Ministry removes 'dangerous defence weapon'

The barbed wires at 10 blocks of flats owned by the Defence Ministry will be removed. — Picture by Lim Poh Chin

Source: http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/gobarbi/Article (2011/03/13)

The Defence Ministry is removing the barbed wires at the 10 blocks of flats owned by the ministry, following the safety concerns raised by Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng last week.

Army public relations director Col Fadzlette Othman Merican told Streets that a unit had been tasked to ensure that the barbed wires, which could injure the residents, be removed. "The exercise to remove the barbed wires has started. They were installed to protect the housing scheme because some units were not fully occupied. "We wanted to prevent the theft of fixtures such as lights and fans," she said.

It was reported on March 7 that the residents were uneasy with the presence of barbed wires surrounding Blocks A, B, C, D, K, L, M, N, P and Q of the 40-year-old housing area.
Lim, on a walkabout, pointed out the barbed wires, that were approximately 0.6m high, surrounding the derelict three-storey walkup flats. Instead of barbed wires, Lim said the ministry should put up barricades which would not be a danger to the residents. He said he had received a complaint from a couple whose child was injured after tripping over the barbed wires at night.
The ministry purchased 380 flat units in 1975. They housed army personnel, who moved out in 2009. Five more blocks with a total 216 units are occupied by the public, and two blocks rented out and converted into PKNS's office.