One City property owners bemoan case of ‘mistaken identity’ in temple riot issue

SUBANG JAYA: Property owners at the One City complex in USJ incurred “significant losses” after the main glass structure of the mixed development building was damaged by rioters on Tuesday.

The property owners of the complex, which include Skypark, The Square and The Place, have lodged several reports over the incident, which they believe was due to a case of mistaken identity.

One City’s properties, including the office tower damaged in the incident, are owned by 939 individual owners and managed by three Joint Management Bodies (JMB).

One City, the JMBs clarified, has nothing to do with One City Development Sdn Bhd, the developer at the centre of the tug-ofwar involving the land on which the Sri Maha Mariamman temple in USJ 25, Putra Heights, sits.

Choong Li Loh, who is the chairman of the Skypark JMB and acting as the representative of the two other JMBs, touched on the damage incurred on Tuesday, when rioters smashed the main glass structure of one of its buildings.

He said the damage was “significant” and that they were determining the losses involved.

“We are getting it (the losses) evaluated. This not only involves financial cost, but also business loss and brand image,” he told a press conference yesterday.

He said the JMBs expected to finalise the total damage by next week.

“Unfortunately, we, as owners, have to bear the damage. Without any subsidiaries or funds, we have to resolve this ourselves. We are the victims,” he said.

Choong clarified that One City is not owned by MCT Bhd or its subsidiary, One City Development Sdn Bhd.

“All properties, including the tower next to this hotel and all units at One City, are owned by individual owners and are managed by these three JMBs as per the Strata Titles Act 2013.

“We have no ties and relationship with them (One City Development and MCT Bhd) at all. We don’t want this incident (damage) to happen again, especially on our properties,” he said.

He said the office tower at One City was rented by other tenants, including several multinational companies.

He said One City’s operations and that of its other tenants are running as usual. He said law enforcement authorities, including the police and Fire and Rescue Department, were patrolling the premises to ensure everyone’s safety.

“We hope this can be resolved as soon as possible. We are seeking help from government bodies to resolve this dispute,” he said.

On whether the JMBs would take legal action against those responsible, Choong said the property owners would consult their legal advisers on their next move.

“We have yet to take legal action. We want to resolve this peacefully. We are not against any party. We want tenants to be able to conduct their businesses so that we owners can collect our revenue,” he said.

He said the JMBs and One City Development Sdn Bhd had not been in contact with one another over the issue.

Asked why the MCT Bhd logo was emblazoned on top of the One City building if it had no association with the latter, Choong said it did not mean that MCT owned the property.

“It’s just a branding name. They are merely renting several spaces in the building,” he said, reiterating that the building belonged to numerous parties.