KUALA LUMPUR, April 14 — Residents of Taman Hillview and Taman Sri Ukay are living in fear of criminals who have made Highland Towers their “headquarters” to stake out houses they plan to rob.

The two abandoned towers are perfect for such undesirable individuals to hide in and plan criminal activities, as there are two convenient “escape routes” leading to either Jalan Bukit Antarabangsa or Ukay Heights.

Residents were evacuated from the two remaining blocks close to 23 years ago after the collapse of Block One.

The possibility of robberies is just one of the concerns giving residents the jitters.

Another is the presence of drug addicts who have made the decrepit structures a drug den where they gather for their “fix”.

Some residents have also complained about having to tolerate noisy crowds of “ghost watchers” who come to the area in the wee hours hoping to experience paranormal activities.

“Taman Sri Ukay and Taman Hillview have security personnel guarding the two entrances but these paths in the forest cannot be monitored as it is a wide piece of land, which gives criminals easy escape routes,” said Taman Sri Ukay and Hillview residents association president Datuk Siti Hendon.

Siti was herself a near victim when robbers attempted to rob her house two years ago.

“My security guard saw two men walking in the verandah of my house and he immediately shouted at them to chase them away,” she said.

“These criminal activities can happen to anyone and it must come to an end because we are tired of living in fear.”

Siti said the authorities should take immediate action.

“We want them to bring down both the remaining blocks as it is a home for these criminals.”

“Twenty three years on and the authorities are yet to solve this issue and it has ‘grown’ from being an abandoned building into a home for various illegal activities,” she said.

Shahida Ibrahim, 56, said her home was broken into thrice since January.

“They used a bolt cutter to cut the padlock and triggered the alarm at 3am. They tied up my 76-year-old husband and he fainted after being threatened by the robbers.”

On Tuesday, police shot dead three men during a 5am shoot-out at one of the blocks.

The suspects, believed to be Indonesians, were part of an armed robbery gang that had been involved in more than 26 robberies in Selangor.

“This is the last straw for us,” Siti said.

Civil engineer Selvanayagam Nagalingam, 65, said the two blocks were a possible lookout point for criminals to monitor residents’ daily activities and plan their attacks.

“From atop the towers, robbers can view the whole housing area right up to the entrances of Taman Sri Ukay and Hillview,” he added.

“This gives them an advantage as they have a bird’s eye view of the area. These people could be monitoring which houses are left empty throughout the day or what time people in a certain house sleep at night.

“We never know for sure what or how these criminals plan their activities but I strongly hope the authorities stop pointing figures and do something about it.”

Selvanayagam is also fearful that criminals are getting familiar with the surroundings as there had already been four attempted break-ins from January to April.

“This is compared to only one break-in throughout the whole of last year,” he said.

Datuk Mohinder Singh, 78, whose house is located just before the entrance of the towers, said he sometimes found it difficult to sleep.

“All kinds of people such as ghost hunters and drug addicts frequent the place at about two to three in the morning,” he said.

“They come in with their motorbikes and cars and make loud noises when they are around the area. We were told they were going to demolish the remaining towers years ago, but until now, the buildings still remain. It has been a growing concern for all the residents here.”

Mohinder, who has lived there for 47 years, said six thieves armed with parang and knives, robbed his home in October 2014.

“I was at home with my wife, daughter and grandson when the incident occurred. They broke in through the sliding door in my hall and warned us not to resist them or they would harm us,” he added.

“After the robbery, they ran towards the direction of the Highland Towers.”

He said he never thought of moving out despite the incident.

“The area is very peaceful and the only concern for everyone here is the abandoned towers and the land surrounding it.”

“The authorities must take immediate action and if they delay further, it will lead to incidents similar to the one on Tuesday.”