Malaysian government cracks down on tiny ‘bird’s nest’ rooms for rent
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Mr Nga Kor Ming, Malaysia’s Local Government Development Minister, pointing out the tiny rental rooms resembling “bird’s nests”.
PHOTO: FACEBOOK/KPKTMALAYSIA
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KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s Local Government Development Ministry has warned that it will continue the crackdown on commercial premises that have been converted into tiny rental rooms resembling “bird’s nests”, state news agency Bernama reported.
Local Government Development Minister Nga Kor Ming said on Thursday that owners of such premises must comply with the guidelines and specifications set by the Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia and local authorities to avoid fire hazards.
“Failure to comply will lead to an investigation for prosecution purposes,” Mr Nga said after attending a fire hazard prevention operation in Taman Maluri suburb, Cheras district.
The state of shoebox rooms being rented out at a shop lot in Taman Maluri was shocking, even for seasoned enforcement officers at the scene, The Star reported.
The four-storey building, with a shop on the ground floor, had three upper levels partitioned into 78 shoebox rooms.
The first floor alone contained 38 of these shoebox rooms. There were 23 rooms on the second floor and 17 on the third floor.
On the first floor, the rooms were partitioned into lower and upper levels, with ladders fitted to allow tenants to climb into their rooms above.
The rooms were so narrow that one could only crawl into them.
They lacked windows, and each room had just a small hole in the wall for ventilation.
Each was sparsely furnished, with a mattress, a pillow, a light bulb and a power point.
There was also a padlock on the door of each room.
Tenants on each floor had to share a single toilet and bathroom, both of which were poorly maintained, and there was a strong and unpleasant odour throughout the premises.
While each tenant paid about RM300 (S$86) a month for a shoebox room, there were bigger rooms on the second and third floors that were better furnished and most likely fetched higher rents.
“These are not rooms, but more like cages or coffins,” said Mr Nga.
The minister, who led a team of officers from his ministry together with officials from the Fire and Rescue Department and Kuala Lumpur City Hall to the building, described the living conditions of the premises as “worse than a refugee camp”.
He believed there were 40 to 50 tenants occupying the 38 rooms on the first floor.
The raid was carried out after the premises’ owner failed to comply with a notice issued by the authorities a few days ago.
“We have given them the final ultimatum, but they have shown no regard. That is why we are taking action now,” Mr Nga added. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
