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Flora Damansara folks left
high and dry
03/03/2009 NST By Noel Achariam
Flora Damansara residents filling up their pails.
PETALING JAYA: More than 2,500 families in Flora Damansara have been forced
to carry pails of water up to their high-rise units for the past three days
after supply to their condominium units was cut off.
Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas) had cut off the water supply after
the management of the condominium had apparently failed to settle its
arrears amounting to more than RM400,000.
The affected residents were those living in the high-rise blocks of C, D, E,
F and H of the condominium in Damansara Perdana.
The residents blamed the management company Allied Group Properties Sdn Bhd
for the fiasco.
They were also upset that there was no prior warning from the management.
They claimed notices were only put up on the day of the water cut.
When Streets visited the condominium yesterday, residents were busy
collecting water in pails, mineral water bottles and assortment of other
containers from water trucks sent by Syabas and the Petaling Jaya City
Council.
A 19-year-old nursing student, who only wanted to be known as Nur
Syazalleyana, said this was not the first time.
"In fact, this is the fourth time in the last six months that we had to
endure water cuts. It is not fair to the residents as we pay our water bills
to the management."
Another nursing student Nurul Hazwani, 19, said she had been eating biscuits
because she was unable to cook and could not afford to eat out.
"I live with five other students and we all pool our money to buy groceries.
It is much cheaper for us to cook our own food. It is their duty to ensure
that we have water, but they are not doing their job," she said.
A laundry owner who had to close shop since the water cut said that he was
thinking of relocating to another area.
"How can the management fail to settle the bill? Where has the money we paid
for the water gone?"
Razlina Abd Rani, 33 said the worst thing was not knowing when the supply
would be restored. "We are still waiting for the management company to
inform us."
Flora Damansara Residents' Association chairman Abdul Hakim Amir said that
he was frustrated with the management company for failing to settle the
water bill.
"I was informed that the management company is still collecting money from
the residents. We have no idea where the money has gone," he said.
Flora Damansara Joint Management Body chairman Ho Fook Chun, who attended a
meeting with the developer GM Saujana Triangle yesterday, said the situation
would be resolved soon.
"The developer had a meeting with Syabas yesterday and agreed to pay
RM20,000. However, Syabas had refused the proposal and want the developer to
pay RM100,000.
"However, the developer had come up with two solutions. It would ask Allied
Group Properties to fork out the money and if they refuse, the developer
will pay the amount owed and later, claim the amount from the owners," he
said. |
