Wong … 'the management company told us we could carry out the work'

ABOUT 40 residents of Bukit OUG Townhouse found themselves in a tight spot after receiving notices from Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s Town Planning Department for putting up illegal extensions in and around their property recently. 

They have been given 14 days to remove the extensions or face a fine.  

Most of the extensions were done on corner-lot property as well as the backyards. 

Residents claim the management corporation hired to manage the property had misled them. 

They said the management company had given them the green light to carry out extensions.  

One of the effected residents, Vincent Wong, said that he had been living in the area for 10 years and had not done any extension on his property until he was given the permission to do so.  

“The management company told us we could carry out the work and we even have letters of acknowledgement from the company.  

Wong said when City Hall officers inspected the premises recently and issued warning notices to residents, the management company did not back the residents.  

Another resident, who wished to be identified only as Jamal, said that it was not fair that residents be penalised for someone else’s mistake.  

“We admit that we are wrong but we are appealing for some leniency from City Hall.  

A Bukit OUG Townhouse with extensions.

“We are willing to pay a certain amount of fine but please don’t ask us to tear down our extensions as we have paid thousands of ringgit to build them,’’ he said.  

Residents have sought help from Seputeh MP Teresa Kok and she has promised to discuss the matter with the department director. 

“Most of the residents are ignorant of the law that townhouses fall under the same category as apartments and condominiums, hence they are not allowed to do any extension to their property,’’ said Kok.  

“They did not realise that the illegal extensions would impede the local authority from issuing the strata titles,’’ she said.  

When contacted, the management company’s operations manager Alex Tan denied giving residents the green light to build the extensions.  

“We never said they could do it. It’s clearly stated in the rules and by-laws that there cannot be any changes in the facade but they went ahead and did it,’’ he said.