JOHOR BARU: LOW rentals has lured about 100 families and individuals into Block 4 of Taman Jaya flats in Skudai here, despite it being declared unsafe a decade ago.
In 2005, a support pillar of the four-storey block had cracked and became slightly tilted, which forced 300 residents to evacuate.
After the incident, the then Public Works and Housing Committee chairman Datuk Baderi Dasuki had urged the residents to move out voluntarily within a week for their own safety or face forceful eviction.
Based on preliminary findings, the Malaysian Public Works Institute (Ikram) had declared the structure unstable and a study on Block 4 was conducted.
Ikram reportedly found that the cracked column had failed, making it unable to take the load of the structure.
In 2011, the state government gave out compensations to the flat owners. But for fear of safety for their families, some had left for good after the incident.
Some left but came back and along the way, new tenants moved in, lured by the attractive low rentals for the units.
Streets visited the block of flats yesterday and found that people living there were unfazed by the hazardous conditions.
Sixty-year-old Sukarti Karsan was one of the tenants who lived there with her son. Sukarti said she was aware of the 2005 incident.
“My two sons take turns to take care of me. Sometimes I go and stay with him and sometimes I stay with my son here. I know it is not safe but we cannot find alternative accommodation.
“My son is renting the place for RM250. There is water and electricity. In some units, there are none and their rental is lower,” Sukarti said.
Another resident who only wanted to be known as Ani, who is living in the block across Sukarti, said her rental is RM300 per month.
“Residents in my block were not asked to evacuate as the land here did not sink.
“I think a lot of foreigners are renting the flats here, especially in that block, as the rent is lower than the other blocks,” she said.
It was reported that residents heard a loud bang and felt the floor moving in the 10.30pm incident.
The walls in some units started to crack and steel rods inside the support pillar could be seen.
The support pillar was said to have cracked due to soil movement below the almost 30-year-old building, which houses 64 units.
Central Johor Baru Municipal Council president Sallehuddin Hassan confirmed to Streets yesterday that the building is not fit for occupancy.
Sallehuddin said a sign was put up by MPJBT but it has since gone missing.
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