Property Hunter Magazine Property Hunter Magazine Issue 51 - February 2014 | Page 39

Using of Housing Road by Developers Electricty Hike Burden KK Malls to Cut Power Usage mall might feel cooler or warmer due to the weather outside. Nonetheless, the management would make adjustments to the temperature depending on the weather, whilst still ensuring the comfort of shoppers, Tan said, adding that keeping the temperature at 23 to 24 degrees Celsius should be fine. Moyog Assemblyman Terrence Siambun wants the Penampang District Council to enforce an order which forbids two housing developers’ heavy machinery from using the access road to Taman Kasigui 3. He said there was an official letter issued by the Council in August 2013 after many complaints by Taman Kasigui Phase 3 residents, instructing the two housing developers (from a condominium and semi-detached housing project) to stop using their residential access road. “But it seems that the Council’s directive has been ignored as the developers have continued to use the road until now,” he said adding that the two developers have been using the residential access road and a nearby village road to get to their construction sites day and night, including on weekends, for almost a year now. When asked whether the Council was aware of the situation, Siambun said they were informed but he was not sure if they have actually sent representatives to see the situation for themselves. “So it seems there is a lack of enforcement action on their part. They should take action as soon as possible. The developers have never taken into account the inconvenience caused and danger posed to the residents of Taman Kasigui 3,” he said. He also mentioned that the cooperation from the Village Security and Development Committee for the area on the matter also seemed to be nonconsistent. Siambun said cracks have now started to form on the residential road surface, which is under the jurisdiction of the District Council, and the road was covered in mud and dust left behind by the heavy construction vehicles. “Some of the residents’ houses are also affected as there are some cracks occurring on walls and ceilings inside their homes,” he said. Likas Assemblyman Junz Wong agreed that there is a need for the District Council to enforce the directive. “There have been cases where we received complaints against developers using housing roads,” he said. Citing a case in Jalan Bundusan, he said the residents refused to let a developer use their road. Centre Point Sabah on the distance right Major shopping malls in the city will follow their counterparts in the peninsula to cut down on their electricity usage by raising the air-conditioning temperature. Centre Point Sabah (CPS) commercial management manager Linda Wong said the mall would raise the temperature of airconditioning to 23 degrees Celsius. Previously, the temperature of the mall was maintained at around 20 degrees Celsius. set their air-conditioning at 23 or 24 degrees Celsius to offset electricity tariff hike. Air conditioning, according to the association, takes up the largest share of energy – about 65 per cent – in commercial buildings. Its president, H.C. Chan, said most malls in Malaysia are now too cold, with temperatures ranging from 21 to 23 degrees Celsius. Wong said CPS paid between RM500,000 and RM600,000 in electricity bill each month, and air-conditioning made up around 70 per cent of the mall’s electricity bill. Suria Sabah leasing manager Tan King Way said the management would also make adjustments to reduce electricity usage in view of the hike in electricity tariff. “We are the mall paying the highest electricity bill in Kota Kinabalu because we have many shops and offices.” He said air-conditioning, escalators and lights made up the bulk of the mall’s expenditure. Besides readjusting the temperature of airconditioning, CPS has also changed all lighting to light emitting diodes (LED) to save energy upon completing its renovation last year. The Malaysian Association for Shopping and Highrise Complex Management is advising its 400-odd members nationwide to As electricity is costing more now, the expenditures will sum up to a larger amount, he said. The mall is also reportedly paying over RM500,000 in electricity bill monthly. Meanwhile, 1Borneo Hypermall director Raymond Fang said the management maintained the hypermall at 25 degrees Celsius all the while, which was well above the temperature advised by The Malaysian Association for Shopping and Highrise Complex Management. “We have no problem complying with that (23 or 24 degrees Celsius advised by The Malaysian Association for Shopping and Highrise Complex Management). “The lowest (temperature) we can go is 24 degrees Celsius,” he said when contacted yesterday. In addition, Fang said the hypermall had moved into LED lighting as well as using timers at remote locations. “We are targeting to reduce (electricity usage) by 15 to 20 per cent in the next calendar year.” He added that the electricity tariff hike was a huge cost and burden to the mall. Tan said the current temperature at the mall is maintained at around 22 degrees Celsius, but shoppers entering the www.PropertyHunter.com.my 39