LETTERS: ON Aug 29, 1975, then prime minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein launched the first Rukun Tetangga (RT) sector in Kampung Kasipillay, Kuala Lumpur.
For Bukit Aman, Kampung Kasipillay then was at the top of its list as a haven for gangsters, drug addicts, drug pushers, thieves and snatch thieves.
Within six months, all of the above had disappeared.
We got so much done in such a short period of time because people from all walks of life were willing to give up their own needs.
RT, in its original form, was successful.
I am confident that if it had continued, police would have had less work to do and we could have achieved national unity.
Today, millions of ringgit are spent without results.
Thefts, crimes and other illegal activities have increased.
Do you think the existing RT would have continued to function like what the Kampung Kasipillay RT did for nearly five years, maintaining a more than 90 per cent attendance without any money from the government?
My answer is "no".
So what's the solution? The authorities should evaluate all RT sectors regarding unity and the parts played by race and religion.
Then, they should release a report on what can be done to boost unity.
Please do not misunderstand me. I am not advocating the removal of subsidies or the closure of RT sectors, but rather making it more effective.
Do that and we can achieve true unity through RT.
More publicity should be given to RT's activities and more multiracial gatherings should be conducted.
At the national and state levels, there should be an open house on
the anniversary of RT every year, and let's make Aug 29 Rukun Tetangga Day.
Finally, I would like to suggest seven guidelines to make RT more meaningful:
RT committees should be multiracial;
THE chairman should not be a leader in any political party;
YEARLY accounts should be submitted by RT committees and audited by state or national authorities;
MULTIRACIAL activities should be conducted often to assess the dedication of chairmen;
NON-PERFORMING RTs should be checked, advised and closed;
A RT should register all residents in its area, monitor undesirable activities; and, RT should not be used as a base for politics.
DR M. JAYARAMAN
Rukun Tetangga Kampung Kasipillay,
Kuala Lumpur
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times
