BANG! BANG! BANG! "It was already 9pm and the sounds of workers hammering could still be heard nearby in my 1300sf "luxury condo”. And just when you think it was over, Drrrrrrrr! Drrrrrrrr! Drrrrrrrr! The sounds of drilling then began.”

This was my friend's account of what happened to him. He was trying to listen to Beethoven at his condo, but was instead unpleasantly treated to a roaring orchestra of workers working at his so called completed condo with the "occupancy certificate”. According to him, this was not the first and last time it happened.

Most of the management in condos have a strict rule regarding what time renovation or contract works are allowed. Usually, Mondays to Fridays are from 8am to 5pm and Saturdays are 9am until 12.30pm. All work should be stopped starting 6pm, as residents need their peace and quiet after a long day at work.

I'm pretty sure most of the management companies have rules and regulations like these in place; after all, no right-minded management would allow any work to be done after 6pm, right? Enforcement is KEY here. And residents need to voice out their complaints and concerns to the management. I believe Sabahans, in general, are too passive and timid when it comes to their rights. I believe we need to give the relevant people our "two cents” when it comes to how the condo and our community is run by the management.

You and I should speak up when you notice that the management isn't doing their job properly. Too many times I've heard, "They collect all those maintenance fees, but I don't see them doing anything. The rubbish not collected, etc.”

But then again, people actually don't put their complaints down on pen and paper for the management.

A Wish List for Management Corporations:

1. Ensure Diligent Rubbish Disposal Please make sure that rubbish is disposed of regularly and that proper hygiene is maintained. Dumping areas should be clean and free of stink (ok, this one's a bit tricky, but if there is no durian or belacan in there, I guess it should be ok). Nothing is more disgusting than finding someone's unfinished fried rice from yesterday that's still in the dumpster (it may have looked and smelled nice before) but it reeks of rotten and makes you hold your breath.

Now, management could start by legitimising the recycling of plastics, aluminium cans, paper, and general waste. That way it's more organised and is better for the environment. Plus, management can use the recycling money for the upkeep of the property. It's a win-win for both.

2. Ensure Lifts Are Well-Lit & Safe Nothing is worse than lousy lifts. I remember a few months ago when I was visiting a friend at his apartment, I was astonished to see the lift that we took was dingy because the light in the lift was burned out. Maybe I just watch too many horror movies with scary scenes in lifts, but it freaked me out (ok, I admit that dark lifts scare make me uncomfortable). And you know what the worse thing was, this was a newly completed project. How did this one get its OC? Hmm…

3. Enforce Your House Rules Please House rules are….well, rules that are meant to be followed, right? Otherwise, why have them in the first place? To fill out pages in the booklet? Or did the management just simply copy it from somewhere else? Ok, I'm asking too many questions here. But if you say NO WORK AFTER 6PM, please let the guards enforce NO WORK AFTER 6PM. Period. It's really that simple. And no special favours, please!

4. No More "Automatic” Boom Gates First of all, security boom gates are meant to stop non-residents from entering without proper reason. A lot of the time, guards are super strict at first, but sooner or later, the boom gates became "automatic gates”. Cars can now magically enter without security cards or registering. Sure, sometimes the resident themselves are at fault because they had left their access cards or that they didn't want to pay RM50 just to make another card, instead, using the "You know who I am, mah” card. Of course, it's nice when guards recognise me after having stayed somewhere for some time, but, security personnel should not let anyone else just enter like that .

There are, however, a few places that actually does a good job of this, like Alam Damai, Surian, Suritz, D Banyan, Bay Residence, etc.

5. Do Inform Us of Water and Power Disruptions Please let us know in advance if there are to be any water or power disruptions. Let me tell you, a lot of places have these notices, but they are usually put up just a few days before it happens. Please, just let us know at least 2 weeks before so that we can be better prepared.

6. Accountability and Transparency I think books need to be open to residents: what are the expenses, who are the contractors and must be audited by an auditor appointed by the residents. We want to know where and what our money was used for, and whether the work was actually done for the invoices paid.

7. Use Social Media or Instant Messenger I don't read my mail often, usually only once a week, but with the popularity of social medias and instant messengers, it's high time for management to use social medias to engage with its residents. Having a WhatsApp group chat with residents is a good option but, make sure to keep it professional and not a Kopitiam group. Creating a Facebook page informing of the latest happenings and developments is also good and fosters closer relationships between residents and management and among the residents themselves. Events can be organised through these platforms and results can be shared with closer communities.