A group photo taken during the campaign. Seen from seventh right, front row are Chai, Chong and former Batu Kawa assemblywoman Christina Chiew.
KUCHING: Residents of Taman Sri Cahaya Tondong, Batu Kawa here want Housing Development Corporation (HDC) to enhance its services.
Taman Sri Cahaya Tondong, Batu Kawa Neighbourhood Watch Committee (KRT) chairman Chai Jun Chen said clogged drains and a severe lack of parking bays were among the problems they had been facing.
In recent years, he added, HDC had been very slack in its management services, resulting in cases of dengue recently reported in the housing estate.
Chong scoops waste out of the clogged drain. Seen at right is former Batu Kawa assemblywoman Christina Chiew.
According to him, fogging was done in June 19 and July 16 this year.
“We have been complaining to HDC about clogged drains but to this day, HDC has not addressed the matter.
“It seems to us that HDC and the local council were kicking the ball to each other when we raised the issue,” he told reporters during a gotong-royong campaign launched by Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Chong Chieng Jen in the neighbourhood yesterday.
Taman Sri Cahaya Tondong is a housing area with 11 blocks of flats, each of which has 60 units, and falls under the jurisdiction of Padawan Municipal Council (MPP).
Chai said cleaning of carparks and staircases used to be done the whole day during working days.
“For quite a while now, we see cleaners do their job only half-day. We have raised this to HDC but so far no response. We pay management fee of RM18 every month and this is what we get?
“Given the monthly management fee, HDC is receiving over RM10,000 a month. Can we pay only RM9 per month given the reduced hours?
“We have complained to not just HDC but Talikhidmat (one-stop helpline) too. Do not tell us that they will take our complaints seriously only after some kind of casualties are reported,” he lamented.
He said they had raised the severe lack of parking bays to the elected representative who is also a State Cabinet minister.
He regretted that the minister had taken the matter lightly by telling them that his hands were ‘sort of tied’.
“We voted for you in the hope of seeing you help solve our problems. We do not want our YB (elected representative) to tell us what cannot be done.
“Look into our requests and complaints rather than turning us away. Do not make promises which you cannot fulfil,” stressed Chai.
Following a brief walkabout in the neighbourhood, Chong noted that “this area has been neglected all this while”. He said he was told that the septic tank was broken in 2006 and the management fixed it only last year.
“Only after the change of government last year did HDC finally repair the broken septic tank. Clogged drain is the main problem, and complaints have fallen on deaf ears. I urge HDC to buck up, take complaints seriously and take action,” added the Stampin MP and Kota Sentosa assemblyman.