Non-maintenance fees

Residents in a flat in Pandan Perdana are bemoaning the lacksaidal attitude of the flats’ maintenance contractors, who have not fixed a majority of problems that are plaguing the 10-storey building.

During a survey conducted by Komunitikini, getting to the flats compounds itself seemed to be a troublesome ride, as the road has become eroded and puddles of water adorning it, making it dangerous for motorbike riders.

Worse still, the maintenance agents have not bothered to prepare a proper dumping bin site for the residents, prompting the residents to throw their rubbish by the wayside.

Now accumulated and never cleared after, the site has become an eyesore and is also emanating a bad stench.

One of the lifts in building has not worked for 13 years now, while at one particular floor there is a hole at the size of a boy’s feet right at the entrance of the lift.

Stairs too prove to be an unsafe alternative as they are already partially broken, making it difficult for the elderly to make their way through without slipping or falling.

But the maintenance fee is something that the residents are still paying without fail, just because they want to keep their water supply.

“They have the access to our water supply. So even though there is no action from the Water Department, they will lock our water supply if we don’t pay the maintenance fees,” said 55-year-old resident Roslan.

“They will delay and dabble whenever we complaint about something. They will take a week to fix a spoilt lift for example.”

The residents are required to pay a RM40 fee to the maintenance contractors, even though latter had not shown a formal or official letter regarding the issue till date.

“They still did not give us the valid documents to prove who they are. If we don’t pay, we lose our water,” said 24-year-old Arjun.

If the internal problems are not enough, the local municipal council had proceeded to demolish stalls and shops that were built in and around the flats, only to leave the debris lying around.

“They should at least have cleared the debris,” Arjun added.

The residents now have to walk a certain distance in order to get their daily goods.

“It is also very unsafe for the residents to take bus to travel nowadays, because the bus stop now is farther from us. And thus, there have been cases of snatch theft and so on when it is dark,” he further explained.