By Aisyah Suwardi

aisyahs@thestar.com.my

FOLLOWING a spate of burglaries this April in Manjung, Perak, residents of the suburb felt they had to step in to tackle the problem.
“At first a part-time guard was hired to patrol the neighbourhood,” recalls resident Mohd Yusri Mohd Yusof. “But the breakins
did not abate.”

Several residents then decided to organise Rukun Tetangga (RT) or Neighbourhood Watch patrols from midnight to 5am, manned by five or
six people in two groups making their rounds twice a night.
Soon, the number of burglaries fell drastically. “We even managed to catch a burglar trying to break into a house,” said Yusri, a 36-year-old teacher.

Manjung’s RT success story is a shining example for the rest of the country at a time of gated communities and CCTV security systems.
“In between rounds, we would sit and talk in our mosque compound to avoid falling asleep,” said Yusri.

“Many could not join the patrols during weekdays due to work commitments, but at weekends we have a bigger group of residents of mixed
races patrolling the neighbourhood. The community spirit is strengthened because we are helping to make our homes safer,” he said.

Malaysia’s RT programme has played an active role in community development and national unity since its launch in 1975. In June 2012, Parliament passed the Neighbourhood Watch Act.

Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Ministry deputy secretary-general of policy Dr Mary Wong Lai Lin said the Act was in line
with the objectives of the National Community Policy.

“It is time we stop relying on the authorities to do everything for us. We should step up as a community and be responsible citizens within our neighbourhood,” she said at the launch of the Malaysia 100 Year Cities (100YC) programme in July.

Supervised by the Department of National Unity and Integration, RT’s primary role is to organise groups for night patrols to reduce crime in neighbourhoods. Today, there are about 8,000 RT areas throughout the country.