LETTER | Local authorities can help make our residential areas safe and liveable.

Abandoned vehicles and parking of lorries in front of houses and along the kerbsides fronting our neighbourhoods is an eyesore.

It is hoped the media will help highlight this growing and long-neglected problem.

Leaving vehicles abandoned in neighbourhoods poses health issues as it becomes a breeding ground for deadly mosquitoes and rodents.

It deprives others - residents and visitors - of the much-needed space to park their vehicles daily.

And then there is a growing trend among tenants and house owners who are in the transport, pasar malam (night market) or trading business to park their lorries and goods vans along the kerbside of neighbourhoods adjacent to rows of houses.

This takes up much of the valuable space that could be better used to plant greens and beautify residential spaces. It also congests the roads fronting homes making egress and ingress of cars and bikes difficult.

From a safety point of view, commercial vehicles like lorries, vans and even school buses and factory buses are hazards as the roads in most neighbourhoods are also sparsely lit at night.

Will, enforcement

Making our neighbourhoods safe, liveable and beautified with rich and varied flora demands both the will of the residents and the proper, effective enforcement by local municipalities.

For a long time, this aspect has been overlooked and only tolerated with mounting frustration.

While the government champions the Madani precepts to make Malaysia a value-centric nation of people, translating these principles into effective enforcement could make a big difference to our national agenda.

High-end housing areas are a pride and pleasure to go through or live in. But what about the vast and countless residential areas spread all over the country and even within city fringes?

Do these low- and middle-income bracket populations who struggle to own or rent a residence deserve a more liveable space?

Surely we can make great strides in making all our neighbourhoods a signature of hope and well-being.

I hope this letter gets the attention of local authorities.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.