back in the 70s and mid 80s, the sense of community efforts to patrol your own housing areas was very strong.
as a kid i would tag along with my dad when it was his turn to patrol the neighbourhood with others.
at the end of the patrol, we had freshly brew coffee (none of those gourmet coffee served by starbucks) and ying yong roti bakar at kopitiam.
neighbours that balik kampung or go on long vacation will pass their house keys to relatives living nearby. while they are away their pets get fed, plants are watered, porch lights are switch off during the day and switch when dusk sets in.
i guess this is not so practical today.
some of my friends don't even know their neighbours' name and background. yet some of them have the audacity to badmouth on their neighbours poor taste of landscaping or house extension, companions they bring home during the wee hours, etc etc
one of my friend, she bought a place in bamboo river and she said she likes the idea of not having fencing. i told her we malaysian are not ready with this type of concept. true. months later she complained about her neighbour's plants growing to her side of the lawn and her neighbour complained about her children stomping on their imported grass, etc etc.
it is ironic that as a foreigner i feel safe walking alone middle of the night in a foreign cities like singapore and shanghai yet i fear for my safety in my own hometown during the day.
