Power to high-rise residents
17/12/2001 Malay Mail By Pauline Almeida
RESIDENTS of high-rise buildings like apartments, condominiums and flats will be responsible for the maintenance themselves when a law on this is
gazetted and enforced, possibly by mid-2002.
Under the new legislation, residents of each high-rise building will be required to form a residents' management committee which will then oversee
the units or appoint consultants to maintain them.
Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk M. Kayveas said his Ministry will be tabling this law at the next Parliamentary sitting,
expected to be in March next year.
"If this new law is approved, then residents of high-rises will take care of their own places and will fix the maintenance rate themselves," said
Kayveas yesterday when he attended Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's Hari Raya open house at the Putra World Trade Centre.
"Maintenance will no longer be the responsibility of the developer. This is an urgent matter and the Minister (Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting) is working
on it." Kayveas said the Ministry was coming up with this law following numerous complaints from residents living in high-rise buildings over poor
services and general maintenance extended by the developer such as security, water supply, landscaping, swimming pools, and other utilities and
facilities.
There were also complaints from residents that once developers handed over the keys to the owners, the services were found wanting.
Kayveas said this will also help ensure that residents live peacefully as their own management committees can act without delay on security,
clogged drains, garbage collection and other matters.
"High-rise residents should be happy with this law," said Kayveas, adding that if the law was effective, it would be extended to normal housing
areas too. |
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