Panel to Champion Cause
of Condo Owners
by K.W. Mak, The Star, 4 November 2006
kwmak@thestar.com.my
THE All PJ Pro Action Committee (APPAC) is forming a
sub-committee for condominium, apartment and high-rise property owners
and tenants and is calling all interested parties to attend its first
inaugural meeting tomorrow at 4.30pm.
Apartment owners will be hit with the maximum possible tariff increase
because Syabas only reads the master meter for the property, which
calculates the water use of all units in the apartments.
The committee, which will be chaired by APPAC committee member Tengku
Nazaruddin Zainuddin, will be formed to address all prevalent issues
affecting owners and tenants of high-rise properties like assessment,
strata-titles and management companies.
"There is already a core group involving about 12 condominiums but we
would like to extend an invitation to all others in other condominiums
and apartments to join us," said Nazaruddin, who stays in Istara
Condominium.
"This first meeting will focus on water tariffs that will hit most
condo and apartment owners," he said.
Most condominiums, apartments and flats will be hit with the maximum
water tariff increase regardless of the consumption of each household
because the design of these apartments are such that only the master
water meter is read by Syabas.
"Our individual water meters are used by the management companies to
charge residents, but Syabas only reads the main water meter, and that
reading will be the collective water use of all units in the
apartments," said Nazaruddin.
"Syabas has said in the media that they are willing to change all our
individual meters so that the reading would be fair, but this requires
the consent of the management companies."
Francis Koh Kheng Hoon of Kelana D' Putra said that many condominium
owners had doubts that the replacement of such meters could be done
swiftly and wanted Syabas and the government to rescind the water
tariff increase until this matter could be resolved.
In view of the numerous calls for assistance in the Klang Valley, APPAC
chairman Edward Lee organised the gathering to allow owners to share
their problems and to tackle these problems.
Lee will be playing an advisory role to the new sub-committee.
Residents who would like to participate in the forum can call Tengku
Nazaruddin at 012-284 9146, Chong Cheng Lai at 012-230 3639, Koh Kheng
Hoon at 03-7880 3084 and Mohd Umar Mohd Peer at 016-298 6710.
The meeting will be held at La Salle Hall, Jalan 5/15B, off Jalan
Chantek 5/13 in Petaling Jaya.