Shocked over porch demolition
The Star Penang 27/05/2005 By Manjit Kaur

A clerk was shocked to find several Penang Municipal Council workers demolishing the porch of her house in Bayan Lepas here on her return from Kuala Lumpur. 

Bedah Shariff, 55, a Tenaga Nasional Berhad clerk, said she had engaged a contractor to convert the porch into a room. 

“I live with my daughter, her husband and my granddaughter in the house. We left for Kuala Lumpur on May 16 and returned yesterday morning,” she said. 

Bedah said they saw the council workers leaving the house after demolishing the porch.  She agreed they did not seek council approval for the renovation of the porch. 

She said she only checked her mailbox yesterday and found the council notice which was sent on May 20.  “The council should have at least called us or serve us with a notice by hand, instead of mailing it,'' she said. 

Bedah claimed she had discussed the renovation plans with both her next-door neighbours and they had agreed.  “But once the renovation work started, one of them was unhappy, saying that the extension works blocked the air passage and view. 

“Many residents in the neighbourhood have renovated their houses without council approval and I wonder why action was not taken against them,” she said at The Star Northern Hub yesterday. 

Bedah said one of the council officers had told her that the disgruntled neighbour had been visiting the council’s office daily to complain about the illegal extension. 

She said apart from demolishing the porch, the council workers also damaged the roof of her house.  Councillor Geetha Suresh Chand said under Section 72, of the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974, the council should give the house owner a specified grace period to pull down the illegal structure. 

“If the owner does not comply, the council has the right to pull down the structure.  “If there are residents still living in a building prior to the demolition, both parties must negotiate before any action can be taken. 

“After negotiation, if the owner refuses to pull down the structure, the council must give a 24-hour notice to the owner of its decision to pull down the structure,” she said.