KUALA LUMPUR: Sea Park Apartment residents are calling on the local council and police to look into allegations of 'extortion' in the area.
Residents committee chairman Annie Loo claimed that thugs have been forcing residents to pay RM10 per day for parking, in order to be left alone.
Loo said the thugs would force residents to pay if they park at the carpark lots in front of the apartment, which is owned by a single individual.
As a result of this, the roads around the apartment have become congested as residents have taken to parking their cars on both sides of the road.
Others were forced to park in neighbouring commercial areas which might pose a safety risk at night especially for womenfolk.
"Regardless , the brutes are forcing us to pay even if our cars touch a bit of the yellow line which marks the parking lots.
"They would stop residents from driving out unless the money is paid, which had led to arguments.
"We fear that the pent up energy and frustration might lead to a fight," Loo told the New Straits Times.
She added that the security guards were powerless to stop the thugs as the hoodlums are very aggressive.
Loo said many residents – some of whom had stayed here for decades – are now living in fear, and quite a number of them are senior citizens.
She said some had no choice but to pay as they fear the thugs would damage their cars.
The thugs said they are collecting the money on behalf of the landowner, according to Loo.
Despite police reports lodged by the residents, none of the rowdy ruffians were detained and questioned, she added.
Loo said the thugs would behave when police visited the area, and only act like gangsters again once the cops leave.
Residents were forced to pay a parking fee to use the parking lots after the land surrounding the six blocks of apartments was sold by the developer in 2008.
The land provides up to 500 parking bays for the residents of Sea Park Apartment. There are 264 units here.
Until today, residents could not come to an agreement with the new landowner, Yap Say Tee.
Residents refused to pay the parking fee, citing that the fee was unreasonable.
They are also unhappy that the parking lots have ended up in the hands of one individual.
On the other hand, Yap's daughter Cecilia was reported by the press as saying that the residents had been using the land for free since 2008 without paying the parking fee.
Accordingly, the residents also did not respond to proposals to rent or buy a parking bay despite her efforts to hold a dialogue with them.
Cecilia had also pointed out that in their sales and purchase agreement signed over 30 years ago, it is stated that their apartment units do not come with parking bays.
It is estimated that more than more 300 vehicles park in the apartment's compound.