http://floradamansara.com/2009/11/11/news-flash-now-on-sinaran-harian/

http://floradamansara.com/2009/11/09/block-f-break-in-suspect-caught/

Recently we have beefed-up security at Flora Damansara.  Inland Security has been very good to us, accommodating our requests and also giving useful suggestions on areas where we can improve. Of course! There’s room for improvement. Huge room for improvement.

Let me reveal something about the recent arrest event.  When the security caught the suspect, he was in the act of breaking out of the apartment at Block F.  Simply put – we were extremely lucky when security personnel on patrol was at the right place and at the right time within the residential block. They caught him in the act and there was no doubt on the incident.

Unfortunately, when the management tried to contact the owner of the apartment that was broken into, our records seems to be incomplete in that aspect.  Instead, we had to leave a note at the door to inform the owner/resident/tenant to contact the management for further details of the incident.

Now, if only we were able to contact the owner or resident, imagine the host of things that can be done efficiently. We’re running at a loss in managing Flora Damansara. Current billing of the maintenance fees that we collect monthly, even if we collect a full 100% every month, is not enough to cover the expenses of the management operations. And we’re collecting barely half of the monthly expenses.  Instead, we’re living on collection of arrears.  Once we’ve collected all arrears, we’re in the red!

One of the few things we’re trying our level best is to be efficient. Now back from digressing, while we’re busy trying to contact the Police, contact details of the owner/resident was sketchy. With the apartment being open and accessible, arrangements had to be made for temporary locks and security.  All this had to be done and the owner/resident was not contactable.

Then there’s also the matter of the Parking Stickers. We require owners to identify their parking lots and also to register their car with the management all on the grounds of security. I am sure you’ll felt irrational rage when some strange cars parked into your parking lot.  With parking stickers and registration, parking can be regulated. Only those with parking lots can park at their own lot. Those without parking lots will be given privilege to park at the visitor parking lots at a first come first serve basis.

Do this, we’ll solve the parking issues and security of your vehicles as well.

-PS- Security patrols in the parking lots are a regular feature now. Watchman’s clock has been installed all over the place. Patrols are being done more frequently.  We will increase security personnels as and when we require as we identify the need. All these things is still not enough without cooperation from owners/residents. At the basic most, please update your contact information with the management.

-PPS- Management will need the owner’s mailing address and current contact phone number.

Especially if you have valuables in your homes, never ever leave your keys to your household to these people. No one will be responsible to any loss except yourself.

There has been cases where contractors and repairmen have been given the keys to enter the premises. At the end of the day, all the works has been completed but the house is missing some furnitures and fixtures.

Let’s look at another perspective – You take your car to the car wash and left the keys to car washers. Later you came back asking for your car, the car washers said they’ve already given the keys to the “owner”. Subjectivity aside and look at the objectivity here, who is to blame?

Importance of awareness cannot be underestimated. It is the key ingredient to taking care of your property.

After a police chase scene (hollywood style! no less) along the Lebuhraya Damansara-Puchong (LDP) Highway, the suspects had to abandon their Proton Wira after ramming into several cars queuing at the Penchala Toll Plaza. 

One of the suspects was quickly arrested as he was clumsily trying to extract himself out from the car heavily laden with looted audio equipment. Two others struck out on foot into Flora Damansara 2 blocks (Blocks A and B). Later, they were seen climbing the slopes behind Flora Damansara 2 blocks escaping towards the higher level blocks of Flora Damansara 1.

Differing views here, according to TV3 report, one of the two escaped suspects were later arrested in one of the restaurants in Flora Damansara. On the other hand, according to management’s sources, the arrested suspect was found hiding in SYABAS Pump Room just outside Flora Damansara.

Flora Damansara security service provider – Inland Security is in close cooperation with the Police in conducting strict checks on all vehicles entering and exiting Flora Damansara apartment complexes. I appeal to everyone in Flora Damansara to please give full cooperation for the sake and safety of the community.

These information are sketchy at best at the moment. As I manage to get more info, more updates will be made available.

PS – I am told that TV3 news crew was around also earlier at Flora Damansara. Tonight’s Bulletin Utama, keep your eyes peeled!

UPDATE: There were three (3) fugitives! They managed to arrest two of the suspects but the other is still on the run – Confirmed

UPDATE: The lone fugitive still on the run was said to be wearing white cap and brown t-shirt. Suspect is ARMED & DANGEROUS! - Unconfirmed

UPDATE: The chase scene apparently with shootings between the police and the fugitives along the LDP. Later, the fugitives abandoned their vehicle just before the Penchala Toll and went on foot into Flora Damansara – Confirmed

I would like to take this opportunity to wish “SELAMAT HARI RAYA AIDILFITRI”.  Happy holidays to those not celebrating.

Please drive safely to your respective destinations.

Sincere regards and thanks

Actually, the waterfall is not underground, it’s underneath Block F by it’s base.  The waterfall, as explained to me by our building manager, was caused by overflow of our sewerage.  Due to circumstances made by previous management, instead of overflowing our manhole, it was diverted into the so called waterfall.  The water from this waterfall goes into a drain at the bottom of block f.

Works are being done on this, can’t expect a fix overnight right?

Anyway, there’s also problem where our sewerage pipes are currently clogged at both block F and H.  Work is being done to clear these first before attending to the waterfall issue.

UPDATE: The last update I had this morning (3rd Sept 09) was the sewerage clog at F has been cleared.  Works should be undergoing at the waterfall now.

UPDATE: This is what I got from our Building Manager -

01/09/09 (12..00a.m – 2.00a.m)

Management attempts to rectify the problem by identify a root of the problem is due which is seen as blockage of main-hole and water is over overflowing thru pipe below block F.

Management technician unable to carried out the assignment at that hour moment due to hazardless and dangerous area (night).

02/03/09

Identification of problem at all sewerage line (Block F). Difficulty faced by Management due to unavailable of sewerage drawing (plan).

02/09/09 (11.00p.m – 3.00a.m)

Management suspect overflowing of water is due to blockage of main-hole and clearance of main-hole at block F was carried out. Water which flows out identified as waste water and the pipe has been closed properly.

03/09/09

Management found out another area having a water flowing and this problem will be apprehended tonight (11.00p.m)

Anyway, the leak at Block A as I was told was caused by a burst in the main-pipe supplying water to our blocks (C, D, E, F & H).  They told me this has been going on for almost a year.  Shockingly, how come nobody inform anybody on this.  Luckily, the newly formed JMB committees from Blocks A & B was thoughtfully enough to take initiative.

So, we had SYABAS switched off the main water supply temporarily to determine the cause of the leak.  Hope to have an answer by tomorrow.  If this is true and we can fix this, we can further reduce our monthly waterbill eliminating wastage here.

UPDATE: Was advised by the Developer – Saujana Triangle S/B – The ‘pipe is a common water supply pipe from SYABAS bulk meter connecting to all blocks in Flora Damansara‘. It’ll be another few days before we can actually determine what is what then  :-(

UPDATE: Advised by our Building Manager, a meeting with Allied Group Properties Services (Property Managers for the good-folks at Block A & B, the leak was identified as main pipes supplying to Block A.  They will undertake the repairs for it.

Anyway, please read-up the news article published by Sinar Harian on 29th July 2009, an online version can also be found here – http://floradamansara.com/2009/07/29/jmc-perjelaskan-masalah/

No offense intended to the Sinar Harian reporter but some details were a bit off in what I would say fairly accurate journalism.

All these outcry about our ‘Sinking Fund’.  As I revealed in my previous posting – http://maulvi.floradamansara.com/2009/07/15/education-about-flora-damansara/ – when JMB took over the Flora Damansara and appointed Pama Services as the new management company, the inherited coffers contains exactly RM 0. ‘Telur Ayam’.  We also inherit debtors list and creditors list.

So, our ‘Sinking Fund’, from RM 0, now stands at about RM6,500.  The figure quoted in the article – RM1,600 – is actually what we collected for the month of June only!

On Maintainance Fee, every month, we should be collecting around RM170,000 but we are collecting only at about RM20,000 or so on average every month from the current billing!

Since day 1 of Flora Damansara, accumulating outstanding dues over the years stands at RM2.2 million! A mind boggling figure!  900 of the owners from 2,400 owes above RM1,000 and these figure alone is at a staggering amount of RM1.8 million!  Try and stretch your imagination, with residential units maintenance fee of RM50 for the low-medium cost units and RM70 for the medium cost units, how many months are your arrears?

More accurately, how many years are you in arrears?

Please do not insult everyone by saying that – these are arrears from the previous management days.  We would gladly overlook this if only we are not inheriting the previous liabilities.

Case in point – TNB Arrears

This one is clearly from the previous management days.  Can we ignore this? Of course we can.  Can TNB disconnect electricity to Flora Damansara common areas?  Sure they can too! And they did! Who suffers? No electricity to power the Lifts and Water Pumps.  The residents of Flora Damansara.

Another Case in Point – Syabas Arrears

This one is also clearly from the previous management days.  Can we ignore this? Of course we can.  Can Syabas disconnect water supply to the whole of Flora Damansara?  Sure they can too! If they did? Who suffers?  The residents of Flora Damansara.

All the facilities that are in state of disrepair and lack of maintanence, clearly from the previous management days.  Now dropping dead like flies one-by-one.  This is not to mention those ad-hoc repairs that we have to undertake on those poorly designed engineering works.

All this requires money.  No money, no talk.

Now, if only those equipments and facilities are handed over in tip-top condition, better yet brand-new, I don’t see why not we can just start a new leaf. Of course, after that you wake-up!

All this breakdowns are happening at all times and hours.  Some of the repair works were undertaken round-the-clock.  Service must be restored as soon as possible (the acronym here – ASAP).  Then to ensure that no further breakdowns, round-the-clock monitoring were undertaken.  All this to ensure service remain available.

Some of you guys who seems to delight in taking shower or doing their laundry at 3.00 AM, take note that the management have people monitoring the water pumps and the tank levels.  Just to ensure there’s no problem whatsoever.

All this too incur costs in terms of overtime wages to the technicians employed by the management.

Yes, the state of disrepair is that bad in Flora Damansara.  Can we fix this?  Yes we can.  When?  Of course it takes time, especially since funds are scarce.  We have to prioritize.  If only the funds are available, we can always flood money in order to make the problem go away.

Can we?  Easier said than done.

To those who said that overtime wages are not justifiable, of course, we could always disallow it, then all problems that occurs in Flora Damansara can and will only be rectified during office hours.

Acceptable?  Not!

Right now there are so many incidents and most of them lapse beyond normal working hours.  Repair works has to continue until complete.  You cannot stop working and continue the next business day, not on crucial services.

All these facilities that should have been properly maintained which were not previously are all due to lackadaisical attitude of owners in not paying the maintainence dues on time previously.  Now when we have problems from the past coming up biting us in the arse and we need funds to fix them.  These funds too have to come from the past – arrears that must be settled.

Oh yeah! Management’s office hours is also a bit slightly off in the Sinar Harian’s article -

Normal Office Hours
Monday – Friday : 09.30am – 05.30pm
Saturday : 10.00am – 03.00pm

Extended Office Hours
06.30pm – 08.30pm 2nd and 4th Weeks (Tuesdays and Thursdays)

http://floradamansara.com/management/

For those who have queries on their water bills, please check with the management.  There’s always possibilities of erroneous metre readings (Human Error), faulty metres or simply leakages undetected somewhere.

Maulvi Bakar – Block H

The first thing at the top of the statement will be it’s total income for the month.  Mind you, this is total amount whether it is collected or not, but due to the JMB by it’s members – owners of each individual units of Flora Damansara.

Then we get serious with various expenses incurred for the maintenance of Flora Damansara as a whole. The first five figures are the fixed charges for the service providers (except for security, whose charges are based on 28 days, 29 days, 30 days or 31 days months). After that we have variable sums.

TNB electricity charges has been fairly stable, but it might go up in the next few months as we fix more electricals around Flora Damansara as those darkened areas lights-up! Or we might go down as we slowly fix the faulty timers that did not switch-off when it is already in the late mornings!

Water, our most head-ache figures here.  So much wastage! Various pipe-burst incidents and leakage of water tanks has contributed to this debacle!  You know our developer uses sub-standard quality materials for our pipings. Then we have vandalisms where those really ’smart’ fellows who tried to break their water-clamps, being amateur at best, broke instead the main pipings – there we have wastage.  Or the main pipings at the water tanks, too much pressure from the pumps, the pipes burst, too little pressure, the tank won’t fill up quickly enough. Talk about sub-standard planning from our developers.  Then we have the leakages in the tanks.  3 years of neglect on the water pumps.

The day PAMA Services took over the management of Flora Damansara (with RM0 in JMB’s Bank Account), the very next day we have the main pipes servicing the whole of Flora Damansara blocks C,D,E,F and H burst!  Some attribute it to revenge or sabotage!  Your guess is as good as mine.  PAMA Services fixed it all the while taking complaints and abuses from the residents.

The agreement was to have the previous management and it’s employer to handover the Flora Damansara to its JMB and it’s newly appointed management company everything in order, if not in brand-new mint condition, at least in tip-top working order.  Failing that, they’re to undertake all the necessary remedial works and officially handover them.  Unfortunately, procrastination seems to be their middle name. For the JMB to undertake this kind of major work, a major reserve of funds is in order. Something the JMB simply lack of. You cannot buy something, either goods or services paying for it. But the whole situation seems to point to that direction. While waiting for these remedial works to be done, patch-works on ad-hoc basis was made by PAMA Services. Most of their staff overtime claims was due to these patch-works. The water pumps was in so bad condition, people had to be maintained on rotation watch, patrolling all four residential blocks watching the water pumps 24/7! It is quite unfortunate for block D to have their water pumps being in the worst condition from neglect and disrepair and block H due to bad piping design and of sub-standard quality.

All this ought to be rectified but with criminally lackadaisical attitude, procrastinated causing grief to the residents. All the while we have people working over their time and above their limit, they have to deal also with irate residents and also handling their day-to-day duties, all for Flora Damansara. Some people have their limits. This is clearly exhibited by the exodus of residents away from Flora Damansara. How about high staff-turnover at PAMA Services at Flora Damansara?!  Isn’t it a joke we have people working to serve the residents of Flora Damansara but got abused instead.

Some people would say, this is usual excuse, blame the previous management and the developer.  I got another party to share the blame, the _owners_ themselves as well. Why does it exist people who are obligated to pay maintenance fees for the good of the whole community but fail to do so? If it’s only a black sheep or two it is still manageable, practically the whole flock?!  Alright, I cut it out of whole cloth, but the actual truth is some blocks has 3/4 (that’s three quarter!) of it’s owners in the red!! You can actually go to these blocks and randomly point 3 out of 4 people there and would’ve been correct too!

If only the maintenance was done properly previously.

If only the developer would’ve done a good construction job originally.

If only the owners paid-up their maintenance on time, no arrears!

If if if.

One of the few documents actually handed-over officially and intact to the JMB was the debtors list dated 31st March 2009. Now we have a full idea virtually how much is being owed by owners in arrears. There are also a handful of owners – clearly misguided – who paid their arrears to the previous management in their final days of mis-managing Flora Damansara. JMB honours their payments! Even though our JMB did not inherit a single cent from the previous management (Read – RM0 ). Provided an original documentation of the proof of payment are made available for verification.

There are also those who did pay-up those arrears to the JMB. A handful! Whom which we thank them very much! We are lucky that there were extras collected there which we are able to cover the over-expenses from various extras incurred. Currently, our monthly expenses are higher than our proper monthly maintenance fee dues.  Most of these extras are expenses which should have been spent earlier, much earlier during the tenure of the previous management company.  They’re now coming back to haunt us which we are using funds partly collected from arrears.

Why are these arrears so important that JMB are striving to collect?

Other than Debtors List that we received from the previous management, we also received the Creditors List. The JMCs are not a bunch of Ah Longs collectings debts only you know?!

We have arrears to TNB and SYABAS to the tune of hundreds and thousands of ringgit! From a figure of about a million ringgit in total, to date, with careful appropriation of hard-earned funds here and there, we are still owing TNB slightly above half a million ringgit and SYABAS close to three hundred thousand ringgit. (Actually, we arm-twist the developer to foot the bill previously, they were most unhappy even when we promised to repay them back as a condition of their payment!)

If we have our way, we would like to have the previous management to foot the bill.  But no can do, right?  Because, if the previous management refuses to pay these service providers, the service providers would’ve simply cut the supply and who would be suffering in the end? Flora Damansara will be the victim. After all, their arguments is that they never did able to collect enough to pay the service providers! Try calling this cow-droppings to their face?

I have idiots making police reports in disagreement that the JMB in collecting the arrears supposedly owed to the previous management. You disagree? Well, these service providers certainly disagree and they back it up by disrupting those essential supplies (Try arguing with that!). It’s like letting loose the wolves at all those black sheeps in the flock. I don’t mind really, it’s the cute white sheeps which of concern here. No, I am neither a wolf nor a sheep.  I’d like to think myself more like a fox!

In order for JMB to undertake all the major repair works on it’s own, as mentioned, funds must be available. A substantial amount. We need a source of fund. Unless there’s a philantropist billionaire living amongst us who can loan (if not donate) the funds needed, the source of fund must come from Flora Damansara itself!. JMCs in a collective majority decision has decided to go ahead and collect all those arrears owed in Maintenance Fees!

Now there are those who protested towards water clampings measures. They even wave the rulings of the case of “John Denis De Silva v. Crescent Court Management Corporation (2006)”. It’s true the rulings clearly said water clamping is illegal based on Strata Titles Act 318 (1985). But now, we have Building and Common Property Act 663 (2007) which stipulates broad powers for the JMB to act.

In short, rulings in 2006 based on Act 318 passed in 1985. Act 663 passed in 2007. Now is 2009.

It is common practice of various JMBs all over Malaysia to act according to the powers clearly stipulated within the Act 663.

This has been raised during the recent Police-Residents Safety Dialogue event on the 4th of July. The letter dated 18th June sent to JMB for invitation to join the event was only received on the late night of 2nd of July! Everyone I talk to, all told, this is an ambush.  Still I turn up.  It is a programme for safety-dialogue with the police. It is not a JMC-bashing programme.

There was questions and arguments that water clamping is illegal referring to the Act 318 ruling with even some concerned individual even raising fictions about Act 663(A) in opposition to Act 663. There’s an Act 663(A)!?

Of course I kept quiet mostly during this event.  It’s all about safety issues.  Flora Damansara (Medium) JMB along with Redza Security representative were present ready to answer any safety concerns but unfortunately there were none asked.

Thus, both of us JMC of Flora Damansara Blocks A & B and JMC of Flora Damansara Blocks C,D,E,F & H kept quiet at the side there while the esteemed speakers speak on safety issues, Rakan Cops, joint patrols. Imagine questions on legality of bringing machetes during Joint Patrols with the Police!

Rest assured, JMC are committed to individual water metre migrations. But problem is, SYABAS would not even consider if there are arrears!

On the other hand also, there are some hecklers at the back there, faces hidden, yelling for new JMCs.  Why not?

The current line-up of JMCs we have are mostly young and professionals. Most of us knew each others well. Then there are groups who wants to benefit from JMB by way of cronies. Case in point when there was pressure applied during the open tender meeting where the JMCs were asked to select candidates whom are clearly not suitable for the job. All in the name of ‘bumiputra’ sensibilities.

My apologies for not being a product of Biro Tata Negara.  The JMCs are answerable to 2400++ owners and also to the big man upstairs if you’re a believer of some form or another. Why I say this?  In an unrelated event, when it was floated the idea to tow away those vehicles that was hap-hazardly parked in areas to be marked as tow-away zones, these cronies, their first reaction?! Oh I know various car-towing operators..  We can make money out of this, let’s discuss this! Can’t we just let MBPJ do that instead?

Is it a wonder if the JMCs are suspicious when they treat JMB as a way of making money?

The JMCs personal agenda being in the committee are simply put – We want to restore Flora Damansara.  Mine is better! The higher the property value of Flora Damansara, the higher the profit I stand to gain from my unit.

Don’t you all owners of Flora Damansara want the value of Flora Damansara to go up?  Those who live here, will benefit from the quality of life.  Those who rent out, will get better quality tenants who are willing to pay top dollar simply to live here.

You want this? The truth – Not overnight after 3 years of neglect, not just from the previous management company or the developer, you _owners_ as well! Want the Project Restore Flora Damansara finish quickly? Those in arrears, pay-up! You guys have no excuse not to do so. Are you someone special to have dispensation for exclusion from your obligations? I shall refrain from using expletives here. Unlike someone whom I met recently at block H. Definitely I am better.

Oh yeah! Want a new JMC?  Under Act 663, please call up 25% of _ALL_ owners of Flora Damansara (Fully paid-up with no arrears!) to raise a petition to the COB and call for an EGM!  With one stroke, I get people to pay-up and get the job done!  Then I’ll retire!

Not happy? Tough!

Maulvi Bakar – Block H

Flora Damansara have a Round-About.  That’s right, not as famous as Rothmans’.  Earlier today, I visited to Flora Damansara Management’s Office located at the Hall between Block F and Block H.  Upon passing by Round About, I noticed that there are at least 5 cars which are parked there.

Stubborn Parkers 1

The problem with our Round-About, by virtue of its design flaw, it’s quite small.  Although with those parked cars poses an inconvenience to other cars passing through, larger beasts will have trouble negotiating it.

If you noticed that we have a high number of student population.  Previously, the management stopped school and college buses from entering the our Flora Damansara (1) altogether.  Stop at the entrance and walk (exercise) your way up.

But no, everyone’s started cuckoo having eggs.  There are those who do not want the buses, fine the management did that.  Then there are those who cite that the management are being unreasonable towards students (babies!).  Well we have parking issues here in Flora Damansara, then there’s this buses that “must” enter Flora Damansara due to humanitarian reasons (still, babies!).

Fine, the management tackle the those cars being parked hap-hazardously all over the place and create spaces for the buses to negotiate our narrow roadways.  First few weeks, we have things going well.  Now I noticed, stubborn people are back!

Stubborn Parkers

All I can say is, if any of those buses dent any of those cars, the car owners have themselves to blame!

Speaking to the Building Manager and the Security Lead about this, they told me action is in the works.  I hope a stern one will be taken.

The culprit? A pipe burst due to tampering at the high-teens floor.

I am told that the guy broke the clamping device, but he broke his neighbour’s pipe-joint (is that the lingo?) it to the master pipe.  See the picture above, clamping at the above but the culprit, in his despicable effort to break the clamp, damages his neighbours joining pipes instead!

I’m asking..  How low can you go?!

I say bravo!  Breaking your neighbour’s pipe and the part that was on the main-pipe!

I’ve been informed that a police report has been lodged on this!

I’ve also been told that this one happened on the 24th June 09 and PAMA Services have since fixed this one.