Leave No One Behind

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 In our pursuit of growth and development, let us not forget those who still live in the shadows of our luxurious highrises, glitzy shopping malls and impressive infrastructure.
Equity is a rarity in Malaysia. In our pursuit of growth, many get sidelined, and eventually forgotten.
One good example — or a bad one, depending on how you look at it — is Taman Desaria, a run-down collection of walk-up apartment blocks just a stone’s throw away from the glitz of Sunway City Kuala Lumpur.
The FMT article Taman Desaria — a cesspool of squalor, neglect, fear published on Tuesday clearly illustrates how some of us can so easily be forgotten, never mind that we are right under the noses of the powers-that-be.
But why this apathy? It stems from a lack of political will to face the inconvenient truth that confronts us day and night.
As in the case of Taman Desaria, many get left at the wayside in our pursuit of development. As we add new structures — luxury apartments, sprawling shopping malls, first-class hotels — on a diminishing landscape, the underprivileged are pushed to the edge.
Compounding the problem is fragmented jurisdiction. In the case of Taman Desaria, the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) and the Commissioner of Buildings (COB) are pushing the responsibility to one another, leading to a bureaucratic deadlock.
Meanwhile, utility providers operate without coordinated oversight, leaving residents to suffer the consequences.
Law enforcement failures, such as the inability of the narcotics department of the police to curb the activities of drug cartels, erode community safety and trust.
As stated in the story, the fear of retaliation silences victims and witnesses, enabling criminal elements to thrive.
As a resident said, students aged 13 to 16 are the primary targets, wooed by cash. Poverty leads to gains for the cartels. This vicious cycle of neglect and intimidation deepens residents’ despair.
Experts on urban regeneration stress that revitalising neglected neighbourhoods like Taman Desaria is essential for equitable city development. Yet, without inclusive planning that involves the voice of the residents and coordinated action among all stakeholders, meaningful change continues to be elusive.
The residents of Taman Desaria do not seek luxury. All they want is basic human dignity: clean homes, safe streets, reliable sanitation, and protection from disease and crime. Their voices echo in the corridors of power but remain unheard.
What needs to be done
I imagine the residents of Taman Desaria are not all that demanding. In all likelihood, they just want those responsible to make things right for them.
This should not be too difficult a task. From the politicians who represent them, the residents would expect their Yang Berhormats to advocate for their right to basic necessities.
To MBPJ and COB, perhaps the most pressing issue is the delay in the release of building plans to enable remedial work to begin. While they continue to wait, the residents would most likely want to know what measures will be taken to ensure their wellbeing.
To the minister of housing and local government, it will help if he can intervene to undo the red tape that has left the residents in a bind. This can be achieved by making each and every department or authority accountable for their action, or inaction.
The waste management company and the utility provider have a responsibility to get their act together. This means ensuring that garbage collection is carried out regularly, and the sewage treatment system is fixed.
Trees must pruned, weeds pulled out by the roots, clogged drains are cleared and the playground restored to its former glory so parents know their children are safe on the swings, slides and seesaws.
The most important, and perhaps the most difficult task goes to the law enforcers.
The drug cartels must be dismantled to restore safety to this vulnerable community, and the narcotics deparment in Bukit Aman may perhaps be the best authority to take charge of this.
Without a doubt, the poverty level in Taman Desaria is high. The residents, all likely in the B40 group (the 40% of Malaysians who earn the lowest income), will probably not have the money to pay the management fees.
Nonethelesss, they are also citizens of this country and they deserve the same respect, kindness and empathy from their state asssemblyman and MP, the city authorities, and the utility operators.
For instance, what does it take for the MBPJ to ensure regular fogging and to organise a gotong-royong at intervals to clean up the place? This will go a long way towards addressing the recurrence of dengue fever, which now sees more than 10 new cases every month.
Time to act
Taman Desaria’s plight is Malaysia’s very own tale of two cities, with a twist.
In Charles Dickens’ original, London was a refuge for those who were fleeing Paris during the French revolution. In this case, it is the contrast between the two sides — the rich and privileged in Sunway City and the poor and disadvantaged in Taman Desaria.
As Malaysia marks succeeding milestones and looks forward to a great future, let us not forget those who are still in the shadows of our collective prosperity.
It is not right to leave our fellow citizens, like those in Taman Desaria, to not just live with no help but worse than that, the scourge of the drug problem.
Will those who are responsible rise to the challenge? Or will another generation be condemned to live and die in silence, just steps away from the glittering promise of a better life? - FMT
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.

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