Developers fined for pollution

By THO XIN YI

THREE developers have got off lightly with a fine of just RM25,000 in total by the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) over the pollution of a lake in Mutiara Puchong.

On Oct 29 last year, StarMetro reported the residents’ shock when they saw thousands of fishes floating on the lake along with the debris of construction waste.


Adnan Md Ikhsan: I hope the residents will be the eyes and ears for the council in monitoring such cases.

According to MPSJ president Datuk Adnan Md Ikshan, the council has cleaned up the lake and removed the dead fishes. Fencing has also been put up around it to prevent dumping.

He said the fine collected from the developers would be used to clean up the lake, and the area around it would be used for recreation.

The council however, has yet to identify the cause of the fishes’ death.

“I hope the residents will be the eyes and ears for the council in monitoring such cases. Take photographs of the scene and inform us,” he said.



Adnan, meanwhile, announced that the rule of having not more than six tenants living in a low-cost flat unit had been enforced with immediate effect.

“However, this only applies to foreign workers and students only,” he said.

If any unit is found to be housing more than six foreigners,the unit’s owner will be fined RM1,000.

For more pictures of the dead fishes in the lake in Taman Mutiara Puchong please kindly refer to this link - "Thousans Of Dead Fishes In The Lake"

High Tension Area Not Maintained.....Why Lahhhh!!!

High Tension Area Not Maintained

A picture is worth a thousand words.....I feel like I should not write too much about this but I sincerely wish for the relevant authorities to act on this soonest possible. (Please click on the picture above to view more pics).

Potholes Potholes Potholes..........Why Lah!!!

Above pictures were taken 13th January 2008 (today) and they were taken just to remind Mr.Chan of Interpile Sdn Bhd that there are potholes in the service road still currently maintained by Interpile/Malton i.e. not handed over yet to MPSJ.
Please do the necessary to maintain the said service roads
/s to the best of your ability to ensure all vehicles using this road have a smoother passage through.
The RA will be most appreciative if the repairs could be scheduled to complete before Chinese New Year 2008.

New Year New Beginning........2008!!!

Firstly on behalf of the RA I would like to start by wishing all TMP residents a very happy Chinese New Year (RAT 2008), wishing you prosperity, longevity and most importantly happiness. The RA would also like to extend these well wishes to all the hard working and deserving employees of Malton Bhd/Interpile Sdn Bhd whom have assisted with good intentions to make Taman Mutiara Puchong a better place to call home.
I am not one who wants to dwell on things in the past but so much have been said and done in Year 2007 pertaining many issues and events that have somehow made Year 2007 a truly memorable year for myself and of course for all active committee members of the RA in TMP. At the end of the day all I can say is I am proud of all the committee members whom have sacrificed their time, resources and efforts to chip in for a cause that ultimately benefits the entire community not only in TMP but I truly believe benefiting society as a whole as we start the ball rolling to create more awareness for home buyers and their rights and the need for all developers to put house buyers interest FIRST in all their development plans to serve the people and to add value to all their projects.
A couple of points to note base on the experiences gained from our struggle in Year 2007/2008 are the following:
1. Never at face value trust marketing brochures and materials handed by marketing personnel at the launch of any developments. Do your own site visits and investigation, talk to people in the property market whom are impartial and check for track record of the said developer in recent years. Do some fact finding and digging as you will be investing in the said property which will cost you not including interest payable on your bank loan over 25-30 years, which if you do add up can be a big sum. It is worth the time to just do a little research before you sign any S & P agreement.
2. Read through the S & P as well as the DMC (if any/applicable) with your own appointed lawyer. Highlight areas of concern or with ambiguity and seek legal advice as to what impact it might have on you prior to purchasing the said property. Try not to use the developers panel lawyers as they usually do not have your best interest in mind.
3. Get a certified building inspector to inspect the entire property (after purchasing) between 400 - 600, an affordable sum for peace of mind before you sign acceptance of key if necessary. This is important as for a trained eye these building inspectors will be able to ascertain properly the quality of the said building workmanship and will be quick to notice any inherent or latent defects which you might not realise or possibly not even notice. Remember you only have 24 months defect liability period (previously 18 months), after which you will no longer be covered unless you can prove otherwise after the defect liability period if the said liability is a "inherent" defect which is perpetual obligation by developers to rectify, only if you can prove so.
4. Make sure you get in touch with the property managers and meet them in person and also know the senior management people of the said management team in charge of the property development. Do not wait until you have a problem to seek these people out. Get their personal contact numbers, extensions in their office etc.
5. Find out the local political constituent representative in your area, be it MCA, Gerakan, Umno, DAP or whoever that has the majority mandate in the area. Someone that will represent the rakyat which by the way is you.
6. Find out the local council in charge of the area/territory/zone etc eg. MBPJ, MPSJ, MPSA etc. Get the representative or logon to theor website and get the necessary information or make the necessary inquiry. This is helpful if you want to find out in detail of the proposed project blueprint plan that was submitted by the developer and you will know in detail exactly what is in the said development for the entire project not just the house you will be living in.
7. Make sure an RA (Resident Association) is formed with a majority mandate of more than 50% (ideal to have 70% or more)for the betterment and preservation of the community. Find out how to set up an RA with the assistance of the ROS (Registrar Of Society) or Home Buyers Association. The link is provided in this blog if you need to get the information. To register your RA only cost RM 30 and another RM 7 for the forms if I remember correctly. But do take note that the ROS takes between 4 months to 6 months to process the said application, do not ask me why it takes so long as I am still wondering to this day. I am sure you will have your 2 cents worth on this issue so go ahead and ponder away.
8. Set up a blog and notice board to keep all residents informed of the latest issues and information. This is the most affordable way to keep in touch with all residents as the RA is a voluntary organisation with no source of income whatsoever. Funds are usually from membership fees, donation in kind and also support from the local constituent representatives.
9. Make sure all committee members are serious about thier voluntary capacity and have a sincere passion to make a difference to improve living conditions and to increase quality of life for all residents in the community. No personal interest or agenda should arise.
10.Hold regular meetings to plan and to deliberate on issues tabled and proactively monitor current situation and events to be on top and relevant. Also be prepared to be dissapointed by some residents as many might not share your enthusiasm or sense of community spirit, we call this the "Four Wall Syndrome" - people who only care about themselves within the four walls of their home, anything else that happens outside is of no concern to them unless something do happen to them which will by then possibly change their mindset. Just my observation but if you do not agree with me no worries as we all have our opinions etc.

I may have left something out and might not possibly address some issue/s you may have question/s for, if you do please drop in your comment/query etc and I will do my best to assist in any way I possibly can.

Wishing all a great happy year of the RAT 2008....... :@

If you are travelling back to your hometown, please drive carefully, do not speed and make sure you have enough rest before taking the wheel. Getting to your destination safely is far better than not getting there at all.

Good news for Puchong

By LIM CHIA YING
chiaying@thestar.com.my

IF the local draft plan by the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) is any indication, there is some good news for the booming township of Puchong.

Puchong MP Lau Yeng Peng said Puchong folks would receive RM3.1billion in development within the next 12 years based on his calculations of the RM5.1bil allocation that the MPSJ has set aside to spend for areas under the council until 2020.

“Looking at the development blocks in the draft plan, Puchong takes up Block 1, 2, 3, 4, and part of 5, which translates to a sizeable portion of about 60% so this would mean a big part would go into developing the township,” Lau claimed.


What’s in store: Lau explaining the plan to residents as his special assistant Vincent Loh and MPSJ councillor Wan Sun Keong (right) look on.

“The first thing I've noticed is that the MPSJ will spend about RM10mil to turn the gazetted Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve into an international camping site.

“The forest itself measures some 1,125ha and this plan shows that the state government is committed keeping and maintaining this reserve.

“It's a valuable piece of land and the state is intent on keeping it that way by making it a recreational venue of international standards with numerous facilities for campers, joggers, mountain bikers, and those who love the outdoors.”

He added that from the draft plan, he could also see that the council was serious about upgrading highways and interchanges to cope with the daily jams that Puchong is now experiencing.

“Also, it is indicated that there are plans to have riverside development at the Klang river, stretching from Kinrara to Kampung Sri Aman - a distance of about 10km. This is more the initiative of the private sector from what I was told,” he said.

However, Lau pointed out a point of question mark with regards to the estimated population density under the MPSJ.

“Based on my calculation, since Puchong takes up Block 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, and 3.5 in the plan, the total number of residents in 2000 came up to about 270,000 people.

“Yet it is stated in the plan that the increase in population for areas under the MPSJ to be 650,000. I think there is something wrong with this figure as there are already about 400,000 people.

“What about other areas like Seri Kembangan and Subang Jaya? If all these areas are totalled up in full, it would probably surpass the estimated figure of 650,000 by 2020,” Lau said.

He said with the increase in population, the MPSJ must pay even more attention to public services, infrastructure, and facilities like recreational areas and open spaces to cater to the people's increased needs.

Pusat Bandar Puchong residents' association president Awies Ung said he was agreeable to the plan to make the Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve into a campers' or joggers' site so as long as no greens were damaged.

“We don't want bulldozers to start coming in to clear any trees, or people start taking advantage of things. I think residents would welcome this plan provided that everything is preserved as they are now,” he said.

Meanwhile, Lau said he would be having his local draft plan briefing for Puchong residents on Jan 17 at the Rakan Muda Sports Complex, Puchong, at 8.30pm.

“I'll try to get the MPSJ president Datuk Adnan Mohd Ikhsan to be present and I hope residents would turn up because this is a plan that would affect them,” he said.