Flora Damansara medium-cost apartments in Damansara Perdana has 2,541 units spread out over four 25-storey blocks. — Filepic
TWO lifts are now operational at each of the four blocks of Flora Damansara medium-cost apartments in Petaling Jaya.
It was reported that most of the lifts were unusable after an inspection by the Occupational Safety and Health Department (DOSH) Selangor on Aug 25 deemed them unsafe.
Residents had to queue for long periods of time to utilise the only functioning lift in each block, and many relied on the stairs.
StarMetro’s Sept 4 report on the lift issue at Flora Damansara.DOSH Malaysia deputy director-general Bahrudin Mamat said the apartments’ joint management body (JMB) had two lifts in each block repaired.
The lifts were subsequently issued with a certificate of fitness (CF) to operate.
“In 2020, based on a maintenance inspection by DOSH, the JMB was asked to carry out repair works on the lifts,” said Bahrudin in a phone interview with StarMetro.
“However, due to change in management and financial constraints, this was not done.
“There were parts of the lifts that needed to be replaced.”
He said based on another check last month, the lifts were found to be unsafe.
“Most of the lifts were sealed, leaving only one lift with the least problems operational in each block,” he added.
“In recent weeks, the apartments’ management has repaired at least two lifts in each block.
“We have checked and issued CF for these lifts.
“The JMB is now working out their finances to address the rest of the lifts’ repairs.”
Bahrudin said some management bodies did not want DOSH to check lifts in their buildings out of fear they would be sealed if found unsafe.
“When DOSH checks these lifts and they are found unsafe, we will seal them until they can be repaired as it concerns people’s safety.
“My advice is that when there is a small problem with the lift, get it repaired immediately or the problem could worsen and become more costly to rectify,” he added.
When contacted, Flora Damansara JMB chairman Syamsul Razman Muhammad said the management body was in the process of collecting pending payment and arrears from residents to carry out repairs on all the lifts.
There are 2,541 units in Flora Damansara in Damansara Perdana, with over 9,000 residents in the four blocks, each with 25 floors.
There are 19 lifts in total – three of the blocks have five lifts each while one has four.
On Sept 4 StarMetro reported that, during his visit to Flora Damansara, Damansara MP Gobind Singh Deo pledged RM12,000 to pay for repairs of the lifts.
Only about 60% of residents are paying their monthly maintenance fees.
Due to this, the lifts have not been serviced as regularly as they should have been.
