Star Online - From family homes to slums:
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In a state of neglect: Umadevi (right) explaining about the rubbish scattered at one of the fourth floor abandoned units of the low-cost flat to Jawi district special officer Low Shi Wei (seated left) as her children look on in Taman Bukit Panchor in Nibong Tebal |
NIBONG TEBAL: Abandoned by owners who seem to have given up hope, many privately-owned low-cost flats on mainland Penang have become slums.
The doors and windows of many of the units – especially on the upper floors – were ripped off and rubbish has filled the units.
The staircases reek of urine and these blocks of flats, some more than 20 years old, had also become the haunt of glue sniffers and drunkards, evidenced by the numerous empty glue cans and liquor bottles littering them.
Such is the state of one place in Taman Bukit Panchor.
Despite the high demand for public housing in Penang, many low-cost flats on mainland Penang have eroded into squalid homes for the poor.
Most of the owners had stopped paying maintenance fees, either because they had moved out and abandoned their property, or the units had been repossessed by banks and no buyers could be found.
Coordinating officers of the Jawi constituency service centre took The Star to visit the Taman Bukit Panchor flats to highlight the plight of the few remaining residents trying to turn their place into homes.
On the top floor of one of the flats, only two of the 20 units were inhabited.
One of the residents, housewife M. Umahdevi, 37, barricaded the left and right sides of the corridor leading to her unit and kept a dog there to alert her if anyone walks up to her floor.
Her home and her neighbour’s were the only occupied units, and all the other units were vacant and full of filth.
Considering the wailing, whinging and whining nationally by the homeless or/and young home-starters, isn't it a humongous shame that these low-cost flats in Taman Buklit Panchor have turned derelict into what are now slums. And this Taman is only one of several low-cost housing that have gone south.
I am afraid I have to say it's one of our Malaysia 'nasties'. We don't seem to be able to MAINTAIN things especially housing and buildings in good order, but would also illegally scavenge (pilfer) any items on those deserted properties.
The doors and windows of many of the units – especially on the upper floors – were ripped off and rubbish has filled the units.
The staircases reek of urine and these blocks of flats, some more than 20 years old, had also become the haunt of glue sniffers and drunkards, evidenced by the numerous empty glue cans and liquor bottles littering them.
Such is the state of one place in Taman Bukit Panchor.
Despite the high demand for public housing in Penang, many low-cost flats on mainland Penang have eroded into squalid homes for the poor.
Most of the owners had stopped paying maintenance fees, either because they had moved out and abandoned their property, or the units had been repossessed by banks and no buyers could be found.
Coordinating officers of the Jawi constituency service centre took The Star to visit the Taman Bukit Panchor flats to highlight the plight of the few remaining residents trying to turn their place into homes.
On the top floor of one of the flats, only two of the 20 units were inhabited.
One of the residents, housewife M. Umahdevi, 37, barricaded the left and right sides of the corridor leading to her unit and kept a dog there to alert her if anyone walks up to her floor.
Her home and her neighbour’s were the only occupied units, and all the other units were vacant and full of filth.
Considering the wailing, whinging and whining nationally by the homeless or/and young home-starters, isn't it a humongous shame that these low-cost flats in Taman Buklit Panchor have turned derelict into what are now slums. And this Taman is only one of several low-cost housing that have gone south.
Jawi constituency ADUN Jason H’ng Mooi Lye (DAP) who was, as reported by EdgeProp, a municipal councillor from 2013 before he became the area’s assemblyman this year, called on the state government to give more thought to the development of low-cost home projects before giving approval for more to be built.
“We need the state government to think properly about this. What is the use of building more when they will have the same problem as the existing ones?” he was quoted saying in The Star today.
Recounting his municipal years in dealing with the problems of the low-cost houses, H’ng says: “Honestly, when we pump in money to help residents replace the lights along the corridors and staircases, they are all gone again within a week. Somebody will steal them. When we organise gotong-royong, none of the residents help and only council workers do the cleaning.
“The residents keep coming to our service centre to ask for money to pay the utility bills,” he added.“I have been trying so long to help the residents without success that I am on the verge of giving up. I don’t know what to do anymore,” H’ng lamented.
“We need the state government to think properly about this. What is the use of building more when they will have the same problem as the existing ones?” he was quoted saying in The Star today.
Recounting his municipal years in dealing with the problems of the low-cost houses, H’ng says: “Honestly, when we pump in money to help residents replace the lights along the corridors and staircases, they are all gone again within a week. Somebody will steal them. When we organise gotong-royong, none of the residents help and only council workers do the cleaning.
“The residents keep coming to our service centre to ask for money to pay the utility bills,” he added.“I have been trying so long to help the residents without success that I am on the verge of giving up. I don’t know what to do anymore,” H’ng lamented.
Good sense and I feel sorry for him being ADUN for such a terrible domain.
It's obvious stricter monitoring of such low-cost housing and enforcement are required.
But when you hear about the ridiculous police offering of discounts to payment for long outstanding traffic and parking fines, you can't help but think sh*t of their enforcement. It's the same for other authorities like Town Councils, Municipalities etc.
Offering discounts to fines etc is an admittance of inability to collect those fines. Bloody incompetent.
Malaysia has steadily deteriorated into a lawless society over decades... starting from the top...
ReplyDeleteThere is NO absolute housing shortage in Malaysia.
ReplyDeleteWhat Malaysia actually has is a mismatch between offered price and what people can afford.
There are currently RM Billions in unsold housing and even more RM Billions owned but unoccupied housing.
If the people prefer to keep a squalor then nothing much can be done.
ReplyDeleteThere will always be that bottom 2% of people who: don’t want to work (ie lazy), always need government money or donation and have no qualms eating rubbish and living in squalor. Well folks, this is that 2% These people exist even in developed countries. Just give them the minimal help as needed and don’t waste any more time or money on them.They will just ask for more. Lazy Leaches.
ReplyDeleteIsn't sqatting in unoccupied dwellings an offence?
ReplyDeleteWho are the actual owners of all these PPR and PPRT houses which are abandoned?
It's clear those who really need public housing are not given but instead given to those politically connected who then collect and rent out all these public housing and do not even bother to pay the rents to the Councils managing such public housing.
Wanna bet, a lot of the employees of such public housing bodies are using this system to earn extra income at the expense of the poor in need?
The ADUN is not getting to solve it at the root of the problem but instead doing adhoc measures which will be a never ending problem.
What is Kementerian Perumahan dan Kerajaan Tempatan (KPKT) doing? What is the Commissioner of Building (CoB) doing? What is The Board of Valuers, Appraisers, Estate Agents and Property Managers (LPPEH) doing?
ReplyDeleteWhat's the point of having Act 757 and Act 242 but you did not enforce them? The owner of Act 757 is KPKT/CoB and the owner of Act 242 is Ministry of Finance (MoF)/LPPEH (who issues licence to property managers).
Two ministeries and two powerful laws (Act 757 and Act 242) yet they have done nothing? What about Building Management Association of Malaysia (BMAM)?
Hey, what's happening man? Has Act 757 or Act 242 issued any fines? But yet had earned too much extra income net of discount perhaps? Wakakaka..
Zuraidah and Guan Eng.. please brush and sharpen your teeth la.. Malu lah.. I agree with KT: No sh*t enforcement, enforce the law until the people learn and make it their habit.
Beaks Mentri Kewangan tidur...sibuk tambah akaun sendiri berbillion.
DeleteMonsterball, sincerely, catch your bear before you sell its skin ya bro..
DeleteWakakakakaka……
DeleteR u awake?
Or u r still deep into daydreaming?
Years of cultivating abang-adikism with ketuanan agenda in toll, ALL the ministries within the land r staffed with 90% incompetents & gaji-buta sycophants!
Mamak has said it himself.
The cleansing & reeducating will take yrs unless mamak himself wills a big parang to slash the overbloated & inefficient civil services!
BUT will those melayu within his pack willingly biting that silver bullet? Most of them r still closet ketuanan freaks, with hints of zombie umbilical cords tightly binding them.
Tough life indeed…… for mamak & dap workhorses!