Mayor concerned by illegal road closure, to call for dialogue with residents
KUCHING: The action of a neighbourhood watch group at Tabuan Tranquility in setting up a barricade to seal off a through road leading to the residential area has drawn the concern of Kuching South mayor Datuk James Chan.
He says the group’s action was done without prior approval from Kuching South City Council ( MBKS) and would set a bad precedent if not addressed.
“If everybody starts to simply close down a road, susah la (it is difficult),” he told The Borneo Post yesterday.
Chan was commenting on the action taken by residents which they claim is to stop unknown vehicles from passing through their neighbourhood and to block off the escape route of would-be criminals, following a drastic rise in theft cases there.
Chan said prior to the barricade being set up, the council had not received any request from the residents to block the road.
He said MBKS officers were dispatched to the site yesterday morning to advise residents not to take the law into their own hands after a complaint was received on the Talikhidmat service.
“Of course the residents were not happy and reasoned that they were doing it (road closure) because of crime incidents taking place at their neighbourhood. It is important for everyone to remember that the roads are built and designed by the government for the convenience of the public,” said Chan.
The mayor further revealed that the residents only submitted a letter to MBKS late yesterday afternoon seeking permission to close the road, despite the fact that they had already done so without prior approval.
“Regardless of their request, I am not certain that MBKS is the authority that has the power to close roads. We will have to check with other relevant agencies.”
Chan said for the sake of fairness, the council would arrange for a dialogue session with the residents to discuss the matter with them, while also gathering feedback from other parties affected by the closure.
“We have to find out how others feel about it as well because there are other people complaining now (about the road closure). We have to be fair to everybody. During the dialogue, we will also bring in relevant agencies like the police and Land and Survey Department. We may also have to consult the higher authority; if they approve, then no problem,” he said.