DESTROYED : FLAT DWELLERS WERE PRESENTED WITH NEW GARBAGE BINS FOR THE THIRD TIME AFTER THE OLD ONE WERE DAMAGED BY FIRE AND VANDALS.
The new leach bins, each with the capacity of 1,100 litres, were provided by Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) and Cempaka assemblyman Iskandar Abdul Samad.
It was the third time the bins had been given to them.
Ampang Jaya Municipal Council deputy president Abd Hamid Hussain said the previous leach bins had been badly damaged. There were either burnt or destroyed by vandals.
"It is the flats management's responsibility to provide new bins but they do not have any.
"We hope that this time round, the residents will take good care of the bins as the bins are not cheap," said Hamid at the event to hand the bins over to the residents recently.
He also said the residents should get rid of their trash responsibly by putting them in plastic bags, properly tied up, before throwing them away.
"By dumping the garbage into the bins, waste collection will become an easier task.
"Plastic bags should be thrown into the bins and not scattered about as this will attract strays to the garbage to scavenge for food," said Hamid, adding that it is the residents duty to keep the surroundings clean.
Iskandar, who is also Selangor Housing, Building Management and Squatter committee chairman, was also present at the event.
Iskandar said any low and medium-cost flats in the state can apply for the Caring Government for Residents' Improvement Aid (Ceria).
"It is open to low and medium-cost flats in Selangor, but the application must be made by the flats' joint management bodies," said Iskandar.
The aim of the scheme is to give the flats a new coat of paint; repair facilities such as lifts as well as replace old roofs and attend to sewage problems.
A total of RM9.7 million had been allocated to the scheme, which will stretch till next year. One hundred low- and medium-cost flats will benefit from the scheme.
Commenting on the issue of parking problems at low and medium-cost flats, Iskandar said the state government is still looking for a solution.
"Previous guidelines stated that for every two houses, there should be one parking space. But now, even by giving each house a parking space, the problem is still unsolved as each household has at least two cars," he said
Iskandar added there are suggestions of taking over a vacant space nearby the flats and turning it into an open parking space and charging the residents for additional parking space - NOR AIN MOHAMMED RADHI, NST STREETS.