SUBANG JAYA: Property owners at the OneCity complex in USJ incurred “significant losses” after the main glass structure of the mixed development building was badly damaged by rioters on Tuesday morning.
The property owners of the complex, which include Skypark, The Square and The Place, have lodged several police reports over the incident, which they believe was due to a case of mistaken identity.
OneCity’s properties, including the office tower which was damaged in the incident, are owned by 939 individual owners and managed by three Joint Management Bodies (JMB).
OneCity, the JMBs clarified, has nothing to do with One City Development Sdn Bhd, the developer at the centre of the tug of war involving land on which the Sri Maha Mariamman temple in USJ25, Putra Heights is situated.
Choong Li Loh, who is the chairman of the Skypark JMB cum representative of the two other JMBs, touched on the damage incurred on Nov 27, when a group of rioters smashed the main glass structure of one of its buildings.
He said the damage was “significant” and that they are still in the process of ascertaining the losses involved.
"We are still getting it (losses) evaluated. This not only involves financial cost but also the cost of business loss and brand image as a result of this incident," he told a press conference on Thursday.
He said the JMBs expect to finalise the total cost of damages by next week.
"Unfortunately, we as the owners have to bear the damages. Without having any subsidiaries or funds, we have to resolve this ourselves. We are the victim," he added.
Choong also clarified that OneCity is not owned by MCT Bhd or its subsidiary, One City Development Sdn Bhd. He said the land where the temple is situated belongs to One City Development Sdn Bhd.
"All properties including the tower next to this hotel and all units at OneCity are owned by individual owners and are managed by these three JMDs 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 ever happen again, especially on our properties," he said.
He also noted out that the office tower at OneCity is also rented by other tenants including several multinational companies.
He said OneCity'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 are patrolling the premises to ensure everyone’s safety.
"We hope this tension can be resolved as soon as possible. We are seeking help from all government bodies to resolve this dispute," he said.
Asked on whether the JMBs will take legal action against those responsible, Choong said the property owners would consult their legal advisors 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 business so that we as the owners can collect our revenue," he said.
He said the JMBs and One City Development Sdn Bhd have not been in contact with one another over the issue.
"Damages were incurred and everyone was affected. We are the victim and have nothing to do with the temple.
"We are seeking help from the government agencies as we suffered a lot," he said.
Asked on why the MCT Bhd logo was emblazoned on top of the OneCity 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.