Uncle Burger hit by thieves

In a very sad development, our sponsor, Uncle Burger, reported that his stove, table and parasol was stolen from his residence yesterday morning at around 10:30am.

He has reason to suspect that the thieves are a bunch of neighborhood misfits on bicycles staking out houses in Ipoh Garden East (Ipoh) for metal goods to be sold as scrap. (Iron is fetching high prices at scrap these days.) I did a bit of investigation in Uncle Burger's neighborhood this morning, with queries to his neighbors, surrounding street residents, and the commercial shopowners fronting the area.

Apparently, a bunch of 18-to-25-year olds on foot and bicycles have been spotted wandering around the area frequently between 10am~4pm. Uncle Burger's neighbors at Taman Kemuncak reported that a bunch of young men had been loitering at a small park just beside their row of houses just 15 minutes prior to Uncle Burger's return and discovery of the loss. Two of his regular customers and friends staying in the same development and the adjacent Taman Perak reported that they had car alloy wheels and metal tables removed from the porches of their homes within the past month. Both houses' gates were securely locked, with one having a 6-foot high security sliding gate.

Kedai Makanan & Minuman Taman Timur, which is situated at this very area, related that they had lost almost half a dozen iron drain covers and its replacements in front of the shop within a week. An adjacent shop undergoing renovations at the same block had its electrical cables and wiring ripped off within an hour of it being put up, yesterday.

The houses of quad-area Ipoh Garden East, Taman Kaya, Taman Perak, and Taman Kemuncak is rapidly sought-after these days due to their very strategic location, which features 4 of Ipoh's largest shopping malls and retailers within its 5-kilometre radius. Obviously, they are not only the preference of homeowners, but of thieves and robbers too as the main road connecting these shopping destinations go through the quad-area.

Homeowners there should now be more vigilant of suspicious activity, especially groups of 2 and more riding around in bicycles and motorbikes during work hours. Uncle Burger has told me that he is considering talks with the local police and residents in forming and bringing back Rukun Tetangga or a neighborhood association to serve the security and other homeowner needs.

Please join me in wishing Uncle Burger success in his noble cause, and help him get back on his feet by patronizing his stand whenever you happen to be around Jusco, Tesco, Makro, or Giant. He is open from 8pm~11pm, Tuesdays thru Sunday and can be found just off the main road of Jalan Perajurit, beside the bus stop and directly opposite the ABC Trading pet store.