WHEN it begins to rain, Anna Darling reaches for a bucket.
Standing beneath the damaged ceiling of her Taman Tan Yew Lai home in Kuala Lumpur, she positions the bucket under one of the gaping holes through which rainwater enters.
Water seepage has left brown stains, damp patches and mould across the interior.
Cracks run along the walls and ceiling, sections of plaster have broken away and some doors can no longer close properly.
The family home at Jalan 1 is metres from a high-rise residential development comprising 618 serviced apartment units in two 36-storey towers.
Construction of the first tower began in 2017, followed by the second in 2022.
Anna’s son, Thomas Gregory, attributed the damage to works carried out beside the property.
He alleged that debris and rusted steel formwork wedges had rained onto the roof and compound “like mangoes falling from a tree”.
Residents of several houses in Taman Tan Yew Lai and neighbouring Taman Lucky have also complained of cracked walls, damaged roofs, water seepage, falling debris and misaligned doors.
Their attempts to initiate repairs is evident through an 18-month trail of meetings, letters and inspections involving Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), the developer and project contractor, Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) and Seputeh MP Teresa Kok’s office.
Thomas said he raised his parents’ plight during a town hall meeting in Seputeh last year.
“I told the (then) mayor that I was worried about my parents’ safety.
“We had complained many times, but debris continued falling from the construction site,” he added.
In an October 2025 response, DBKL cited Condition 27 of the project’s Development Order dated Oct 8, 2015.
It states that the developer must exercise care during earthworks and construction and bear responsibility for claims arising from injury or property damage.
Thomas said, “If the Development Order says the developer is responsible, why are residents still being made to wait?”
Taman Lucky resident Mani Thambosamy said contractors had inspected his house and marked the cracks and holes.
“The markings are still on the walls, but nothing has been done.
“We are fed up. Doesn’t our safety matter?” Mani questioned.
Kok’s office first wrote to DBKL on Nov 13, 2024, after receiving numerous complaints, and requested a meeting between residents and the developer.
More meetings followed, including an engagement session last Dec 3 and a joint site inspection by the parties involved on Dec 10.
Thomas said another meeting was held on Feb 11, during which payments were offered to several affected residents.
However, he said there was no final settlement, comprehensive repair plan or completion deadline.
Thomas is now preparing a memorandum bearing the signatures of residents whose houses were damaged but not properly repaired.
“This will show that these are not isolated complaints.
“Several families have been waiting a long time without a proper solution,” he added.
Taman Tan Yew Lai Residents Association secretary Shalini Mahendran said at least seven serious cases remained unresolved.
“Because their homes are so close to the development, many residents fear the situation could worsen.
“Despite all the meetings, inspections and assurances, these cases have been allowed to drag on,” she said.
Kok expressed frustration with the developer and DBKL, saying both had dragged their feet.
“To be fair, the developer did send contractors to repair some of the houses.
“However, residents said much of the work amounted to poorly executed patch-up repairs that did not address the underlying problems.
“DBKL should have intervened much earlier.
“Developers cannot be allowed to evade responsibility when construction work damages neighbouring homes,” she said.
A project contractor’s representative said residents had been asked to submit repair quotations for the management’s consideration, but he had not received them.
A DBKL Planning Department spokesperson said contractors were required to rectify damage caused to neighbouring properties.
A DBKL Building Control Department representative said it would look into the complaints.
