Council briefed on high-rise management
The Star 16/2/2005

THE Petaling Jaya Municipal Council (MPPJ) received a 20-minute briefing on the need to form management corporations (MC) for high-rise apartments.  

Selangor Housing and Property Board executive director Alinah Ahmad, who conducted the briefing, said the MC would comprise representatives of owners, tenants and the developer and would be in charge of the apartment's day-to-day operations. 

The MC, or a pre-MC in the case of apartments with strata titles pending approval, would have to be formed one week after the keys were given out to residents, she added. 

Captain (R) Datuk Zahar Hashim questioned the initiative of having an MC in low-cost apartments as his experience had found that it had never worked. 

“Why does the Government refuse to recognise that MCs have never worked and will never work because residents in low-cost projects are not owners and many do not even pay the maintenance fees (which range from RM12 to RM50),” said Zahar. 

“The fees collected are insufficient and it is usually subsidised, and now, in a week, you are saying that a pre-MC should be formed.” 

Zahar also questioned the validity of an MC since development projects are always launched in phases and asked what was to stop new residents from challenging the existing MC. 

“What if in one block we have an Umno strongman leading the group, and along comes a PAS strongman in the newly opened block, surely there will be conflict,” said Zahar. 

Alinah replied that such problems would be solved once the issue was tabled and approved in parliament.  

“We also have success stories in Ampang, Kajang and Gombak where MCs are running their respective properties,” said Alinah. 

“It takes a lot of explanation but once the residents see where the money is going and what is being done with it, they start paying up. 

“They have even come up with excellent suggestions on running the MC that we have not thought of because they are on the ground and are able to tailor their MC according to their needs,” she added. 

Alinah said it took a lot of effort in going to the ground for meetings and explaining to both residents and developers that an MC was in their best interest, but the results were worthwhile.