Residents to manage flats

The Star 17/3/2006

AFTER years of dealing with inefficient flat management companies, the residents of low-cost flats in Taman Setapak Indah Jaya finally gained the permission to manage the flats themselves.

The decision was made at a meeting in City Hall with Federal Territories ministry parliamentary secretary Yew Teong Look, Housing and Local Government ministry representative Loke Teik Cheong, SC Corporate Recovery's Dr Shan and committee members of the flats' resident association.

The Taman Setapak Indah Jaya low-cost flats have had a constant change of management for the past ten years. All these different companies were never able to provide proper solutions and amenities for the residents.

Their last management company was declared insolvent and liquidated by SC Corporate Recovery.

The current state of the flats is very unsatisfactory and unkempt. All the 6 elevators In the 3 blocks are not working while debts to Tenaga Nasional Bhd to date have reached RM86,852.42. The flats also have a RM100,000 debt on quick rent.

The management companies never settled the utility bills as they claimed that they never collected enough maintenance fees from the residents.

“Many old folks who live on high levels of the flats find it inconvenient to get out of the house because of the flights of stairs that they have to take as the elevators are not working,” said Yew, who Is also Wangsa Maju MP.

With the consent of the liquidator, the next step on the residents' committee agenda is to set up a company to solve current problems.

“A few problems that we need to look at now include the outstanding debts and to fix the elevators,” said resident's committeee secretary Agnes Lee.

“ We are doing voluntary work for the flats. All we want is to manage and upkeep the flats,” added committee treasurer Gurubachan Singh.

The committee have run a drive to collect money from the residents to repair the elevators. Collections to date stand at RM 210,000 and the repair cost for each elevator is estimated at RM 70,000.

“Our plan is to repair one elevator at each block, as that is all the funds we have. We are trying to work something out to be able to get all the elevators running,” said Gurubachan.

Yew has expressed his concern to help these residents by negotiating for a discount and an instalment plan from TNB so that residents will be able to repay the outstanding bills.

“ I have also received approval from the Federal Territories Ministry to help rebuild the infrastructure for the residents,” Yew added.

At the meeting, the Housing and Local Government Ministry had also indicated that the flats will be issued strata titles three years time after the proposed application date in July 2006.