Happy New Year 2010

Comments and Graphics - New Year Layouts - Photobucket

CONDO-MINIMUM – the plain truth

Posted Date: Sep 24, 2009
By: HBA

Are you buying a condominium? Here is a guide to help you understand the commitments better so that you know what you are buying into.

There are many reasons why people make their homes in condominiums. Some do it because their children have grown up and moved out, and their homes are now too large. Others consider it because it is cheaper to buy a unit in a condo rather than a landed property in the location they want.

The sharing of maintenance and repair responsibilities may also appeal to people who have limited time, or are not interested in such chores, as well as those who want recreational facilities at their doorsteps. Thus, when you buy a condo, you are buying into a certain lifestyle, complete with requisite facilities and services such as security, cleaning of common areas, swimming pools, multi-purpose halls, playgrounds for children and courts for racquet games.

The word ‘condominium’ comes from the Latin words ‘con’ which means ‘together’; and ‘dominium’, meaning ‘property’.

This type of property ownership has two parts to it: Ownership of the individual unit, and joint ownership of the ‘common property’ with the other unit owners in the project.

It is easy to be seduced by the ‘glamour’ of living in a condo. Therefore, before the allure clouds your mind, you must first understand that ownership comes with shared responsibilities and factors you should beware of. Here are some:

Payments, and more payments

As the owner of one of the units in a project, you are required to pay a monthly service charge to cover the cost of maintenance and the management of the common areas.

This charge will increase over time, as a result of inflation and other aspects beyond your control. Many of the ‘common’ facilities and services - such as lifts, swimming pool, gym, tennis court, landscaped gardens and even security services - are expensive to maintain.

Many first-time condo buyers usually give little thought to exactly how this charge is derived and are also generally unclear about who actually does the maintenance, or who ultimately makes the decision about what work gets done.

Furthermore, they may also not know whether it is the developer that looks after the project, or if it by the Joint Management Body (JMB) or is it a Management Corporation (MC) that is entrusted to handle the task.

In this situation, the best thing all condo owners should do is study their Sale and Purchase Agreements, Building & Common Property (Maintenance & Management) Act, 2007 and the Strata Titles Act carefully to understand the responsibilities that comes along with stratified property ownership and the contributions to the funds involved.

Tolerance

Condo residents share walls, floors, ceilings, hallways, entrances and parking areas with their neighbours. Respect for other people's right to the quiet and peaceful enjoyment of their homes is therefore essential.

As a resident, your neighbours will appreciate (and hopefully reciprocate) your efforts to turn down the volume of your TV or hi-fi set, walk softly, close your doors quietly and limit your vacuuming to reasonable hours.

Inconsiderate residents ruin the lives of those around them, but at the same time, you will need to have some degree of tolerance to live in a condo. For example, you have to accept the presence of noisy, boisterous children.

Community rules

Whether a condo is small or large, it will invariably come with a set of by-laws, rules and regulations for the benefit of the community at large.

Whether it is the developer or the JMB or that of the MC that sets them, the covenants, by-laws, rules and other conditions bind all owners.

These by-laws govern almost everything, from special assessments and the election of residents' association officers to the allocation of parking space and use of recreational facilities.

Owners who fail to follow the by-laws can be fined, and complaints with the relevant authorities for the seizure of an owner's property can be made if fines or assessments are not paid. You can only be happy living in a condo if you are willing to follow its by-laws, rules and regulations.

Volunteering time

All unit owners automatically become members of a condo's MC, which is formed once strata titles have been issued to the individual units. However, even before the issuance of these titles, it is the JMB that is formulated to jointly work with the developers.

The office bearers of the JMB or MC are made up of volunteer owners. There are cases, of course, of condo owners never volunteering their service, or even turning up for meetings. Residents will notice such lack of participation, especially if the project is small.

Being part of a community means being prepared to serve on the JMB or MC, or joining a special committee, helping to get estimates for repairs, or taking responsibility for other tasks that benefit the condo as a whole. If you are willing to pitch in, you will earn the gratitude and respect of your fellow unit owners.

Before you make the move…

When contemplating buying a condo, there are some questions you should ask yourself. Some of these include:

• What is the history or background to the development? For example, have there been persistent problems with water leakage or poor collection of service charges?
  
  
• If you are purchasing a unit that has yet to be issued with a strata title, will you have to bear the cost of any difference in the built-up area, should it be larger than the 'estimated size" as described in your Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA)?
  
  
• What is the current financial status of the condo's Joint Management Body (JMB) or Management Corporation (MC)? Ask for a copy of the year-end financial statement, the current budget and evidence of adequate insurance coverage. However, this is usually easier said than done, as many developers who manage condos consider financial statements highly confidential. You will have to be persistent so as not to be saddled with any sudden increase in service charges, or end up with a badly managed condo that will reduce the value of your property.
  
  
• Does the common property appear to be well maintained and managed?
  
  
• Will the unit owners own the facilities as part of the common property, or will the developer continue to own them?
  
  
• How many units in the building does the developer own? In cases where the developer owns a larger number, it will continue to dominate the MC.
  
  
• How many units have been rented out? In condos where there are more tenants than owner-occupiers, chances are you will have fewer people volunteering for community services.
  
  
• Are there extra parking bays for owners? Are there enough parking bays for visitors? Are there restrictions on visitor or owner parking? Is there any parking allocation for motorcycles?
  
  
• If there is vacant land around the condo, will some new project take shape there in the future? If so, what impact will it have on the quality of life that you expect?

You will have to talk to the existing condo residents, particularly owner-occupiers, for answers to some of these questions. Ultimately, the decision as to whether condo living is right for you or not should be based on your preferences and tolerance level.

Buying a condo should be a well thought-out decision, based upon an understanding of the social, financial and legal aspects of the purchase.

Just as with the purchase of any type of house, you should consider carefully whether it is the right place for you and your family to live in, in the long term.

The National House Buyers Association is a voluntary, non-governmental organisation that strives to protect house buyers' rights and interests. For more information, visit: www.hba.org.my

Source: http://www.iproperty.com.my/

Condo Fee a.k.a. Maintenance Fee

There are many reasons why people chose to buy a condo instead of a landed property. My few reasons are location, security and amenities (swimming pool, tennis court and the like). It's common sense that to enjoy the facilities of a condominium, these facilities must be taken care of for life.

The cost of providing the best in security and maintenance of amenities (pool, landscape, etc) is high. This cost is shared among the owners in paying a monthly condo fee to the management corporation. Condo fees cover items such as security services, building maintenance, a master insurance policy, parking lot maintenance, elevator maintenance, landscape maintenance, management, amenities, common utilities, sinking fund and more.

In other words, the management corporation needs to collect the money to take good care of the condominium. When a condominium is well taken care of, the value will increase and so will the rental. Everyone wishes that the value of their properties to increase over time, the more the better.

Many condominiums are run down because of late payment, delinquent owners and hardcore defaulters. When the percentage of these is high, the management will not have enough fund to upkeep the condominium. Frequent elevator break-down, dirty pool, landscaping neglected, large sum of unpaid water bill and poor security service are the usual problems arising. When this happens, other good paymasters will stop paying also. It'll become unbearable for everyone and also causes the property values to drop sharply.

Lets do our part in paying our condo fees promptly. Make it our new year aim to have zero defaulter so that money and manpower won't be wasted on sending reminder letters or spending on legal fees.

Merry Christmas To Our Christian Neighbours

Orkut Scraps - Christmas Scraps

5th Council Meeting - 21/12/2009

The meeting started at 8:30PM and ended after 11:00PM again. It was announced that two council members, Gary and Amanda have resigned from the board due to personal matters. We wish to thank them for their valuable contribution to the management board.

Projects completed and pending were discussed as usual.

It was reported that a delivery man was caught in the act of vandalizing the lift door via the newly installed CCTV inside the lift car. He was fined for the offense.

The condo fee defaulters report were reviewed. The percentage of defaulters is small but the management is told to cut down the numbers of defaulters by sending out reminders as soon as the condo fees is overdue.

The appraisal report of the management staffs was also reviewed at the meeting. Salary increment was discussed and passed.

Happy Dong Zhi Festival

Dong Zhi Festival, Winter Solstice is the second most important festival of the Chinese calendar. On the 22nd of December, families get together and eat tang yuan (湯圓), a sweet soup made of glutinous rice balls. It is also the day when everyone becomes one year older.

Christmas Caroling At Poolside

Date: 20th December, 2009

Venue: Poolside
Time: 9:00 PM
Light refreshments will be provided

Newly Added Value Features

Recently the management has just completed the installation of CCTV in the lift cars. This is a great move to further enhance our security monitoring and also served as a deterrence to vandalism in the lift car. Security is one of the criteria when we chose to live in a condominium. I believe with the CCTV in the lift cars, we can be more relieve when there is no one at home, we are at work or going for holidays.

Other than security aspect, we are also watching out for vandalism and irresponsible residents who conveniently dump their garbage at the lift lobby. Please report to the management when you come across any new act of vandalism or garbage at the lobby.

Free WiFi at the clubhouse has also been installed. Hope that residents will enjoy their internet surfing at the cafeteria and the poolside. Do order some food or drinks when surfing at the cafeteria.

4th Council Meeting - 16/11/2009

We have broken the record again. The meeting started at 8:30PM and ended at almost midnight. Our spouses may not be happy with our record breaking feat.

Mr. Chairman kept telling us after each council meetings that it should not be more than one and a half hour long. Thanks to Mr. James for treating us to some high-sugar donuts which kept us active through the long hours.

It has been decided in previous meetings to install CCTV in lift cabs for better security and to deter vandalism inside the lifts. Installation is in progress now and it should be completed by the end of this month. After that we will proceed to upgrade the lift interior.

The Council members have decided to build the barbeque pits beside the former show house complete with a gazebo. Hopefully we can get it ready before the new year.

Other projects discussed at the meeting are the upgrading of the main entrance and the changing of the down flow and riser water pipes.

Traffic Jam

Dear Residents,

Avoid the U-turn at Sri Putramas Condo during morning rush hour. There is road work in progress on Jalan Dutamas 2 near the U-turn. It should be quite a jam.

Thank you.

Prima Duta Community Blog Objectives

This is a community blog for residents of Prima Duta Condominium. The objectives of the PDC blog is to provide up-to-date information of the ongoing in the condominium, announcement and notices from the management office. It is also an e-venue for sharing of views, ideas and discussion on subjects of common interest for PDC residents.

Any complaint regarding the operations and issues of the condominium should strictly be directed to Prima Duta management office. Residents are advised to use the "Resident e-Complaint Form" at the top of the page.

What Would You Like To Buy At The Condo's Convenience Store?

I know that our Prima Duta convenience store can't carry a wide variety of goods. Firstly, the store is small and secondly, some items are very slow moving. Sometimes when we need something urgently, it's wonderful if the convenience store has it.

This survey is to find out what variety of goods the store owner needs to add to her existing stock so that she can provide better service to the PDC residents. You can participate in this survey by posting a comment on the items that you would like to buy at the convenience store.

There are requests for:

1. Shuttlecocks

Detering Vandalism and Graffiti

Vandalism and graffiti are problems that need our constant attention to safeguard our common property and the cleanliness of our condominium.

The management has taken some preventive measures by installing CCTV at the lift lobbies and installing protection cover for all the lift call button panels. These preventive measures have been effective but there are still some who are willing to take the risk of being caught. And we did catch an offender recorded by the CCTV recently for writing on the wall at the lift lobby.

Before installing the protection cover for the lift call panel, display covers were badly scratched or broken and stainless steel panels were scratched. These parts are costly to replace. We are now in the process of getting a contractor to install CCTV in the lift cars too.

Residents can be of great help in reporting to the management as soon as they come across any new graffiti or vandalism. Playing back the video will reveal the culprit. Together we can put a stop to these problems.

In the same way, we can also deter those who conveniently leave their garbage at the entrance to the lift lobbies. Garbage left at the lift lobby entrance is very unsightly. So please do keep our place clean and tidy.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Visitor CCTV on your TV

There are residents who are not aware that we can view our visitors on the TV. This facility was installed three years ago but some new residents are not aware of it. There is no charges to use this facility, it is free of charge.

When your friends come to pay you a visit, the security personnel will call you on the intercom to notify you. You can then switch to the preset channel on your TV to view your visitor.

To use this facility, your TV needs to be connected to the TV antenna socket on the wall (connecting only to the Astro socket does not work). Then preset a channel on your TV to receive the signal coming from the TV antenna socket. For example, select channel 5 on your TV and then do the tuning until you receive the picture of the guard post at the main entrance. Save the tuning. Every time you need to view your visitor, just switch to channel 5.

If you need assistance to set your TV, please request from the management office.

3rd Council Meeting

The meeting started at 8:30PM and ended at 11PM. Another long night to iron out issues arising and discussing new upgrading projects.

Major landscaping work has been completed except for the main entrance which is on hold due to the entrance upgrading project to be done there.

All works at lift lobbies and servicing of the lifts are to be completed by the end of this month.

Free Wi-Fi at cafeteria and poolside has been approved and to be installed soon. Residents can now enjoy a refreshing drink while surfing the net at the poolside. Some rules will be set for occupying the tables at the cafeteria.

Basketball hoop and BBQ pits which have been approved will most probably to be installed in November.

The few issues recently voiced by some residents on this blog have been brought up in the meeting, such as the launderette exhaust fan blowing into the children playground, the rubbish collection depot becoming a public disposal site and the rubber mat for the badminton court.

We are working towards a better environment and lifestyle at Prima Duta Condominium. If you have any good idea or suggestion, please let us know.

Are You Prepared For Tremor (Earthquake)?

Due to the recent earthquake in Indonesia on the 30th Sept which the tremors were felt at our condo, we had received suggestions and questions from some residents on safety measures and actions by the management.

As we already know, there is no earthquake in our country. Only tremors are felt after there is an earthquake in Indonesia. The intensity of the tremors, which is weaker than the earthquake's, depends on the distance and magnitude of the earthquake. I think mild intensity tremors will not do much harm to our modern building structures in Malaysia. I stand corrected if I'm wrong on this.

Anyway, here is an instruction found in the web on what to do when earthquake struck.

If you are indoors when shaking starts:

• “DROP, COVER AND HOLD ON.” If you are not near a strong table or desk, drop to the floor against an interior wall and cover your head and neck with your arms.
• Avoid windows, hanging objects, mirrors, tall furniture, large appliances and cabinets filled with heavy objects.
• Do not try to run out of the structure during strong shaking.
• It is safer to remain inside a building after an earthquake if there are no open areas far enough from glass or other falling debris to be considered safe refuge sites, unless there is a fire or gas leak. Glass from high-rise buildings does not always fall straight down; it can catch a wind current and travel great distances.
• If you are in bed, stay there and cover your head with a pillow.
• Do not use elevators.
• If you use a wheelchair, lock the wheels and cover your head.

If you are outdoors when shaking starts:

• Move to a clear area if you can safely walk. Avoid power lines, buildings and trees.
• If you’re driving, pull to the side of the road and stop. Avoid stopping under overhead hazards.
• If you are on the beach, move to higher ground. An earthquake can cause a tsunami.

Once the earthquake shaking stops:

• Check the people around you for injuries; provide first aid. Do not move seriously injured persons unless they are in immediate danger.
• Check around you for dangerous conditions, such as fires, downed power lines and structure damage.
• If you have fire extinguishers and are trained to use them, put out small fires immediately.
• Turn off the gas only if you smell gas.
• Check your phones to be sure they have not shaken off the hook and are tying up a line.
• Inspect your home for damage.

If you are trapped in debris:

• Move as little as possible so that you don’t kick up dust. Cover your nose and mouth with a handkerchief or clothing.
• Tap on a pipe or wall so that rescuers can hear where you are. Use a whistle if one is available. Shout only as a last resort.

The Gathering - 3rd Oct, 2009

Last night's gathering was great. So many residents turned up, more than we had anticipated. Residents were catching up with each other. The children had a lot of fun playing together with lanterns. Some council members and management staffs were kept busy lighting up lanterns for the children. It's the first time I've seen so many children running about in our club house.

The light refreshment was well received by the residents. The cafeteria owner, Puan Mastura contributed some Hari Raya cookies. We had ordered some vegetarian food for a few vegetarians but it was also a favourite among non-vegetarians. Next time we shall get more vegetarian food.

I've only managed to take a few photos of the occasion. If you have some good pictures, please send it to me to post on the blog for all to see.

Click on the picture to enlarge.

Tonight's Programme

8:00PM

• Satay and light refreshment
• Lighting of lanterns
• Mingle with neighbours

8:30PM

• Mooncakes, pomelos, taro and water caltrop

11:00PM

• End of gathering

Anticipating An Exciting Saturday Evening

It has been a long time since we had a residents get together. This will be a good time for residents to know each other better and to meet new neighbours. Many of us have been living here since we got the CF but have little chance to interact except greeting each other in the lifts. Some have shifted in recently but have yet to meet more of the good neighbours. Hopefully this event will be able to bond the Prima Duta community strongly.

We have received good response for this event. By the dateline we have 90 adults and 49 children registered for this gathering. It's going to be a great time for everyone. Children will meet new friends to play with and to grow up together in this Prima Duta neighbourhood.

Although we did not plan any performance but if there is anyone who would like to sing, dance or do some magic shows for us, you are welcome. Oh yeah, please remember to bring along your camera. Send me your best photos for publishing on this blog.

Joint Hari Raya Aidilfitri And Mooncake Festival Gathering

Strictly For Prima Duta Residents Only

3rd of October, 2009 Saturday

8:00 PM to 11:00 PM

Poolside

Light Refreshments, Satay and Mooncakes (Halal)

Free lanterns and candles for children

*******************************************************

R.S.V.P. before 30th Sept, 2009
Please state your name, unit number and number of persons attending.
If you are a vegetarian please state it also, vegetarian food can be arranged.
Send it to Steven.Cheong.K.L@gmail.com or register at the management office.

Latest Announcement - 16/9/2009

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri to all the Muslim residents and Happy Holiday to all the residents.

• Management office will be closed from 19th Sept to 22nd Sept.
• Cafeteria will be closed from 18th Sept to 27th Sept.
• Launderette will be closed on 21st Sept.

Thank you

2nd Council Meeting

We have the second council meeting tonight which lasted more than two and a half hours. A lot of issues were discussed and projects looked into. Existing projects taking too long to complete is one of the main issue. It's causing some inconvenience to the residents.

Mr. Darshan is advised to get a deadline for each projects from the contractors. The on-going projects are the landscaping project and the lift maintenance project. The landscaping is 70% complete but some areas have to redo because the type of plant they planted will not last long. The tiles work on each floor should complete as scheduled.

The new projects starting soon will be the upgrading of the main entrance and the upgrading of the lifts. The new main entrance will have a double lane for entry and a single lane for exit. The arch will be taken down and replaced by a modern look design. It will also enhance the security of the condominium where the entrance and exit points be more tightly controlled.

We got a lot of complain about the lifts' outlook and so we are upgrading it. We will install CCTV in each lift to deter vandalism and for better security. We will have Mirror Etching Stainless Steel doors for all the lifts on ground floor and refurbish the lift interior with Hairlines Stainless Steel ceiling fix with downlighting, MAICA lamination walls and granite flooring.

As a Convenor of Communication and Community Welfare, I've proposed for a new BBQ area beside the multipurpose hall and the Council Members have agreed to it. We also agreed to get a portable basketball hoop and to provide free WIFI at the cafeteria area. It's for the convenience of the residents and hopefully will also brings more business to the cafeteria.

We have discussion about replacing a tennis court with a futsal court but only if there are enough futsal players in the Prima Duta community. If you are a futsal player please stand up and be counted, please email me your name, resident card number and your unit number. My email address is steven.cheong.k.l@gmail.com

Where do we have our outdoor BBQ now?

I'd like to start a discussion on the outdoor BBQ issue. By now you must have received the circular that BBQ is not allowed anymore at the swimming pool area. The reasons are well stated in the circular.

So for those BBQ lovers who like to have a good time barbecuing with friends and relatives in our condo, where do you suggest to have it? I've scouted around the condo for a suitable place and found the land beside the Multipurpose Hall and the land beside the old show house most suitable. It's away from any smoke detector and the smoke won't get into the condos.

The area can easily accommodate up to 20 persons (the hall not included). If any party is held at the multipurpose hall, the BBQ area is a great party attraction.

I'm thinking of having a BBQ pit, some wooden benches and a couple of wooden tables. Having a wash basin is a great convenience.

What do you think? Comments/suggestions/opinions are welcome.

1st Council Meeting

We had the 1st council meeting today for the new term. Office bearers were duly elected. I'm in charge of Communication and Community Welfare. I hope I'll have the residents support in future community events.

We were briefed with the on-going projects by Mr. Darshan Singh, the manager of the Management Office. The landscaping project started on 20th July 2009 is now 70% completed. The outstanding work is at the main entrance and the swimming pool area. The main entrance landscaping works is put on hold due to upgrading project of the main entrance to be commenced next year. The swimming pool area is waiting for large pots for red palm trees due to arrive soon.

As for the lift maintenance project, wire ropes de-rusting is in progress at Block C. Some worn out main sheaves have been replaced at Block D and wire ropes de-rusting has been done. New governor ropes for all the lifts are on the way.

Termites activity was found in some common areas and have been dealt with by the appointed pest control company. Do you know that every unit is entitled to get free termites inspection for the next five years from the appointed contractor?

We have decided to hold a meeting every month. The next meeting will be in the middle of September so, if there is anything you want to bring up at the next meeting please e-mail to me. My e-mail address is steven.cheong.k.l@gmail.com

Potong Saga

Potong Saga is the first short film of 15Malaysia released yesterday. Namewee is the principal cast in this hilarious film directed by Ho Yuhang.

15Malaysia is a short film project. It consists of 15 short films made by 15 Malaysian filmmakers. These films not only deal with socio-political issues in Malaysia, they also feature some of the best-known faces in the country, including actors, musicians and top political leaders. You may think of them as funky little films made by 15 Malaysian voices for the people of Malaysia.

H1N1 and Taking Precautionary Measures

Since the situation of the H1N1 pandemic is not getting any better, we should be very careful now with our daily activities. We must be aware and start taking precautionary measures to protect our families and ourselves.

"The influenza A (H1N1) virus spread less effectively when it was “restricted” to only airborne respiratory droplets. Most outbreaks have occurred in limited clusters, sometimes within a family or a school but not spread much further” (MIT)

Nonetheless, we must take precautionary measures when we are in enclosed public places like the lift, bus and commuter trains.

Lift. It's best not to get into a crowded lift, just wait for the next round. Using your key to press the buttons instead of your finger is a good measure.

Public transport. It's best to keep one or two clean face mask in your bag or pocket if you are using the public transports. Put on your face mask before boarding the bus or train is a good measure. If you encounter someone coughing or sneezing, please offer them a new face mask if you have any. You may help save someone's life.

Although it's a fact that the size of the virus is smaller than the filter hole of a face mask, but the virus are carried by droplets from sneezing and coughing which is bigger in size than the filter hole. Secondly, wearing a face mask can prevent you from directly touching your mouth and nose with your finger.

Public-related work. Wash your hands more frequently if your work is in contact with many people. Keep a can of sanitizer spray nearby. Try not to rub your eyes or lips before washing your hand first.

Sick leave. When you have fever or flu, please take a sick leave and stay at home.

Additional precautionary measures from e-mail circulation:

1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).

2. "Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat or bathe).

3. Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don't trust salt). H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.

4. Similar to 3 above, clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. Not everybody may be good at Jala Neti or Sutra Neti (very good Yoga asanas to clean nasal cavities), but blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.

5. Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (Amla and other citrus fruits). If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.

6. Drink as much of warm liquids as you can. Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

7. All these are simple ways to prevent, within means of most households, and certainly much less painful than to wait in long queues outside public hospitals.

This is just a reminder.

May we all be well and healthy.

Now watch the funny H1N1 song

3rd Annual General Meeting

The 3rd Annual General Meeting was held today. I've finally gotten my strata title earlier this year and am eligible to become a member of the Management Council. This year we have duly elected 8 Council Members including myself to serve a term of one year. All Members of the management council serve on a voluntary basis and are not employees of the management corporation.

In today's AGM, we have all agreed to increase the maintenance fees and sinking fund by 1 sen each per sq. ft. After the increment we are still the lowest in comparison to the condos nearby.

It is understood that this increment is to help fund the near future major projects. The projects in the near future are (not in any particular order):
a. Painting Prima Duta
b. Change main water pipes
c. Access door for lift lobbies
d. Upgrading main entrance and guard post
e. Upgrading lift interior and doors
f. Lift maintenance repair and parts replacement (in progress)
g. Gas piping repair and replacement
h. Resurfacing covered driveway

Some of these projects will start as early as the first half of next year. The on going projects now are landscaping and lift maintenance. The recently completed projects are installation of CCTV at all lift lobbies and painting the common area and car parks.