This is a three-part series that discusses the problems of damaged elevators and their causes. The first part unravels the problems faced by thousands of residents of stratified buildings when the elevators broke down
KUALA LUMPUR – Having to climb up a 13-storey staircase when returning from work because the lift or elevator breaks down is one of Rozana Abdullah’s nightmares.
Rozana, 36, who is an account assistant, is one of the tenants at an apartment at Taman Sri Sentosa, Jalan Klang Lama here, which has been home to her for than 10 years.
The situation not only affected her mentally, but also emotional, as well as her health.
“The lift broke down almost every week and it always took a long time to repair. Indeed, it is stressful, especially when you have to walk up 13 floors after a long day at work,” she told Bernama.
She said the irresponsible attitude of some residents, such as bringing motorcycles into the lift, could be one of the reasons for the lift to break down often.
Rozana is among the thousands of city dwellers living in low and medium cost apartments who are affected and ‘suffering’ due to elevator problems.
The lift break down is often blamed to various factors, such as vandalism, residents’ attitude, especially for their reluctance to pay maintenance fees, excessive maintenance charges imposed by contractors and also failure of the Joint Management Body (JMB) and Management Corporation (MC) to manage finances.
Rohana’s grievance is shared by Nur Amirah Shaaban, 29, who is renting at Vista Angkasa Apartment, Kerinchi.
She said the lift at her apartment not only broke down often, but also unsafe.
The lights in the elevator are not replaced when they have burned out, she said, adding that residents have to be in the dark when using the facility.
“Although I’m renting the place there with my friends, we pay the maintenance fee, which is supposed to be borne by the owner, and for sure, we do not miss payment. Otherwise, we will noy be able to enter the place because our access card will be blocked, if we don;t pay the maintenance fee,” she added.
The lift problem is not faced only by residents in low-cost residencies, but also residents at the Pacific Place Serviced Apartment resident, including Shahful Shaffiq Mohd Saleh, 35, who complained that the elevator service is often disrupted and does not work properly, saying that he sometimes, had to wait for 10 minutes to get into the elevator every morning to go to work.
“There are three elevators at this apartment, but the strange thing is that only one is working during peak hours, and if there is second, that one is only for the cleaners. Surprisingly, at non-peak hours, all three elevators will be functioning.
“My thought is did the management deliberately do so to avoid the elevator from damaged due to over-crowding,” he added.
Shahrul Amri Hassan, 26, who stays at Sky Awani 1 Residence, said it also happened at the place he was staying.
“We were told that the elevator was damaged as it was struck by lightning. There have been a couple of times I arrived late for work as I had to go down a 29-storey staircase,” he said.
Meanwhile, JMB chairman of Spring Ville Apartment in Ukay Perdana here, Syed Haidir Sayidhassim, 39, expressed regret for the failure by the previous management o to renew the Certificate of Fitness (CF) for 5the apartment of the elevator in the four 11-storey apartment blocks from the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (JKKP) over the past few years.
The failure almost caused the apartment blocks to be sealed, he added.
–BERNAMA
