‘Shared facilities foster good ties between neighbourhoods’

Shared facilities and amenities such as places of worship and parks are effective platforms to cultivate social cohesion, said the former president of Malaysian Institute of Planners Md Nazri Noordin.

“It is true that the dwellers of public flats may not mix around much with those who live in landed houses in the area.

“This can be overcome if we build facilities that can be used by people of different socio-economic backgrounds.

“In my area in Bukit Sentosa, Hulu Selangor, people who live in low-cost flats go to the same surau or mosque that is also frequented by people who live in bungalows. So mosques and surau should not be built in such a way that they are used by only one group.

“Other facilities such as public parks or sports facilities (such as football fields), can play the same role if they are strategically located.”

Nazri said generally, public flats were cramped, which cause stress and other mental health problems among its dwellers.

“Cleanliness and hygiene are among the issues that need to be addressed. The government should allocate more funding to improve infrastructure at public housing.”

While describing the shared facilities’ move as feasible, he said it may put a strain on public finance.

“(Public) debts will increase and the government will need to collect more money from the rakyat in the form of taxes.”

This, he said, would create another set of problems for the government and the people.

“Therefore, in the long run, we have to address the problem of the huge income disparity between the Bottom 40 income group and the rest of society.”