Broken lifts causing Kajang flats residents grief to no end

The Star, Thursday November 7, 2013

by choo woon lim

Waiting for action: Residents of Taman Sri Kenari, Kajang hope something will be done about their faulty lift, one of which has not been functioning for over two years.

WHEELCHAIR-bound Vassendy Ramoo, 46, has to depend on the kindness of strangers to get in and out of her first-floor flat.

“When I go to church, the members will help carry me down the stairs.

“Passers-by and neighbours also help sometimes, but I cannot always rely on them.

“I have to stay at home most of the time now,” added the mother of two who stays in Block A, Taman Sri Kenari, Kajang.

Both lifts at the block are not functioning, making life difficult for residents.

One of their two lifts broke down two years ago, while the other has been out of order for the past six months.

There is also no electricity in the common areas such as the corridors and staircases.

Azizah Awang, who lives on the sixth floor, said it was dangerous for her as she had three small children.

“I have to send them to and from school every day.

“It is very inconvenient, and with the lights out, it has become dangerous,” she said.

“The situation is much worse for the elderly and the disabled,” she added.

Azizah, a resident for 13 years, said many tenants were not paying the maintenance fee of RM55 monthly.

Another resident, Subramaniam Kanan recently injured his leg and has been using crutches to move around.

“Sometimes I am forced to sit on the stairs and drag myself one step at a time,” said Subramaniam, who has been living at the flats since 2009.

There are 300 units in the10-floor block.

The previous management had left with arrears amounting to RM35,000.

The building was temporarily put under a joint management body before the Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj) appointed an agent, Nurr Property Consultant, to handle the building’s management since July 2013.

Nurr Property Consultant property manager Roslan Hussin said they were aware of the situation at the flats.

“The cost of repairing each lift is RM72,000,” said Roslan, adding that they had submitted an application under the state government’s Caring Government for Residents’ Improvement Aid (Ceria) scheme for funds.

The scheme is a programme designed to provide money to low-cost flats for lift repairs, roofing and other facilities.

The state will bear 80% of the repair costs while residents have to pay the remaining 20%,

“We have also met Bangi assemblyman Mohd Shafie Ngah over the situation,” said Roslan.

He said the building needed RM15,000 monthly for maintenance but they only receive RM4,000 from residents.

The electricity in common areas has been cut as there is an outstanding bill of RM7,000 owed to Tenaga Nasional Berhad.

“To reconnect supply, the bill has to to be paid to TNB,” he said.

Shafie said previously RM6,000 was provided to repair the lifts, but they broke down again after two weeks.

“I urge the residents to pay their maintenance fees so the building will be well-maintained,” he added.

A tight squeeze for tenants

The Star, Tuesday September 10, 2013 

By YIP YOKE TENG
Photos by SAMUEL ONG and SAM THAM

Lucrative venture: One of the many houses in Taman Tasik Semenyih has been converted to house more tenants. There is high demand from students attending a private university nearby. It is said another university will be built in the vicinity.

MANY houseowners in the Klang Valley are laughing their way to the bank renting out their properties to a big number of tenants in each unit, turning a blind eye to health and safety concerns. 

 

This situation is especially prevalent in areas populated by students and immigrant workers. 

For students, the houses are usually partitioned into much smaller rooms or converted into hostels by building additional levels.

Mostly students in Semenyih

One such area is Taman Tasik Semenyih, located near a private university.

Houseowners are taking advantage of the lack of enforcement to make big bucks.

A resident who wanted to be known only as Mrs Tan, said some landlords in the area were fetching as high as RM10,000 in rent monthly. 

“These landlords have made a fortune from renting out their semi-detached and bungalow units in this neighbourhood to students.

Hygiene a major concern: Units shared by a huge number of foreign workers are usually unkempt. 

 

Owners are advised against doing so to keep their maintenance cost low.

 

“But they have ‘defaced’ this area, which was meant to be exclusive and high-end when it was launched more than 10 years ago,” she said. 

She added that many of the owners bought the units about three years ago for RM250,000 each. 

Some of them have converted the double-storey semi-detached units into hostels with up to 20 rooms, rented to students at about RM500 each. 

Tan said that many single-storey bungalows that originally had three rooms were sub-divided into eight rooms, with owners raking in almost RM5,000 in rent per month. 

The high profit has attracted more investors to the area, as a drive around the neighbourhood saw several such hostels under construction. 

“I think about 20% of the houses are rented to a very high number of students. 

Profits on the way: New investors are renovating the bungalow and semidetached units to rent out to students.

 

The Kajang Municipal Council had taken action some years back but could not eradicate the problem.

“Putting that many tenants in one unit is very dangerous, what happens if a fire breaks out? Also, even though they make so much money, they do not maintain their properties properly. Many of these hostels are an eyesore, with litter scattered all over. 

“The students can be very noisy at times and it is a nuisance for other residents,” said Tan.

Migrant workers prefer KL

As for migrant workers, they are usually squeezed into small units under accommodation arrangements made by their employer or they decide to share to save on rent. 

Abdullah Hukum Apartment Joint Management Body (JMB) chairman Mohamad Daud said about 70 units at the apartments were occupied by foreign workers, as arranged by employers through agents.

“Even though the unit is meant for just six people as advised by Kuala Lumpur City Hall, we noticed that some house up to 20 workers who are on different shifts,” he said, adding that while the workers were generally well-behaved, they could be noisy sometimes. 

“The situation has been like this since 2007 when we moved in. The rental here is RM1,000 but I do not know how much the landlords are pocketing now with so many occupants,” he said.

He said that the JMB had no authority over the number of occupants in a unit, but urged houseowners to stick to the recommended capacity. 

“Just keep it to six tenants if they want to save on repairs. Imagine the wear and tear when 10 people share one bathroom,” he remarked. 

There are also a few such cramped lodging in Jalan Loke Yew where many Myammar workers and refugees like to stay.

Locals said a three-room unit can go for up to RM2,000 a month compared to RM600 before. Tenants who cannot afford that have no choice but to share the unit with many others. 

Over at Sungai Way New Village, Petaling Jaya, Kampung Tunku assemblyman Lau Weng San said some residents rented their properties to between 60 and 100 foreign workers. 

“Out of 700 houses in Sungai Way, probably 100 are rented out. 

“The new village is popular as it is situated next to many industrial areas in Petaling Jaya,” he said, adding that the main concern was cleanliness.

Lau highlighted that PKNS was building proper hostels for the foreigners and some factories had plans to move their workers there. 

Even though the unit is meant for just six people as advised by City Hall, we noticed that some house up to 20 workers who are on different shifts. —MOHAMAD DAUD

 

The problem also exists in Subang, Bandar Sunway and Petaling Jaya, and the list is growing. 

Spokesmen from Kuala Lumpur City Hall and Petaling Jaya City Council said the local government did not have any ruling over the number of occupants permitted in a residential unit.

However, they can take action if the said property is renovated or extended without following the specifications outlined

Plantation workers not moving out despite eviction notice from developer (Bangi Estate)

The Star, Wednesday September 5, 2012

Plantation workers not moving out despite eviction notice from developer

DESPITE being threatened with demolition of their homes and forceful eviction, a group of former plantation workers of Bangi Estate has decided to stay put and fight their cause.

About 300 acres of the former 800-acre estate has been sold and the developer Trans Loyal Develop­ment Sdn Bhd (TLDSB) has been trying in vain to evict the remaining 25 families from the estate quarters.

When the management converted the estate from rubber to planting oil palm in 2000, the services of the rubber tappers were terminated with some workers having moved out after receiving compensation ranging from RM10,000 to RM20,000, depending on their years of service.

However, those who have refused to accept the compensation which they feel is insignificant, are demanding that the developer build homes for them in the former estate.

Staying put: Some of the remaining families in Bangi Estate looking at homes which were demolished by a group of people brought in by the developers, to forcefully evict the former plantation workers.

 

The developer had attempted to demolish the homes five times, but the families stood their ground each time.

However, some of the unoccupied quarters have been partially demolished.

Bangi Estate resident committee chairman Krishnan Chendermaie said it was unethical for the developer to attempt to demolish their homes despite knowing there were families still occupying them.

“We know the land has been sold and they have the right but it is improper to charge at us without paying us the compensation.

“All we are asking for is a simple three-room house here or at a location nearby in recognition for the years of service given to the estate,” added Krishnan.

He said a notice was sent in June by a law firm acting for the developer, asking the families to make preparations to vacate the estate quarters by July 31.

“Fearing that we may be evicted forcefully, we lodged a police report against the developer at the Kajang district police station,” said Krishnan.

Committee member and former plantation worker M. Rajan said the remaining families decided to fight their cause because the Kajang district office and the developer had promised to build 44 houses and a temple during a meeting with them in 2007.

“We knew there was something amiss and we were not going to get what was promised to us because the project changed hands three times in five years and we had to have meetings each time with the new developers to present our case,” added Rajan.

He said the families have rejected a compensation of RM18,000 offered by the latest developer during a meeting with them on June 27.

Chintamany Chidambaram, 68, who has worked as a rubber-tapper for 35 years, said the families are now living in fear.

“We are constantly being threatened with eviction notice and demolition. This is the price we have to pay for toiling in the estate for all these years,” added Chintamany.

Echoing her sentiments, Lalitha M., 54, who is now employed as a casual worker said Bangi Estate has been her home for the past 40 years and shudder to think what would happen to her family if they were forced out of the estate.

When contacted, project manager Tew Sem Tiong declined to comment on the issue.