PendudukmulakibarJalurGemilangPUCHONGUTAMA-Walaupunbarn masukharikee1J1pat;tetapikemeriahansambutankemerdekaandapatdirasaidisebuahtamanpt::rumahandisini. -

Hasil inisiatif Persatdan Penduduk TamanPuchong Utania di sini,.seramai30penduduk mengambil-peluangkelmarin menggantungkan Jalur Gemilang dihadapan rumah mereka. . '

Ia sempena samblitan Bulan Kemerdekaanke-51hulanirii,se:l€linmengambilpeluangmenyertaiProgram JomKibaryang dianjurkanMajlisPerbaildaranSubangJaya (MPSJ). -

SetiausahaPersatuan Penduduk,ZuraidiAli berkata, kempen itu bergunabagimenyemai semangat patriotik"dalanikalangan penduduk setempat

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dernl fo~U- ,"'","'"By LlM CHIAYING

! chiayil1g@thestar.com.my

THE USJ5 Residents Association(USJ5RA),which started as a neigh-bourhood watch, has evolved tobecome one of the most self-con-tained communitiestoday.

Its gated and guarded'~on~~pthas proven to be a succ~:~s\yithcrimes on the decline' comparedwith. when the neighbourhoodwatch was formedin 1999.

The assodation, which wasformed in 2003, recently built ,amodern guardhouse in JalanUSJ5/4.

The guardhouse,w,hichfaces themain road, is hard to miss with itswhite concretewallsand glasspan-elling. It has become a symbol of

) sorts forthe residentsand, to many,is an icon of the area.

"We want residents to be proudof their community," USJ5RApresi-

\ dent K.C.Tansaid. ,I "The guardhbuse had been\ planned for a while and when it

was unveiled, everyone was posi-, bve comments.

"If we want to improve security,we have to do it well. Even theguards look smart too," he said.

The official opening of the guard-house was held last Sunday withUSJ5 RA committee members andresidents pr~sent.

Subang Jaya Municipal Council(MPSJ) secretary Slamat Hamzah,Subang Jaya assemblyman HannayYeoh's political secretary EdwardLing, councillors Datuk DrSubramaniam Nadarajan, IsmailKamal Abdul Rahman and

Stylish: The ne~ guard house with i~sautomated boomgate is Clm6'dernmarvel.Keshminder Singh, and Kelana Jaya ' RM60,OOO,thanks to contributions joining the RA.Currehtly,. the own.MCAdivisionchiefOngChongSwen from our residents. The perimeter ers ofthese homes have a commjt-were alsopresent atthe launch. , fencingwill coverjusUhe bunga- tee association but it is not regis-

Tan said the guardhouse cost low area and should be ready in tered with the Registrar ofaboutRM25,OOOandthe perimeter abouttwoweeks,"hesaid. Societies.fencing and an automatic gate, USJ5RAcommittee member YS . "We have 168 bungalowsin ourRM42,000 and RM8,500, respec- Loresaidthe assodation wasspeak- neighbourhOodbut only 120 havetively,would be built soon. ing to residents from the terraced signed up as members.Eachmem-

"Sofar,we have collectedabout' and semi-detached homes about bers pays about RM100a month as

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hiour monthly expenses for opera-tions and security run up to aboutRM12,000. .

. "We hope more residents will1>articipate.as with more funds, wecan add more features like land-scaping and CaYs," Lore said.

The association added that itwould also upgrade other guard-houses within the neighbourhoodand to have two more gates inJalanU$J5/3Band 5/3.

Slamat said it was common toseeneighbourhoods tI1at were

,either gated and guarded, or justgated.

"?ometimes, it is a problem whenonly 50%of residents pay for secu~rity"services especially when manyare just students and tenants,"Slamat said., Tanthanked the MPSJfor its sup-port and approval for the p~rimeterfancirig, adding that the committeemanaged to get about 85% of thesignatures in the area.,

Slamat'also said,boom gates wereallowed for cul-de-sac areas withstrata titles and he was not sure ifUSJ5 couldclosetheroadduring the daysince the units had individualtitles

"andthe roadwasa publicone."Ifit's a throughroad,we usually

don't allow it: however, the gatedand guardedgtiidelinesarestillbeing,revised by the state government. 'Perhaps the councillors presenttodaycanJookintothis miltter."

It is learnt that the boom gatewill come down from 1l;30pm to6am. During the day, guards willtake down the numbers of anyvehicles without stickers enteringthe area.

-~ STAR:Tarikh: P..~.A~~~-

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KQRvensyenKNlKsedahkyalifi"sektprawarn" q...,.~ ~fr~HAI:IAlA~ -Bagi mema,5tikan,mutukerjasektorawans~qti~~,~ kOlltenaterutam~'dalaII1l'el~1lSap\~iste}11eksport. , '

~sakekat.pad~Jahal'.qemerlan~' 'Konvensyen,I

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Now housebuyerscan get45-yearloans,agelimit 75. By Firdaus Abdullah

firdy@nst.com:my

KUCHING:Homebuyerssaddled withheavy monthly housing loan repay-ment can breathe a sigh of relief assomebanks willnowallowthemto re-structure their repayment.

BankIslam,AffinBank,BankRakyatand eIMByesterday announcedapio-neer arrangement nationwide whichoffers a remedy for existing houseowners and new buyers:facing con-straint due to the present increasedcosts ofliving.

"The banks have agreed to restruc-ture existing housing loans followinganew Finance Ministry policy.

"The repayment period is being ex-tended up to 45 years from the present20-year term. Age limit of borrowershas also been increased by a maximumof 10 years from the previous cap at65," said Sarawak Housing MinisterDatuk SeriAbang Johari Tun Openg.

At a press conference after a meet-ing with state housing industry playersand representatives of banks and fi-nancial institutions here, Abang Jolfarisaid the revised terms also applied tonew buyers.

"Restructuring existing loans andextending the repayment would re-duce the quantum of monthly repay-ment, thus providing extra cash interms of disposable income.

"I'm sure this woUldlift the burden ofthe rakyat, though they'll have to ser-vic~ the loan for a longer period oftime," he said.

"So there won't be any problem if therepayment is extended up to 45 years.

"This is more of a: social decisionthan a business one as the motivation isto ease house buyers' burden," he said.

Sarawak Housing Developers' Asso-ciationpresident William Wei,who wasalso at the meeting, said the extension-of ilie age limit and repayment periodwas in line. With practices in matureeconomies.

"Senior citizens are eligible for loansin places like United Kingdom andHong Kong. If they are creditworthyand enjoy a good ,quality of life, I don'tsee any reason why they sDould be de-nieda housingloan. '

"This policy review will also rejuve-nate the housing industry in general asmorfJ people could afford to buy hous-es, " he said.

NEW STRAITS TIMESTarikh: ...~.~..~~~..?9.q~........

Meanwhile in Kuala Lumpur, the As-sociation of Banks in Malaysia said thatthe restructuring move is theinitiativeand prerogative ofindividual banks.

"Therl~is no officialor standard pol-icy on this as yet," said an associationspokesperson. , '

Nevertheless, Abang Johari said thathe expected all banks to followsuit andimplement the new Finance Ministrypolicy based on the credit worthinessof the borrowers.

He said that some banks, like BankIslam, also offer joint-loan schemeswhere a second-generation familymember becomes a joint-applicantwith the principal borrower.

"Such an arrangement also eases fi-nancial pressure on the ,prinCipalbor-rower, while ensuring the continuity ofthe loan.

".

I'msure this wouldlitt

tlJeburden of the rakyat,though they'll have toservice the lo'anfor a.

long~r_period of time.DatukSer;Abangjohar;TunOpeng

SorawakHousingMinister

."

As at end June, approxin).ately 1;000houses costing :more than RM300,OOOeach remained unsolctin the state.

At the press conference Abang Jo-hari also al1nounced the government'sdecision to" source for reasonably-priced building materials from Chinawithout compromising on quality. '

,He said there cwere ongoing talkswith an international trading partythat acquired building materials fromChina in high volumes.

"We pay more when we buy just afew thousand tQnnes or units of a par-ticular material. But these 'big players'are able to get the same materials atmuch cheaper costs because they buyiItbulk.

"Also, at times, we are forced to waitfor months, as producers are often notvery interested in 'tiny' sales. -

"So, Weare of the opinion that itwould be better if we buy what we re-quire from these big players. Theprices could fluctuate, but most impor-tantly, our supply would be assured. "

Abang Johari acknowledged that thedecision to acquire building materialsfrom outside the country could irksome local traders who have been en-joying high prices in recentmonths.

"The choice is in their hands. If theywant to remain ~ompetitive, then they

.should reduce their prices so our de-velopers could carry onwith their busi-ness," he said, adding that if,the tradepact with the international tradingparty was sealed, local housing devel-opers were expected to save between20 to 30 per cent of their overall costs.

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Woes related to high-By GEETHA KRISHNANand TAN KARR WJ::Imetro@thestar.com.my

THE high-rise pressure-cookerlifestyle is causing tempera-tures to rise among residentsof apartments and condominiumunits, resulting in constant confron-tation and conflicts between themand their joint management com-mittees OMCs)., Feuds, veiled' threats, aggressiveactions aod even run-ins with thelaw are common features of the

high-rise dwelling culture. 'The common grouses include the

usual disputes over sinking funds,maintenance charges, insurance,house rules and parking bays,

The more serious cases involveaccusations of cronyism and covertdealings have also been hurled.

Under the Building and CommonProperty (Management andMaintenance) Act 2007, a developeris required to form a joint manage-ment body OMB) to oversee themanagement and operation of thecommon areas at its high-riseprojects.

The developer is given 12 monthsfrom the date of vacant possession toset up a JMB before strata titles canbejssued.

,Jhe.,.committee should comprisetwo representatives from the devel-oper and''eight tei 12 owners of apart-ment or condominium units.

, The Building and CommonProperty (Management andMaintenance) Act 2007 is meant toprotect buyers and complements theStrata Titles Act

National House Buyers Associationsecretary-general Chang Kim Loong,hOwever, feels that it is still a longprocess for strata titles.

''The Building and CommonProperty (Management andMaintenance) Act 2007 is new.Hence, there are teething problems,"he said,

''The Federal Government, espe-'cially the Housing and LocalGovernment Ministry, must be pro-

, active in educating both developersahd buyers through means like prop-er guidelines, a hotline or even con-ducting brief courses," Chang said.

"One reason there is feuding anduncertainty is because the act isthere but the regulations are not inplace. Another reason is with power

J lumbered over to buyers, Everyone\ se~ms to have a personal agenda and

thmk the JMB is a gold mine," hesaid.

"The residents associations and

th~ Rukun Tetangga are powerless inralsmg and ~rticulating issuesbecause of legal restraints as theJMB, as a corporate body, can sue andbe sued. Hence, although the resi-

~e'lts associations can be consultedor checks-and-balances, they are

rise livingThere is constant confrontation betweenresidents and mana;gement committees

New problems: The.Buildingand CommonProperty Act 2007 has given rise to warring factions withincondominiums.

Iskandar: The st1jte governmentwaS aware of problematic JMBs.

Chang said.The authoriry in this matter is the

Commissioner Of Buildings (CoB). -As a legal adviser, the CoBmust

determine the service charge of aproperty, ensure the building is

merit fund, enforce house rules andadvise onJate payment interest formaintenance and serVice charges.

According to Chang, the SelarigorHousing and ,Real Property Board(LPHS) previously performed thefunctions of the CoB but the FederalGovernment, through, the Buildingand Common Property (Managementand Maintenance) Act 2007, felt thatlocal authorities should be entrustedwith the job.

Chang feels that the board shouldcontinue ,to have control over the

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STARTadkh:._.~.3..~~~..~-

sub-CoBs, which should comprise-individuals familiar with housingand local government issues while

having the necessary skills i1nd qual- Iifications to resolve disputes. I

According to Selangor Housing,-Building Manageinent and Squatters ICommittee cliairman Iskandar AbdulSarnad, the state is aware of prob-lematic JMCs and has plans to takeover inefficient committees throughlocal councils.

Iskandar said the housing board Iwould-serve as mediator when I

MenilaisemulaperananCabaran abad bam ke arah

dimensi peringkat globalOleh Azman Zakariaam>a_bhar;an.cam.my

KUALA LUMPUR:Da-tuk Seri Najib Razakmahu kakitangan. awam menilai semula pera-

nan mereka dengan pende-katan barn bagi menghadapicabaran negara pada abad ke.21, meskipun. perkhidmatanawam berjaya membangundan meningkatkan keupaya-an negara.

Timbalan Perdana Mente-ri berkata, dalam tempoh cu-ma lima dekad, perkhidma-tan awam bukan saja berjayamengurus negara tetapi me-letakkan nama Malaysiapada pentas dunia.

Bagaimanapun, katanya,cabaran abad ke-21pula ada-lah untuk memajukan nega-ra ke arah dimensi baru, ter-masuk pada peringkat glo-bal.

"Bagaimana baik sekali-pun mutu perkhidmatanawam selama ini, kita tidakboleh puas hati kerana kitamungkin dipintas dalampersaingan. Kita mesti sen-tiasa satu langkah di depanjika mahu memastikan ke-langsungan dalam suasanaglobal. '

"Di sebalik pelbagai lang-kah yang diambil untuk me-nmgkatkan sistem penyam-"

- 111"1IIt

paian perkhidmatan. awam,tinjauan "Institut IntegritiMalaysia baru-barn ini .me-nunjukkan tanggapan orangramai terhadap sektor ituadalah lebih rendah daripa-da persepsi mereka terhadaprasuah.

"Banyak perlu dilakukanuntuk meningkatkan imej per-khidmatan aWam," katanyaketika menyampaikan ucapta-ma pada PersidanganPerkhid:matan Awam ke-13 di InstitutTadbiran Awam Negara (In-tan), di sini, semalam.

Persidangan anjuran Intandan Persatuan PerkhidmatanTadbir dan Diplomajik (PP-TD) itu dihadiri 800 pesertatermasuk beberapa menteri,

" TinjauanInstitutIntegritiMalaysiamenunjukkantanggapanorangramaiterhadapsektorini adalahlebihrendahdaripadapersepsi.merekaterliadaprasuah"

Naj/b Rozak7imbalan Per dona Menteri

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PENUHTUMPUAN:Kakitangan kerajaan mendengar ucaptama Najib paaa Majlls PerasmlanPersldangan Perkhldmatan Awam ke-13, semalam.

Ketua SetiausahaNegara,Tan Sri Sidek Hassan danKetua Pengarah Perkhidma-tan Awam, Tan Sri IsmailAdam.

Najib juga berkata, penga-ruh kepemimpinandalam'perkhidmatan awam berhu-bung nasihat dan pelaksana-an dasar serta membuat ke-putusan mempunyaikesanmendalam terhadap kehidu-panrakyat.

Sambil memberi contoh. keretakan jejambat Jalan

Lingkaran Tengah 2 (MRR2),beliau berkata, keputusanyang tidak sempurna akanmeninggalkankesan !Jesarkepada,;'masyarakat keselu-ruhannya.

Beliau juga berkata, kaki-tangan perkhidmatan awammesti memiliki dan nfenga-

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malkan tiga nilai bagi terusmendapat kepercayaan ,'rak-yat, iaitubudaya mengejarkecemerlangan, berpengeta-.huan dan melengkapkanminda menempuh abad ke-21.' .

Katanya, budaya mengejaI'kecemerlangan bererti melle-tapkan standard prestasitinggi dengan matlamat danperancangan yang realistikuntuk mencap~inya.

Beliau berka.ta, kepemim-pinan perkhidmatan awamjuga perlu memastikaii, bu-daya pembelajaran secaraberterusan sentiasa wujud diagensi masing-m!!-singbagimelahirkan kakitanga11.ber-pengetahuan.

Justeru, katanya, sepertidicadangkannya tahun lalu,tleksibiliti mesti a"dadalam

BERITA HARlAN. 05 AUG 2008Tarikh... .......--

pengambilan pekerja, kenai-kan pangkat dan penugasankakitangan yang akan me-harik lebih ramai cerdik pan.dai menyertai sektoritu.

Menjelaskan perkara itupada sidang media kemudi-an, Najib berkata, denganfleksibiliti atau syarat kema-sukan berbeza ke perkhidma-tan awam, sektor itu akandapat mencari kalangan ter-baik termasuk daripada per-khidmatan lain menyertai-nya.termasuk sebagai. Pega-wai Tadbir Diplomatik.

Najib jUga,berlillta, perkhid-matan awam mesti mewujud- ,kan suasana untuk membo-lehkan kakitangan sentiasamengamalkan etika dan nilaikerja yang akan membentukminda bagi menghadapi ca-baran abad ke-21.

DendaRMSO,OOOkescurip~sir

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SHAH ALAM: KerajaanSelangor bercadangmengenakan de,ndaRM50,000 bagi kesalahanpertama terhadap syari-kat atau individu yangVlencurLpasir dl n~gerlitu mulai tahun depan,~ ."m!!ningkat10 kali ganda -berbanding'hilnyaRM5,OOOketika ini.'

Pengerusi Jawatanku-asa Tetap PemodeqanPertanian, PengluusanSumber Alam, Pemba-ngunan Usahawi\n danLuar Bandar negeri, Yaa-kO,bSapari, berkata den- ;0di! RM500.000 pula dike,nakan bagi kesalahan ke-dua dan kesalahan

~eterusnyajenWa4dan. semuaperalatan aKan dl-

rampas."Kltajuga akan mem- "

buat laporan polis kenlna'mencu(i pasir di negeri

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61 ...S;NARHARIAN LAPOR~NU Hf JlS@s. inar.WWw.sinarharian.comllaporankhas" '. Selasa 05 Ogos 2008 RJ 11,;:., . , ,

Plastikbukanancaman.padamanusiaC'M~k~di~;h"""'~""~"1" ,', .: DEWASAiribanyakkitadengar .'" - :: dan bacamengenaikesanplastikke "" :: atasalam'sekitardan ancamannya ':: kepadakehidupanmanusia. :: Orangramaijuga seringdigembar, :: gemburkanmengenaiperkara' :: perkaranegatifyangmelibatkan :: penggunaanplastiksertabahayanya ;: kepadakita,anekosistemdunia:, " .::' Namun,sedaratautidakplastik :: merupakanbahanpentingdalam ':: kehidupanseharianmanusia. :: Pemahkahandaterfikirkehidupan ::, manusi'Hanpapenggunaan'plastik? :: Walaupunterdapataltematitseperti :': kertasbagimenggantikanbanan.. ::plastik, namun'adakahia'5e!~nding?~ :: "Adakah du" ' , ',:: ancamanpe ar?:: 'lkut;laparankhas erkaitan: ::' kepentinganplastikkepadakehidupan ;:' ,manusiaolehwartawan5inarHarian, :

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,~,j1 kans~r,b~g plastikj~nis poli~til~na,; b~rk~tumpatantinggi(HPDE)~ jikadir~buss~lamasatu{

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P~ndek katq,s~mMapj~ak sci:larusnya ?

m~mqinkanp~ranan O1asing'll1asing dalani". .~saharn~nja.9aalams~kitar,9un:'i agar iatidak

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clisebabkan tang~;Mangari manusi.a.

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