MBPJ Notis Jiran (Neighbours Notice)

Its the 25th of June, Monday. The MBPJ officers today  mentioned they will have to distributed to the neighours around our property. This was done on the 26th of June.

This includes my linked neighbour, in front, to the side, and rear of my notice for Kebenaran Merancang.

This is what the MBPJ Notis Jiran for Kebenaran Merancang looks like :

Notis Jiran MBPJ Kebenaran Merancang. This is also called Notis Pemakluman Mendapatkan Pandangan Kepada Pemunya Tanah Berjiran. Try looking that up on Google Search or Google Images. You will find it here.

The notice shown here is Notice Number 8 if you look closely. In one of my earlier postings, I had mentioned that neighbours within a 20 meter radius from my compound had received this notice. This is true as you can see. 8 people have received them. This notice shown is for one the neighbour behind my compound.

This would be the first proper image of what a Notis Jiran looks like from MBPJ available online. See, I am a nice guy. Try looking this up on google images or even Lowyatt and you wont find any images but mine now. This includes keywords such as :-

1. Kebenaran Merancang Notis Jiran MBPJ

2. MBPJ Notis Jiran Kebenaran Merancang

3. Notis Jiran Kebenaran Merancang MBPJ

What you do get though are the checklists of douments needed for Kebenaran Merancang for OSC. See ? Who else is going to help us blind folks to know the process from Start to Finish ? Lowyatt ?

With MBPJ's Notis Pemakluman Mendapatkan Pandangan Kepada Pemunya Tanah Berjiran you could try translating that to English and it will lead you nowhere online. This is why it is just called Notis Jiran or Neighbours Notice.


Now all you lowyatt idiots can go and use this example and talk about it as though it was your own experience that allowed you to open your gates of knowledge and wisdom to the other blind and lost lowyatt folks. Go claim your God status now.

You cant even find simple information such as Notis Jiran Kebenaran Merancang MBPJ online. Not even on Google Images. But "Someone" at least is blogging about it for you privileged folks. Highlighted in Orange are images that link to you guessed it, here 

What will happen now ? 3 things

1. My Pre Submission of plans to OSC Online will go in. Then comes Surat Online for MBPJ's OSC. Its just a letter saying that you are approved to now go online. This Surat Online will allow me to have an account with a password and ID. So that my project will allow me to view the progress of the Kebenaran Merancang as it progresses right up to its final approval. This will be a soft copy of our plans. This is for applying for MBPJ's One Stop Centre Online application. 

2. Neighbours will have 1 week to protest in writing till the 2nd of July (Next Monday)

3. Lowyatt people will post online how smart and great they are advising other lowyatt people of MBPJ's Notis Jiran.



By the way, the submission or our plans to OSC Online have already been submitted, its just pending to see if there is any feedback from neighbours. Note that you dont have to worry about your neighbours.

Because as mentioned before, the only thing that MBPJ will listen to the neighbours about is if there are any structural concerns. Or if there is a Cheras Lowyatt style 3.5 storey building called Menara Lowyatt Cheras.

So from 26th June to 2nd July midnight, that makes it a total of 7 days.Come next week on the 2nd of June, I hope there will be another update, failing which the following week we hopefully will have our Surat Online which will then allow us to move further up the chain.

On a different note, the Councillors for the One Stop Centre meetings so far take place usually every 14 days or so. For the month of June it was June 11th and June 28th. The MBPJ OSC Meeting is still a distance away, but looking at it, its twice a month for sure.

This is all for now. I will be posting again very soon.

Signboard Goes Up

TADAAAAAAAAA!

13th June, What A Day



On Wednesday, the 13th of June, I received a call from MBPJ saying that my signboard will be put up first for the Cadangan Pembangunan.

I didn't expect that to go up till after Raya. The MBPJ Officer says that the sign will be installed first and later it will be needed to be filled in with some details such as my reference number (Thats No. Rujukan for you Lowyatt folks) and Protest End Date (Tarikh Akhir Bantahan Bertulis). I was going to have to wait till after Raya for this information to be filled in with a permanent marker which I will gladly do.

Now my plans have been approved, and on the 13th of June, I had gone in the evening at about 7pm  to view where I thought would be the best place to put the board. I had done this in excitement, of course.

Guess what happens ?

I met my neighbour who had just come back from a round of golf. We had a small chat about the elections etc. and I then told him about my whole rotate the roof comply story. I also told him about my board that was coming up tomorrow. Guess what he tells me after describing my whole roof that had to be rotated ?


Neighbour : " I too will be submitting my plans in a months time and I too would like to build my roof the same way you had originally intended"


Wow, just fucking WOW ! Dude ? DUDE !

I was pissed. But I was happy. I was shocked and surprised at the same time. Ever been in this kind of a situation where things suddenly turn interesting and you dont know how to take things from there ? Not lowyatt folks I guess.

Still want this roof design

What do we do from here ? I asked our YB of course. I also asked 2 Councillors advise. Lets see what happens.

Can I get my plans approved again for a roof that was an A frame as originally intended ? My neighbour too is going to rebuild. What now ? How does this work ? See the many spins and twists in this life I have ? Lowyatt folks are cool as cucumber because anything they submit can get approved within 48 hours by Mr. Eric and Eng Hoe, but nooooooo, not me. I have other challenges.

My neighbour thinks its silly that MBPJ wouldnt allow it to happen according to my original roof design. My Architect too. So do I. Except Lowyatt folks.

So based on the sea of emotions that I had described above, that night, I returned home to some Gin and boyyyyy oh boy did my mind head in different directions. I was wondering how do I get that A Frame roof again.

No you hipsters, its wasnt Hendricks, it was Gordons that I had. Gordons was there to help with the sea of emotions. Gordons, my friend, you and I have had a few journeys together. And thats why Hendricks the Lowyatt Hipster will never be someone the both of us will ever hang with

At the moment, Im going to simply let the neighbour go ahead first with his plans and see how far things go. I had even approached my Yang Berhormat (YB) I elected in regards to this. I explained to her that even my neighbour wishes to have the same roof design. She is going to follow this up by asking council members on the OSC board about this.

Its better not to ask MBPJ at this moment. Simply because lets not screw things in the name of progress first. After all my original plans are with MBPJ should my wish be re-granted.

I really want that A frame look for the roof. At the moment, Im just going to let the approvals go ahead first. Let them move on. I hope that my stint of bad luck has simply passed. Perhaps both me and my neighbour will require each others consent. How things work in life are sometimes really strange.

You see folks, I tend to write a lot, but its not bullshit. Its concrete circumstances that I find myself unique to that I HAVE to share my circumstances, challenges and changing situations such as above that allow you, not to go through them instead. Im not sure if you are me, but Im pretty sure I CANT discuss my circumstances with many people in the room. Except lowyatt people who know everything, because its programmed since birth that all such wisdom and knowledge comes automatically.


Thats why whenever friends and relatives ask

"So whats going on with your house ? Hows it coming along ?"

Followed by a lay down of my situation, they can never understand the scope of whats happening and why its taken so long. Followed by a blank, confused, and repetitive amount of "Oh ? ..... Oh ? ....... Oh ?......."

Listening to someone describing the fusion of atoms or quantum physics will definitely be more entertaining on a Sunday afternoon accompanied by about 8 beers. So when you ask me that question, I dont know what to tell you that will intrigue your interest, focus and attention further. 10/10, the conversation changes faster than a cheetah's ass on fire.


Right, Moving on !



14th June

The very next day on the 14th of June, the Cadangan Pembangunan sign was erected. This was a pleasant sight. After all, unlike Lowyatt folks who get their God Status approvals in 2 days with Mr. Eric or Eng Hoe, my journey has taken me the best of half a year. So it was a sight to sink in for a few seconds.

The sign was put up in the morning at 11am by some Lowyatt contractors. Its made from Canvas and brutally hammered together with wood and nails. Nice. The contractors and MBPJ staff on the 14th of June - Thursday, were probably looking at clearing their desks a little more for the week long break.

Can you believe this, 1 week of a holiday. Thats another 7 days added since the date of my date of submissions. This now has consumed almost a month off from my 2 re-submissions / amendments mentioned in my previous post. What a year of holidays.

Here now is what it looks like

It finally had sinked in. Finally, its up. Proud and tall. A structure that even the Middle of the 16th century couldnt put better together.

When the sign was being put up, I had 2 distractions   :-


1. The guards had come to ask "how are things going" with me and 30 seconds later

2. Damn front neighbour who had parked his car in front of my home apologised many times but told him "Its Ok La" and that became a slight chat that took a century to end.


Before I knew it, the lowyatt contractors had installed the signboard outside my compound and even fucked off. Sheesh, Thats why I couldnt let it sink in triumphantly.

Whats up with these old folks and their distractions whenever something happens to my property ? First the neighbour who came during the soil investigation and now the signboard ? Leave a man be with the Home.

Now you must know that my  my No. Rujukan and Tarikh Akhir Bantahan Bertulis is still not filled in, but was told that on the 21st of June, Coincidentally the start of the Summer Solstice, what to fill in those blanks.

You may come across when you are driving around with your 21 Ringgit Chai Latte in PJ, many houses with such signs will not have yet these pieces of information filled in. No big deal, you will be notified by people like Mr. Eng Hoe and Mr. Eric 3 weeks later. For me, it was just going to be on the 21st of June, 1 week after Raya.


21st of June

On the 21st of June, I received my details, and filled in the blanks with a marker. Here is what my signboard now looks like :

Now the signboard is complete

Usually the signboard goes up in conjuction with the Notis Jiran. But in any case, no laws broken. I will just have to hand write with a permanent marker what it is for the No. Rujukan and Tarikh Akhir Bantahan Bertulis. This is followed by the Notis Jiran that will take place on the 25th of June.

This gives a period of 1 week between the 25th of June - 2nd of July for neighbours to write in should there be any protests. Note the image that says Tarikh Akhir Bantahan Bertulis.

The MBPJ officer in charge of SS3 Petaling Jaya had notified me as well that come Monday - 25th June, the neighbours will be receiving their Notis Jiran / Neighbours Notices as well from MBPJ. The notice documents have already been printed as it turns out but the MBPJ staff have still not returned from the Raya break. Have even requested for a sample of our notice to be Whatsapp-ed for you Lowyatt goons. See how nice I am  ? Documenting thoroughly for all you goons.

Thats the story of the signboard being put up. Now we wait for Notis Jiran to take place. I might even do a quick post next week for you goons for what the Notis Jiran looks like. Im sure you will find thousands on lowyatt.

Once the date as mentioned above for Tarikh Tamat Bantahan Bertulis is done, we move on to the next stage, - OSC Pre Submissions.

Advise for Quicker, Correct Plans, Approvals

Im writing this before my next big post. Its a piece advise that has come too late, but nevertheless helpful.

If have your plans drafted with your architect and submit things to your MBPJ Perancang officer only to hear slow feedback between the holidays.

Now stay with me, because here it comes.


ADVISE 1 - KNOW YOUR YB (ADUN)

Every area in PJ be it Bukit Gasing, SS3, Section 14 or anywhere will have a YB or someone related to the YB who will be sitting in these meetings at the One Stop Centre to approve your plans. They are the people who will approve or likewise your documents.


ADVISE 2 - CONTACT & MEET YOUR YB

With your architects plans, engage with your local Yang Berhormat or Councillor who is in charge of your area. In MBPJ's case, some of your elected YB's will also be in charge of reviewing the documents during the OSC (One Stop Centre) meeting. The YB of Bukit Gasing Mr. Rajiv, sits on the OSC Board meetings as well. Yup, that guy who comes on BFM sometimes.

What do you do ? Well, you give your YB a call, and say you would like a 10 - 15 minute meeting to pinch their brains on your plans. They will gladly do this. I for one, have had no delays in asking for a meeting. In addition, you will email your plans to them so that your YB even if not on the OSC board at MBPJ, will pass it on to a Councillor on the OSC board (One Stop Centre Board of MBPJ) to review your plans before submission.

Wait, What ?

Yes.

Councillor(s) who sit on the OSC board iteself. 


How about that ?

And if you dont know your OSC / Adun here is a list with some telephone numbers

http://www.mbpj.gov.my/sites/default/files/fa_senarai_ahli_majlis_pembantu_ahli_majlis_mbpj_2016_-_2017.pdf

Remember when you were doing revisions in class and you had to go up to the teacher and ask if your work was alright before submitting in your books ? So that you would get a 10/10 and get your chai latte and avacado toast reward from your Mum ? Well this is EXACTLY just like it. Its a safety net sort of, before MBPJ submissions. Does away a lot with asking MBPJ for feedback.

Its actually no hidden secret. Its just that no one has mentioned it. Even on lowyatt. Because this is the old school way of doing things.

Nothing to feel shy at all about. You dont need to bow your head or kiss feet. It is after all YOU who elected your YB and they have a duty to carry out pertaining to your concerns. Be encouraged, go ask them.

So when it comes to submitting your plans to MBPJ after its been reviewed by a Coucillor, you may have little to worry about. Im not saying that its bullet proof, but at least someone has reviewed it with some credibility. After all, you can always ask your Councillor in return if MBPJ has any feedback to give. They could cross check it with MBPJ as well.

Councillor ah, my Cheras style 3.5 storey with wine cellar house can approve ah in PJ ? Got no garden, only building and car porch. What is Rainwater Harvesting Ah ?

ADVISE 3 - KEBENARAN MERANCANG REQUISITES 

For MBPJ's Kebenaran Merancang you could use this as a quideline / template to what the pre-requisites are one day when you are submitting your plans for Kebenaran Merancang.

http://pjcityplan.mbpj.gov.my/upload/031502_KM_BANGLO_OSC.PDF

As you can see, the websites are really unfriendly in regards to obtaining any information. I discovered this by fluke. It should be readily available at the point of a few clicks away. However, information is NOT shared that easily.  The link above shows for Kebenaran Merancang by MBPJ for a Home, what are the documents and approvals needed inclusive of your signboard.

Yes, Lowyatt folks already knew this 10,000 years ago, but not me.


ADVISE 4 - MBPJ ONE STOP CENTRE ONLINE & MEETING

When it comes to the stage of OSC Online and the OSC Meeting, wont hurt to let your Councillor know anyway that "hey, just dropping a line to say my plans you reviewed are in, you should be viewing them again in your OSC Meeting. Cheers"


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Looking back on a post from July 28 2017, when we met our "architect friends" for 58K, when they said

"my father MAY know someone on the board who can help". Pfffffffffft.

I am happy to say, almost 1 year later - I know more than just someone your father MAY KNOW today. Should be asking you for 58K for my information.

Now go out there Lowyatt folks, and claim your God status.

Approval for Signboard

So what had happened ? Why so quiet one ? Lowyatt people now have no God like status to share their building experience online ? Hor ?

Well its been almost 6 months now with a lot of shit thats come to pass.

1. Christmas had passed (1 day)
2. New Years Day (1day)
3. Thaipusam (1 day)
4. Chinese New Year (2 days)
5. May 1st Labour Day (1 day)
6. The General Elections. This took up a almost 1 week because the Election Commission only has 775 staff under them. Guess where the other staff come from ? Yes, your local town council. (7 days)
7. 2 days holiday post General Elections (2days)
8. Wesak Day (1 day)
9...and now its just 3 days shy of Raya. Raya will be 2 days of holidays. Thats almost fucking 2 weeks wiped off the calender. (2 days)
10.  Raya Break of an additional 7 days for MBPJ staff (7 days)
11. In addition, we had to amend our plans, THREE TIMES. And that too added about another month to the plans. 



GRAND TOTAL NO. OF DAYS DUE TO HOLIDAYS SINCE SUBMISSION :

25 days excluding weekends




What a fucking year. And you think you live in good times.

So in total, its fair to say that its been 2 months gone off the calender, with 3 months of submitting things twice, with 3 amendedments to the list.

But we received fantastic news TODAY that we finally were approved to put up our signboard. But its going to be after Raya. Thats why Im writing this post TODAY. Even the wifey is Happy.

The paper work is done, fine, and approved for the bureaucratic rubbish soon to take place at the MBPJ's OSC (One Stop Centre). Things are now set in stone and the approval has been given by the boss in charge to go ahead.


So what had to be amended ?

AMENDMENT 1

Turns out that the first feedback received on the 14th of March to our town planner was as below :-

First Feedback. Shit thats a bit.

Keep in mind, there are 4 parties here to deal with back and forward

1. Me
2. MBPJ
3. Architect / Draftsman
4. Town Planner (which doesnt make fucking sense because I am not building a township)

Welcome to my world

AMENDMENT 2

The amendments were resubmitted only to be rejected again. Why ? Because as it turns out, IF you are a semi detached home linked at the side, you will have to comply with your neighbors roof. Received this news on the 22nd of May. Fucking Catch 22's.

I mean WTF ? Im going to have a Double storey building, why should the roof matter since I dont have roof on the ground floor with my neighbor ? My 1st floor will never be linked anyway !

Turns out that this was the letter received.

Fuck me

So as you can see folks, this was shitty news. I then looked at the houses on my street carefully and true and behold, all our neighbors on our side of the road had the same roof as what MBPJ had asked us to do. Funny thing, even our Architect said Im living in the twilight zone. A fucking crazy case that has no ending.

All our neighbors on the other side, had their roofs in an A frame facing the front.

Neighbour at the side has their roof facing forward

It took me about 4 days to meet with the MBPJ officer to come up with a simple solution that could have a win - win situation. I headed to the second floor of the MBPJ building where the "Perancang" division is. I finally meet the person in charge of SS3 in Petaling Jaya and before I could bring it up he says :



"I know what you are thinking. Use your car porch roof to match your neighbours side. But you would have to write an appeal letter, justifying your reason, and this could take a while without guarantees that it would get approved. The best thing you can do is comply with what is required. This will pull through guaranteed"




So what did we have to do ? I was fucking tired already.

You guessed it. Flip the roof. No longer will I have an A Frame roof from the front. It will be an A frame from the side. To "comply". Im still sore about being defeated not getting what I want. But then looking at all the houses and properties that I liked, they all had downward facing roof designs. That calmed me a little.

The moment I had left MBPJ that morning after being told to "comply" I took a drive around section 14 in PJ to view my favorite home of all time and some other homes. I realised that my favorite home has a forward pitched roof as well. Here are some other homes that I viewed as well that were alright with me.

My favorite

Nicely done in a Not Cheras Glamorous way

Always fancied this house too. And handsomely done. No hint of Cheras here.

To do this, This involved all parties - architect, mbpj, draftsman, 3d once again, all to go back to the board and fix this. And fix this quick we did. Within 2 weeks, we are now where we are. I was pissed, everyone sensed this. But it got done within a time frame that was deemed fair enough for me. Keep in mind these guys worked during Ramadhan for this. Given to someone like Mr. Eric or Eng Hoe and they would have taken their sweet time by keeping you in the dark, stupid and costly re submissions at their own mistakes.

AMENDMENT 3

On the 4th of June as the Drafstman submitted the plans back to MBPJ, and MBPJ throws us a final hiccup at the 11th hour.

The 3rd Amendment

MBPJ guideline says :

"The Maximum Roof Height from Ceiling Beam to Roof, is 9feet". 

We made ours 10feet to cater towards a 20 degree roof angle. Clarifying with MBPJ about the roof pitch if it was at 9feet we would have a roof pitch of only about 18 degrees, MBPJ says


"Doesnt Matter". 

"Huh ?" I believe was my response

You mean theres no concern for rain water coming through the roof tiles if the wind and rain blows at a steep angle ? Ok.

This is why it was silly with MBPJ. You can have shingles, or a corrugated roof etc for low angles but MBPJ doesnt care about the degree ? Ok, whatever.

Took 2 days to redraw the roof height but wasnt a super big issue. So thats 3 amendment later.

However in all fairness, the original images that we submitted of our neighbor didnt show the type of roof they had clearly. FUCK ME.  On one hand if they were not so attentive, I could have got what I wanted. You would think that MBPJ would have seen this so obviously from the start. but on the second review this is where the curve ball had taken place at the 11th hour.

Couldnt tell the type of roof neighbour had, neither did we know for a semi detached, you have to follow the same roof design. Even when the building on the first floor is not linked. Mr. Eric would have said it can be approved.



Clean white and bright. Well, here's the new roof approved. A stone wall on the facade of the first floor would add back some 70s charm. Nice grey stones interlocked in various shapes and sizes. Yes, I amended the image a little. Took away some of that Cheras look in the 3d rendering

I hope that this long streak of bad luck, and fucking holidays will now have no affect to my plans, timeline and moving forward. Its finally on the brink of moving forward. Nothing is in My own hands, architects, draftsman etc. Its now just MBPJ from here on out.

If you are like me, the happiest thing for me in this entire submission, is actually looking forward to that piece of signboard being put up. That itself would be a physical testament to getting things approved. Fucking triumph of looking back at weekly calls, submissions, architect amendments, soil testing, survey, bla bla bla and all else that has come to past.

I even cut the grass recently in anticipation of the home looking good when the signboard goes up.

Man I want one of these

All in all, Im still glad that we didnt get a third party architect who didnt know what they would be doing, continuously charging you for their own mistakes for submission. I have access myself to MBPJ who are advising me, but fuck me it took a while.

In conclusion, if you have a semi detached house that you are rebuilding, note the following :

1. Ceiling Beam to Roof Top maximum is 9feet.

2. You will have to follow your neighbours roof design if your semi detached is linked to the side. If it is linked at the back, you dont have to worry.

3. Beware of the fucking holidays

4. Pictures of your neighbours roof need to be clear

I will look forward to coming back here, posting my next blog when FINALLY after 6 months, the neighbours would have finally gotten their letter from MBPJ stating we have plans to demolish and rebuild, together with an image of our signboard.

For the meantime, wishing all and you hardworking lowyatt folks,

Less Ede Mubarak, more Selamat Hari Raya
Less Ramadhan Kareem, more Selamat Berpuasa
Less Iftar, more Buka Puasa

After all, we are Malaysians, not Arabs

Selamat Hari Raya and stay tuned.