Entire Cheras Street Penalized After Residents’ Complaints To Council
A trivial dispute over parking spaces between three households – Malay, Chinese and Indian families – has resulted in the entire neighborhood being penalized by municipal authorities, highlighting the importance of community tolerance.
Subscribe to our FREE Newsletter, or Telegram and WhatsApp channels for the latest stories and updates.
A neighbourhood parking dispute in Cheras turned ugly when residents complained to the city council, resulting in the entire street receiving parking tickets totalling RM30,000.
The incident occurred at Taman Sri Bahagia Cheras, where the Kajang Municipal Council (MPK) responded to resident complaints about parking space hogging by issuing tickets to all residents who parked along the street.
City Councilor Tan Kah Hoe explained that the dispute originated between three terrace house residents – Malay, Chinese, and Indian families.
One family living in the middle unit was unhappy with neighbours on both sides placing plastic barriers to reserve parking spaces in front of his house, prompting him to file a complaint with the council.
Escalation of Enforcement
After enforcement officers issued initial warnings, another household, dissatisfied with the situation, filed a counter-complaint about cars parking in front of his house.
Two weeks later, enforcement officers returned and issued tickets to everyone on the street.
“There are other parking spaces available in the area. The issue isn’t lack of parking – it’s about attitudes and unwillingness to compromise. They argued for over an hour,” Tan said during his visit to meet with residents.
He advised that residents who received tickets could have them cancelled by proving their residency with utility bills and also offered to help residents appeal future tickets.
Tan reminded residents that neighbors should be more tolerant of each other and warned that enforcement actions would only harm everyone in the community.
Why Parking Wars Plague Malaysian Neighborhoods
Malaysia’s residential parking crisis stems from a complex web of infrastructure limitations, social changes, and regulatory challenges that have evolved over decades.
At its core, the problem lies in outdated neighbourhood designs that failed to anticipate today’s high car ownership rates.
Many residential areas, particularly older townships, were built when single-car households were the norm.
nak double park tu tinggal la PHONE NUMBER ! ni aku dah lambat pergi kerja. takkan nak aku hon sampai ke sudah kacau org tidur laa pulak. Pepagi buta dah buat aku baran. pic.twitter.com/QdMvsMQ8Dm
— Akak Kupi Tengah Healing (@Asmakmrzmn) August 13, 2024
Now, with multiple working adults under one roof and extended families living together, these neighbourhoods struggle to accommodate three or four cars per household.
Behavioural patterns also play a significant role.
The ‘first come, first served’ mentality often leads to space hogging, while residents frequently display territorial attitudes about parking in front of their homes.
[Original reporting by China Press (中國報), Malaysia’s Chinese-language daily newspaper.]JIRAN DARI NERAKA. Renovate rumah sampai tepi jalan pastu datang parking kereta dekat depan rumah orang. pic.twitter.com/fnZFiEluUf
— ISU SEMASA VIRAL (@isusemasaviral) October 18, 2024
READ MORE: [Watch] Parking Wars: The Battle Over Spaces Heats Up In Kuala Lumpur
Share your thoughts with us via TRP’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Threads.
