A FINAL seven-day notice has been served to Taman Desa Phase 1 Residents Association (TDP1RA) to remove unauthorised barriers and facial-recognition equipment from public roads.
Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) enforcement officers visited the neighbourhood yesterday morning to put up six notices under Section 46(1)(a) of the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974 for obstruction.
The action came as DBKL prepared to launch a citywide regularisation exercise to review guarded neighbourhood schemes and ensure compliance with current regulations and PLANMalaysia guidelines.
DBKL Urban Transportation Department director Muhammad Azri Abdul Aziz said the latest notice followed the expiry of the association’s original two-week deadline on Sept 10.
The decision was made after a meeting with the Federal Territories Lands and Mines Office (PTGWP) alongside feedback from the police and Fire and Rescue Department.
“All three agencies agreed that the obstructions must be removed because they were installed without approval.
“We hope the association will use this final opportunity to do the right thing.
“If it fails to comply within the seven days, DBKL will step in and remove them,” he said.
On Aug 27, DBKL enforcement officers pasted red notices on facial-recognition scanners at Guard Posts 1 and 4, placed yellow enforcement tape around the scanners and boom-gate equipment.
The notices, issued under Section 70 of the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974, stated that the structures had been built without approval from the Kuala Lumpur mayor.
Asked whether DBKL might reconsider if the association submitted a petition demonstrating public support, Muhammad Azri said: “The law is the law.
“A guarded neighbourhood scheme requires the consent of at least 81% of residents, while an automatic boom gate using facial recognition requires 100% consent.
“Regardless of any petition, we must still assess the scheme according to the law.”
DBKL’s latest action follows a long-running dispute over road closures and access restrictions under the neighbourhood’s guarded scheme.
DBKL had sent multiple letters to the RA for failure to bring the scheme into compliance.
On Aug 18, City Hall ordered the association to reopen Guard Posts 2, 5 and 6 to vehicles, remove unapproved structures and restore access to affected public roads.
On Aug 24, more than 40 residents, mostly aged 50 and above, protested against restricted access at Guard Post 5 in Jalan Desa Ria.
They said the closure forced early-morning walkers to take a longer route along a busy road to reach a public park.
They also raised privacy concerns over the facial- recognition system and warned that the barriers could delay emergency vehicles.
Association president Frank Yeh previously said the association had followed the required procedures and secured the support of 81% of residents.
Yeh did not respond to requests for comment yesterday.
