Road safety within our neighbourhood

As some of you may be aware, there was a serious accident two weeks ago at the corner of Jalan 4/14 between a car and a young cyclist (both of whom are our neighbours).

I'm hoping that we will collectively reach out to our family members, relatives, friends and others whom visit us to remind them to please drive slowly and carefully within our neighbourhood to ensure that we do not have another similiar incident.

We have children cycling and some of us do our regular jogs around our neighbourhood and road safety is absolutely paramount !

Breaking News : CCTV will be installed soon at Sierra Damansara

Dear Neighbours,

The committee had decided to proceed with the installation of CCTV and I am pleased to attach the details below. Thanks to Eugene for taking the time to analyse both the proposals.

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Hello all,

As per the emergency security meeting on Saturday, we acknowledged that security is now a serious issue and concern. Especially with the recent attempted break-in in Sierra and also news of breaches in the neighboring areas.Hence, we will move with the CCTV system as a means of irrefutable proof and vigilance, before any unwanted further incidents happen in Sierra D.We will proceed with the vendor with the better quote (sent earlier). The price is RM 8940 for the 8-channel option (future expansion catered for).

As agreed also, Next Tuesday will be the deadline for any final questions.

As requested also, here's a brief specification and my analyses of the CCTV systems.

A, Infrared Bullet Type Camera (4 units)

Vendor #1 : 1/3" SONY Super HAD CCD, Infrared Bullet Camera, 560TVLines, 48pcs IR Leds, High quality Anodized Aluminum Casing for vandalism prevention, Corrosion Resistant, Weatherproof IP66 Casing with Sunshield and 0 Lux up to 20m

Vendor #2 : 1/3” Sony Chipset High Resolution Infrared IR Bullet Weatherproof, Camera c/w Camera Bracket and Regulated Power Adaptor, 520 TV Lines, 36 Pcs IR LED
Eugene's analysis : Vendor #1 has given a better quality camera (in bold above).

B, 10 feet Camera Poles (3 units) For counting cameras around the entry/exit points of the guard house.

Eugene's analysis : Both vendors have almot same price, with Vendor #1 coming slightly cheaper.

C, Standalone Digital Video Recorder

Vendor #1 : 500gb Surveillance HDD for Recording Storage, H.264 Video Compression, D1 / Half-D1 / CIF Recording Resolution, Triplex Function : Display, Recording, Network, Remote Control, USB Backup & Mouse, Central Monitoring System up to 49 Channel,- Auto Recovery Power On.
Optional: 8 Channel Standalone Digital Video Recorder c/w 500gb Surveillance HDD for Recording Storage, MPEG4 Video Compression, Records and Plays in high definition video, Pentaplex Function:Display, Record, Playback, Network & Archiving,- Remote Control, Backup in USB/DVD-RW & Mouse, Central Monitoring System up to 64 Channel, Auto Recovery Power On

Vendor #2 : 4-Channel Real Time Network Digital Video Recorder c/w 500GB, SATA Hard Disk for Surveillance System, Real Time display and recording 100/100fps, Remote viewing VIA Lan / Internet

Eugene's analysis: Both vendors have the 500 gigabyte 4-channel system, but only Vendor #1 has offered the 8-channel system with HighDef and MPEG4 compression (RM500 more). This HD feature is a very important difference to capture sharper images (not like my home system) where u can actually see the person's face. Plus, MPEG4 compression should save more space. With the 8-channel system, we will be able to also cater for future expansions in case we want to cover other areas in the future.

D, Cabling, Installation,T&C and Training

Work to Lay CCTV Camera Cables ard Power Cables - 4 cameras inclusive of Conduit Piping, Junction Box, Terminal Box , necessary accessories, Hacking, Cutting, Conceal and Make good. Installation and Termination Works for Cameras and Pole. System Setup, Testing & Commissioning and Training.

Eugene's analysis: Vendor #1 is slightly below RM 4K, Vendor #2 is RM 4.7K. Couple of hunderd bucks difference only.

E, Pricing Total

Vendor #1 : RM 8440 (4-channel), RM 8940 (8-channel system)
Vendor #2 : RM 9880 (4-channel system)

F, Delivery

Vendor #1 : 2-3 weeks
Vendor #2 : 2-4 weeks.

I've taken a lot of time and effort to prepare and vett through all this. Hope we don't have too many changes now. It's really very time-consuming.

Do call me should you have any questions.

BR
Eugene

A mail from a nieghbour staying at Section 5, Kota Damansara (published with permisssion)

Email dated June 18h 2010

Hello,

I live in a double storey terrace house in Section 5 Seri Utama Kota Damansara and read your blog for Sierra Damansara.
My house was broken into last week.
They cut off the back grills very cleanly and eventhough I have ADT alarm and a vibration sensor on the grills, it did not even trip. Then they went upstairs and my motion sensor tripped and caused the alarm to ring. It happened at 8 pm last Friday and I only was out for less than an hour and was back home within 10 minutes when I was alerted that the alarm had rang. They did not steal anything as I guess they ran when they heard the alarm. My home has CCTV cameras outside and yet they still decided to target my home and face the cameras away. My neighbor's daughter lives around the same area too and her home too was recently broken into and this has been the second time. There was another 2 more homes within my few blocks that have been broken into this recent week and another one over the other end of section 5 (same see hoy chan area) that was broken in that had a safe with over RM100,000 stolen. There could be more unreported in the area as we have sectioned our area into different zones and have different committees as we moved in in different phases.

Thanks

Our new Committee Members

A new committee has been formed this morning during our AGM.

Chairman : Mr Matthew Philip Thomas (No 2, 4/14A)

Vice Chairman : Mr Ong Chee Tat (No 15, 4/19)

Secretary : Mr Lee Sing Pen (No 6, 4/16)

Asst Secretary : Mr Kamal Azman (No 5, 4/14A)

Treasurer : Ms Jessica Tong (No 31, 4/18)

Asst Treasurer : Ms Rani (No 10, 4/14A)

Committee Members :

Mr ST Chong (No 12, 4/14A)

Mr CY Tan (No 22A, 4/18)

Ms Selina (No 1, 4/16)

Mr Eugene Ng (No 16, 4/14A)

Mr Philip Lee (No 2A, 4/18)

Internal Auditors : Ms Lim Li Min & Mr Raslan

The chairman has notified that the first committee meeting will be held this Thursday evening at his house. All fellow neighbours are welcome to attend. In the meantime, should you have any comments or suggestions for the new committee, you can either leave a comment here or you can drop a note into the chairman's postbox.

Cops focus on crime in Kota Damansara

Tuesday March 16, 2010
Cops focus on crime in Kota D’sara
By YIP YOKE TENGteng@thestar.com.my
This article is from The Star Online (http://thestar.com.my)URL: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/3/16/central/5819158&sec=central
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THE police are focusing on Kota Damansara, particularly Section 4, following an increase in robberies and house break-ins in the area.
Petaling Jaya OCPD Asst Comm Arjunaidi Mohamed, who confirmed that crime was on the rise at Kota Damansara, said this could be due to an increased police presence in Damansara and SEA Park over the past few weeks.
“We managed to bring down the crime rate in Damansara and SEA Park but there was a rise in the crime rate in the neighbouring townships such as Kota Damansara,” Asst Comm Arjunaidi said.
He added that another reason for the increase in crime in Kota Damansara was the increase in its population, including the floating population that comprised students, shoppers and workers. Convenient spot: The abandoned show unit adjacent to the D’Shire Villa Apartments in Section 4, Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya, has become a haunt for drug addicts.
To tackle the problem, he said the police had embarked on an operation focusing on Kota Damansara by deploying additional personnel to patrol the area on foot or by car.
“That also includes the horse unit from the headquarters,” he said.
He highlighted that he had requested for more personnel from the higher authorities to patrol not only Kota Damansara, but also other affected areas like Sungai Buloh, Kampung Subang and Sungai Way.
Asked if the police would set up temporary police beat bases like in SS2, Section 17 and Damansara Utama, Arjunaidi said he would consider it.
“It depends as that strategy may not be effective all the time,” he said.
Some residents of Kota Damansara feel that criminals and syndicates were targeting their area as more and more housing estates are subscribing to gated and guarded schemes.
At the D’Shire Villa Apartments, although a guarded housing scheme, two units were broken into within a week.
The incidents cost the owners at least RM50,000 and RM30,000 each, with not only jewellery and laptop computers, but also bulky items like LCD television sets taken from the units. Maintenance needed: Unkempt shrubs and undergrowth in some areas in Kota Damansara can offer a place for criminals to hide.
One of the victims also lost his car as the culprits took his car keys and conveniently drove it away while the security guards were unaware of it.
“Despite the huge losses, I consider myself lucky because I was actually sleeping in my room when the robbers entered my house.
“They must have seen me sleeping but managed to take my belongings out without my knowledge,” said the victim who preferred to remain anonymous.
D’Shire Villa Joint Management Body chairman Jamil Yazid Abdul Rahim said there was a need to tighten security at the apartment with better safety measures, like replacing the perimeter fencing with walls.
“We have heard of many cases happening around here and the residents are living in fear,” he said.
Secretary Mohd Farizal Fouzy said the area had always been safe, but the crime rate seemed to have shot up all of a sudden.
“We also heard that a family was robbed of RM40,000 and they were frightened out of their wits as their child was held at knife-point.
“In another incident, four bungalows were broken into on the same day and the robbers managed to escape,” he added.
He said the area was well-lit but an adjacent abandoned structure, which was used as the project showroom, had become the haunt of drug addicts.
“The abandoned structure is also surrounded by thick undergrowth and many students from the nearby school will gather here when they are playing truant,” he said.
__________________________________________________________________________Your one-stop information portal:The Star Onlinehttp://thestar.com.my
Copyright © 1995-2010 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Star Publications is prohibited.

Mode Of Payment (Updated)

Dear Residents of Sierra Damansara,

We wish to bring to your attention that thius would be the transitional mode of payment for the maintenance fees, pending the approval for the registration of Sierra Damansara Resident's Association.

In the interim period until our Resident's Association is formalized, all payments for the maintenance fees should be made out to ;

Ong Chee Tat Account Number 562759-101660 (Maybank)

To ensure there is no confusion between Ong Chee Tat's personal account and our Resident's Association funds, please write the account number 562759-101660 on your cheque.

For flexibility, the committee has decided that the maintenance fees can be made either by half yearly mode (RM1,250 per house) or by yearly mode (RM2,500 per house).

There would be a letter box at the guard house for you to drop off your cheques or bank in slips or details of payment via direct debit (kindly do indicate your details on the envelope). An official receipt will be issued to you once the payment has been confirmed.

You may also drop off your comments, questions or suggestions on anything pertaining to our neighbourhood for us to improve further.

Thank you for your kind co-operation.

By order of the Pro-Tem Committee

Neighbourhood Professionals (an email from a neighbour)

To members of the Sierra Damansara Residents (pro-tem committee) & to whomever it may concern :

Thank you for kindly providing residents with a blog. I feel its so important to share key information about our small community, we are sad islands unto ourselves if we cannot even reach out to our near neighbours if the need arises. The blog is also a great way to share news , upcoming events and warnings if needs be.

Another useful feature could be to inform our residents of our respective talents and professional skills so our community may consider approaching another fellow resident for a particular service, assistance or advice. Hence, I propose a section in the Residents Blog to include a short description or notice of a residents particular talent or profession so that others in our community can at least be informed that such a resource is available in our neighbourhood. Lets get to know who we are with each other and make Sierra Damansara a safe,happy and dynamic, interactive community. Let our fellow residents know of the capabilities, services and business experiences that reside within our community - you never know how useful this can be one day.

With regards,

Philip Lee, SD Security Sub-committee.
(small business FMCG owner, former banker, HR consultant)
2A, 4/18 .

Updates from the General Committee with regards to Cheque Payment

To : All Residents of Sierra Damansara
From : The General Committee
Date : 1st Oct 2009

Re: Mode of Payment

With immediate effect, all cheques for Sierra Damansara Residents Association to be addressed to :

Ong Chee Tat for Maybank A/C no.562759-101660

This will be our account pending registration of our Sierra Damansara Residents Association application at the Registrar of Societies (currently underway).

Thank you for your kind co-operation.

From the General Committee.

An email from a soon to be neighbour (published with permission)

Hi Leslie,

Thanks for taking the lead in the blog and putting all efforts in making Sierra Damansara better for living. I should meet you one day. My family and me is the one that signed-off in your blog as “newbie”. We are moving to Sierra Damansara soon. If I may give you my 2 cents worth, maybe the residence are not paying maintenance fee because they do not see the professionalism and value of the guards. The many times I went in & out was really a simple walk thru. Probably the guards are making judgement based on my image of a family and kid in the car thus allowing pass at ease. But really, with so many con-artist out there, we can never be sure. Please don’t take it as I sound too negative about it. Do you think the residence will also be open into looking at re-tendering the security guard contracting as well? I am thinking of asking the security company who provides service to my company to pitch for it. I think the guards are pleasant and had done an excellent job. I think cost will be a factor but I think it’s worth exploring. Anyway, I am supportive of your idea to install CCTV. I think it is excellent. Hope we can get good recommendations from other residences.

Cheers,

LEONG

Neighbourhood Street Party and Get Together

There have been suggestions for us to have a neighbourhood street party and get together. I feel its an excellent idea and we can have this before the start of the fasting month, perhaps on Saturday August 15th from 5:00pm onwards. We can hold this along Jalan 4/14 (where the drums are located). What do you all think ?

If you have problems leaving your comments, drop me an email at chong.leslie@gmail.com.

Brochure on Sierra Damansara

CCTV to be installed soon (updated)

From the summary of the first poll on the level of security, the majority of us (55%) felt that the current level of security is good but can be improved further.

The security committee had our first meeting together with our chairman Mr Ong and one of the areas of improvements is to install CCTVs. This CCTV rollout will be done in phases due to budget constraints and the first phase would be to install it at our guardhouse and also along the perimeter fencing along Jalan 4/14. Eventually, the committee would like to ensure that the whole neighbourhood will be covered. Thanks to Peter Tan whom has kindly scanned this image to me, this would be the proposed CCTV coverage area for Phase 1.

The security committee is now seeking independent contractors to submit their quotation for the installation of CCTV. If any of you have friends to recommend for this purpose, kindly inform them to be here in person on Thursday, Aug 6th at 6:00pm. The security committee will meet them in person at the guardhouse to give them a tour of our neighbourhood to get their expert advice on the number of cameras required for this purpose.

Updated maintenance list

One of the points raised during the recent AGM was for us to have a list of all those whom has not paid or have not been keeping up-to-date their share of the maintenance fees.

I will be in contact with Mr Ong soon to get this updated list and with the permisssion of our committee, it will be published here for all to see.

From the poll, 11 out of 30 of you whom have voted on the poll feels that our neighbours will pay their share if we highlight this to them again. There is still hope.

Once the list is out, let's all each have a nice chat with our respective neighbours and find out the real reason for them not paying their share.

Feedback and comments please.......

The story so far.....

Thank's to all of you for visiting this blog and casting your vote. It's great to see some of you have taken the time to vote on possibly our the two hottest issues ie. the level of security and also why some of our neighbours are not paying their share of maintenance.

Welcome to the four of you namely, Ngee Boon, Daniel, Chong and Samantha for showing some interest by signing up to this blog. And yes, a special mention to Daniel for leaving the first comment.

How about the rest of you guys out there ? If I recall, during our AGM, there were a few of us which was pretty vocal about several issues. Why the silence now ? Do we need to meet in person to get our message across ? C'mon guys, let's hear it from each and every one of you !

I understand from Mr Ong that there will be a security committee being formed soon. So far, there's twelve of us (52%)who feels that the current level of security is good but it can be improved further. Perhaps we could each put on our our thinking caps and offer some suggestions to the committee on how this can be achieved.

As for the other issue on why some of our neighbours do not pay, I will leave it for the next post.....

An incident to share

On Wednesday, July 1st at approximately 7:30pm, my wife was at the guardhouse to observe some of the visitors coming to our neighbourhood.

There was a Proton car with two Indonesian guys. Our guard passed to them a plain A4 paper for them to fill in their identifications. Before the guard allowed the visitors in, my wife asked the guard which house they were going to. When the guard went back to ask the two Indonesian guys where they were going, they looked at each other and one of them showed the guard the address from his mobile phone.

In reply, the guard told them that the address is not Sierra Damansara but it is actually Villa Damansara. They subsequently made their exit.

Based on this incident, there is certainly room for improvements. Instead of asking the visitors to fill in their particulars on a blank piece of paper, our guards should request for the visitor's particulars (eg. NRIC, Driving Licence) and record them down on a proper log book.

"That's easier said than done !"...I hear some of you saying.

As per mentioned during our recent AGM, let's have more volunteers to be at our guardhouse to help ensure that each and every visitor to our neighbourhood is properly accounted for.

I look forward to hearing feedback and suggestions from you. Should you decide not to post your comment here for whatever reasons, do drop me an email at chong.leslie@gmail.com

Welcome to Sierra Damansara Resident's Association

Hi fellow neighbours,

John F Kennedy, on his inaugural address in 1961 said to his fellow countrymen .."Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country "....

On this same note, I would like to reach out to all of us here at Sierra Damansara to rally together via this blog to share comments and experiences, suggestions and areas of improvements, to network closer in true neighbourly spirit and last but not least, to have a common voice for ALL.

Firstly, kudos to our existing committee headed by Mr Ong for all their tireless contributions since Day 1. Moving forward this blog is NOT meant to replace whatever they are currently doing but to complement in whichever way possible to reach out to all of us on issues pertaining to Sierra Damansara.

I look forward to each and everyone's active and constructive participation here to ensure this blog is constantly active with the latest news and feedback for all of us.

Regards,

Leslie (31 Jalan Camar 4/18)