This blog serve as a place of sort to vent my pent up anger and frustrations. This is necessary as all kinds of complains to all levels of authority fell on deaf ears.

The Authority that has the authority to do something often refuses to address and tackle the problems many dwellers of high-rise apartment and communal living places are facing.

More often than not, laws and rules are created to address issues but they are loosely enforced if at all. Let’s see how long they will take this time.

Board to handle strata title grouses

PUTRAJAYA: The soon-to-be-formed Strata Titles Board will handle all complaints regarding strata titles.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid has informed the Bar Council that he was in the midst of appointing members to the board.

The council’s conveyance practice committee chairman, Roger Tan, said this was provided for in the amended Strata Titles Act, which came into effect in April.

Tan said condominium owners could take their complaints to the board and its decision would be final.

-Excerpt from The Star Newspaper

However, I realized that many can complain and whine but not many can actually do something to end the woes. We need more action than just talk. Complain letters and discussions held with proper diplomatic channels do not work. If the proper ways do not work, what choice do we have?

The direction of this blog is vague for now. I can see a faint light at the end of the tunnel.

I have seen many types of rubbish being thrown out of a moving car. Tissue papers, unwanted bits of papers and wrappers, packets of drinks, plastic bags and tins, rambutan peels, glass bottle from obviously drunk drivers who throw just to break it and you just name it objects. I would not be surprised if someone were to throw some durian skins out of the car during this durian season.

Malaysians still have the “as long as it is not on my turf” mentality when it comes to throwing rubbish. Even neighbours will conveniently sweep rubbish to the house next door given the chance. This I can attest to. I do not smoke and no one in my household eats sweets or junk food. Somehow cigarette butts, junk food plastic bags and sweets wrappers will conveniently appear in front of my apartment’s doorway every evening. Maybe it is out of convenient, maybe it is the wind.

Those who want to see the ultimate in rubbish throwing frenzy has to visit the night market also known as “pasar malam” when they are done for the night. Truckloads of rubbish are strewn all over the street where the night market operates. There is no proper recycling effort. Organic and non organic matters are treated the same. Drains and waterways are full of them and the rain often gets the blame when floods happen.

In the preparation, chili is pounded with belacan in a stone mortar or “batu lesung” (picture). The pounding can last from ten minutes to as long as half an hour. It is believed the longer the ingredient is pounded, the tastier it will be, much to my disgust.

Imagine waking up at 7.30am every morning to the noise like someone is pounding the floor. The duration of the pounding can sometimes last more than half an hour.

I got so frustrated and angry one day that I shouted at my neighbour from the balcony.

Me: Hoi! Bisinglah! Hari-hari makan sambal tak muak ke? (Hoy! It’s noisy! Don’t you get tired of eating sambal everyday?)
Neighbour: Buat sambal mestilah bising! (Of course it’s noisy making sambal!)
Me: Pakai blenderlah! (Use the blender!)
Neighbour: Pakai blender tak sedap! (It will not be tasty if use blender)

I gave up. The pounding still goes on at 7.30am sharp. At least now it is less often.

A lot of details and information can be deduced from the picture above. We can see modern high rise buildings, nicely tarred roads, luxurious houses, the national car Proton and the second national car Perodua. We can also see the overall attitude of the people in Malaysia, selfish, throwing rubbish everywhere, uncivilised and plain stupid.

Despite the Government’s banning of open burning, it is still rampant and done without a second thought about the environment. No enforcement of the directive is done. I am sure there will be no incidents of open burning if there is proper enforcement and rubbish is collected promptly.

During time of crisis, especially the haze during the dry seasons, blame is always on forest fires in Indonesia. Nothing is said about the contribution of the daily open burning.

The middle larger Bomba Lift is not working since six years ago. It has been scavenged for spare parts to repair and maintain the other two lifts (note the door, missing buttons and floor indicators in the picture). The Evil Developer does not seem to want it to be operational again. The lifts do not even have certificate of fitness issued by the Fire Department. It is illegal but the authority is not taking any action.

The other lifts that are still working do not have proper ventilation system, no emergency lights in case of power failure and no intercom or alarm bells. The resident’s life is at risk every time they use the lifts. Heaven forbids, if there is an unfortunate event of fire, the fire fighters will not be able to do their rescue jobs. Ambulance stretchers will not be able to fit into the smaller and shallower lifts too.

Despite all the faults, the lifts are allowed to operate and the Government of Malaysia is not doing anything about it. Complains fall on deaf ears. Even the Prime Minister chose to close one eye over this matter when written complains were submitted to him last year. The Evil Developer involved is an investment arm of the State Government and they are on the same side.

There is nothing the residents can do now except to hope that some mishap happen and hope that no one dies or injured in the process. Only then will the plights be brought into light and justice be done.

May the Evil Developer and their partners in crime burn in Hell forever.

They are to discuss about the implementation of an autogate system with CCTV surveillance camera. Security is bad at the apartment where I am staying. There has been a constant spate of break-ins. Car thefts are rampant too. All the residents are very angry and demanded something to be done in order to prevent further incidents.

The autogate system is something that should have been implemented more than ten years ago. It is in the brochure when the developer launches the property. Somehow the Evil Developer did not deliver what they promised and gets away with it.

The interesting part is the cost of the whole autogate system is to be financed by the residents themselves. Money is to be collected from every unit of apartment. Each car will also be imposed a RM150.00 annual “parking fee” and an entry card will be issued for those who paid. Those who did not pay will have to park their vehicles outside the apartment’s compound.

I expect sparks to fly and I have better things to do than to attend a meeting to see monkeys fight. I am not running away from my responsibilities to see that the place I am staying in turns to be better. For the benefit of all, asking the residents to bear the cost of the autogate system is fine but for the maintenance company to make profit from it annually from “parking fees” is just out of bound.

Seriously, the people in Malaysia is still not ready for communal living.

I live high up and there will be some time before the lift hit ground floor. For the moment, there’s just the two of us, alone in the lift. I took my position and stand behind her. She has this almost perfect curvature, clearly outlined waist and hips. Her almost blemish free complexion and great features would make any man drool in lust.

She has this long flowing black hair, shoulder length. Looks silky smooth, no split ends. I can almost tell the brand of shampoo she used from the scent. I have a big nose and an acute sense of smell. It sure smells nice and her hair looks just like those from the models in shampoo commercials.

I inhales and the smell of her hair is almost heaven. I inhaled like I wanted to get the whole of her in my lungs. Somehow it smells different after a moment. I nearly choked and I can hardly breaths. At the spur of the moment I instinctively hold my breath. I smelt fart! She must have just farted. Of all the places, I am stuck inside a lift breathing fart.

My face almost turned blue from holding my breath. My best guess is she must have had some dead chicken intestine for her last meal to have such foul smelling fart. The lift finally reached ground floor. Sensing that I must have smelt her fart, she apologizes before rushing out from the lift like an arrow released from a bow.

I still cannot get over the fact that a great looking lady like her can fart so nastily. Sigh.

Ironically the Evil Developer is an investment arm of the Government. Media reports on their misconducts highlighted in “The Star Newspaper” on the 22nd March 2006 have since been removed. The government of Malaysia practically controls the media in the country.

When I first saw the brochure of my Hell Housing Apartment project, nothing is left to be desired. What do they promise? Every unit is a corner unit, three lifts serves each block, nursery, restaurant, hair saloon, big sized swimming pool complete with wading pool, squash court, tennis court, 24-hours security, fenced compound, gym, sauna, community hall, landscaped garden and many more.

Almost paradise, hell no! I will post and reveal the sorry state of the state-of-the-art Hell Housing Project one by one in due time. Until then, I will be sulking at the corner, or maybe I should pray.

Not all developers are evil, but if you see any with the group of developers above trying to sell you something, run.

Mosquitoes cannot fly very high. The main reason I chose to live high up in an apartment is to get away from the mosquitoes. Apart from the fact that the view is nicer on the higher floors too.

Mosquitoes breed easily. All they need is just a little still body of clean water. Initially there is no mosquito on my floor. Either I have lousy neighbours who breed mosquitoes or the mosquitoes are smart enough to take the lift.

Ah, the pool is always greener at home.