Commotion as apartment residents quiz Selangor MB on maintenance issues

 

STATE POLLS | A heated exchange erupted between several Sungai Tua voters and incumbent assemblyperson Amirudin Shari at a dinner event last night after the latter allegedly failed to provide a satisfactory response to questions surrounding the maintenance of a local apartment building.

Several residents of the Putri Laksamana Apartment, Batu Caves, had attempted to question Amirudin - who is defending his seat for the fourth term - after he finished his speech and was walking towards a waiting car.

Specifically, one of the residents asked Amirudin about the poor conditions of the apartment, including rusty railings along its stairs, a leaking septic tank, and missing drain covers that posed a hazard for residents while walking.

“This issue must first be brought to the joint management body,” said Amirudin in response, and this triggered the complainant's unhappiness.

The resident, who wished to be known as Nesh, pointed out that the JMB chairperson was the host of the dinner function and related issues were left unresolved for 10 years.

He also asked Amirudin to explain his alleged absence from Sungai Tua in the 10 months since also being elected as Gombak MP in the 15th general election.

As Amirudin continued to walk towards his car, a brief chaos erupted as several PKR members attempted to apprehend Nesh and others who also continued with their questions.

“I was raising this issue on behalf of all Putri Laksamana apartment residents.

“What is the point of having an MB if a 10-year issue failed to be resolved?” said Nesh, who also urged voters to support the independent candidate for Sungai Tua, Suman Gopal.

The Putri Laksamana apartment comprises five blocks with approximately 400 multi-racial residents.

When met later, the apartment’s JMB chairperson A Ragunathan claimed that the poor conditions were due to residents’ failure to pay their maintenance fees.

“Many residents here did not pay maintenance fees, particularly those in Block A. Of 80 residents, only eight are paying the RM30 fee.

“The residents there are the source of problems at their block. We can only maintain it if the fees are paid.

“Recently the MB (Amirudin) provided allocations to perform maintenance at Block A, so it is not that he did not resolve this issue,” Ragunathan told Malaysiakini.

JMB chairperson A Ragunathan

He further claimed that the commotion was mere “political drama” to tarnish Amirudin's reputation.

Unfair for paying residents

Meanwhile, Nesh, who denied Ragunathan’s claim that he had intentions to defame Amirudin, said the current situation was unfair to paying residents.

“I agree (on non-paying residents). But what are my rights as a resident who paid the maintenance fees?

“Do I need to go through this situation just because there are others who did not pay?” he said.

“I want to ask how much is needed to resolve this issue. Not even RM500,000. As the Sungai Tua assemblyperson, Gombak MP, and Selangor menteri besar, Amirudin can instantly provide the allocation.

“But he did not do that just because the majority of residents here are from the low-income category,” claimed Nesh, who took Malaysiakini to visit the apartment.

From the brief visit, there were many broken stones seen at the main entrance and pathways to Block A, Block B, and Block C - a hazard for children and senior citizens.

The stairs also had rusty railings, making them unsafe for use.

Nesh said there were also leaking septic tanks at one point and several residents also complained of clogged plumbing systems.

“That is why I asked the voters here to vote for the independent candidate, who is also a local here and may understand our problems,” said Nesh.

Amirudin is in a three-cornered contest against Suman and Perikatan Nasional’s Muhammad Hanif Jamaluddin. - Mkini