Documents
faked, say residents
28/12/2009 The Star Story and photo by PRIYA MENON
RESIDENTS of Jalan 6/8 and Jalan 6/9 in Pandan Perdana are crying foul
over a falsified document bearing their names and signatures to form a
joint body management in their area.
The document, comprising the minutes of the first meeting supposedly held
with the residents, was submitted to the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ)
by Pandan Management, the company in charge of maintenance and safety for
the shophouses.
All 530 units were initially managed by the developer until the
government’s Insolvency Department handed over the management to Pandan
Management.
However, as of April 12, 2008, the power to appoint a management company,
has rested with the JMB under the Building and Common Property (Management
and Maintenance) Act.
Preventive measure: Wong looking at the lock a resident has used to
prevent the management company from disconnecting their electricity
supply.
This immediately made the Pandan Management inoperational, hence the move
to falsify documents and appoint the Joint Management Body (JMB).
Since all the required documents were sent to the council, the company was
given the JMB certificate to continue managing the place.
The residents became aware of the matter only two weeks ago and
immediately went to the MPAJ to address the situation.
MPAJ councillor Keppy Wong looked into the case immediately and pulled
back the certificate issued to the JMB.
“In order to set up a JMB, they would have to have an annual general
meeting (AGM) with the owners of the lots.
“This company decided to create fictitious documents in order to apply to
be the JMB,” he said.
Wong added that since there was nothing wrong with the documents, the MPAJ
approved the application, not knowing the office bearers were not aware
that their names had been included in the JMB board.
“The six appointed office bearers then came to us and told us they were
not aware of such a meeting and they also had not consented to becoming
the office bearers,” he said during a briefing with the residents on
Sunday.
Wong said he had lodged a police report on behalf of the MPAJ as they were
worried because the company had been collecting money for maintainenance,
fire insurance premium, quit rent and the sinking fund.
The residents are wondering if the money collected has been used
appropriately and if an actual insurance policy has been bought for them.
Some residents, who have refused to pay since the issue became known, have
had their water and electricity supply disconnected, causing much
distress.
The residents themselves have been paying for both utilities on their own
and Wong said the management company had no right to block the supply.
“If they want, they can sue the lot owners, but they have no right to cut
off their supply. The MPAJ has never allowed such a thing to happen,” he
said.
As a result, the residents have resorted to locking their meter boxes so
that the company cannot disconnect their supply or remove the meters
illegally.
Many of them have lodged police reports against the company. Wong has
advised the residents to hold their own meeting and appoint their own JMB
officers.
When contacted, the company’s supervisor, Lim Ah Chai, denied all the
allegations, saying that in the one year they had taken over, they had
brought many improvements to the place.
“The MPAJ and the councillors are just angry over complaints of their
inefficiency, I know what I have done,” he claimed.
Lim also said fire insurance had been bought and the quit rent had been
paid. |
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