A GROUP of residents from the newly completed Phase 1 of Majestic Heights in Penang are unhappy that they have to pay upgrading fees totalling about RM700 for each unit to the management corporation.

Their spokesman Tan Kean Huat said: “Although we are given keys, the electricity and water supply will not be made available to us if we don't settle the amount.

“As this is only a low-medium cost project, why should we have to pay upgrading fees for security card access, CCTV surveillance, porch awnings and SMATV (satellite master antenna television system) among others?”

They were also dissatisfied with the maintenance services, he told a press conference recently, adding that there were spoilt smoke detectors while some fire hoses were missing.

The Phase 1 project comprised nine blocks totalling 1,557 apartments but only some 100 units are currently occupied.

The entire scheme, launched in 1995, comprised 2,955 housing units, 55 shop lots and 22 light industrial units. It was the country’s largest abandoned housing project.

The Housing and Local Government Minister had invoked Section 11(1)(d) of the Housing Developers’ (Control and Licensing) Act 1966 which directed the developer to wind up the company.

In 2001, 545 buyers of Phase 1 apartments appointed liquidator Deloitte Kassim Chan after the developer agreed to a winding-up order filed in the High Court. The project was finally revived in 2002.

Tan urged the liquidator to appoint another management corporation as the group deemed the present one (Pris-tine Environment Sdn Bhd) as profiteering.

When contacted, the corporation's chairman P. L. Chang said if they had grouses, the proper channel was his office which was open from 9am to 6pm daily.

He said hundreds of residents had agreed to pay the upgrading fees at a forum in December.