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After a one-year hiatus, we’re back! To continue with the JMC’s wish to acquaint residents/owners with our dedicated owner volunteers behind the scene, this issue of i-Care presents our JMC Vice Chairman (2012-2013), Leanne Koo……

i-Care : Hi Leanne, thank you for taking the time to go through this session with me. To start off, please give us an idea of your background and share with us some stories of your hometown, childhood and family.

Leanne : Thanks, it makes me feel like this is a Miss Malaysia/Universe interview, haha! ☺ My life is not as exciting as our Chairman Jo who has been to war nor like Manager Ben and his Fighter Jets!

I was born in a small town called Simpang Empat in Alor Setar, Kedah which is in the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia. I’m Chinese educated and I spent my primary and secondary education in Alor Setar. I was very active in school; I was a Girl Guide and member of many societies. My mother used to say that I was everywhere except home!

Being eager to get out of the sleepy, padi-filled town, I went on to take a course (Diploma in LCCI) in Penang after Form 5. I studied and worked in Penang for 3 years before moving to KL to further my studies in the Chartered Institute of Management Accountancy. However, I did not finish the course as I realized it was not my cup of tea.

To cut the story short, I ended up in sales and marketing by chance.

i-Care : Yes, you’ve certainly found a line that fits your outgoing personality! While serving on the committee, you are still working full-time. Do let us know more about your career.

Leanne : In 2005, after working for almost 8 years, my husband (then boyfriend) and I decided to set up our own company to do what I am most familiar with, i.e. Structured Cabling Systems. We managed to secure a distributorship to market a Swiss brand called ‘Datwyler’ in Malaysia. “Structured Cabling Systems” cover cables and components used for a computer networking system. These may be Fiber Optic cables, UTP cables, etc. We supply to System Integrators, Cable Installers and Contractors.

i-Care : While it can be fulfilling, being your own boss can be demanding. You need time to unwind. What do you enjoy doing during your spare time?

Leanne : I’m a food enthusiast and I enjoy singing, listening to music and reading. I am also active in church and my husband, Malcolm, and I serve in the choir. Besides that, I help manage a Charity Thrift Shop once a month. I bake and cook to de-stress ☺.

Being a kampung girl at heart, I like outdoor activities and nature too. One of the most memorable moments in my life was reaching the top of Mount Kinabalu in 2010.

i-Care : You do live a full life indeed! Have you always been staying in a condo? What made you move to 1BU?

Leanne : No, I was staying in a house until 2003, when I was robbed of my car at my front gate as I returned home. I lost everything in the car including my passport! Thank God I was not hurt. That incident traumatized me and prompted me to move to a condo for better security. I stayed in Riana Green in Tropicana, for a couple of years.

““““iiii----CareCareCareCare””””Community Newsletter - 1 Bukit Utama Issue 6 : January 2013

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One fine day in 2006, I decided to drive within the vicinity to scout for a condo to buy. I ended up in Changkat Bukit Utama and I liked the location of 1BU on the hill. I always like to be surrounded by greenery, so the setting of the condo in a semi-jungle environment attracted me. At that time, a 2000 sq.ft. condo was rare, so I thought it should be a good investment. It was a good decision. My husband and I have been staying here since then. I like this place as it’s very quiet, especially since our low rise unit faces the golf course. I enjoy watching the butterflies and birds every morning while having breakfast in the balcony. i-Care : What do you think are the key factors to successful condo living?

Leanne : One needs to be civic-minded, considerate and cooperative when living in a condo. i-Care : You have been volunteering for multiple terms in the JMC. What has given you the most satisfaction during your tenure to-date?

Leanne : I volunteered as Block Rep when I moved in 5 years ago. This is my 2

nd year in the

JMC. I have seen a lot of improvement over the last 5 years especially in terms of Security. Overall, the condo is well run. It’s green, it’s clean! Special thanks to the residents who have volunteered to be JMC members over the years; they have served with integrity. Not

forgetting our very dedicated staff of the Management Office led by Ben.

i-Care : Were there any frustrations that may have unnerved you while you were in the Committee?

Leanne : Vandalism and littering in the car park and common areas as well as the verbal /physical abuse of staff, security guards and others who work here.

I have personally witnessed a resident, who had broken a house rule, manhandling the security guard after the guard had reminded him of the rule. I hope we can all be a bit more patient and compassionate towards the guards, especially those who have left their families to work here. It is hard enough for them to work in a foreign country with different cultures and unfamiliar environment. We should not strip them of their dignity nor abuse them. i-Care : Yes, fully agreed. We should appreciate the service provided. Security guards are just doing their duty, enforcing our house rules which may not all be to our liking. However, this is part and parcel of condo living and we should make it our responsibility to know and abide by these rules.

On behalf of the editorial team, many thanks Leanne for sharing your thoughts and experiences with us as well as your contribution to 1BU thus far.

JMC Members JMC Members JMC Members JMC Members ---- 2012201220122012----2013 term2013 term2013 term2013 term

The following Joint Management Committee members were elected to office during the Annual General Meeting held on 24

th June 2012 :

Position Name Champion of

Chairman Mohammad Johari Overall

Vice Chairman Leanne Koo House rules

Secretary Grace Ng Website, Newsletter, Google Groups

Treasurer Leong Fo Seong Security

Committee Member Alexandria Goh Social Activities

Committee Member Alice Ng Gym

Committee Member Angie Yim Landscaping

Committee Member David Wong Pool and Barbeque Deck

Committee Member Gan Ching Yik Security

Committee Member Iris Yoong Housekeeping

Committee Member Joshua Tan K. H. House rules

Committee Member William Shak Maintenance and Engineering

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Activities organised by our JMC in 2012Activities organised by our JMC in 2012Activities organised by our JMC in 2012Activities organised by our JMC in 2012

Mooncake Festival on 30th September 2012 The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15

th day of the eighth month in the Chinese calendar, during a full

moon. This is also known as the Mooncake Festival because it is an occasion for outdoor reunions among friends and relatives to eat mooncakes and watch the moon, a symbol of harmony and unity.

There was a wonderful turnout of 80-100 residents of various races and nationalities. The weather was good and the event was held at the barbeque deck above the lounge area, next to the pool. Residents were generous and brought many mooncakes and finger food to share. Some brought extra lanterns and candles to be enjoyed by all. The mystique of lanterns was enjoyed by young and old alike. Residents had a great time meeting and greeting their neighbours.

Good news! Have you noticed your water bill?Good news! Have you noticed your water bill?Good news! Have you noticed your water bill?Good news! Have you noticed your water bill? If you have submitted your SYABAS application form to convert from bulk to individual water meter and paid the deposit to SYABAS, you are now able to enjoy free water for the first 20 cubic meters used. Otherwise, you continue paying RM 1.38 for every cubic meter of water used.

With this conversion, you pay directly to SYABAS and there is no longer a bi-monthly water bill from the JMB. (Of course, you must settle all outstanding amounts with JMB first! ☺ )

Photos by kind courtesy of Alexandria Goh

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Christmas Celebration on 21st December 2012

It poured cats and dogs that evening, but the rain subsided as the night wore on. Fortunately, the event was held in the covered lounge area beside the pool. Although it was potluck, we enjoyed a good variety of food and it was yummy!

After satisfying our hunger pangs, carolling started. It was led by carollers from Damansara Utama Methodist Church.

Photos by kind courtesy of Chua Tiong Aun

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Security is a vital ingredient that forms part of the allure of 1BU. Many outsiders have been impressed with the level of security here. i-Care presents our Security Supervisor, Amalnathan A/L Sinnappan or Nathan as most of us know him by.

i-Care : Hi Nathan. First of all I would like to thank you for agreeing to talk to me. I know you have many things to do so I won’t take up too much of your time. Please tell us about yourself and your family.

Nathan : Good morning. My full name is Amalnathan A/L Sinnappan. I was born in KL 38 years ago. I’m married and have a six year old son. I studied in Sekolah Kebangsaan Damansara Jaya up to Form 2.

My father died when I was very young. My mother worked in a restaurant and struggled to bring up my brother, sister and myself. We were very poor and I had to leave school early to help support the family because I was the eldest. i-Care : That is a big responsibility and you have to face it so early in life. It must have been very tough for you. How did you manage it?

Nathan : I started work as a pump attendant in a Shell petrol station, earning RM250 a month. then I moved on to work in a factory making batteries for slightly higher pay.

When I was 22 years old, my house burnt down and my family lost everything. Thankfully, we were allocated a unit in the MBPJ flat in Kelana Jaya. I was very sad.

After some time, I managed to find work looking after the security of an office building in Wisma Academy in Section 19. I learnt quickly and worked my way up to become the Security Supervisor. My boss also trusted me to be the cashier receiving parking fees. When required, I also sometimes helped as a forklift driver. I worked long hours, but I liked my job.

Five years later I was in a car accident and I lost the lower part of my right arm. I had to leave this job. It was hard to adjust and I had to learn to do

everything with my left hand. I tried doing Amway sales part-time, but didn’t like it.

After 1 year I was approached by this condo’s JMC to work in Security. My first responsibility was to stay in the guardhouse and control the boom gate, but I knew I could do more. I decided to check the car boot of cars going out. One day I found an aircond compressor in the boot. The driver said the owner didn’t want it, but when I checked with the owner, she said no such thing. From that day onwards, my supervisor allowed me to do more jobs. i-Care : So what is your usual work day like now?

Nathan : Everyday, I start at 8.30a.m. First, I check the logbook to check the cases reported and see what needs my attention. Then I make my rounds of every block to check for clothes hanging from the balcony, cars parked illegally, leaking pipes, lights not working, faulty equip-ment in the gym, etc. I will try to settle issues myself. Those I cannot solve, I will bring it up with Mr Ben (Manager) or En Rahman (Opera-tions & Maintenance Supervisor). Sometimes some cases have to be settled by the JMC.

I am usually based in the guardhouse. One of our tasks is to monitor taxis to ensure incoming taxis provide the unit number confirmed by the resident before being let in.

If the fire alarm rings in any block, we have to go stop the ringing. We also rectify wire trips to restore electricity in common areas.

When residents hold parties, we guide their guests to show them where to park and guards are assigned to take them from the carpark to the barbeque area. i-Care : Security is like the nerve centre of the condo. Even booking of our tennis court is handled at the guardhouse! How big is the Security team and how do you keep them on their toes?

Nathan : I have 2 supervisors under me – Guru (night shift) and Manosh (day shift). We oversee 11 guards in the day shift and 9 guards in the night shift. Residents have asked us why we keep changing guards. Actually, we rotate the guards between the different blocks to familiarize them with the whole condo and to ensure that they do not become too friendly with the maids. If any guard is slow, lazy or always make mistakes, we get the Security firm to replace him.

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i-Care : You have to deal with all kinds of people (residents, owners, outsiders) every day. It can get difficult, right? What are some of the tough situations you have faced?

Nathan : One resident didn’t call the guard-house to say a taxi was coming nor did he tell the taxi to give his exact unit number at the guardhouse. The taxi was then told to park outside until the unit number could be verified. The resident became very angry and verbally abused me, using foul language.

In another case, an angry resident slammed the door in my face as I walked behind him. He was not happy about renovation noise during approved hours.

There was also a case of a lady driver who refused to go the correct way to exit the Block E carpark and insisted on waiting at the entry point for the incoming car to pass by. The incoming car refused to let her out. When I tried to tell the lady driver to follow the correct exit, she became abusive, saying she paid so much money to stay here, so she was entitled to do what she wanted.

Residents are generally good people, but some can be very difficult. I get heartsick when we are scolded. Some come back and apologise.

i-Care : With all this, do you still like working at 1BU?

Nathan : Yes, I’m happy to work here and I love my job. I treat 1BU like my family home, making sure that residents are safe from robberies and accidents in the carpark. I like to see the place clean and well-maintained.

When people show their appreciation, it makes the job worthwhile. I’m very proud when people approach me and say we have done a good job.

There was one time when a foreigner tried to take pictures of our guardhouse and condo from the outside. I stopped him. He commented it is good that our security is tight.

When I’m cycling to/from work, residents sometimes honk and wave at me, even if they have moved out from 1BU. i-Care : What do you wish to see improve at 1BU?

Nathan : Residents should be more civic-minded – don’t throw cigarettes, tins, egg shells, pistachio shells, dirty/clean water, etc. over the balcony or in the common areas. Everyone should keep the place clean.

Please don’t get angry and abuse the guards if they tell you not to break any house rule. They are only doing their job. i-Care : Yes, indeed. Everyone plays a role in helping to make our stay in 1BU clean, safe and pleasant. House rules must be followed. Paying more to stay here does not entitle us to break house rules. We should keep our tenants and visitors informed of rules that may apply to them. If a guard tells anyone breaking the rules, the offender should remain calm and not repeat the infringement the next time around.

We should show our appreciation whenever possible. It helps to brighten up the day and motivate our guards, cleaners and office staff.

Thank you, Nathan for telling us about yourself and your job. You are indeed an inspiration; you are able to pick yourself up when times are bad and move on. From poor and humble beginnings, you have worked your way up to be a Supervisor. We wish you continued success in your career and life.

Residents Feedback Residents are strongly encouraged to provide feedback on all articles or send us relevant news,

especially on what you wish to read/share in the “i-Care” Community Newsletter in order to help achieve its objectives in building and fostering a stronger community spirit.

Remember: Only we can make it happen collectively as a community !! Please provide feedback to : 1. Via email address: bkt.utama.news@gmail.com OR

2. Letter box drop at 1BU Management Office, addressed to the editor of “i-Care” Newsletter.

GGGGoooonnnngggg XXXXiiii FFFFaaaa CCCCaaaaiiii

Here’s wishing all who are celebrating Chinese New Year a happy, healthy and prosperous Year of the Snake!