No lifts or water for 2,000

The Star 27/9/2004

Butterworth: Some 2,000 dwellers of a 21-storey block of Taman Teluk Indah flats in Prai Jaya had to walk up and down the building when electricity supply was cut to the lifts since Wednesday because the bill was not paid.

The electricity cut affected only the lifts and common areas of Block D1 and not the units as the dwellers had paid their individual units.

And when the main water tank became empty - because the pumps were not working after the electricity cut - the residents had to carry pails of water obtained from a neighbouring block.

Another 2,000 dwellers in Block D2 may face a similar plight next week if Tenaga Nasional (TNB) carries out its threat to also disrupt supply there.

The dwellers had prevented TNB workers from disconnecting supply by chasing them away at about 11am on Wednesday after being alerted of their presence.

Seberang Prai zone TNB manager Yusoff Hamzah said his men would be back with security personnel to cut off the supply if the bill was not settled.

He said the notice to disconnect power supply was served about two weeks ago. He said the outstanding amount for Block D1 was RM17,177 and Block D2 was RM22,389.

Yusoff said 'an easy way out' was to make the 500 unit owners from both the blocks pay RM40 each to settle about half of the outstanding amount.

Mr Gnangsegaran, 48, spokesman for the Residents Association managing the maintenance of the flats, said it had paid RM6,000 to TNB on Wednesday and RM2,000 yesterday.

He said not all the residents had been paying their maintenance fees.

"We have paid what we have collected from the residents, but TNB is demanding us to pay the outstanding RM35,000 to reconnect the supply.

"We are discussing with TNB to restore supply on humanitarian grounds," he said.

Several residents were upset over the whole situation as they had been promptly settling their RM50 monthly maintenance fee.

They claimed it was unfair for TNB to disconnect the supply and penalise good paymasters. One resident, factory worker, K. Paramsivam, 33, fell when walking in the dark and had to get seven stitches on his head.

Prai state assemblymen Datuk Dr K Rajapathy said he had in the past talked to TNB on behalf of the residents to settle the matter but the residents failed to keep their promise.

"Last month, I borrowed RM20,000 to settle the outstanding RM25,000 for the flats in another place in Taman Prai Jaya.

"Now TNB officers have refused to listen to us," he said.

There will be no problem if the residents pay the RM50 monthly maintenance fee, but only 40% of the 500 units pay regularly.

Batu Kawan MP Huan Cheng Guan said he would ask TNB to reconnect electricity on humanitarian grounds.

Recently, TNB was reported to be striving to recover arrears due to it, including going after companies that owe it some RM853 mil.

The defaulters included five steelmakers and a textile company which collectively owe RM587 mil in unpaid power bills.

Parliament was told that after a series of negotiations, these companies had begun to repay their outstanding bills in instalments of between 11 months and 15 months each.