End in sight for longstanding housing woes
27/08/2007 The Star By Koay Shiann Huah

THE longstanding housing woes faced by hundreds of flat dwellers in Villa Mas Ewani in Jelutong, Penang, will soon be over.

The state Commissioner of Building (COB) is coming in to help them.

Villa Mas Ewani Owners Association secretary Yusnidar Abdul Rahman said the COB had agreed to set up a joint management body with the flat dwellers to resolve the problems affecting residents there.

“The body will replace the management company appointed by the developer,” she said in the interview recently.

Yusnidar said problems started when Tenaga Nasional disconnected power supply to the 115 units low-medium cost flats in May for unpaid bills.

This resulted in the disruption in lift services.

At the time, the management company there claimed it had no money to settle the bills as 80% of the 60 households had refused to pay the monthly maintenance fees.

“But the people are claiming otherwise with most of them saying they had settled the fees on time,” she said.

The power supply was later restored with assistance from Sungai Pinang assemblyman Looi Swee Cheang.

Looi also helped them liase with COB in setting up a joint management body after the developer’s company was liquidated early this month.

Yusnidar said once the body was established, it would be responsible for managing the property, including maintenance and all affairs related to the building.

“Once we have received the official letter from the COB, we will inform all of the owners here to vote for our representatives in the body,” she said.

She also urged the property owners and residents there to give full support to the association and the COB.