Law on high-rise upkeep sought
The Star 30/8/2005 BY NIK KHUSAIRI IBRAHIM

PENANG: High-rise residential dwellings have existed for more than three decades in Malaysia but the authorities have yet to formulate a law on the maintenance of common property.

Penang High-Rise Unit Owners Association president Dr Tiun Ling Ta said that having laws such as the Property Maintenance Act was crucial to ensure that high-rise blocks were properly maintained.

“Various complaints abound. Some residents refuse to pay for the maintenance services while some building managements failed to fulfil their duties.

“The residents, the management corporations and the developers are not aware of their rights and responsibilities,” he said.

The association was set up in September last year to create awareness among residents and work together with the developers on maintenance payments and other issues.

The association has seven corporate (management) members and 47 individual members.

Dr Tiun noted that the problems affecting high-rise buildings in the state were more peculiar to low and low medium-cost units compared to condominiums and luxury apartments.

This is due to attitude and awareness, he said, adding that low-cost flats reported higher percentage of defaulters who did not pay up monthly maintenance fee.

“My study shows that residents in low-cost flats face more problems like faulty lift services and disruptions of electricity supply to common areas,” he added.

Dr Tiun said that on average, about 60% of the low-cost flat residents did not pay maintenance fee making it difficult to manage the buildings.

Poor collection is also due to lack of enforcement be-cause building managers do not take action against the defaulters, he added.

He said the Property Maintenance Act could complement the Housing Developers Act and Strata Title Act.

Dr Tiun said that problems such as unsettled maintenance payment and missing sinking funds must be checked.

“At the moment there is no law that says that residents have the right to view the management corporation’s audited accounts,” he said.

He said lack of coordination and clear-cut guidelines had led to poor enforcement of existing regulations.