Numbers don’t add up
Some residents of Bandar Baru Sentul say exorbitant water bills inaccurate
RESIDENTS of Merpati block, Bandar Baru Sentul flats finally received overdue water bills from Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) but some suspect inaccuracies in the outstanding amount.
Its residents’ association chairman Abdul Razak Hussain distributed the bills to head of blocks at a meeting held at the community hall on Jan 5, urging them to pay up.
He said DBKL mobile payment counter that would be stationed there today from 10am.
Many residents have not been receiving their bills on time in 2011. The latest bills issued on Jan 4 showed the amount owed until Nov 30.
About 1,040 households, which use the bulk meter system, fear that the water supply would be stopped again today due to debts to Syabas totalling RM112,000.
On Dec 30, water supply was disconnected in the morning and reconnected later in the evening after DBKL made partial payment.
DBKL socio-economic development deputy director-general Datuk Mohd Amin Nordin Abdul Aziz said in a statement that they could not make full payment because about 88% of households had failed to pay their water bills in the past.
A resident, Remlah Abdul Razak was shocked to see her outstanding amount of RM1,191.95.
“A printout by DBKL states that my outstanding amount as of May 2011 was RM1,215.95 and my last payment was RM1,231.95 made in September, which means I have paid an excess of RM16.
“I can assume that the new billed amount is from June till November. If that is the case, my water usage is about RM200 per month which is ridiculous.
“Some of my neighbours who made calls to DBKL to check their outstanding amount were unable to do so because the system was down,” she said.
Another resident Judeson Fernandez said he had not been paying the water bills for the last six months because no bills were issued but his latest bill stated that he had a credit of RM16.
“Both the documents are from DBKL but the figures do not tally, giving the impression that there is some complication in their system with some being charged exorbitantly,” he said.
DBKL media officer Zurida Hashim asked the residents to raise the queries at the mobile payments counters that would be set up today.
A billing officer will be present to explain the situation to the residents.
“In case of any water disruptions, DBKL will provide temporary water tanks until this issue is solved,” Zurida said.