GOOD news for high-rise apartment owners, but it is bad news for condominium management companies. 

The latter may have to hand over control of water meters to Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas) should the state government carry out a proposal by the Condominium, Apartment and High-rise Committee (CAHC). 

A file picture showing individual water meters.

In a meeting with 13 residents' representatives yesterday morning at the Syabas headquarters in Jalan Pantai, Syabas executive director operations engineer V. Subramaniam said Syabas was agreeable to charge condominium residents the domestic rate of 57 sen per cubic meter for the first 20 cubic meters they use. 

However, domestic rates cannot be implemented immediately because control of the meters in condominiums is presently under the management companies. 

The system forces residents in condominiums and other high-rise properties to pay the bulk-metered rate of RM1.38 per cubic meter, which many condominium owners find unfair. 

“Management companies can refuse to hand over control of the water meters presently,” said CAHC pro-tem chairman Tengku Nazaruddin Zainuddin. 

“Syabas will formally request the state government to legislate rules to make it compulsory for the meters to be handed over to Syabas so condominium residents can enjoy the domestic rate.” 

“Residents feel that in order to have proper compliance beneficial to the residents, the state government must make it a rule that the meters be controlled by Syabas and that residents pay bills directly to Syabas,” said All PJ Pro Action Committee pro tem chairman Edward Lee. 

Subramaniam and Syabas executive director corporate communications Naemuddin Abdullah chaired the meeting, which took place from 10.30am to noon behind closed doors. 

CAHC is a sub-committee of the All PJ Pro Action Committee (APPAC) and presently represents 54 condominiums, apartments and high-rise units from around the Klang Valley.