POOR upkeep of shared facilities and common areas is often seen in many low-cost strata housing in Klang Valley. Faulty lifts, broken fixtures, and tenants with a lackadaisical attitude towards cleanliness are just some of the issues experienced by residents living in rundown and uninviting low-cost schemes.
However, residents of Block F at Pangsapuri Keramat Permai in AU1 Taman Keramat, Hulu Kelang, Selangor wanted to change this narrative and improve their over three-decades-old flat. Last year, they took part in Ampang Jaya Municipal Council’s (MPAJ) Cleanest and Most Beautiful Strata Housing Award competition. The building’s joint management body (JMB) then initiated efforts to clean and spruce up common areas such as corridors and community gardens.
To make these spaces livelier, decorative items made from recyclables including used tyres and plastic containers were set up in certain spots. To encourage recycling, coloured bins were placed on the ground floor for residents to get rid of used plastics and cans.
JMB secretary Shabnam Shaheen Abd Qader said a local councillor had suggested participating in the competition. “We decided to try our luck and began organising monthly gotong-royong to clean up the corridors and parking lot,” she said. “We asked for volunteers in the neighbourhood WhatsApp group and got at least 20 residents to participate in each session.” The five-storey block comprises 40 units, and owners pay a maintenance fee of RM25 a month.
Shabnam said to get the project going, the JMB sponsored cleaning supplies while residents chipped in for utilities such as water and electricity. “At first, it was tough convincing them to lend a hand. But eventually, we managed to get everyone onboard.”
Their effort paid off, and the block won second place in the competition. Buoyed by its initial success, the JMB decided to try again this year. This time, they emerged champion and walked away with a RM3,000 cash prize from MPAJ. Shabnam credits the competition for the shift in residents’ attitude towards maintaining cleanliness.
Placing second in the MPAJ competition this year was first-time competitor Pangsapuri Taman Kosas from Bandar Baru Ampang. The flats comprise six five-storey blocks with a total of 650 units. These buildings are also more than 30 years old.
Management committee administrative officer Nurzami Abd Aziz said they were approached by MPAJ Commissioner of Building (COB) officers about taking part in the competition. “A meeting involving heads of each block was subsequently held to discuss the matter,” she said. “Our common areas such as the parking lot, rubbish houses and surrounding drains were in horrible condition then. So, we decided to participate, thinking that even if we didn’t win, at least we would make efforts to clean up our area.”
Among concerns in the neighborhood was the stench that permeated the air due to rubbish overflow and clogged drains. Nurzami said many bins at the rubbish houses were broken, causing residents to leave their domestic waste on the floor. The committee tapped into its sinking fund and bought 32 new containers – each costing RM1,000 – to replace the old ones. “We then hired a contractor to cut the grass and clean the drains every month. We also had rubbish traps installed inside the drains. We also put up regular reminders in our neighborhood WhatsApp group for residents to maintain cleanliness,” she added.
Although the flats placed second, residents were determined to try again and win next year, said Nurzami. “We are now planning to fix the badminton court so children can have a place to play,” she said, hoping MPAJ would sponsor the cost. Pangsapuri Ukay Indah in Kampung Melayu Sungai Sering took third place in the low-cost category.
This year’s competition attracted 31 entries for three categories – low-, medium-, and high-cost schemes. Judging, taking into account cleanliness at common areas such as corridors and entrance routes, took place in July and August. Unlike in 2022, this year’s edition included parking lots and rubbish houses as additional criteria.
The first, second, and third placers in each category received cash prizes of RM3,000, RM2,000, and RM1,500, respectively. There was also a special RM1,000 award given for initiatives made by management bodies to beautify lift lobby areas. A prize-giving ceremony by MPAJ was held at Datum Jelatek Shopping Centre in Taman Keramat. All winners received a trophy and participation certificate.
Council president Dr. Ani Ahmad, during her speech at the event, said the award was aimed at improving management and upkeep of shared amenities at strata residences. She said Ampang Jaya was home to over 630 strata schemes, the majority of them considered low-cost development. Currently, the municipality has nearly 110,000 strata units, and this number is expected to grow as demand for housing picks up.
Dr. Ani said MPAJ, via its COB, regularly held programs to educate management bodies at strata schemes of their responsibility. “We also organize monthly courses on how to hold annual general meetings (AGM) and manage finances,” she added.
The ceremony also saw prize-giving for Ampang Jaya Strata 2023 Award held for the first time this year. The award recognizes management bodies with good AGM and financial records, besides being able to handle complaints and security issues efficiently. It also had low-, medium-, and high-cost categories, with first, second, and third place prizes at RM1,500, RM1,000, and RM500, respectively.
Borhan says the state gives RM25,000 annually to each local council to carry out strata management courses. Pangsapuri Taman Industri, Lembah Jaya took first place in the low-cost category while Pangsapuri Permai Prima took top honors in the medium-cost category and Tijani Ukay in the high-cost category. Also present at the event were state housing and culture committee chairman Borhan Aman Shah and MPAJ secretary Julaihah Jamaludin.
Borhan said the Selangor government via the Housing and Property Board had allocated RM25,000 annually for each local council to carry out strata management courses. Called “C-Smart,” the course aimed at giving residents information about various aspects involved in the running of a strata community, he said.
On a related matter, Borhan said the state government spent RM123.7mil since 2011 to spruce up rundown strata schemes. He said this amount was disbursed under Skim Ceria and meant for managements at low-and medium-cost strata housing to undertake major repairs. “This year alone, RM7mil has been spent to help struggling management bodies in Selangor,” he added.
Credit: The Star : Metro Feed
