EP 2 FRIDAY JULY 13, 2018 • THEEDGE FINANCIAL DAILY

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS from www.EdgeProp.my

KPKT appoints more presidents All RTO units in Ramah Pavilion snapped up to tackle rising tribunal cases All 50 units of Ramah Pavilion condominium The Ministry of Housing and Local in Teluk Kumbar, Penang island, under the de- Government (KPKT) has appointed veloper’s rent-to-own (RTO) scheme have been 16 new presidents to the Tribunal taken up within two months after the scheme was for Homebuyer Claims and Strata introduced in mid-April. Management Tribunal to tackle the Developed by M Summit Group, Ramah rising number of tribunal cases in Pavilion comprises two blocks of 39- and 36-sto- the country. rey towers with 759 units, with built-ups ranging Following their appointments, between 800 sq ft and 1,350 sq ft. the number of the housing tribunal The developer has started handing over the presidents has increased from nine units in phases to buyers from July 2. M Sum- to 15 while the Strata Management mit Group founder and managing director Da- Tribunal now has 10 more presi- tuk Albert Moh said the project was launched dents, bringing the total to 29. in 2014 and currently only less than 5% of the “The appointment of these 16 total units remains to be sold. Ramah Pavilion The Edge Property Sdn Bhd (1091814-P) new presidents is necessary as the also has 15 retail units at the ground fl oor as Level 3, Menara KLK, cases need to be heard quickly. part of the project’s amenities. No 1 Jalan PJU 7/6, Mutiara Hence, more presidents are re- Damansara, 47810 , , quired in this aspect,” KPKT Min- ister Zuraida Kamaruddin told the Langat in Selangor for RM20.25 New rules for non- Security guards are not allowed EdgeProp.my media earlier this week. million, to be used for development strata gated-and- to take away the motorists’ MyKad Since the inception of the Tribu- purposes. or other documents and fencing Managing Director/Editor-in-chief guarded schemes Au Foong Yee nal for Homebuyer Claims in Janu- In a Bursa Malaysia filing, is not allowed unless the area is ary 2003, the tribunal has recorded Sentoria’s wholly-owned subsidi- in located near a highway, road, river EDITORIAL a total of 44,581 cases as at end- ary Sentoria Bay Sdn Bhd The Shah Alam City Council has or monsoon drain. Executive Editor Sharon Kam Editor Lam Jian Wyn June 2018, of which 44,308 have had on July 10 inked the sale and amended guidelines for gat- “If there is a need to fence up Deputy Chief Copy Editor been solved. Meanwhile, since its purchase agreement with Serie- ed-and-guarded schemes. Under the area, residents will have to ap- James Chong inception in July 2015 until 1H2018, mas Development Sdn Bhd, a whol- the new rules, there must be 100% ply to change the land status to Senior Writers Rachel Chew, Tan Ai Leng the Strata Management Tribunal ly-owned unit of PNB Development approval from residents for imple- strata but this means all mainte- Writers Natalie Khoo, has registered a total of 9,787 cases, Sdn Bhd. mentation of automated gates and nance work (including road main- Shawn Ng of which 7,645 have been solved. The purchase price comprises access cards and 75% approval for tenance and rubbish collection) Art Director Sharon Khoh Design Team RM2.97 million for water theme manual boom gate. will be their responsibility instead Jun Kit, Rajita Sivan Sentoria buys 150 park land (22 acres), resort and As for barricades, they must of the council’s,” Shah Alam city convention centre land for RM5.13 be removable, are only permitted councillor Foong Saik Hoong told For New Launches/Events/ acres of Morib land Press Releases/News Tips million (38 acres), Safari Park land between midnight and 6am and a a local English daily. email: [email protected] for RM20.25m for RM10.53 million (78 acres) and guard has to be available by the Foong says the new require- Tel: 03-7721 8211 Fax: 03-7721 8280 Sentoria Group Bhd has acquired a boutique hotel land for RM1.62 barricade at other times in case of ments are to prevent conflict

ADVERTISING & MARKETING 150 acres of land in Morib, Kuala million (12 acres). an emergency. among residents. Associate Account Director, Advertising & Marketing Heidee Ahmad (019) 388 1880 Senior Account Manager trending How do I get past issues of this weekly pullout? Ian Leong (012) 359 1668 Go to www.EdgeProp.my to download for free Account Managers now Khairul Amilin Ismail (019) 426 5101 Joane Tan (012) 377 2885 Joyceline Chan (012) 693 5826 If you have any real estate-related events, email us at [email protected]. Marketing Support & Ad Trafˎ c LAUNCHES + EVENTS Events listed here will also appear on www.EdgeProp.my. Madeline Tan (03) 7721 8218 email: [email protected] childhood games and tasting Jom Beraya at BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Manager Nimalen Parimalam traditional kampung snacks. Serene Heights Account Manager Stannly Tan Date: July 15 (Sun) Eco Grandeur Hari Raya Time: 12pm to 5pm PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT & CUSTOMER ADVISORY Open House Venue: Serene Heights Sales Senior Manager Elizabeth Lay Date: July 14 (Sat) Gallery, Persiaran Serene, Serene Associate Omar Nawawi Time: 6pm to 10pm Heights, , Selangor For enquiries and listings Venue: Lot 6232 Persiaran Contact: (1800) 888 008 Jalan , Sungai email: [email protected] Build your imaginary city Mokhtar Dahari, Eco Grandeur, Celebrate Hari Raya with UEM Bakau, Rawang, Selangor GL: (03) 7721 8175/ 8172 Date: July 14 (Sat) Bandar , Selangor Sunrise Bhd at Serene Heights Contact: (03) 2727 7550 EdgeProp.my pullout is published Time: 11am to 5pm Contact: (03) 3270 2525 where you can enjoy meet and BRDB Developments Sdn Bhd by The Edge Property Sdn Bhd. It is Venue: Trio by Setia sales All are invited to the Hari Raya greet actress Amyra Rosli as well will be hosting a Raya event available with The Edge Financial gallery, Lot No. 82623, Jalan Open House at Eco Grandeur as special performance by Caliph at its Tamansari project sales Daily every Friday. The pullout is also distributed at more than Langat/KS06, Bandar Bukit where you and your family will Buskers. Other activities include a gallery. Taste Raya cuisine and 200 ofˎ ces, shopping complexes, Tinggi 1, , Selangor enjoy a concert, food stalls and virtual reality simulator, electric enjoy Gamelan and Ghazal condos, medical centres, F&B outlets and LRT stations in the . Contact: (03) 3162 3322 a Le.Pak Bazaar. There will also scooter rides and a stand-up performances. There will also You can also download it for free at Build an imaginary bricks city be fi reworks, traditional dance comedy act by Helmi Gimmick. be a special guided tour www.EdgeProp.my at Trio by Setia sales gallery and an Acapella performance. to its Amaryllis homes. and participate in exciting Syok Raya at Bayu Indera Special Raya discounts will games to win attractive prizes. Exclusive exhibition Date: July 15 (Sun) be available on that day. Th e Edge Malaysia Kids could also participate in of 8 Casson Square Time: 10am to 4pm FIFA World Cup Final Publisher and Group CEO a soap-making workshop. Date: July 14 and 15 (Sat and Sun) Venue: Bayu Indera sales gallery, Ho Kay Tat Time: 11am to 6pm PT-12079, Taman Bayu Indera LIVE at Southbay Rediscover Evergreen Venue: Shangri-la Hotel, Lukut, Mukim Port Dickson, Date: July 15 (Sun) EDITORIAL Raya at The Glades Editor-in-chief Azam Aris No. 11, Jalan Sultan Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan Time: 6pm to 2am CORPORATE Date: July 14 (Sat) Ismail, Kuala Lumpur Contact: (1700) 815 925 Venue: Southbay City sales Chief Operating Ofˎ cer Time: 10am to 5pm Contact: (012) 908 6318 Seri Pajam Development Sdn Bhd gallery, No. 1, Southbay City, Lim Shiew Yuin Venue: The Glades Plaza, Off Located in London, 8 Casson invites the public to celebrate Jalan Permatang Damar ADVERTISING & MARKETING Chief Commercial Ofˎ cer Persiaran Putra Perdana, Section Square at Southbank Place is Raya at Bayu Indera with fun Laut,, Bayan Lepas, Penang Sharon Teh (012) 313 9056 3, , Selangor scheduled to open its doors to activities. There will be water Contact: (04) 628 8188 General Manager Contact: (03) 5198 0888 residents in the second half of 2019. zorb ball, giant slide, infl atable Mah Sing Group Bhd invites the Kingston Low (012) 278 5540 Senior Sales Managers Celebrate the Raya season with kids’ world, photo booth, game public to the live screening of the Fong Lai Kuan (012) 386 2831 Sime Darby Property. There will stalls and a free fl ow of popcorn. World Cup fi nal at its Southbay Gregory Thu (012) 376 0614 be a lemang and dodol cooking City sales gallery. Cheer for your Creative Marketing demonstration and special Tamansari Raya Open House favourite team while enjoying the Chris Wong (016) 687 6577 Head of Marketing Support performances by Salamiah Date: July 15 (Sun) table top games, iPong challenge, & Ad Trafˎ c Hassan and her daughter Time: 11am to 5pm live band performance and face Lorraine Chan (03) 7721 8001 Atilia. You can also enjoy Venue: Tamansari Sales Gallery, and body tattoo painting. FRIDAY JULY 13, 2018 • THEEDGE FINANCIAL DAILY EP 3 FEATURE EdgeProp.my Representatives from EdgeProp. my, VPEX 2018 partners, supporting sponsors and participating developers at the handshake

ALL PICTURES BY LOW YEN YEING ALL PICTURES BY LOW | ceremony. Let’s go virtual

BY SHAWN NG property by digitalising the footprints of customers While you may have missed out on to traditional property fairs and showrooms. he ongoing EdgeProp.my Malaysia’s Vir- VPEX 2018 also serves to raise the competitive VPEX-ON-THE-GO, VPEX is still ongoing tual Property Expo 2018 (VPEX 2018) edge of both local and foreign developers by keep- until July 29 at . features not just the latest properties by ing them “ahead of the game” while amplifying their VPEX.EdgeProp.my prominent developers in Malaysia but brand awareness and interactions with buyers and also offered visitors the chance to experi- prospective buyers, said EdgeProp.my editor-in-chief ence virtual reality (VR) technology. and managing director Au Foong Yee in her welcome TRunning online at VPEX.EdgeProp.my from July address at a handshake ceremony with partners, sup- 6 to 29, the expo is organised by EdgeProp.my with porters and participating developers on July 6. digital partner 16TWO Communication Labs Sdn Th is year’s VPEX features projects by more than 10 Bhd and media partner Th e Edge Malaysia, prominent developers in the country, namely Asiana It kicked off with a two-day roadshow VPEX ON- Agresif Sdn Bhd (a joint venture between CapitaLand THE-GO on July 6 and 7. and Juta Asia Corp Sdn Bhd), BRDB Developments Held in a custom-fi tted truck, the roadshow’s fi rst Sdn Bhd, Eastern & Oriental Bhd (E&O), I & P Group stop was Th e Starling Mall in Petaling Jaya followed Sdn Bhd (a member of Setia), LBS Bina Group Bhd, by MyTOWN Shopping Centre in Kuala Lumpur the Matrix Concepts Holdings Bhd, Paramount Property following day. Development Sdn Bhd, Perdana ParkCity Sdn Bhd, Th e roadshow attracted overwhelming interest Putrajaya Holdings Sdn Bhd, UEM Sunrise Bhd and as visitors queued up to have a VR experience of se- Yong Tai Bhd. lected property projects and play VR games, such as Among the projects featured at the virtual Fruit Ninja, Beat Saber and Bullet Train. property fair are genKL by Asiana Agresif; BRDB’s It was an unforgettable experience for many fami- Emerald Bay, Senja Residences, Taman Sari and lies as everyone had fun, with excited parents “slicing Verdana; E&O’s 18 East at Andaman; I & P’s homes fruits” in VR with their children. All were rewarded in Althea at , Kinrara Anggun, Kota VPEX ON-THE-GO received good response from the public who were with loads of freebies including goodie bags, bal- Bayuemas Klang, TEN Kinrara and homes in eager to experience virtual tours of the properties. loons, ice-cream and popcorn. Cemara Damai Residence; LBS Bina’s Alam Perdana Introduced in 2017, VPEX aims to serve as a one- and Residensi Bintang Bukit Jalil; Chambers stop centre for those who are interested in buying Kuala Lumpur by Matrix Concepts; Paramount’s Atwater, Greenwoods and Utropolis Batu Kawan; Visitors to the roadshow Perdana ParkCity’s South Brooks @ Desa ParkCity; could also take “we-ˎ es” Putrajaya Holdings’ Augusta, Duta Villa, Flora Rosa with VPEX 2018’s and Aura Residence; UEM Sunrise’s Estuari Gardens, human billboards. Residensi Ledang, Serene Heights, Solaris Parq, Teega and Verdi Eco-dominiums; and Yong Tai’s Impression U-Th ant and Th e Dawn. Visitors to the VPEX.EdgeProp.my portal will have the chance to win daily prizes including free stays at Resorts World Kijal, Resorts World Langkawi and Awana Genting, courtesy of Resorts World Genting, and mattresses by Slumberland (Hilding Anders Malaysia Sdn Bhd). Resorts World Genting and Hilding An- ders are supporting sponsors of VPEX 2018. Ice-cream and popcorn were available for free to VPEX ON-THE-GO visitors.

The roadshow was held in a customised truck that went from Starling Mall in Petaling Jaya on July 6 to MyTOWN Shopping Centre Kids had fun at the VR game console in Kuala Lumpur A family having fun at VPEX ON-THE-GO in MyTOWN while the adults had a VR tour of selected on July 7. Shopping Centre. property projects. EP 4 FRIDAY JULY 13, 2018 • THEEDGE FINANCIAL DAILY COVER STORY

BY TAN AI LENG The Highland Towers’ site has remained an eyesore for the local community and served ith a name synonymous as a public reminder of its past tragedy. with tragedy, the Highland Towers site located in Ulu Kelang, Selangor has long been abandoned since a block of the condominium Wcollapsed in December 1993, killing 48 peo- ple. It has since become a den for drug addicts and vagabonds. Calls by residents in the surrounding are- as to pull down the two remaining 12-storey blocks to eradicate the unhealthy activities going on there have met with inaction, un- til the newly appointed Housing and Local Government Minister took it up. Within a month after taking offi ce, Zuraida Kamaruddin has expressed her intention to rope in the support of stakeholders to rede- velop the site. She deemed the 15-acre site in the to be too valuable to be left to decay and become an eyesore. Th e redevelopment proposal has largely been welcomed by the surrounding resi- dents, but will redevelopment counter the stigma of the ill-fated towers that collapsed due to a landslide? Knight Frank Malaysia executive director

for capital markets Allan Sim says the plan EdgeProp.my to redevelop the area will benefi t the local community in terms of stamping out crim- inal activities that have been found within the abandoned buildings.

“It could also help to provide some sort YEN YEING LOW | of closure to the families of the aff ected, which could not have been properly reached over the past 25 years with the ruins of the development still towering over the area,” he says. Highland Towers site — A resident who only wants to be known as Marshall, has stayed at Taman Hillview for thirty years and witnessed the rise and fall of this area. He believed that with the govern- ment taking the lead in the redevelopment plan, the market’s confi dence towards Ulu Kelang properties will be restored. “The abandoned buildings have been IS REVIVAL an eyesore for local residents. Th e [Sri Ukay Hillview] Residents’ Association has en- gaged with local MPs a few years ago and proposed the idea of redevelopment, but nothing concrete has happened. We really hope the minister could realise the plan,” he tells EdgeProp.my. For any development or redevelopment POSSIBLE? to move ahead, one would need to get rid of the stigma attached to the area as a result of House prices resilient city centre and the Ampang area. age absolute price from RM243 psf in 2016 the tragic events due to a landslide. According to Marshall, despite the tragedy Sim from Knight Frank concurs that hous- or RM796,667 per unit. No transaction was It would be a challenge to rid the thought shedding a negative light on Ulu Kelang’s ing prices in the Ulu Kelang area have gen- recorded in 1Q2018. of similar landslides occurring in the area Taman Hillview or are- erally increased over the years albeit slowly. Overall, a total of 31 detached homes from people’s minds, says Th e One Property as, house price growth in these places have “We believe it is because the Taman were transacted in the entire Ulu Kelang International Sdn Bhd co-founder and ex- remained resilient although it lags behind Hillview area is home to middle- to high-in- area last year at an average price of RM374 ecutive director Stephen Yew. the rest of the market. come earners, coupled with its freehold cen- psf or RM1.82 million per unit. Th e public perception of unsafe soil struc- “Prices have continued to climb, espe- tral location being only 7km to 8km away As for terraced houses, a total of 57 units ture was further aggravated by another land- cially for houses in guarded communities. from KL city centre. In addition, its access to were transacted at an average price of RM423 slide incident in 2008 in the eastern side of The beautiful green living environment expressways such as the MRR2 is defi nitely psf or RM790,139 per unit or RM920,000 Bukit Antarabangsa, around 2km away from and the proximity to KL city centre are the a plus point,” he says. per unit; one unit was sold at RM271 psf Highland Towers. reasons that support the price growth,” says EdgeProp.my data showed that the aver- in 1Q2018. “Sentiments have been negative about Marshall. age transaction price for detached homes in As for condominiums in Ulu Kelang, av- new developments around this hilly area. Yew of Th e One Property International Taman Hillview, which are located nearest erage prices were lower than neighbouring Buyers are not so receptive towards the notes that the property market in and around to the Highland Towers’ site, have increased housing areas such as Wangsa Maju and idea of owning a property in an area which Ulu Kelang has proven resilient in view of to RM261 psf last year based on land size Taman Setiawangsa. A total of 72 condomin- is prone to landslide,” he stresses. its strategic position close to Kuala Lumpur or RM1.31 million per unit based on aver- ium units in Ulu Kelang were sold in 2017 at an average price of RM265 psf, compared KNIGHT FRANK MALAYSIA PATRICK GOH | THE EDGE KENNY YAP | THE EDGE with RM453 psf in Wangsa Maju and RM396 psf in Taman Setiawangsa. Sim notes that not many development parcels were transacted within the imme- diate area except for two pieces of land in Tian: Property Ampang Ukay acquired by EcoFirst Consol- demand in idated Bhd, back in 2013 and 2015. the Ulu Kelang Th e company purchased a 62-acre plot Sim: The area is stable from Zurich Insurance (M) Bhd and a 25-acre redevelopment as most of Yew: plot from Harta Villa Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary plan will beneˎ t the houses Redevelopment of IGB Corp Bhd, for RM145 million (about the local are bought will be easier RM54 psf) and RM61.86 million or an average community in for own stay if the initiative of RM57.45 psf, respectively. Th e combined terms of crime and not for comes from the 87 acres are currently the project site for eradication. speculation. government. EcoFirst’s Liberty Arc mixed development. FRIDAY JULY 13, 2018 • THEEDGE FINANCIAL DAILY EP 5 COVER STORY

Ulu Kelang housing price trends Property price comparisons — between Ulu Kelang, Taman Setiawangsa, and Wangsa Maju

Ampang Jaya area specialist Matt Tian, Among the many issues, land matters Towers redevelopment) has identifi ed the ies need to be carried out on the site and its who is also the head of international market pertaining to the ownership of the property landowner of Highland Towers — Regal surrounding areas to ensure the engineer- of PropNex Realty (Malaysia), opines that and the vested interest of various stakehold- Field Development Sdn Bhd. It has also ing, soil condition, drainage, infrastructure demand in the Ulu Kelang area is pretty sta- ers, including banks, will be the fi rst things managed to contact 111 out of a total of 138 capacity and other aspects are properly as- ble as most of the houses there attract owner that have to be sorted out. owners of the condominium units. Th e 111 sessed to ensure its safety. occupiers and not speculators. “With government intervention, there owners have agreed to the redevelopment “In addition, the process will also need to Despite the stigma of being landslide- will be a need for a special committee to as they have received full compensation for take into account the necessary compliance prone, Tian emphasises that slope enhance- conduct a feasibility study, take charge of the collapse. with the Selangor hillslope development ment works have been done over the years the land and rebuild the entire area with At the same time, ministry secretary-gen- guidelines,” he says. and the local community who knows this new housing schemes,” he adds. eral Datuk Mohammad Mentek, who has Will the market bite should there be any place well, have treated past incidents as Th e minister has also raised concerns been appointed to chair the redevelopment redevelopment in the future? Yew opines water under the bridge. that a mixed development comprising high “Th is has been refl ected in the high rent- and medium-end residential landed strat- al demand from expats who prefer land- “Prices have continued to climb, ified schemes such as villas, bungalows, ed homes with lush green environment. especially for houses in guarded communities. semi-dees, and super-linked houses with For certain well-maintained and furnished gated-and-guarded schemes will be pre- bungalows, expats are willing to pay above The beautiful green living environment and ferred by buyers. RM10,000 rent a month,” he says. the proximity to KL city centre are the reasons “Ulu Kelang is within the enclave of the However, Tian notes that the rental market KL urban city belt surrounded by elites, af- has slowed due to cost cutting exercises by that support the price growth.” fl uent residents and expat residents. Th e spill the oil and gas industry and multinational over eff ect from the rapid developments in companies. Average rent for bungalows has over land matters as her ministry had en- committee, has had a meeting with Jabat- KL, Ampang and Ulu Kelang areas has long dropped from above RM10,000 a month to countered some diffi culties in identifying an Insolvensi Malaysia. Th e latter has been been felt in this area. slightly below RM10,000. the land and unit owners. given till July 16 to fi nd out the names and “But the and Meanwhile, terraced house rentals have re- Th e Highland Towers land was owned contacts of the remaining 27 unit owners. several landslide incidents within the vicin- mained within the RM3,500 to RM4,000 range by AmBank (M) Bhd. However, when con- ity have resulted in a slowdown in devel- a month, depending on size and condition. tacted by EdgeProp.my through email, the Safety opments and have pushed away develop- company said the land was sold “some years Knight Frank’s Sim also believes the funda- ers from embarking on new developments Land matters ago”. Ambank also declined to disclose more mental issue is safety. “Safety is still the main here,” he opines. Besides the stigma of it being a land- details on the deal including the transaction factor whether the redevelopment project He notes that high-rise residential pro- slide-prone area, there are many other chal- price and details of the new owner. could regain people’s confi dence.” jects could be considered, if the development lenges in redeveloping the Highland Towers’ As of early July, the ministry (which has He adds that before any development strictly complies with recommendations from site, says Th e One International’s Yew. set up a special taskforce on the Highland there can be explored, comprehensive stud- experts with regards to building in the area. EP 6 FRIDAY JULY 13, 2018 • THEEDGE FINANCIAL DAILY SOLUTIONS TO BEST MANAGED PROPERTY

common challenges in strata living 4 Participation in There are bound to be problems and issues when general meetings you live within a strata community. Some of these In communal living, the key to good prop- challenges are more commonly encountered than erty management is participation. Owners should participate in the general meetings others. What are they and how do you deal with them? to keep tabs on the performance of their property management. However, many strata property owners do not realise that good property man- agement requires strong participation BY SHAWN NG from the owners. Service charge and sinking fund payments “To encourage participation in general eing part of a strata residential meetings, the property management should community can be a boon or a First on the list has to do with money. It may serve an early notice on the requirement to bane, depending on the kind of not be the most cordial subject to broach, but How to resolve a payment participate as well as the fee payment status fellow-residents you get, or you it is inevitable as service charge collection is dispute in strata living 1 before the offi cial notice of the meetings. are. Granted, most of us try our one of the most common issues in strata liv- “It is also advisable to publish an info- best to love our neighbours as ing. You have probably heard of homeowners Owners can… graphic to accompany meeting notices to Bourselves; yet, certain quandaries seem to who refuse to pay their maintenance fees. STEP 1 – Seek clarifi cation from the educate the owners on the dos and don’ts beset strata dwellers rather commonly. So, how do you tackle this problem? management to understand the as participants,” Tan suggests. “You must know and be aware of the kind of Tan says the property management payment dispute verbally or in writing. problems you could face in community living, should always keep owners informed on STEP 2 – Start a negotiation process whom you will be up against, and how you can payment updates and do timely follow-up with the management to address How to ensure meetings are go about resolving the issues,” Chur Associates with them. It is also important to give the the dispute for a win-win solution. smoothly conducted founder and managing partner Chris Tan tells defaulters notice promptly and suspend STEP 3 – Refer to the Strata EdgeProp.my. their usage of common property immediately Management Tribunal. STEP 1 – Ensure that the meeting “Hence, homeowners must equip them- [upon default]. STEP 4 – Refer to civil court. notices and service of the selves fi rst with knowledge about their rights On top of that, make it convenient to pay meeting notices are in order. as property owners, so that they are able to such as online facilities or standing instruc- Property management can… STEP 2 – Clarify with the management tions to help and encourage owners to keep take the right action when confl icts arise with STEP 1 – Seek clarifi cation from the owner. on the requirements and up with their maintenance fees, he adds. developers or among fellow property own- STEP 2 – Exercise the power granted participation process. ers,” adds Tan, who was a judge of EdgeProp by law to enter into an instalment STEP 3 – Negotiate for a solution Malaysia’s Best Managed Property Awards payment programme. to ensure participation. 2018 and a speaker at the EdgeProp.my STEP 3 – Refer to the Strata STEP 4 – Refer to the Strata Symposium on Excellent Property Manage- Management Tribunal. Management Tribunal if ment 2018. STEP 4 – Refer to the Commissioner there is a dispute. Here are the fi ve most common issues in of Building. STEP 5 – Refer to the Commissioner strata living that owners should take note of, STEP 5 – Refer to civil court. of Buildings for execution. according to Tan.

Late issuance Leakage from adjoining unit Handover of management of strata title Leakage from ceilings and walls from developer to JMB/MC A strata title is the document can be very distressing. Left Inter-fl oor leakage According to the Strata Manage- that prove one’s ownership of 5 unattended, it can even pose a claiming process 2 ment Act 2013, developers shall How to resolve 3 a strata property, but some owners face danger. Besides giving space hand over the management of a dispute in the the problem of late issuance of strata ti- for mould growth, it can cause The party aff ected can… a strata residential property to handover process tles. Tan says developers should keep the damage to the property and STEP 1 – Clarify with the the owners before the develop- owners informed of the application pro- lead to more severe mechanical resident/management er’s management period expires Joint management body cess and progress of the issuance of the and electrical problems. to understand the (within 12 months from vacant (JMB) or management title while the owners should keep tabs “The issue should be ad- cause of the leakage. possession). corporation (MC) can… on the matter so they would understand dressed as soon as possible and STEP 2 – Negotiate a solution The items that developers are STEP 1 – Clarify with the if there is any potential delay. not until it escalates. Timely with the party responsible required to hand over include developer any concerns maintenance of common prop- for the leakage. the balance in the maintenance in the dispute. erty is also required to prevent STEP 3 – If direct solution fails, and sinking fund account and STEP 2 – Start a negotiation What to do if the issuance leaks,” counsels Tan. lodge a complaint with all records relating to and nec- process to address of strata title is delayed The source of the leakage the management body. essary for the maintenance and the dispute for a can arise from another owner’s STEP 4 – The management management of the building and win-win solution. Owners can… property or the common prop- body is to conduct an common area. STEP 3 – Refer to the Strata STEP 1 – Seek clarifi cation with erty, but the claiming process inspection to ascertain In order to ensure a smooth Management Tribunal. developer and the authorities. is similar. the cause of leakage. and transparent transition, Tan STEP 4 – Refer to the STEP 2 – Negotiate for a solution. STEP 5 – Once the responsible urges developers to conduct a Commissioner of Building. STEP 3 – Check with the Tribunal party is identifi ed, the pre-handover education with the STEP 5 – Refer to the for Homebuyer Claims. management shall instruct owners and provide a checklist relevant ministry. STEP 4 – Check with the Housing him/her to fi x the leakage. for the convenience of the in- and Local Government Ministry. STEP 6 – If the responsible coming management body. party refuses to do so, the “Meanwhile, the owners owner/management can should maintain a good commu- proceed with the repair and nication with the developer after Manage your building start a claim with the Strata the handover to ensure proper Management Tribunal. knowledge transfer,” he says. through Nippon Paint’s STEP 7 – Refer to the hassle-free painting service. Commissioner of CALL US AT 1-800-88-2663 Building for execution. TO FIND OUT MORE! FRIDAY JULY 13, 2018 • THEEDGE FINANCIAL DAILY EP 7 HOME IDEAS

Creating a mini natural world

BY RACHEL CHEW plants and fi shes cannot last more than half a year. You will be upset and disappointed o one can dispute the benefits because it is not cheap to start one. So of plants. So, despite the time it was not so popular in the past,” Chan and money involved in keep- explains. He says the key reason to the ing a green bed, many deem short life span of an aquascaping tank in the effort worth it. However, the past was the quality of the base layer or such a privilege can only be the soil and sand. Nenjoyed by those with space for some good “Th e base is everything. Last time people old ground. did not really pay much attention to the base. Fret not, however, because there is now [Th ey think] what is more important is the another way to make up for the lack of land landscape. So when all the nutrients in the for landscaping – aquascaping. soil are depleted, the plants slowly die and L C Chan, the director of Aqua Design eventually you will have to start everything Amano Malaysia (ADA Malaysia), describes all over again,” he shares. aquascaping as building a miniature natural Chan, who had quit his career as a me- world in an aquarium. chanical engineer to be the fi rst Malaysia “It is about building an ecosystem by set- distributor of Japan’s ADA range of aquascap- ting up an oxygen regulator system, lighting, ing equipment products, says aquascaping soil, water, plant and animal in an aquari- has come a long way over the years and one um. It is like a mini jungle you can have at could create a real miniature natural world home,” Chan tells EdgeProp.my. as a complete ecosystem within the tank. According to Chan, aquascaping is not a “It can actually last forever with some new hobby to Malaysia, with its roots going regular maintenance,” he says while show- back a few decades. However, it has never ing off an eight-year-old tank. gained traction until recently, mainly because To Chan, aquascaping is one of the best Build a miniature its life span used to be as brief as half a year. home decor one could possibly have because natural world in an “Imagine having invested a month to set it is a live painting. “It looks a little diff erent aquarium. up a beautiful aquarium scape, but your every day. It is never boring.”

ALL PICTURES BY LOW YEN YEING | EdgeProp.my Tips for beginners 1. Install the tank on a cabinet that is safe and specifi cally designed for aquariums. 2. Place a mat on the cabinet to absorb vibration and help to prevent the tank from sliding off the cabinet. 3. Use a level gauge at the bottom of the tank to ensure the installation is level. 4. Do not skimp on substrate additives for benefi cial bacteria which is important for the health of aquatic plants. 5. Make sure the driftwood is perfectly supported by stones to avoid the substrate from fl oating out. 6. Treat feeding time as a therapeutic interactive activity. 7. Nutrient supplementation – potassium and trace elements are easily depleted so add basic nutrients to ensure aquatic plants are healthy. Chan: It can actually last forever with some regular maintenance. A mini jungle you can have at home. 8. Remove dead leaves from tank.

To set up a standard two-feet only pass it to them when the eco- Things you will tank will cost about RM1,500 to system is ready and stable,” he says. need to start RM2,000, depending on the equip- Daily maintenance, according ment, plants and fish used. “It to him, is “eff ortless”. 1. Tank takes about a month to prepare “Always remember it is a com- 2. Soil and sand the ecosystem in the tank. It be- plete ecosystem. You can be away 3. Substrate additives for gins with building the base. Get the for a few days and the fi shes and benefi cial bacteria soil ready for the plants and water. plants will be completely fi ne. Of Th en, choose the layout material course you can put fertiliser and fi sh 4. Driftwood and stones and plan the composition before food to help them grow stronger,” 5. Light system placing the plants in. he shares. 6. Water fi lter system “After setting up the landscape, Daily maintenance involves 7. Oxygen regulator system you need to set up the equipment picking up dead leaves, fl attening including the CO2 system, water the sand and cleaning the tank with 8. Fertiliser fi lter system, lights and so on be- a razor. Other periodical mainte- 9. Aqua plants and fi shes fore you can fi ll the tank with water. nance includes changing 1/3 of the 10. Maintenance tools such as Observe and adjust the pH, temper- water in the tank every two weeks scissors and razor ature, water quality and see how and cleaning the fi lter media, tools the plants are doing,” says Chan, and equipment. adding that the observation pe- Unlike a garden, regular trim- riod will usually take one to two ming is not necessary. “You don’t weeks before fish is introduced see a neat, garden-like jungle any into the tank. where, right? So you don’t have to “Many people are unsure about trim your aqua plants like bonsai, how to set up a tank, so we off er a just let it grow naturally and trim it service to ‘babysit’ their tank and when it is too much for the tank.”