Tag: Housing

No CF After 20 Years, Residents Seek State Government’s Help

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GOMBAK July 31: Residents of Flat Pinggiran Batu Caves now hope for help from the State Government to solve the Certificate of Fitness (CF) problem faced by them.

According to the Deputy Chairman of the flat’s Residents Association, Hamid Jusoh, 53, the CF problem faced has been delayed for almost 20 years and there have been no parties that seriously helped to solve it.

“We hope that the State Government can help resolve it because we have been waiting too long for it (CF),” he said.

He was met after the Our Apartments are Clean and Bright Iftar with the Exco in charge of Housing, Building Management and Urban Settlement, Iskandar Samad at the flat compound yesterday.

Hamid said that the nine blocks of flats also face maintenance problems like the building being dilapidated and trash problems.

“I also hope that the State Government can help our flats through the Ceria scheme,” he added.

A resident of the flat, Rohizam Modh, 41, said that he is forced to occupy the flat because he could not afford to find a more comfortable home with his modest income.

“If I could, I would certainly be out looking for a new home. Most of those living in these flats are of the low and middle income. How long must we wait (for the CF)?” he asked.

For Marina Mohd, 55, she has occupied the flat in fear and with no guarantee because there is no CF to guarantee the safety of the building.

“I stay here with my children. We do not know if anything might happen to the building. I ask for those who can help to solve it.” she said.

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Desa Mentari Residents Relieved that State Government Repairs Damaged Elevators

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SHAH ALAM, July 26: The residents of Desa Mentaru can breathe a sigh of relief when the Selangor Government decided to repair at least one elevator in each building of the 11-storey apartment.

Seri Setia Assemblyman, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said that the elevator damage at the apartments has caused there to be no safety guarantee and makes it difficult for the residents there, especially when Muslims are fasting during the Ramadan month.

“Block 6 does not have any operational elevators for over a month.

“The elevators in blocks 4,5 and 8 have been seized on July 19 by the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) after they monitored the elevator situation several month ago and found them to be unsafe.

“Therefore, all three of these blocks do not even have one working elevator and this creates difficulties to the residents, especially in view of the fasting month and all these blocks are high blocks that are 11 storeys high.

“I want to express my appreciation to YB Iskandar Abdul Samad, the Exco in charge of Housing, Building Management and Urban Settlers of Selangor and the Selangor State Government which has decided to help solve this problem,” said Nik Nazmi.

The decision to repair the elevators at the apartment was announced by Iskandar on July 24.

Nik Nazmi also urged the residents to pay maintenance fees to fund the maintenance of the building and the elevator reparation fees.

“According to the management, the biggest problem faced is the low collection rate to a point the account is at a deficit,” he added.

Selangor Targets 10 Million Tourists by 2018

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SHAH ALAM, July 26: By 2018, the Selangor Government targets for 10 million tourists to visit Selangor, says Exco for Tourism, Consumer Affairs and Environment, Elizabeth Wong.

Elizabeth says the estimate is based on the increasing number of tourists every year in addition to the State Government’s target of 7 million tourists for the Visit Selangor Year 2015.

She said that as of now, the number of tourists has recorded a positive development; which is 6 million last year.

She said to realise the 10 million target, the State Government will change their promotional strategy.

“We also want to train tour drivers to be fluent in foreign languages and not only in English. This is because the increase in tourists in Selangor consists of tourists who are not from Europe.

In addition, the State Government will upgrade and maintain tourist sites in the next five years to add value and strengthen existing products.

She has targeted four rural areas that need attention, including Sabak Bernam, Kuala Langat, Hulu Langat and Hulu Selangor.

Elizabeth added that at least 300 existing tourism sites have been identified to be improved or promoted.

“It encompasses the maintenance of the surrounding areas, reparation of public facilities and the improving of existing building structures,” she said.

“But from the amount, we may not work on all. It depends on the needs of the area as well.

“An example is the Sekinchan area which is now developing as a tourist destination. If we move a little ahead to Sabak Bernam, it would certainly grow because it has great potential to be developed.

“We want these places to be upgraded to an international tourism status, we want foreign and domestic tourists coming to the area because it will improve the financial status of villagers and the local population,” she said.

Selangor Sultan Officiates RM4.1 Million Bandar Baru Sungai Buluh Mosque

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PETALING JAYA, July 17: DYMM (His Royal Highness) the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah officiated the Bandar Baru Sungai Buluh Mosque here in conjunction with the DYMM Sultan of Selangor with the People Fast Breaking Ceremony.

The mosque building was constructed by the MK Land Company at a cost of RM4.1 million and can accommodate a congregation of 5,000, and this mosque is also known as the Yellow Mosque because of its yellow dome.

Sultan Sharafuddin also named the mosque the Bandar Baru Sungai Buluh Mosque.

In the same occasion, the Sultan donated Hari Raya Aidilfitri (Eid al-Fitr) contributions to 302 Asnaf comprising of orphans, the poor-needy (fakir-miskin), new converts and Tahfiz students.

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Meanwhile, the Gapurna Chairman, Tan Sri Abdul Halim Ali in his speech said that the company has also contributed in terms of finance and material to upgrade the mosque.

“Among the upgrades include painting the walls of the mosque, repairing the ablution area and toilets, changing Kalimantan lights to floodlights for the pulpit, fixing and replacing the speaker system.

“Also fixed are helicopter fans at the main mosque area and the installation of additional tanks based on the list of priorities provided by the Mosque Committee,” he said.

Accompanying the Sultan of Selangor at the event was the Chief Minister, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, the State Government Secretary, Datuk Mohammed Khusrin Munawi and the JAIS Director, Datuk Marzuki Husin.

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River of Life Project Oppress Residents of Kampung Puah Seberang

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KUALA LUMPUR, July 10: Pakatan Rakyat (PR) Members of Parliament claimed that the River of Life (ROL) project launched by the Federal Government for the beautification of the Klang and Gombak rivers have oppressed about 100 residents of Kampung Puah Seberang in the area.

This is because, according to Wangsa Maju MP, Datuk Dr Tan Kee Kwong, the project which cost RM4 billion caused the residents to lose their homes because their land was taken by the Central Government.

What’s more unfortunate is that the residents were offered only low-cost flats by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to rent and a compensation of RM1000 to each family.

“As a representative of the people, I am curious as to how the government could implement the project on Malay reserve land.

“The government took the entire 22 acres of land while some residents claimed ownership and that they have been staying there for a long time.

“The compensation given is insufficient to meet the needs of residents to pay their house rent,” he said during a press conference at the Parliament lobby today.

Meanwhile, Batu Member of Parliament, Tian Chua said that the Central Government seems to be considerate when taking the residents land to be privatised to pay for the cost of cleaning up both the rivers.

He added that no transparency was practiced in the project when the government was said to pay a higher value to the contractor compared with paying compensation to the residents in the area.

He stressed that the residents were previously promised with the purchase of medium-cost homes but DBKL overturned the decision to low-cost houses at the last minute.

Therefore, he asked DBKL to review the compensation given to ensure that the residents would not be left out when the project is implemented.

“If you want cleaning to be done by just paying the residents RM1000, then we outright reject it.

“With this kind of money, they would not get comfortable homes,” he said.

The ROL project which was launched by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak in year 2011 was an initial project identified in the Greater Kuala Lumpur Greater Economic Area under the Government Transformation Programme.

It aims to change the look of the rivers flowing through the heart of Kuala Lumpur city by performing restoration work to the rivers and beautifying the river banks as well as to develop a river corridor.

Integrity and Transparency Makes PKNS Better

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SHAH ALAM, July 9: The implementation of integrity and transparency as well as good governance has made the Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS) better.

Chief Minister, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said that PKNS will receive additional value if they successfully implement the ‘transparency’ concept in their service.

According to Abdul Khalid, based on his experience when he was previously in the corporate sector, practicing good governance is not a barrier to be more successful.

“I was successful when I was in Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) and Guthrie because I practiced integrity in the workplace,” he said.

Abdul Khalid said this during the opening speech of ‘A Conference On Integrity And Good Corporate Governance in Public And Private Sectors’ here at the Shah Alam Convention Centre (SACC) yesterday.

This one-day conference focused on the element of integrity in helping in the success of an organisation.

In the meantime, PKNS has implemented various initiatives to strengthen the management structure to a better management and administrative system as well as reducing bureaucracy.

Among the initiatives is the establishment of the Governance and Integrity Committee (JKTI), the Procurement Division, Organisational Management and Integrity Division, and to issue policy circulars on the ‘No gift policy’.

Iskandar: 19 Abandoned Housing Projects Will be Saved

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SHAH ALAM, July 8: The State Government, through the Selangor Housing and Property Board (LPHS) identified 19 abandoned housing projects in Selangor this year with the potential to be saved.

Housing, Building Management and Urban Settlement Exco, Iskandar Samad said, from the amount, saviour developers are conducting restoration on four projects.

While 15 others are in the discussion process for the same aim with the Committee for Rehabilitation of Abandoned Projects (JPPT).

He said, even though the jurisdiction lies under the Ministry of Housing, the State Government however is constantly trying to solve the problem of abandoned housing projects in Selangor.

Among the steps taken is to create the JPPT which comprises of the Selangor State Legal Advisor, the LPHS Executive Director, the assistant to the Exco of Housing, Building Management and Urban Settlement, as well as other departments and government agencies.

“Other methods include regular discussions with all technical departments by imposing a minimum condition to allow for the project to be resumed with a small additional cost without compromising safety.”

Iskandar said this in response to a question by the Kuala Kubu Baharu Assemblyman, Lee Kee Hiong during today’s Selangor State Assembly (DNS) session.

“After that, we will organise meetings with financial institutions as lenders in addition to discussions with the Department of Insolvency for troubled developers with LPHS acting to propose the project to be restored by saviour developers.”

Dilapidated Apartments Will Be Redeveloped

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SHAH ALAM, July 4: The Selangor Government is now endeavouring to redevelop obsolete homes of Selangorians which are dilapidated through the urban renewal concept.

Among the areas identified is the Jalan Enggang AU2 Flats in Taman Keramat, the Section 17 Flats in Petaling Jaya and the Section 16 Flats in Shah Alam.

The Exco for Housing, Building Management and Urban Settlement, Iskandar Samad said that the offer has been made to the owners and negotiations are still ongoing.

“This project will start after an agreement with the owners can be achieved,” he said in answer to a question from the Kota Anggerik Assemblyman, Dr Yaakob Sapari (PKR) during the State Assembly session yesterday.

In addition, Iskandar said that there are also developers inviting the Selangor State Development Cooperation (PKNS) to establish a joint venture with them for the urban renewal or urban development projects.

However, PKNS has to review any recommendations in more detail.

Iskandar also informed that there are 33,198 low-cost apartment units built by PKNS in Selangor which are over 25 years.

Of the total, 20,449 units have two rooms and 2,699 units have one room.

Selangor Has Not Raised Assessment Tax Since 2008, Gives 25 Percent Discount for Low-Cost Apartments

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SHAH ALAM, July 3: Owners of low-cost apartments in Selangor has already started to enjoy the assessment tax discount of 25 percent that was implemented in the Second Term of the Quit Rent Year 2012 (July-December 2013).

According to the Selangor Local Government Exco, Datuk Teng Chan Khim, the State Government also decided to not increase Local Authority (PBT) taxes in the past five years since 2008.

In addition, there are several Local Authorities in Selangor which took steps to lower the quit rent fee by two percent for residential strata such as apartments and condominiums.

“The two percent decline was made following strong financial capability as done by the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) which is financially stable,” he said when answering a question from the Batang Kali Assemblyman, Nadzari Ahmad Dahlan (BN) during today’s Selangor State Assembly (DNS) session.

Chan Khim explained that the discount given by the 11 Selangor local authorities amounts to RM6,893,124.82.

The highest recorded discount amount was for the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) which recorded a discount of RM1,599,436, involving 31,672 low-cost apartment units.

This was followed by the Kajang Municipal Council (MPKJ) which recorded RM1,209,190.20 involving 38,387 low-cost units.

Selangor Government Provides Assistance Regardless of Political Affiliation

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SHAH ALAM, July 2: The State Government reminded all government officials, including the Social Welfare Department (JKM) to be professional when working by prioritising the interest of the people in Selangor without being biased.

Welfare and Women’s Affairs Exco, Rodziah Ismail said that all officers and employees have been asked to be open and responsible in discharging their duties regardless of political affiliation.

“All JKM officers are reminded to enhance their level of professionalism and to put the receiver who is truly in need as the priority basis without taking into account political background.

“Therefore, if there are any other officers who still do this, please report their names for further action.”

Rodziah said this when answering a question by Dusun Tua Assemblyman, Razaly Hassan during the Selangor State Assembly (DNS) session here today.

Water Restructuring to Complete in Two Months

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SHAH ALAM, 2 July: The State Government expects for negotiations about the water management with the Federal Government to complete in two months.

Chief Minister, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said that they have readied the agreement letter between the State Government and the Central Government regarding the negotiations.

“It was prepared based on the offer which has to be accepted in accordance with the Water Services Industry Act 2006 (Act 655).

“We are also optimistic about this matter as the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has stated his agreement for the water management restructuring in Selangor,” said Abdul Khalid in the Selangor State Assembly session today.

He was responding to a question from the Meru Assemblyman, Dr Abdul Rani Osman regarding the progress of the water management in Selangor.

Abdul Khalid also explained that through thorough preparation, the State Government will also set up a team of competent professionals to handle the water management in Selangor if the takeover process is successful.

“The management team will consist of executives from overseas who are qualified.”

The water industry restructuring process was initiated by the State Government last year in an effort to acquire the supply, treatment and distribution operations from four private companies.

The purpose of the restructuring is so that the people will receive efficient and affordable treated water supply.

The State Government has offered RM9.65 billion to acquire the four companies and so far, they have responded positively to the offer.

Iskandar: 15,105 Offered Low-Cost Housing

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SHAH ALAM, July 2: A total of 15,105 applicants have been offered to own low-cost housing from 2008 till 2013.

Meanwhile, 1,568 applicants were offered by the State Government to own Affordable Housing since it was introduced in year 2011 till 30 May 2013.

The Exco for Housing, Urban Management and Urban Settlement, Iskandar Samad said that the applicants were those assisted to own their own homes.

In the meantime, he said that the State Government has also implemented improvements to the offering process for low-cost housing.

“Among them is a central committee operated by the Selangor Housing and Property Board (LPHS) for the selection of names of applicants who were successfully made offers to ensure a fair and independent distribution.

“In addition, we will display the names of successful applicants for new projects at the LPHS website for two weeks to give an opportunity to parties who are not content to make objections,” he said in response to an oral question by Budiman Mohd Zohdi (BN-Sungai Panjang) during the Selangor State Assembly session today.

In addition, he informed that the currently, the State Government is in the final stages of negotiations with the bank to obtain mortgage loans for buyers of low-cost houses in Rimba Jaya (Shah Alam) and Sungai Sering (Julu Kelang).

He said that it is an effort by the State Government to help residents obtain housing loans.