UPGRADING WORKS ARE STILL AT A STANDSTILL!

The application for the 1Malaysia Maintenance Fund under the Federal Territories and Urban Welllbeing Ministry.was submitted in January 2011.

In the month of March 2011, the RA of Block 14 received the approval from the Ministry.  The estimated cost at this stage was RM150,000.00 where the use of stainless steel pipes was suggested.  The RA of Block 14 immediately applied for sponsorships because it did not want to burden the residents any longer not even a single cent.  With the blessings and grace of God, a sponsor stepped forward with RM26,000.00.  The RA had to collect the remaining RM4,000.00 from the residents.  It came to RM50.00 per unit (80 units).

In April 2011, the RA decided to pay the upfront of RM26,000.00 and wanted to request for more time to settle the remaining RM4,000.00.  However during the briefing session with the personnel from the Ministry in the same month, they explained the disadvantages of using stainless steel pipes, proposed ABS pipes as the better alternative.  This will also bring the price down to RM107,000.00.  The residents unamiously agreed to this option and the RA was not burdened to collect any money from the residents.  At the briefing, the RA was informed that all the works will start in two months.

Since then until the month of June 2011, a total of four site visits were made by City Hall. The tender was to close in early July 2011.  However in early July 2011, the RA was informed by the Ministry that we are to expect a delay because of the following reasons:

1)  City Hall has opted to use stainless steel pipes instead of the suggested ABS pipes

2)  The new estimated price skyrocketed to RM450,000.00.

The RA is not burdened with the additional cost as stated in the guidelines of 1Malaysia Maintenance Fund. The increased cost will be taken care by the Funds.

The Ministry, SYABAS and City Hall made another site visit on 19th July 2011 at 10.00am to sort out the discrepancies.  After much discussion, DBKL agreed to change the specifications where a combination of ABS/MS/Stainless steel pipes will be used at various parts of the piping system as identified during the site visit.  This was highlighted in the Malay Mail on 22nd July 2011 (http://mmail.com.my/content/78369-water-woes-end). Although the article reflected errors in the areas of the funding figures, the message was loud and clear:

"DO NOT DELAY THE UPGRADING WORKS ANY LONGER.  GET TO WORK AND ACT IMMEDIATELY".

RAKYAT DIDAHULUKAN: BUT WHY ARE WE STILL LIVING IN A SLUM?

The article below proves the voice of the residents since the Year 2004.  Yet nothing has moved.  We are still fighting the same battle. We have reached all parties concerned but the question is:  Why do they enjoy seeing poor people suffer when they have all the power and mechanisms to make a change?   

(Source: http://www.hba.org.my/news/2004/204/residents_fed.htm)

Residents fed up of living amid 'dumpsite'

12/02/2004 The Star By BEN TAN

RESIDENTS of Taman Bukit Angkasa in Pantai Dalam claim that their living condition has been like a garbage dumpsite the past 10 years. 
They have been putting up with blocked drains, indiscriminate rubbish dumping, and illegal hawkers which have exacerbated the shortage of parking space. 
The area, although a residential one, is infamously known as a food square at night and wee hours of the morning.  

Most of the five-foot ways along the shops in Taman Bukit Angkasa are also stewn with rubbish.

Taman Bukit Angkasa consists of about 10 blocks of more than 100 flats that were completed in 1994 by developer Nakkon Sdn Bhd. 
It is a low to medium-cost residential area. Many of the residents were squatters who had bought or rented the flats from City Hall. 
Among the worst affected blocks are Blocks 13 and 14. A playground in Block 13 has been unused and partly turned into a dumpsite. 
”We were promised amenities for children. At present there is no suitable playground for the children of Blocks 13 and 14,” resident Prem Anand complained. 
The 32-year-old, who has been living in Taman Bukit Angkasa for a decade, said the existing playground could not be used as it was a health hazard.  
“The ground has been dug up while there is a small mountain of refuse at the playground,” said Prem, adding that the the risk of dengue was high. 
Prem and several other residents of Block 13 have been doing their bit to maintain their block through gotong-royong that included repainting the building. 
Resident A. Ganasan, 30, said the voluntary maintenance by his friends was no easy task as the situation had gone from bad to worse. 
“Most of the shops and restaurants are not helping as they indiscriminately throw rubbish while the drains are constantly blocked as many have individual water pipes inside the drains,” he said. 
One example he cited was the back alley near a restaurant at the end of Block 14, which had drains clogged with rotting waste. 
He added that illegal stalls in the area left their rubbish strewn everywhere aside from occupying the parking bays of residents. 
A check by the Star Metro found the place indeed in a squalid state with rubbish piled in many corners and clogging drains, and stalls set up in the parking area. 
On a normal day in Taman Bukit Angkasa, there are about 30 stalls and by evening more will open up to cater to the dinner crowd. 
Most of the stalls, located on the five-foot ways and parking lots, are run by foreigners. A check showed that the stalls were owned by locals who rented them to the foreigners. 
As a result, parking space is limited and many motorists double-park. In several instances, residents were seen pushing away the cars that were preventing them from getting out of their parking spots. 
Some owners have taken to leaving the car handbrakes down so that their vehicles could be moved if the need arose. 
Double-parking inconvenienced other residents and leaving the handbrake down would be dangerous as the vehicle could roll down the road and cause an accident, Ganasan pointed out. 
He said he had written letters to Lembah Pantai MP Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil and the Housing and Local Government Ministry on Dec 28 regarding the state of affairs in Taman Bukit Angkasa. He had also sent copies to Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Mohmad Shaid Mohd Taufek and the developer Nakkon Sdn Bhd. 

Rubbish clog the drains, and the water pipes add to the problem.

“Until now, there has been no action except for a visit by Shahrizat and the mayor recently. If all else fails, I will try to contact the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi himself,” he said. 
Ganasan said he could no longer stand the situation in Taman Bukit Angkasa as it had deteriorated badly over the years. 
“We have first class infrastructure but third class mentality,” he said, adding that Shahrizat as MP for the area should do a better job. 
The mayor and City Hall could not be reached for immediate comment. 
During his visit late last month, the mayor had assured residents that their problems would be looked into and, where possible, resolved. 
He had said City Hall would try to relocate the food hawkers and urged them to be considerate towards residents' concerns, especially regarding rubbish disposal and illegal structures.  

WE MEET THE CONDITIONS

“However, Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Minister Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin said a residents' association had to be set up before the application could be processed.” (NST dated 12 January 2011).

Read more: Fund to deal with petitions for repairs http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/04dct/Article/#ixzz1BCXdA6e1

A Resident Association has already been set up on 21 December 2010 under the registration number of 2909-10-WKL by the Action Committee of Block 14.  After which, the application for 1Malaysia Maintenance Fund was submitted on 7^th January 2011.  It is currently in Putrajaya and according to the officer in charge, who has acknowledged receipt of the application mentioned that the technical team will be in touch with us.  He also mentioned that depending on the urgency of the matter, it can take one to months. 

The Action Committee has been campaigning for the pipe system to be resolved since September 2010 knocking at the doors of the developer, DBKL, Syabas and also with the Deputy Minister from the Prime Minister’s Department T Murugiah who has failed to uphold his words, all have fallen on deaf ears.

We have written to Dato’ Raja Nong Chik on 12 January 2011 to explain to him about how we have met all the conditions required by the 1Malaysia Maintenance Fund.

We have also written to Syabas on 12 January 2011 to request that they waive the residents’ high bills other than the minimum payment.  The Residents’ Association is asking for this problem to be settled within one month.  Please stop this suffering immediately!!!! 

The Action Committee on 16 January 2011 called for a press conference.  Several reporters attended the press conference.  The Action Committee wanted them to highlight that the Residents’ Association of Block 14 Taman Bukit Angkasa qualify to receive the funds from the 1Malaysia Maintenance Fund because they meet all the stipulated conditions. This is also to put on record what has transpired to date.

When the MP of Lembah Pantai, YB Nurul Anwar came to lend her support, the Action Committee officially requested her office to raise a number of issues which residents of high rise buildings are facing every day in Parliament and urge the authorities to look at the policy matters urgently, because issues of this nature affect the people’s livelihood. A lot of time is wasted on unproductive work of having to attend to these issues. They include all the other generic issues such collapsing roof tops and repair of the common area fuse box. 

The Residents’ Association records their heartfelt thanks to YB Nurul for her constant care and concern for the constituency even though she does not have the public funding under her control.  She is always ever ready to step forward as long as she is needed irrespective of sunshine or rain, and we will continue to invite her to come down to the ground as often as possible to be with the people until the issues are solved. We want to have an MP who will be with the people, not one who comes down occasionally and choose who he will help, and who he will not help. Thank you, YB Nurul Izzah Anwar! We hope that you will come to Bukit Angkasa more often! We welcome you with open arms, until all our issues are solved!



The RA's certificate, application letters to the 1Malaysia Maintenance Fund and Syabas



YB NURUL'S VISIT TO BLOCK 14 - A CARING MP

YB Nurul made a visit to meet our residents, many of whom met her and gave very positive assessments of her visit. One resident remarked that although YB Nurul as an MP does not have any hold of government funds (i.e. our money), she showed that she cared enough to meet the people. (It was raining so heavily that day but she still came).  We will be scheduling more visits by YB Nurul in the near future on this issue and a number of other problems faced by the residents. YB Nurul’s office staff have been in close contact with the Action Committee to keep a tab of its progress. We truly appreciate YB Nurul’s caring attitude, compared to a number of other government agencies, whose doors we have been knocking for some time.

YB Nurul's arrival




Ms Rebecca showing the pipe conditons to YB Nurul



YB Nurul amazed at this pipe system






YB Nurul expressing her emphaty


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YB Nurul sharing some light moments with the resident







 







NO SOLUTION YET TO THE BIGGEST BURDEN OF THE PEOPLE - PIPE SYSTEM

The Action Committee of Block 14 took it upon them to highlight the biggest burden that the pipe system was causing the people for about 10 years now.  Most of the residents are of lower income group and have spent about RM7,000 including the hefty water bills that they have to pay to Syabas.  The cost of repair and water bills is till rolling in.  Therefore, after calling the developer, DBKL and Syabas who say that it has got nothing to do with them, the Action Committee decided to take the problem to Biro Pengaduan Awam.  A dialogue session with YB Senator Dato' T. Murugiah was fixed.

DIALOGUE SESSION WITH YB SENATOR DATO’ T. MURUGIAH, BIRO PENGADUAN AWAM

Dato’ T. Murugiah was invited to have a dialogue session with the residents of Block 14 as a way to solve the following problems:

1)      Pipe System

2)      Illegal stalls and extensions by shop owners encouraging breeding of mosquitoes, rats, cockroaches, etc.  (while we are sleeping, these are keeping watch and having a great meal)

3)      Collapsing roof tops along the corridor

YB Dato’ came on 11th November 2010 and took a walkabout with the respective agencies and residents.  He was shocked to see the current pipe system and remarked that this was the first time he has ever seen something like this.  He then proceeded to address the problems with the residents in about 30 minutes.  He directed the agencies to take the necessary steps to solve the concerning issues of the residents.  He promised to return after two weeks.  However after numerous reminders and calls, YB Dato’ is yet to honour his word.  Also, no calls have come from his office to advise the people of how to overcome their problems.

The meeting was not favourable to the residents.  Syabas was then asked to provide the Action Committee with a quotation.  The estimated quote was RM55,000.  The action committee later met up with a representative on behalf of YB Raja Nong Chik’s office in December.  The action committee forwarded a letter to YB asking him to look into the problem.  A site visit followed. The Action Committee was then asked to seek funding from the Tabung  TP 1Malaysia.  The forms were submitted with the respective photographs and now waiting to hear from them.  The Action Committee also strongly recommended their own plumbing contractor who gave a quote of RM45,000.00.

The article in the newspaper (Nanban, 12th November 2010), highlights his visit and that he will look into our problems as soon as possible.  Now it is going to be 2 months and still no news from him.  Neither has he revisited us as he said he would do. Not one of the issues that we highlighted to him has been dealt with.  Because of this, the committee finally decided to approach YB Nurul Izzah Anwar, the MP of Lembah Pantai on 9^th December 2010.

 As of today, the pipe issue problems are still pending (and all other issues as well).   Frustrated and disappointed with the slow response received from the day we started campaigning, the residents approached YB Nurul once again to ask her help to raise the complaints on behalf of the residents.

Until this issue and others are solved, we will continue to meet YB Nurul, because we see that she cares for the welfare of the people, despite not having the means to help.

INTRODUCTION TO BLOCK 14, TAMAN BUKIT ANGKASA, KUALA LUMPUR

Block 14 of Taman Bukit Angkasa, Kuala Lumpur is situated in Lembah Pantai.  The block consists of 80 units.  90% of the residents are Indians with 10% of them comprising of Malays and Indonesians.  The block is surrounded by 18 other blocks where the majority of its population are Malays.  Block 14 recently was facing a lot of problems in terms of rubbish, mosquito breeding, huge rats, stray cats, drain clogging and not mentioning the most odd pipe system as quoted by Dato' T Murugiah of Biro Pengaduan Awam when he came to visit the residence in November 2010 as one that is so unique that he has not seen them in any part of this world.  The photos below just shows what he meant.

All these happened 10 years ago when the residents found that their water bills have sky-rocketed to RM2000 or more.  When contacted the developer and management office, Nakkon (M) Sdn Bhd as well as Syabas, the residents were informed that there was a leakage in the underground pipes.  Also, rusted water was flowing through our taps. The residents were then asked by both the developer and Syabas, to hire their own contractors to do the repair works. As a result, a very special piping system emerged.

A few residents got together last October to form a Residents' Association.  While waiting for the approval from the Registrar of Societies, this small group of 12 members with 4 members in the Action Committee took some healthy steps as follows:

1)  Gotong-royong activities
2)  Recycling campaign
3)  Collection of maintainance fees
3)  Dialogue session with Dato' T Murugiah from Biro Pengaduan Awam, DBKL and Syabas
4)  Visit by the Member of Parliament, YB Nurul Izzah
5)  Site visit by Officer from the Pejabat Menteri, Kementerian Wilayah Persekutuan dan Kesejahteraan Bandar
5)  "You are my neighbour" programme

This small group of committee members are working very hard to make Block 14 into a healthy and safe living environment.