clamour for better security. And there is an effort by some individuals to start a security self-help scheme, asking us to pay a certain sum for added security.


What do you think?


Please feel free to put in your comments... but be prepared to accept a differing point of view from our fellow Orang Seputeh.