Driven out by cracks in their apartments

11/07/2003 The Star  By Ester Chandran

THE appearance of cracks in the Taman Lembah Maju apartments near Pandan Indah has got residents so worried that some have decided to move out.

They are all worried over the safety of the blocks.

Since moving into the units in 1999, residents of certain units have noticed hairline cracks while others have larger ones showing up on their walls.

Khoo pointing to a crack in his unit where he can fit 50 sen and ringgit coins. This prompted affected unit owners to move out, abandoning the apartments when the cracks became bigger.

The most badly affected block is Block D. Cracks are also visible on the walls, pillars, tarred pavements and road.

Unit owner Steven Khoo moved out of his apartment on the first floor last November because he did not feel safe staying there.

Khoo said he found cracks in the apartment the moment he received his keys in 1999 but these were not as big as the ones visible now.

He said the developer repaired the initial cracks but after a year the cracks appeared again and once again, they were repaired.

However, when the cracks appeared for the third time, Khoo decided to seek help from the DAP national consumer affairs bureau (NCAB).

Khoo said he decided to move out after his wife could not get into their home one day as the front door was stuck.

“It is not safe for my family to live in the unit especially since I am away a lot,” Khoo said.

The Khoos have since moved to a place in Kepong but are still servicing the loan for the Lembah Maju apartment

Residents gather at Block D of the Taman Lembah Maju apartments to attend a meeting with MPAJ and the developer on cracks appearing in Block D, E and F.
DAP NCAB secretary Khong Chee Seng said he received complaints that some units in Block C, D and E were affected namely the ones facing Jalan Bunga Mawar.

“Such a thing should not have happened to a purchaser since the unit did not come cheap.

“They were priced at RM129,000 and some were even more expensive,” Khong said.

He said the units’ temporary certificate of fitness (TCF) had expired in July last year and had not been renewed by the developer.

Khong, who had written a letter to the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) regarding the matter, received a favourable reply when MPAJ arranged a meeting between the residents, K.B. Tan Consulting Engineers, Y.Y. Woo Akitek and developer Ekabena Sdn Bhd on Tuesday.

About 100 residents attended the meeting.

MPAJ building and architecture engineer Khairul Anizam Che Azman, after inspecting the affected units with C. Y. Chen from Y.Y. Woo, K. B. Tan and Chan Hee from Ekabena, said the developer would have to prepare a settlement test, a report from the project engineer as well as an undertaking letter that the place was safe for occupation.

The report, Khairul said, was to be handed to MPAJ in two weeks.

Khairul added that the developer would have to repair defects and cracks in affected units.

Once the report was ready, only then would MPAJ decide whether the units were safe for occupation.

Khairul also pointed out the developer would have to comply with conditions required before TCF could once again be issued.

Khong thanked MPAJ for their quick response into the matter and hoped the developer’s consultants would hand in the report according to the deadline laid down by the council.