KUALA LUMPUR: The Consumer Claims Tribunal ticked off some apartment management companies for not employing more guards to prevent thefts in their premises.

“If you feel four guards are not enough, please increase the number. And please get insurance as well,” said its president Yang Zaimey Yang Ghazali.

On Friday, Yang Zaimey heard two cases in which two apartment residents failed to get compensation for losses due to what they claimed to be negligence by security guards.

He said the scenario could have been different had the claimants provided evidence that the guards were “sleeping on the job,” and not patrolling or at their posts.

In the first case, construction worker Gan Soon Chai had filed a RM24,300 claim against the management company of an apartment block in Taman Desa Petaling which was burgled last year.

He was very unhappy that the guards hired by the company failed to stop two suspicious men, believed to be burglars, from driving through a security gate at the entrance.

Gan said he lost a computer, jewellery and cash in the robbery.

In the second case, sales executive Jeevan Jaganathan sought compensation after his car was stolen from his apartment in May last year.

His claim of RM16,498 was for the loss of use of the car for a month and accessories that went missing. The car was recovered a month later.

In explaining his decision, Yang Zaimey said he was satisfied with the track record of the company in Jeevan’s case as only one car was reported stolen from the apartment last year.

He added that the tribunal also did not allow loss of use as a basis of claims because it would open up a floodgate for others to make similar claims.

Jeevan was awarded the claim by the tribunal in November when the company failed to appear for the hearing. The company then applied for the award to be set aside.