Management cannot stop foreigners from staying, says buyers association

PETALING JAYA (Dec 3): The decision by the Alam Prima management in Shah Alam, Selangor, to state that foreigners are not welcome to stay at its units is irregular and morally wrong, according to the National House Buyers Association (HBA).

HBA honorary secretary-general Chang Kim Loong told The Malaysian Insider that the issue of prohibiting “foreigners” was unacceptable.

“There are plenty of foreign-owned condominiums and resorts in Langkawi. They could retaliate by banning locals. There should not be any profiling,” he said.

Chang said that there was no law from prohibiting foreigners from renting or staying at condominiums or other properties.

“If any by-laws were passed at the condominium’s annual general meeting (AGM) then they must be consistent with the Strata Management Regulations 2015 and subservient to the local council’s laws,” he said.

Yesterday, The Malaysian Insider reported that the Alam Prima management had said that it was not against foreigners living in the units there, despite displaying a banner over its main entrance clearly stating that foreigners were not welcome.

Alam Prima joint-management body (JMB) committee member Norhayaty Ariffin said that foreigners were allowed to stay but only for a short period of time.

“Foreigners can stay here as a guest but not for more than three months,” she said about banner over the lobby of the condominium, which stated: “‘Foreigner’, you are not welcome to stay here…!”

Norhayaty said that the banner would stay where it was and, if anyone had enquiries, they could contact the management office.

“The banner was put up by the JMB together with the community here in 2012 when the tenants took vacant possession of their units,” she had said, adding that the no-foreigner policy was implemented to avoid foreigners being culturally insensitive towards the building’s 98% Malay-bumiputera community.

Chang said that commissioner of buildings (COB), also the mayor of Shah Alam, could take action against the JMB.

“The COB could haul up the JMB. The COB could also seek legal recourse at the Strata Management Tribunal to invalidate any ‘resolutions’ passed prohibiting the foreigners from staying at the units,” he said.

Chang also said that turning units into hostels was also prohibited.

“No property, whether landed or stratified, can be converted to a hostel without prior approval from local council,” he said. -- The Malaysian Insider