Upcoming condo in Brickfields a nightmare, posing danger to next door buildings – resident

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 27 – An ongoing condominium project have been causing sleepless nights for residents of its immediate neighbour – the existing Scott Sentral Service Suites (Scott Sentral) – in Jalan Scott, Brickfields here, according to the residents living in the Scott Sentral condominium

According to the treasurer of the Scott Sentral’s residential committee, Chandra Ramprakash, the latest incident – where a part of the perimeter wall of their condominium had cracked and fallen – had given another jolt to the residents who have been facing various issues since construction of the new condominium started.

The wall has also moved few inches inwards, he said.

Some 50 residents have also vacated their units, since the construction began on the 32-storey building early last year on a small piece of land measuring 5,000 feet.

Chandra said, the condo, was a project under the Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL).

“When the notice of the project was put up five years ago, residents living in the area protested and subsequently the project was shelved. The original notice said 28 storeys.”

Then early last year, a notice board was put in the area again during the Covid-19 pandemic period, and this time work started on a 32-storey building.

The residents then lodged a report to DBKL and also initiated legal proceedings against the project.

Among the grouses of the people is the fact that the building, due to its limited space of 5,000 sq feet, is building a 10-storey car park with no drive-in facility for the cars to drive and park.

Instead, there will be two lifts to mechanically lift up the cars and park them on the respected floors.

“The only problem is this causes jam as the cars have to wait in line in an already congested area while the cars are parked.

According to Chandra, this particular information related to the building was never related to Datuk Bandar Haji Mahadi Che Ngah.

“The Mayor did not chair the meeting for the particular project but it was approved by a higher authority,” Chandra said

Chandra also alleged that the building did not meet the regulation that requires such buildings to have a a perimeter of 6 meters wide spacing.

“As a property developer myself, I do not know how approvals could have been given to build such a condominium. There is also usually a one-year period between the development order and building order approval, and I don’t think this was met.

“Why the super fast approval?”

Numerous complaints have been made by the residents to various authorities including the fire department, DBKL, the Department of Occupational Safety and Health as well as the Works Department engineering enforcement division, but none of them have responded or visited the site, he claimed.

“All these authorities were provided with the proof of the damages happening to our condominium but not even a single reply has been there.

“We actually began the legal action when we realised the wrongdoings and when the 12-meter perimeter wall around our building started to give way and the internal part of the condominium started showing serious structural cracks.

“The walls have moved few inches from its original position since the construction started and this is highly worrying matter. Now we are worried about the safety of our building due to dewatering, which is part of the process of piling as the barrier space between the two buildings is really not enough.”

Meanwhile, another resident said that the private walls of another neighbouring building, which is Villa Scott Condominium, had also collapsed on Monday.

A case review is to be heard on Wednesday at the Kuala Lumpur High Court on the action taken by 195 owners of units in the Scott Sentral against the developer.

–WE