GEORGE TOWN: During the Covid-19 movement control order, Ethan Tan was relieved when his tenant agreed to renew the lease for his studio unit in a Bayan Lepas condominium for another year in 2021.
He had heard stories of tenants unable to pay their rent due to the challenges brought about by the pandemic.
However, months later, Tan, 43, received a call from the police, asking him to report to the George Town police district headquarters to give a statement.
It turned out that his unit had been used by a mastermind of a call scam syndicate as accommodation.
The man had also rented several other units in the same block, turning them into a scam operation centre.
“I had no idea my tenant had sublet my unit to someone else who used it as lodging.
“I was told the person had set up multiple computers in other units, running the online scam activities remotely.
“Police set up an ambush at the block before successfully tracking him to my unit.
“I had to provide the police with my tenancy agreement and give a statement. It was a hassle just to prove my innocence,” he said.
Tan said Bukit Aman's proposal to hold property owners, joint management bodies (JMBs) and security companies liable if such activities are discovered on their premises is unfair to the owners.
He said he had always respected his tenant’s privacy, never knocking on their doors for regular checks.
“Perhaps it’s the responsibility of the security companies or JMBs to maintain the safety and order of the block,” he said, adding that as long as his tenant pays the rent on time, he has no reason to disturb him.
Tan also raised concerns about some property agents, whom he claimed are not transparent when recommending tenants.
“Some agents don’t provide accurate profiles or backgrounds of the tenants. They just want to quickly seal the deal between owners and tenants.
“However, there are good agents who are open about things like a potential tenant suspected of illegal money lending or cigarette smuggling.
“Ultimately, the decision to rent or not rests with us the owners,” he said.
About 15 years ago, condominium owner Saiful Nizam (not his real name), 55, rented out his unit in Sungai Ara for extra income.
It was leased to a married couple for RM2,500 per month in 2010.
Initially, everything appeared normal. But after a few months, neighbours started raising concerns.
Saiful received complaints about the tenants bringing in suspicious-looking equipment, including weighing scales. They also often returned home late at night.
Despite these warnings, Saiful dismissed the neighbours’ concerns.
About a year later, he was shocked when his condominium was raided by the police, who uncovered a drug-processing operation inside the unit.
“During the raid, the couple and three other people were arrested. The officers seized several pieces of drug-processing equipment,” he recalled.
Saiful was summoned for interrogation by the police since the condominium unit was registered under his name.
After two weeks, he was cleared of any involvement with the drug syndicate.
“I deeply regret the situation and have vowed to be more cautious in the future when selecting tenants.
“Please be sure to check your prospective tenants thoroughly and if possible, conduct background checks before renting out your unit to avoid being implicated,” he said.
