ILLEGAL extension or renovation of residential premises in Petaling Jaya is on the rise.
According to figures from Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ), 198 demolition notices were issued to house owners in 2005 compared to 141 notices already sent out between January and May this year, with five cases of demolition.
 |
Dr Wong...‘Most residents are unaware or are not sure of the council’s procedures’ |
The lack of knowledge among house owners about the application procedure is a contributing factor to the increase.
MBPJ councillor Datuk Dr Wong Sai Hou said in most cases residents were unaware or unsure about the council's procedures when it came to renovation works.
”Most people would just submit the plan. Sometimes the form is not completed properly,” said Dr Wong.
He said it was important for applicants to fill up the form and attach all necessary documents to make it easy for MBPJ to study and approve the proposed plans.
The processing fee and a deposit for building materials should also be paid upon the application submission.
A processing fee of RM500 is applicable for plans involving ground floors while RM1,000 was for work involving both ground and upper floors.
Dr Wong said an application would be approved only after it had been vetted first by the technical committee of the Building Control Department and then the Planning Committee.
“The process may take between two and three months.''
In the first five months of this year, MBPJ had issued 29 stop-work orders and 211 warning notices to houseowners.
Subang Jaya municipal councillor Datuk Yap Pian Hon said there were two options for house owners in Subang Jaya – get a registered architect to submit plans to the council for approval or pick a standard plan from the local council.
The standard plan by Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ), he said, covered basic renovation works such as fencing or constructing a car porch.
 |
Yap... ‘All renovation works should adhere to the guidelines or they will be deemed illegal’ |
“But all such works should adhere to the guidelines of the local government’s Street, Drainage, and Building Act 1974 by-law.
“Otherwise, it would be considered illegal,” said Yap.
Among the offences are renovating a home into a hawker centre, extending the length of the house until the fence or beyond the house’s perimeter.
“These are things which the local council will not approve,” added Yap.
MPSJ public relations officer Azfarizal Abdul Rashid said residents would have to apply to its Building Department for approval and the house owner would be issued the guidelines. He added that the applicant would also need to submit their neighbours' written consent for the proposed building works.
The council’s website, www.mpsj.gov.my, lists the procedure and fines.
Tomorrow: Talk to us, says City Hall
