Suhakam and Syabas decried evils committed by PTS Marketing, a contractor of Joint Management Board of Pangsapuri Kinrara 1, to cut the water supplies and intimidate residents who fail to pay the maintenance fees promptly.
At a press conference held at the council flats recently, Suhakam commissioner Muhammad Sha’ani Abdullah said some 304 residents living in Jalan TK1/1, Taman Kinrara has been discriminated since December 2009 as the new contractor impose drastic measures to collect the contentious fees.
“They sent gangsters to knock on the residents’ doors at 2am. They would intimidate them to pay or to sell their units to recover the arrears,” he said at the RELA cabin while surrounded by 50 residents.
He said although the monthly maintenance is fixed at RM42, many residents were issued a bill notice of RM13000- RM22000.
“The residents tries to seek an explanation at the management office, but they were replied with harsh words such as ‘you better shut up and pay, if not I will cut off your water supply’,”
Residents pointed the tampered pipes to Selangor Exco Iskandar Abdul Samad (from the right) and Suhakam commissioner Muhammad Sha’ani.
He was echoed by a residents, who said he paid RM12,000 last month but still received a bill of RM4000 now.
Muhammad Sha’ani also condemned the company of installing valve and metal box at the pipe and tampering the pipe at their own pleasures.
“Nobody except Syabas shall hold the right to cut the water pipe. For the last seven months many residents were denied with water supply due to their reluctance to pay the contentious bill,”
“The residents have filed in 60 complaints with the police but the disturbances and violence still took place,”
National Water Commission (SPAN) enforcement and consumer affair director Ashwar Abdul Aziz too warned the contractor not to act against the law.
“40 water meters were reported in damaged since we began probing into the issue in May,”
“This is a criminal act which offender can be charged under the Water Service Industry Act 2006, that carries a jail sentence of not more than six months or RM50,000 fine,”
“The record of Syabas indicates that residents are having individual water meters… the internal conflict between the management company and the residents should not be taken upon a cut of Syabas meter,”
He reassured to residents that SPAN and Syabas will help them to reconnect to water supply whenever their pipes are cut.
H said he will embark pro-active measure to hold talks with PTC, Suhakam, Selangor Housing Board and the residents.
His statement was welcomed by the State Exco of Housing, Building Structure and Squatters Iskandar Abdul Samad and Muhammad Sha’ani, who immediately set next week to kickstart the talk.
Iskandar, on the other hand, asked the residents to stay united.
“You should help each other to look after the pipes. Whenever somebody gets near to cut the pipe, you should scream it aloud like you see a thief,”
“Because they are committing a crime like a thief,”
The flats were built by Puchong Teamwork Corporations in 1995. Urban poor and middle income group are the main purchasers of the flat priced at RM25,000 a unit.
CJMY
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