GEORGE TOWN, Oct 1 ― Penang state exco Jagdeep Singh Deo said the proposal to station police personnel at People’s Housing Project (PPR) must be studied further before it is implemented.

He argued that the move would be counterproductive PPR residents would feel as though they have been put under police observation.

“We must remember that not all those who live in PPR are criminals, there are good people living in these projects, they are very poor people and by placing police among them, it would not be very conducive,” he said.

The housing, local government and town and country planning committee chairman was commenting on recent announcements that policemen will be stationed at 17 PPR in the Federal Territories to curb crime.

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Jagdeep admitted that there was a perception of rampant crime at PPR projects but argued that  there are other ways to arrest this issue.

“The Housing and Local Government Ministry has a solution for this by introducing a Community Empowerment Secretariat,” he said.

He said the secretariat will be based permanently at PPRs with three to four officers stationed there.

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“These officers will be tasked with conducting community empowerment programmes for the people in PPR to reduce social issues in these housing projects,” he said.

He said the officers will also oversee the PPR they are stationed in and assist the people living there.

“Two PPR in Penang, Taman Manggis and Bagan Jaya, have been chosen as a pilot projects to implement this and we have identified spaces to set up the offices,” he said.

He said Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin will launch the first secretariat at Taman Manggis on October 16.