PJ folk raise five issues with APAC

By Sheila Sri Priya, NST

Liew Wei Beng (fourth from left) the president of APAC, with
Edward Lee (sixth from left) the Bukit Gasing state assemblyman at the meeting.

PETALING JAYA: If you stay in Petaling Jaya and are unhappy with what is going on in the area, you can complain to All Petaling Jaya, Selangor Residents Association Coalition (APAC).

APAC was formed about five months ago and is headed by Liew Wei Beng. Its main objective is to help the residents of Petaling Jaya deal with the issues affecting their areas. Liew said APAC acts as the intermediary between PJ residents and MBPJ.

APAC has already started looking into five issues raised by residents. They are:

• The 10 per cent hike in assessment fees on residents in 2006.


• MBPJ's gazzetted account amounting to millions which also includes uncollected assessment fees. To date no figures have been made public.


• The accounts of the MBPJ's football club funds after the club was closed in 2007.


• The number of illegal billboards around PJ.


• The privatisation of car parks in PJ to a company called Godell.

Liew has appealed to PJ residents to join APAC. The membership registration fee is RM10 and the yearly subscription RM50.

PJ residents with relevant problems are urged to call or e-mail any one of the committee members.

Under APAC is the Condominium Apartment and High Rise Building (CAAC) unit, of which the chairman is Tengku Nazaruddin Tengku Zainudin. "We have 60 condos and high-rise buildings around PJ. Our focus is on the issues related to the welfare of the residents of these buildings," said Nazaruddin.

Meanwhile, Ho Fook Chuan, a resident of Flora Damansara, Damansara Perdana, said he is frustrated by the long-delay in the formation of the Joint Management Bodies (JMB). Talks in setting up JMB have been underway since April. JMB is a body that would officially link the management offices of high-rise buildings with MBPJ in resolving problems faced by the residents.

"The local authorities do not seem to be serious about this. Residents living in high-rise building are living with problems like lift breakdowns."These problems are often unattended by the management of the building and this is where JMB would come in useful," he said.