Three-year woes may soon be over
04/08/2008 NST By Azira Shaharuddin

This rundown basketball court at Alora apartments reflects the sorry state of the living conditions there.

SHAH ALAM: Hope is in sight for the residents of Alora Apartments in Taman Sri Muda, who have had to put up with deplorable living conditions for the past three years.

The Shah Alam City Council, as commissioner of the apartment building, is expected to meet with the residents and developer soon to discuss the setting up of a joint management body (JMB) to address the problems faced by the residents.

Council public relations officer Shahrin Ahmad said the council was aware of the problems, and had in the past organised several meetings between the two parties.

"The council has taken over some of the developer's jobs, such as landscaping and garbage collection. Hopefully after the meeting, the JMB would take charge," he said.


Under Act 663 of the Building and Common Property, each high-rise residential building needs to have a JMB, if they have not received the strata title, to manage the units.

Residents of the four-block Alora Apartments have long complained about the developer's lack of maintenance of the apartment facilities.

Broken lifts and fences, a swimming pool without water, and irregular garbage services are among the host of problems the residents have had to live with for many years.

There is also only one security guard for the four blocks. Each block has 80 flats.

Residents say this is obviously inadequate, and the lack of security is compounded by the increasing number of robberies in the area.

The developer's reluctance to provide proper maintenance and security stems from the residents' refusal to pay the monthly RM75 maintenance fees.

Resident Ho Wei Ying, 53, who stays on the fifth floor said the lifts in her block had been damaged for over a year.

All complaints had gone unheard. Of the four blocks of flats, only one has a working lift.

"The developer kept saying they had no money. Recently they wanted to collect RM400 from each house to repair the lift. They said they would only repair it if every househould paid."

Another resident, M.G. Segaran, 56, said he bought a flat because the developer promised the lifts would be fixed.

"But it has been four months and the lifts are still not fixed," he said.