Monday, March 30, 2009

Celebrating Happy Earth Hour in SS2B

Saturday, March 28, 2009 from 8.30 pm to 9.30 pm was happy earth hour celebration and I guess also 'happy hours' for those in the Pubs too! Knowing that quite a few residents would also be observing the Earth Hour, your RT organised a combined SRS team to patrol the neighbourhood during the 'lights out' session. The turn-out was fantastic to say the least - Well done! Hopefully there were no security breaches during the Earth Hour!

Mr. Lee Lih Shyan Wins Award for Excellent Service

Mr. Lee of Local Agenda 21 'fame' deservedly won the MBPJ's 2008 Award for Excellent Service. Congratulations to Mr. Lee!

Tender Documents Ready for Security Providers

Dear all,
The tender documents are now ready.

We intend to forward these documents to security providers from 2morow onwards and have set the deadline for the return of these documents on 7th April(Tuesday), 3 days later than our target date of 4th April(Sat).

All comments are welcomed, the committee will consider all points raised but hope that residents will allow the committee to make final decisions.

It is our target that from tommorow onwards,the documents will be final and be made available to all interested security providers.

Thank you,

Lee Kweecheng

Friday, March 27, 2009

International Women of Courage Award to Ambiga




















US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and first lady Michelle Obama present give aw ay Secretary of State's Award for International Women of Courage to Malaysia 's Ambiga Sreenevasan at the State Department in Washington , DC . (AFP)

Thursday, March 26, 2009

History of Rukun Tetangga

* Formed under the basis of the Essential Regulations Rukun Tetangga 1975.
* Originally charged with organising activities to unify the people and assist Government in ensuring peace.
* Under Essential Regulations, bestowed with police power when patrolling and participants gazetted as police constables.
* Four major wings - Tunas Jiran (Under-15), Jiran Muda (Youths and Teenagers), Jiran Wanita (Women), Usia Mas (Senior Citizens)
* 1970s: Night patrols mandatory, served as peacekeepers. 1980s concern shifted to neighbourliness and in the 1990s, promotion of national unity and social interaction.
* In 2001, scope widened to cover community development.
* 2003: Patrolling reintroduced on voluntary basis. RTs with more than 20 patrollers have to register with National Unity and Integration Department. Training provided upon approval as well as one-off allocation of RM2,500 and caps and tags.

Newsletter of RT SS2B

Dear residents of RTSS2B,

Report of Residents’ meeting on Sat. 7.3.2009, ( Also for the benefit of those who couldn’t attend.)
There was a slight drizzle and some umbrellas were out, as residents gathered at the SS2/41 field to deliberate on the security situation of our neighbourhood. Our committee member, Mr Yong Yung Choy shared with all the legal nitty-gritty of a guarded and gated community. Many views were expressed.

It was realised that a fully gated area would have practical and other implications, considering our rather porous location & the needs of Puay Chai school, kindergartens and disabled persons from Beautiful Gate.
While a guarded and gated community is our ultimate aim, the immediate action that can be taken is to bring in guards. Depending on response from residents, we would be able to know how many guards can be engaged and work towards possible closure/partial closure of certain roads. With this approach, the working committee will still have to communicate eventually with the relevant authorities.
Meanwhile, we hope that the presence of guards will also help alleviate the present security situation.

A working c'tee was formed to implement this concept, headed by Lee Kwee Cheng. Members include Ong Chin Hock, Ngiam CC, Willie Tan, John Chia and other RT c'tee members and residents. The working c'tee contacted a few security companies and Sri Lara responded and was invited to present their scope of services at the meeting. Following the views of some residents, the working c’tee will give more time for the sourcing of alternative security providers so as to have different quotations.

Follow up plan
Currently-Visits to neighbouring areas with similar experiences and preparation of tender specifications.

28th March-Our ‘Specifications of Services ‘ will be available to all interested security companies.
If any resident has knowledge of interested guard companies, please contact Lee Kwee Cheng (012-2112035, email shleekc@yahoo.com).

4th April - Last date for submission of tender. Thereafter, the working committee will meet to select
the company. Residents are welcomed to join in the opening of the tender documents. For details
of time and place, please express your interest and email to Lee KC.

15th April-30th April- Residents to meet the selected guard company and to sign up with payment.

1st May- RT work together with Guard Company to set up guarded community and identify
possible road closures/partial closures.

Others
In the meantime, we are also working on other projects, like signboards with clear police number, CCTVs at strategic locations, better lightings including side roads, increased patrolling by police and our own volunteer teams, and getting ADUN and councilor involvement.

The above actions are being done by well meaning residents and RT c'tee. We need more assistance. If you have experience/expertise in the mattter of setting up the above plan, please contact Lee Kweecheng, Ngiam CC ( 0162886029 ). We also need your help in creating awareness among residents who may not have read this circular.
We also need more volunteers to join in the patrolling, including younger residents. For this, please contact Lt.Col.(rtd) John Chia at 0173308351.

These are all volunteers and a small thank you will suffice for their time and efforts to make SS2B a safer and vibrant neighbourhood!!!

Ngiam Chong Choy , for RTSS2B

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Effective Community Communication

Recently during the discussion of organising demonstration sessions for the residents organisations on garbage enzyme making, someone alerted me that inviting the leadership of the residents organisations to attend and giving them a bin to do it might not be working. This recalled me the effectiveness of information dissemination avenue and mobilisation of residents to participate in the community development programmes through the leadership. More than often, it was discovered that the residents or people on the ground was not informed about any programme although it was disseminated earlier to the leadership. It exposed the weaknesses of community communication.

Many organisations assumed that the leadership will help in informing the grassroots on any happenings and bridging any responses to the authorities. However, many events shown that this avenue is not effective of getting message across. Many residents organisations do not have a proper communication mechanism. Some prefer to notify residents by sticking a notice on the notice board in the community centre, some like to get the committee members to notify their immediate neighbours, some might use the newsletter to inform any happenings, some might take the initiative to send fl yer to every household, some might hang up a banner at the strategic location, some might post the news on the website and many might just keep it within himself.

Residents are not forthcoming for any activities if the activities are not of interest to him/her. People tend to wake up only if a controversial issue is warrant his attention. For example, a proposed high rise building in the neighbourhood will get a lot of attention and participation compared to the launching of a cleanliness campaign. Hence, some people have suggested that in order to get good participation for community development programmes, perhaps innovative marketing and/or sensationalise the matter can be of help. For example, organising the children events with the element of competition as many parent is having the "kiasu" mentality and wanting their children to be recognised academically or co-curriculum. Of course, most of the time providing free "makan" will attract many participants, even though some of them are not the immediate stakeholders.

Having said this, effective community communication requires strong leadership from the organisations and sense of ownership from the residents. I believe if the residents feel strongly about their living environment and neighbours, they will try to reach out and participate in any events by all means. Thereby, creating community spirit is critical and important. Meanwhile, MBPJ should change the communication strategy of informing people and expecting people to participate syndrome. MBPJ must be more pro-active in engaging the people. Perhaps calling scheduled and open town hall meeting, sending the van with announcement function to go round the neighbourhood for information dissemination, allowing officers to have a chit-chat teh tarik sessions with the residents, setting up the mobile service counter at the pasar malam or pasar pagi is not a bad idea.

Source: Blog by Mr. Lee Lih Shyan

Message from Moh See of SS2/43

Dear fellow Neighbours of SS2,

In 2007, more than two million Sydney businesses and households turned off their lights for one hour - Earth Hour - sending a powerful global message that it’s possible to take action on climate change.

Sponsored by World Wildlife Fund, Earth Hour got started just two years ago and is now the largest event of its kind in the world. Last year, more than 50 million participated and the lights went out at the Empire State Building, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Sydney Opera House and the Coliseum in Rome, just to name a few.

This year, Earth Hour will be even bigger – already 250 cities in 74 countries have agreed to take part including Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Moscow, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Shanghai and Mexico City. And right here in Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur and several other cities will be turning out our lights, too.

Participating in Earth Hour is easy, fun and free.
Let’s show the world Malaysians are united in the fight against global warming.
Let's show Malaysians that SS2 will take an active role to support this
Let's show PJ that SS2 takes the lead as responsible citizen.
Let's NIKE and JUST DO IT !

Let's all come together and switch off our lights on March 28 at 8:30 pm.

Please pass this note along to anyone and actively encourage everyone to take part but ensure you lock up your doors and windows properly before you off all the lights as we do NOT want to create a golden opportunity for thieves and robbers.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Breaking News - 'Missing' Dog Found!

Mr. Yong's 'Zena' German Shepherd dog was found at the Paramount LRT Station! Many thanks to all residents who assisted in searching our neighbourhood for the dog! Well, have dog will travel! Only if 'Zena' had a 'Touch n Go' card..... or some money to pay tolls! Mr. Yong says its a long story so we shall end here! Thank you one and all!

Monday, March 16, 2009

Dog Day Afternoon & Missing Dog?

On March 12, 2009 Mr. Yong of SS2/42 reported via text messages to some fellow residents about the loss of one of his dogs - a full black German Shepherd dog! The dog responds to 'Zena' and to date has yet to be found! Despite combing our neighbourhood since the said evening, there has been no trace at all! Incredible but true! His dog is a huge German Shepherd and anyone seeing the dog would actually stay a safe distance away let alone to try and snatch it! So, if anyone do recall seeing a huge black German Shepherd, do call 012-2802489
Still on the subject of 'Dogs', wouldn't it be great to organise a gathering of 'dog lovers' among our residents? Any volunteers and/or sponsors?

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Stock Sales Won't Buy Panties & Spark Plugs!

Getting the most from those diminished shares
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The comparison of the price of one share of some popular companies to the firm's popular products:

At Ruth's Hospitality Group's Chris Steak House in Manhattan, where a Cowboy Ribeye costs $47, the price of a share in the restaurant chain would cover the 80-cent sales tax on a side order of potatoes au gratin.

A visitor to a Citigroup branch could either pay $3 to withdraw cash from an automated teller machine or buy three shares of what once was the world's biggest bank by market value.

A General Electric Co. share would purchase a 26-watt EnergySmart light bulb that's not supposed to burn out for five years.

It would take about four shares of General Motors Corp. to buy a $7.99 Bosch Iridium-Fusion spark plug for a four-cylinder Chevrolet Cobalt.

A Sunday edition of the New York Times sells on city newsstands for $4, more than the cost of one of the publisher's shares.

Two shares of Tiffany & Co. would cover the $32.51 price, including sales tax, for hand-engraving initials on a sterling-silver money clip, according to the store's Web site.

A share of Limited Brands Inc., owner of lingerie retailer Victoria's Secret, costs less than a package of three pairs of its Sexy Little Thing panties.

One share of Starbucks Corp. costs less than a one-pound bag of Breakfast Blend coffee selling for $9.95 at the Seattle-based company's online store.

Source: Bloomberg News

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

PJ Best Neighbourhood Award for 2008/09

The Award is on again. At least three changes have been made to further improve on the attractiveness and appearance to the residents organisations. Firstly, the competition format has been deleted as this is an award to recognise the sustainable initiatives that have been carried out by the community and not a contest. Secondly, reimbursement of up to RM1,000 will be paid to the participating organisation for their expenses in preparing for the award nomination. Thirdly, a teach in session was conducted to share with the participating organisations on what the judges look for and look at. This session was held to assist the participating organisations understand better on the award. This is timely as the Award has been entering its' 7th Year. The Award was launched by The Selangor State Exco for Local Government with the presence of more than 70 residents representatives.

Monday, March 9, 2009

Skim Rondaan Sukarela (SRS) -Voluntary Patrolling Scheme

Whilst our neighbourhood is still abuzz after our residents' gathering on Saturday, March 07, 2009 with respect to a 'gated & guarded neighbourhood concept', I think its timely that we also highlight the fact that we were the FIRST RT in the SS2 area to launch SRS (translated as Voluntary Patrolling Scheme). We should be proud of all our men who have sustained the Scheme for the past one year (our first anniversary is just round the corner) and after Saturday's meeting, more residents have now come forward expressing their wish to join us in the SRS. We truly appreciate their support and they will be contacted shortly.
The present day Scheme is unlike the Scheme of yester years (1970s.. I think). It is no longer mandatory (and those in private sectors also do not get off days). We have greater flexibility in organsing our patrolling days ( and also time) and its not on a daily basis! The present day scheme is more a neighbourhood development programme to foster better fellowship among residents and to enable us to look out for each other in terms of security.
We have had relatively young residents coming forward to join the Scheme recently and this augurs well as we are about to enter year two. To John, Ronnie and W.M. Chiew (SRS leaders) and all their SRS members, we salute you this coming first anniversary! Cheers!

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Residents' Meeting on March 07, 2009








By all accounts this was about the largest turn out of residents in any of our Rukun Tetangga SS2B activities - and the focus was on SECURITY OF OUR NEIGHBOURHOOD! This was an event organised by Residents, for Residents and of issues affecting Residents, in particular the concept of gating and guarding our neighbourhood! The pictures herein tell the day's story! We did meet under some trees amidst some slight showers! We thank all residents for this fantastic show of unity and good neighbourliness! Thank you, thank you, thank you!