When people enter your territory unauthorized ..

On coming back to the apartment after Raya on 01092011 I found my apartment door unlocked and I knew straight away that there was an authorised entry, I was last in the apartment on 15082011, and after that to the best of my knowledge nobody else came in. And on opening the door I saw my internal iron grill ajar and the house was in a mess, clothings thrown everywhere in the bedroom and tables shifted.  I knew, I was burglared.

My first reaction was to leave everything as found and to go to the Police, to make a Police Report and my wife,  who was with me, went to the gatekeeper and told them about the unfortunate  incident.  The gatekeeper,   a Bangladeshi,  was in a daze,  not really knowing what had happened;  anyway there is no system at the gate and the place (till writing this) was and is still unsecured.

And at the Police Station I made my Report, got to see a Police Inspector and later he came to the apartment to ‘investigate’.

There was nothing much else that we could  do and after the Police left, we just tidied up. There was no material loss, except that my pride was deflated. We expected better security services, after all pay our monthly services fees without fail. But we are disappointed.

I replaced the font main door lock, and installed some cheap alarm at the doors.

The rest I trust to Allah SWT.

Swimming Pool

They have re-painted around the swimming pool. At least it looks better now.

And they have re-painted the gazeebo as well. But  the re-painted colour of the gazeebo now is very dull a sort of dirty light grey.  At least the swimming pool is better coloured, with stripes of bright blue and white.

What is left is now is only to make sure that the swimming pool is safe for use. Any protruding edges to be smoothen out, and the water in the pool to be certified by the town council fit for use and fit to swim in, periodically.

a boat skeleton

This is the skeleton of a boat which sunk sometime back in Kuantan River. The photo was taken at low tide,  in the morning today, when the skeleton revealed itself. At high tide the skeleton cannot be seen. And that is dangerous to boats, big or small, plying the Kuantan River.

I wonder why nobody even bother tho clear this dangerous skeleton.

Intercom

We used to have a good inter-communication system where the occupants of each apartment was able to call the guard/security at the guard house (at the gate) via a hard line intercommunication system and vice versa. It was useful during times of emergencty or for the guard/security to confirm with the apartment occupiers if any has visitors.

The suystem was down and never repaired.

Recently on visiting the guard house I observed that even the exchange is now missing.

Not a very good service from the apartment management it seems.

Lighted up gazebo

Last night when I was back at Le Town Apartment I saw the gazebo well lighted up. Probably for the Chinese New Year. Looks good.

What kept me wondering was why was it not well lighted up for Hari Raya and Christmas. After all we all own the complex.

Fruitful discussions

For the first time in about 10 years that I have stayed in Le Town Apartment, a small number of residents held a small meeting and discussion by the pool side the other night. It was a good start to a social cum business sort of get together. Socialising in trying to 'know your neighbours', and business in discussion of the 'need for improvemenet' for the apartment complex.

It is envisaged that this will be followed by other similar meetings, and by the appointment of a residents representative to meet the management to resolve the many problems of living in the apartment complex.

Nurses Trainee

Two of the about 50 Nurses Trainee living in our Le Town Apartment Complex.

Stoop that low.

Do we Have to come to this now? A plastic bucket to contain drippings from the bathroom above. Is the management not aware?

This is just poor showing of maintenance care. What has happened to the Management anyway? Or do they now pass the buck to the apartment owner?

Guard booth

Why is it that the security booth always seemed to be empty? Or is it just that when I am around, they are not occupied? Admittedly on occasions I see the guard there, used to be elderly Malay men, then some Myanmars and Bangladeshi (who seems not to be able to communicate in Malay or English, I wonder why they are there at all), and now I see a senior Chinese man. But empty guard booth have been observed, especially in the morning.

Demise of the Jawi writing.

The Jawi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jawi_script) writing (and reading) used to be the pride of the Malays and used to be taught at all Malay schools in Malaya (later Malaysia). But since a couple of decades ago, it has been dropped from school curriculum, for reasons only known to the Malaysian Government.

I have found some of the remnants of Jawi writing in Kuantan, which maybe in a few years time may just be ‘in history’.

Property value

Many landlords have (indirectly caused) lowering the property value at Le Town Apartment by renting out their apartments to persons of unknown standing. Many of these tenants share the 3 room apartment with their friends, some occupying each apartment with as many as 10 friends. These apartments are quite comfortable if shared, say ,with 2 persons to a room but by having more persons living in each it makes life less comfortable, and with a higher occupancy per apartments making the place like a slum. And resulting in lowering the rentable value of the property. A pity, as the apartments are situated in a very good location in Kuantan Town.

It is not cheap to maintain an apartment at Le Town. It annual rentable value payable to the Kuantan Municipality is over RM 1000.00 a year, which is expensive for an apartment of floor area of just over 1000 sq. feet in a town outside Kuala Lumpur. Its maintenance cost payable to the Apartment Management is RM 150.00 a month. Agreed that up todate they do quite a good job at maintaining the apartment complex. But their shortcomings are also glaring. The apartments complex now needs a new coat of paint after being here for about 10 years; this they have not done so. Security to the apartments is questionable, they employ cheap foreign labour as security guards, except for one old Malaysian who has been employed as security guard for quite a while now. These foreign labourers are not really ‘security guards’ as such, they seemed more like general workers. These ‘guards’ lack the local language knowledge and the lack the understanding of local customs of living in such a community as those living in the apartments. And there is no control of access to the apartments, free access seems the rule of the day (and nights) to any of the apartment. Thus security is compromised.

All in all, the property value of these apartments have been lowered (and compromised) due the landlords not being selective of their tenants, neither controlling them nor really care about the maintenance of their apartments. And due the Management not being really concerned about access and security.

MPK is going to town at TC

Majlis Perbandaran Kuantan MPK (the Kuantan Municipality)is going to town at TC (Teluk Cempedak) beach.

They are building a new seafront low stone wall, and even the old Japanese machine gun emplacement pillbox has been repaired.

And towards and near the existing wooden walks they are building new walks. (But the old wooden walks really needed maintenance, some of the wood are missing or rotting, perhaps they will be repaired or replace in the next phase of the MPK development.)

Reminder of Japanese occupation

Crossing the Kuantan River on the bridge from Kuantan Town on the road to Kuala Lumpur, at Jalan Gambang, one will not notice the gun placement pillar box unless one stops and go down to the river bank on the right, in front of the existing eating stalls, close to the boat cruise jetty. From there one can prominently sees it. But if one goes on the Kuantan River Cruise one will not help but notice it when one goes under that Kuantan River bridge. Its there, left unrepaired but seemed to be maintained in considerable good condition.
Its part of our Malaysian history, also the history of Pahang State, though one may wish to forget that part of our history where the Japanese committed quite a number of atrocities to our people when they were in occupation in Malaya then.

A new resort

I have herad so much about this new resort, so today I decided to visit it. It was a sunny day, and being the fasting month I did not worry about meals. So my wife, my 1st grandson and I decided to drive to this 'resort' which about 20 odd km from Kuantan Town towards Kuala Lumpur.

My impression? Its not ready! But for the benfit of doubt, the management must be trying its level best to make it ready for visitors.

Its expensive to enter. Its new, but its expensive. About RM20 for adult and RM13 for children, don't you call that expensive? maybe not when its fully ready. But is it fully ready now? Don't look it.

The resort accommodation? Seems alright from the road. I did not go in, so I have to presume that its ready. Its a sort of condo/hotel arrangement. I saw some accupants inside some of them.

The water park seems alright but its quite small compared to some I have seen in Malaysia. See video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUM3MJzqLWw


Other facilities? There is the coach/horse ride at RM10 per head, riding just around the 'corner'. A few quadbikes for rental. And a 'kiddie train' to go from the water park to the 'hotel' and back. All at a fees of course. I did not ask how much.

As usual, one will find a souvenir shop in the complex. I suppose for that sort of a place, the shop was quite adequate.

The workers? I met a few young hands whom I must say are very friendly. They being young, they do not ask for much. The older ones also seemed quite satisfied with their assignments.

There was this Chinese violin player playing at the entrance to the water park which caught my eyes. (The video was taken at a different angle, he seems shorter and fatter because the video had to be turned 90 deg to make him vertical,....sorry!).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmhFguXVKdI


Give the Management a chance to prove themselves. But to my mind, there is a lot of room for improvement.

Notice board

These notices I observed are posted at the bottom of the stairs. Self explanatory really. I am just wondering why the Management does not have a central noticeboard where they can post their notices and the residents can also post theirs.

Sometime in Kuantan during Ramadhan

What is so different about being in Kuantan during the month of ramadhan? It’s the ,ramadhan market’. What one gets here may be different from those gotten in other places.

There is the ‘gearbox soup’, the soup of all the cows joints and cartilages.

There is the ‘pudding raja’, very famous in Pahang State. I do not know much about it but I found that it’s a combination of sun dried ‘pisang emas’ combined with a sort of yellow egg net on top, topped with dates and cherry and eaten with vanilla cream. Just my impression I suppose. But when I mentioned in my groups that I think that its just an ordinary sweet, not really to my taste, I got ‘booed’……… I must have said something wrong.

There is the ‘kueh akok’, sweet cake sort of made of eggs, sugar and flower of some sort beaten together. Very sweet but very delicious.

And in Pahang one cannot do without ‘ikan patin’, a sort of river catfish. And best cooking method is in ‘tempoyak’ (fermented durian flesh). Cooked with the right combination of spices, its an acquired taste. But many people inside and outside Pahanag State like the stuff.

And of course freshly caught ‘ikan kembong’ barbequed.

miniature coconut trees of Kuantan

These are beautiful miniature coconut trees planted especially in places where people can walk near them or under them without endangering the people from fallen ripe coconuts. The Municipal Council must be given credits for their good thoughts on public safety and comfort.

Prominently displayed

Some of the prominently displayed billboards in Kuantan Town.

Amir Hamzah

Meet Amir Hamzah, the guy who cleans the beautifully tiled promenade of The Kuantan River every morning, collecting the rubbish left by irresponsible people who walks the promenade, day and night. Without the people the like of him, Kuantan residents would be walking in rubbish when strolling or running on that promenade.

Do they care?

This is right below our apartment.Everyone sees it every day. But does anyone care?

The management probably knows. Their action?

The owner probably knows. But the owner does not live here.

My Apartment

This is an interesting correspondence from one of the apartment owners. I have faith that the person concerned will allow me to print the correspondence in this blog. The person will be doing a great service to us all, and what the person says are exactly what most of the apartments' owners/buyers/ tenants suffer from. There is no solution currently, and one of the owners said to my wife recently "The Apartment is now just like poor peoples' residence". Maybe its like that.

I am a new member of this group. My unit is …….. I got to know about this group ……………..I read his blog. I am so glad that we have this kind of group in order for us to communicate among each other. I really hope other residents could join this group too.

I have to change the floor of my apartment because water from the toilet had absorbed into the floor and wall of the living room and the middle bedroom. I am not sure if there is any leakage in the wall. The only way I can check is by breaking the wall. Any ideas what I should do? Should I inform the management?
Who should bear the cost?

The tiles in the bathroom (wall) have come out. So, I could see that those tiles were not properly done by the developer. If I knock the wall, it's hollow. Now I have to take out all the tiles and re-put them back.

The toilet in the master bedroom has another door. If I open the door, I could see rubbish, i.e. plastic bags, papers, condoms, clothes, etc. thrown by the people who live above my unit. Because of this, my house becomes so dirty and water cannot flow freely through the rain hole. When this happen, the water
will absorb into the wall and floor, and my house now is full of fungi! Anyone has this problem too? How did you overcome this problem? I was thinking to cover the place with "overhead grill" (I am sorry, I don't know what to call it), so that if people on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th floor throw anything, the rubbish will
not fall into my "compound".

There's a water pump motor under the staircase too and the motor is making a very loud sound till I could hear it from the master bedroom.

I really hope you can help me with some of the issues above. I will attend meetings if any in the future, as I will be in Kuantan ………year.

Thank you.

Pool Repairs

When I left the apartment about two or three weeks ago I saw the notice saying that the apartment’s swimming pool will be shutdown for maintenance. Well and good, I thought, its time.

When I came back last week I saw what had been done. They have repaired the children’s swings in the children’s playgrounds., also well and good.

The swimming pool seemed to have been repaired. But on closure look I saw that the work had not been properly done. My main concern is on the safety to the pool users. I saw that the cracks on the outskirt floors have not been repaired. That is not is not too bad I thought. But when I saw the edges of the pool I was shocked. The edge had been raised (or repaired) but the sharp broken edges have not been made ‘safe’. It’s dangerous to have edges repaired like that, one may trip the edge or even cut ones feet on the sharp part of the edges. These people do not have the sense of safety.

Now I do not know if the management will approve the work of the repairs or not, but to my mind the edges of the pool are not safe.