Larkin flats’ dwellers seek mindset makeover
Residents of low-cost flats in Larkin, Skudai call for attitude change to solve littering, parking woes

AN IRON, burning paper, rubbish-filled plastic bags, glass bottles, soiled diapers as well as used sanitary pads, cigarette buds and food waste are among the items that have been thrown out from upper floors of low-cost flats in Johor Baru.

Some Flat Larkin residents, who are fed up with the careless behaviour of their neighbours, say it is a tragedy waiting to happen because many children play around the premises.

ALSO READ: Johor mulls plans for developers to revamp Taman Ungku Tun Aminah Flats in Skudai

Ratna Bahtiar, 50, who has lived at the Flat Larkin for over 20 years, said there were many instances when people, including children, almost got hurt by falling items.

“Imagine being hit by iron or glass bottles. It can be deadly.

“I don’t understand why people do not see danger in their irresponsible act.

The Taman Jaya Flats. On the left is a block occupied by residents while the block on the right remains empty due to structural safety issue. — THOMAS YONG/The Star

“There have been unfortunate incidents elsewhere leading to deaths,” she told StarMetro when asked about the problems faced at her low-cost flats in Johor Baru.

The mother of two, who runs an eatery on the ground floor of the flats, said some residents staying on higher floors threw rubbish from their floors daily.

“I have customers whose cars were damaged after being hit by those falling items.

“In one instance, curry splashed all over a customer’s car,” she said.

“I also have to clean up the area in front of my shop, sometimes twice or thrice a day.

Ratna says all kinds of things including iron and glass bottles are thrown from Flat Larkin’s upper floors.

“I run a business and will lose customers if I allow piles of rubbish and foul smell to greet my customers,” she added.

Ratna said other problems that residents faced were faulty elevators and the lack of parking space.

“The parking problem has gotten worse over the years.

“But the main problem is that things are still being thrown out of flats,” she said.

Ratna hopes the authorities will act against those throwing objects and rubbish from their units on the upper floors.

“It may not be possible for the authorities to monitor everything, but those caught red-handed should be punished,” she said.

Lorry driver S. Kathirravan, 47, who has been living at Flat Larkin for over a decade, said there were limited number of lifts for residents.

“Faulty lifts are a concern. There are two lifts in one block. Each block has 16 floors and each floor has about eight units, hence people from 128 units share the two lifts.

“If one of the lifts breaks down, people have to take the other one that works. The extra load adds to the lift’s burden,” said Kathirravan.

He, however, said that lift repairs were now done in under a week compared to a month in previous years.

Non-residents hogging bays

University student Azniq Hazely, 20, who stays at Flat Larkin, said the parking problem had worsened because of people leaving their cars at the flats and heading to Singapore for work.

“We have to compete with outsiders for parking bays when there isn’t enough for residents,” he said.

“The majority of them work in Singapore. Some are daily commuters, while others travel on a weekly basis.

“There are no gates here so anyone can drive up to park in front of the flats. People think the bays are free for all,” he added.

Azniq said, “They should have some empathy and understand our plight.”

Siti Suryani says there are not enough parking bays for residents at Taman Ungku Tun Aminah flats.

Housewife Siti Suryani Muhammad Karim, 27, said inadequate parking bays at Taman Ungku Tun Aminah Flats in Skudai was a big problem.

“Outsiders are taking up the limited parking bays as there is no gate or barrier stopping them from entering the area.

“The problem is so severe that some residents resort to parking their cars elsewhere.

“It is even worse on weekends when Singaporeans come to Johor Baru,” said Siti Suryani.

Animal excrement

Cashier Stephenie Jelani, 32, who lives in Taman Ungku Tun Aminah, said some residents own pets, such as cats and dogs, which caused uneasiness among other tenants and unit owners.

“I am an animal lover too. I have two dogs and a cat at my mother-in-law’s landed property in Pasir Gudang. So, I do not mind my neighbours having pets living with them despite the rule against it in high-rises,” she said.

“However, the problem is that some pet owners fail to maintain cleanliness of their flats, causing neighbours to suffer the consequences, especially the smell.

“The smell from these units is horrible as the pet’s poo and urine are left for days. This is what we have to live with.”

Stephenie said dogs barking because they were cooped up in a small flat was another issue.

“Sometimes they bark in the middle of the night and disrupt our sleep. I have complained about this to the pets’ owners but there are no changes,” she said.

The facade of one of the blocks at Taman Ungku Tun Aminah Flats is a reflection of maintenance neglect.

Housewife Nurul Amira Kannan, 26, also complained about cats and dogs peeing and pooping along the corridors.

“I am unsure if they have owners or are strays. I am worried for my children’s health because canine or feline excrement carry viruses.

“And the smell is nauseating,” she said.

Nurul Amira wants to see a change in attitude among her neighbours.

“Perhaps the local council can hold a campaign to educate residents to keep the premises clean,” she said.

Too much rubbish

Taman Ungku Tun Aminah resident Chan Lin Poh, 80, is worried about the negative effects of living in an unhygienic environment.

“There is a large number of people living here, so one can expect a lot of rubbish as a result.

“While there is a proper place to throw rubbish, it is not enough to cater to the amount of waste here. That is why rubbish tends to overflow from bins in the disposal area.

“It is not uncommon for the bins to fill up just hours after they have been cleared by waste collectors.

Chan worries about his health because of the unhygienic conditions at the Taman Ungku Tun Aminah flats.

“It is worrying because uncollected rubbish, especially food waste, attracts disease- carrying pests such as rats, flies and mosquitoes,” said the retiree.

Chan said there were also people dumping rubbish bags just about anywhere.

“I pity the cleaners. No matter how hard they try, the area will never be clean due to the attitude of some people,” he said.

Residents of Taman Jaya low-cost flats in Skudai are also concerned about cleanliness in their housing area.

Retiree Phang Teck Neom, 76, said she and her helper cleaned the perimeters outside her flat every day, to keep pests away.

Phang and her helper often clean the perimeters of her unit, which she says is a neverending chore.

“It is neverending. We clean up the area in the morning but we see more rubbish in the evening. Most of it is thrown from upper floors.

“We are also constantly washing off the pee and poo of cats, some of them are pets belonging to homeowners here.

“There is also a lot of rubbish thrown into the drains and I worry that this may cause them to become clogged,” she said.

Abandoned building

In 2005, a support pillar in one of the Taman Jaya blocks of flats cracked and tilted, forcing some 300 residents to evacuate the building.

The Malaysian Public Works Institute (Ikram) found that the cracked column had failed, making it unable to support the structure’s load.

Halim Ishak says the police are helping to monitor the empty block in Taman Jaya, Larkin.

The block has since been left abandoned, raising concerns among residents about drug addicts using the building.

However, the flats’ residents committee chairman Halim Ishak, 55, said this was no longer an issue as police personnel had been keeping an eye on the abandoned building.

“We brought our concerns to the police and they have been patrolling this area three to four times a week,” he said.

Authorities say

Johor Baru City Council (MBJB) said management committees (MC) should play a proactive role in educating residents about keeping their premises clean.

MBJB councillor Datuk Yahya Jaafar said some MCs were carrying out counselling programmes to instil a sense of belonging among residents.

“That is a good initiative that other MCs should look into, since the root cause of all the problems faced by flats residents is attitude.

“I also hope the Johor Bersih programme, which has been going on since last year, is helping increase awareness on the need for cleanliness in residential areas,” he added.

The abandoned block at the Taman Jaya Flats.

Regarding the parking issue, Yahya said MBJB could assist to remove abandoned vehicles from flats.

“The MCs must also take the initiative to take action against those parking in areas meant for residents,” he said.

Iskandar Puteri City Council (MBIP) councillor Chang Swee Meng said the only way to change public attitude regarding cleanliness was through education.

“That is the only way to instil positive behaviour in terms of cleanliness.

“We need to start educating children from school.

“Catching people who throw rubbish or objects from flats on camera and making it viral can also deter such behaviour. However, educating them is still the best way,” he said.

Possibility for change

Lim Kok Thye, managing director of a company that manages several flats in Johor, said it was possible to see a change in attitude among residents.

“MCs have to be stern and act against errant residents. The local council cannot take action against residents living in privately-owned flats without the MCs’ permission,” he said.

“MCs need to initiate action because they are empowered to do so,” said Lim.

The Star previously reported on a low-cost flat in Johor Baru, under his company’s management, which was recognised for being well-maintained and clean.

The MC received the ISO 9001:2015 – the first low-cost flats in the country awarded the certificate.
AN IRON, burning paper, rubbish-filled plastic bags, glass bottles, soiled diapers as well as used sanitary pads, cigarette buds and food waste are among the items that have been thrown out from upper floors of low-cost flats in Johor Baru.