BMSPA 2021: Pet-friendly and thriving - Westside III @ Desa ParkCity

Below 10 Years Multiple-owned Strata Residential (Gold)

Westside III @ Desa ParkCity

A pet-friendly condominium is an exception rather than the norm in Malaysia because, understandably, its consequential complications require much prudent and tactful control. Notwithstanding that, Desa ParkCity has taken it in its stride and proved that nothing is too difficult to handle if you have a diligent and professional team in your management.

Developed by the ParkCity Group, the township in Kuala Lumpur already hosts a highly popular Central Park that welcomes pets.

In Westside III, one of the township’s latest additions, which was completed in Dec 2018, it is a common sight to see residents with their pets going about their daily lives in the condominium.

The 47-storey tower with 469 units also offers premium lifestyle facilities which include 12 sky gardens and walking track, water amusement park, adventure playground, tennis court, gym and a few differently-themed swimming pools.

Although the pet-friendly policy and array of facilities offer an enviable lifestyle in a high-rise strata development, a harmonious community living would not have been achieved if not for the dedication and hard work of the Westside III Joint Management Body (JMB) and professional property manager Henry Butcher Malaysia (Mont Kiara) Sdn Bhd (HBMK).

Thanks to the strong collaboration between the JMB and HBMK, Westside III won Gold in the Below 10 Years – Multiple-owned Strata Residential Category of EdgeProp Malaysia’s Best Managed & Sustainable Property Awards 2021. 

JMB chairman Yeo Kian Ing believes choosing the right property manager that is able to meet the JMB’s expectations is crucial when it comes to managing a high-end property like Westside III. However, that does not mean every task is left to the appointed property manager.

“We work very closely together. The committee members and the HBMK team share thoughts and ideas in dealing with issues. For instance, I will first find out what HBMK intends to do and if I think there are things that I can recommend, I will chip in,” Yeo says, revealing that his background in operations management has helped somewhat.

Westside III has multiple channels of communication and one of those channels is a Facebook group specifically catered for pet owners to communicate with each other and share information on the related dos and don’ts.

Yeo points out there are rules that apply to pet-owning residents to be mindful of their fellow residents, like their pets must be in strollers and carriers in common areas and passenger lifts.

Handling crisis  

This dynamic relationship between HBMK and the JMB committee has been tested time and again. For instance, in 2020, the residents not only had to cope with the challenges brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, but also endure frequent water cuts, of which one major disruption lasted almost a week, involving more than a thousand areas following contamination at Selangor’s water treatment plants.

In light of these water woes, the JMB and HBMK building manager Yenny Yap have come up with a water crisis management plan to ensure the Westside III community is well-prepared whenever it happens.

The plan entails gauging the water volume in the water tanks at Westside III. “After figuring out how long we can last without water, we would take the necessary steps to reduce water consumption such as by cutting off water supply to the common areas,” Yap explains.

The management has also installed a water breeching inlet after the bulk meter, which will be used, if needed, during water cuts.

To handle the Covid-19 pandemic, the management has also prepared comprehensive standard operating procedures (SOPs) in accordance with government regulations.

However, Yeo and Yap agree of all the challenges they face, the biggest is always the people.

“Everyone is different. Some will comply and some you will have to approach personally,” Yeo admits.

Laying a strong foundation

When it comes to sustainability in property management, Yeo shares that it is important to set a strong structure so that when the next JMB committee comes in, they are able to continue with a system which has been tried and tested and avoid ad hoc measures.

“Hence, whatever we are doing now, we will want to institutionalise it,” he says.

He adds that it is also beneficial to have continuity within the JMB committee. “The word sustainability may sound beautiful but if you do not have the right people (in the JMB) and the right organisation, things will crumble within a few years.

“If the JMB committee members were to change every time, imagine how confusing it would be if there was a frequent change of direction from the old to the new committee. So it is important to maintain the right members within the JMB,” Yeo opines.

Check out the microsite for Edgeprop’s Best Managed & Sustainable Property Awards 2021 here

This story first appeared in the EdgeProp.my E-weekly on April 9, 2021. You can access back issues here.

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