Stinking life at 19-storey flats

The Star 3/12/2004 Story and photos by SALINA KHALID

WHEN the Kampung Kayu Ara squatters bought the Pelangi Damansara flats in Petaling Jaya, they thought they would be living in cleaner and better surroundings. But after more than a year at the new place, they now realise that it was a mere dream. 

Their living condition is no better than how it was at the squatter colony. Though the brick wall is not as thin and fragile as the plywood that used to separate their home from their neighbours', their environment remains similar.  

While some residents have been attempting to keep the premises clean, their efforts are defeated by others who do not care and will not clean up their act. 

It's bad enough that residents are forced to use the staircase due to the damaged lifts, having to encounter rotting garbage on the stairways makes it worse.

Baharudin Abd Hamid, a resident from Block C, said some of the residents had been organising gotong-royong regularly but the condition at the flats had not improved. 

He said people would leave their garbage along the corridors and stairways or just throw it out of their windows.  

Two out of the three blocks of flats are occupied. 

As the two vandalised lifts in Block C are not working, residents and visitors have to use the stairs to go up the 19-storey block.  

Yet it is not the thought of the tiring climb that bothers the residents, it is what they have to dodge along the way up. The odour of urine hits the nose, mixed with the putrid smell of decomposing garbage left on the stairs. There are also maggots and pools waste water on the corridors to avoid. 

“The lifts have been out of order for a while now. We have to use the stairs and encounter the filthy condition every time,” said Baharudin. 

Residents who cannot bear the sight try to pick up the garbage and throw it in the designated bins before it becomes infested with flies and maggots. Others have decided to just ignore the piles of garbage, merely covering their nose and looking elsewhere to avoid the eyesore. 

“We have reported these problems to the management but the personnel said the company did not have enough workers,” said Baharudin, who is also on the residents association committee. 

He also expressed fear for the safety of residents. He said the fire extinguishers, placed on nearly every floor at the flats, were missing and light switches as well as doors in the common areas had fallen prey to vandals. The room where the water hose is stored is unlocked. 

Garbage bags spilling out of the garbage house on the ground floor of the flats. So who is responsible for clearing the garbage when they're down here?

Another resident, S. Ratenasamy, was concerned about elderly people and pregnant women having to use the stairs every day. 

“One of the lifts seems to have a mind of its own and makes its stops along the way. Sometimes the doors will not open,” he said. 

He said residents paid RM45 a month for maintenance to the management company, Azmi and Co Building Services Sdn Bhd, but claimed that the cleaners did not provide proper services. 

Building supervisor Azhar Jaafar said the management company cleaned the common areas daily, which included sweeping the corridors and stairs. He said the company’s responsibility did not include picking up garbage from residents' doorsteps. 

He said the company had put up notices to remind residents about their responsibilities in helping to keep their surroundings clean, including disposing of garbage in the designated bin.  

However, he said residents continued to leaving their garbage along the stairs and in front of their units. 

“We can provide the services but we cannot change the attitude,” he added. 

On the problem of the lifts, Azhar said the company did not have enough funds yet to repair them as only some residents had been paying their maintenance fees.