Residents of Valencia Apartments, Shah Alam hope for better living conditions

PETALING JAYA (April 1): Residents of Valencia Apartments, Shah Alam have seen their living environment degenerate over the years and are hoping things can improve.

A report by The Star revealed that the development has been plagued by a lack of hygiene in the common areas, rude neighbours, drug addicts and foreigners opening up businesses in the premises.

It has been reported that ground floor units of the five-storey Valencia Apartments have been renovated into shoplots run mainly by foreigners.

Sundram, a resident told the daily that some of the traders “have even taken up parking lots to conduct businesses in the evening”.

He said the traders are known to vandalised cars if residents complain about their activities.

“We cannot park cars at our own parking lots. We even pay maintenance fees for the block, but it is a dump,” added Sundram.

Another resident said his sister and two nieces often have to wait “for her [sister’s] husband to come home before attempting to use the staircase after 6pm”.

A resident named Patrick also wants the local authorities to clamp down on illegal shops in the neighbourhood.

He told The Star that Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) has raided the apartments and confiscated items from the shops “in previous occasions”.

However, the operators “got back the seized goods and were back in business”, he revealed.

Meanwhile, Valencia Apartments’ management committee says “it is fighting a losing battle with the illegal shop operators”.

“Nine units have been converted illegally. MBSA and the commissioner of buildings are aware of it. We have also issued letters to the landlords telling them about the problems,” a committee member who declined to be named told the daily.

The committee is also “working closely with the police to stop the drug problems in the area”, he added.

MBSA Yugarajah Palanisamy told the English publication that “although there were actions against the illegal traders, enforcement was lax” and “he was not getting the necessary support from the city council’s enforcement team”.

“I need their support to continuously take action against the illegal traders. We need to raid the apartments more often to deter them from coming back,” he said.