Global Distribution of Food Products

Question 2 The production, ingestion and distribution of nutrient merchandises globally has been an issue with great importance. Though adequate nutrient is produced worldwide to feed all the people in the universe, about 1 billion people suffer from chronic hungriness in the present universe. One major important factor for this issue is considered to be hapless nutrient distribution. It is chiefly considered that nutrient distribution is fundamentally organizing the connexion between nutrient manufacturers and providers with consumers ; but it is besides every bit of import to place the allotment of nutrient globally. Some of the challenges with nutrient distribution is to place how the nutrient should be distributed globally, who has the authorization to specify the distribution and what schemes and methods to be used for distribution. The traditional method of nutrient distribution is straight selling nutrient and nutrient merchandises straight to the consumers. However, due to assorted inef ficiencies, most frequently nutrient merchandises are transported to a cardinal location from where the nutrient is so distributed to assorted other small towns and metropoliss. As mentioned earlier, assorted factors affect the execution of a robust nutrient distribution system. The deficiency of or inability for the consumers to hold entree to markets or besides the inability of consumers to afford the cost of nutrient is considered as another major factor for improper nutrient distribution. The deficiency of markets, unequal manner of transit handiness and the inability to afford the cost of nutrient production and ingestion are other primary factors. In the current nutrient distribution system, the figure of markets and the ability to entree these markets are limited. About 16 % of the rural population of the states do non hold the convenience to entree markets, doing the husbandmans to sell their harvest. In fact merely 40 % of all the harvest is marketed and one tierce of husbandmans merely sell their harvest to the markets. Transportation has a immense impact in nutrient distribution system in developing states. Access to high quality route or railroad s are limited and this creates hold and inefficiency in transporting goods to the cardinal market. Some of the transit paths are expensive and requires changeless care. Certain parts in rural Africa, South Asia and South East Asia have ill constructed and maintained roads, which sometimes creates a barrier to entree certain rural small towns and towns, making hold in transit of goods to those parts. Besides the type of transit varies from part to part. Therefore it is really of import to come up with solutions by critically analyzing the geographics of the part, their handiness to resources and the understanding the local degree of the part. Another major drawback is that nutrient merchandises are spoilables and their ingestion clip is limited ; which leads to a batch of nutrient merchandises being wasted globally. A batch of waste besides occurs during post-harvest and during transit. Food merchandises are affected by bacteriums, Fungis and insects, rendering the nutrient uneatable and contaminated for usage doing about 25-50 % of nutrient merchandises being wasted. When a part of nutrient merchandises gets wasted, it creates deficit, which straight impacts the monetary values of the nutrient merchandise. Though monetary value addition affects the consumers, there is no alteration in the monetary value for the husbandmans when they sell their harvest. This instability affects the income of the manufacturers increasing the opportunities of poorness and hungriness rates. The effectual manner to cover with this job is to decently hive away and pull off the nutrient produced. Proper storage methods will increase the life of nutrient merchandises ingestion period. The economic instability, where the consumers have to pay higher cost for the nutrient and husbandmans non acquiring a rise in their income, makes it unaffordable for the people to purchase nutrient in the markets. Many a times, husbandmans are non even able to pay off their investings. We have mentioned the assorted grounds for hapless nutrient distribution system. Introducing an Industrial and Systems Engineering methods and position can assist clearly analyse the assorted root causes and can assist in implementing a robust nutrient supply concatenation system pull offing a proper nutrient distribution logistics. By implementing a Systems Engineering attack, it would assist to develop an efficient logistic system, where â€Å"markets would get full reactivity, high quality merchandises and high dependability of supply in little clip Windowss at the lowest cost.† ( Vlajic, 2011 ) . It would extinguish non-value adding work and inculcate thin thought into its attack. The attack towards developing a nutrient supply concatenation is chiefly focused around merchandise quality and the demand for environmental sustainability. The quality of nutrient within the web should be controlled and guaranteed in order to keep the ironss public presentation. Product quality besides involves properties like safety and unity of the nutrient. In an article by Tromp and Van der Vorst, they discuss â€Å"in the context of nutrient supply chains the sustainability treatment focuses on the decrease of merchandise waste, i.e. merchandises that have to be thrown off because the quality is non suited any more, figure of stat mis a merchandise has travelled before it reaches the consumers’ home base ( so called ‘food miles’ ) , and all nursery gas emanations related to the concern processes in the supply concatenation web ( so called ‘carbon footprint’ ) .† ( Tromp and Van der Varst, 2008 ) . Therefore while developing a nutrient supply concatenation, one should non merely concentrate on bettering the logistics public presentation but besides in nutrient quality saving and environmental sustainability. Food merchandises are by big affected by environmental conditions. Factors such as humidness, temperature and presence of c ontaminations affect the nutrient quality and these factors has to be checked and controlled while packaging, lading and availing temperature controlled transit agencies and warehouses. Introducing clip temperature index ( TTI ) in analysing the quality of nutrient merchandise will let to find the degree of merchandise impairment at any phase of the nutrient distribution system. TTI allows to find the shelf life of the merchandise and because of which the sum of rejected or waste merchandises can be reduced. TTI based direction system promotes least shelf life foremost out ( LSFO ) system, where the merchandises with closest termination day of the month are given off to the markets foremost. Many of such methods to cut down waste can be implemented when a Systems Engineering position is introduced into nutrient distribution logistics. It is critical to hold an integrated attack towards logistics, sustainability and merchandise quality while carry oning analysis on nutrient supply co ncatenation. This would let to do better determinations than when taking merely individual facet at a clip. Some of the procedure and merchandise features which impact the designing of nutrient supply concatenation web are ;Seasonality in production which enhances the opportunities of planetary sourcing of production.Variability in procedure outputs chiefly in quality and measure which is affected by the biological fluctuations of the part, random factors like plagues, temperature, conditions and other biological jeopardies.Having different quality restraints for natural stuffs, intermediates and finished merchandises and quality decay when the merchandises pass through the supply concatenation, heightening the opportunities of stock-outs and merchandise impairment when the merchandise has passed the termination day of the month and/or the quality of the merchandise has declined.Need for conditioned storage and transit, increasing cost of production, transit, storage and ingestion.D ue to these specific features of nutrient merchandises, it is of import to hold an Industrial and Systems technology attack to develop an efficient nutrient supply concatenation web. It is indispensable that work takes topographic point in the right order and at the right clip. Industrial applied scientists help to obtain supply of natural stuffs in the right volume, quality, clip and topographic point. Organize the timing of supply of goods and to understand that the merchandises are subjected to quality decay as they travel through the supply concatenation, analysing the grade and velocity of decay influenced by environmental conditions. An industrial applied scientists attack is critical when it comes to redesigning supply concatenation schemes and procedures. Some of the functions and features of an industrial technology position include ;Redesigning the functions and procedures in the supply concatenation like cut downing the figure of parties involved, extinguishing the non-va lue adding activities and pull offing stock list control.Reducing the lead times by implementing IT systems for better information exchange and determination support system. Use of systems like RFID can let better direction of resources and obtain fabrication flexibleness.Transparency of information is critical between the assorted providers, stock list and work in procedure merchandises and to standardise the cryptography of merchandises to better understand and smooth flow within the supply concatenation. A batch of disparities and confusions can be negated by proper information exchange.Synchronize consumer demand with logistical procedures.A batch of logistical determinations and coordination in supply concatenation can be achieved by seting the batch sizes, consolidating the nutrient flow, cut downing human intercessions and implementing merchandise standardisation.Introducing technological intercessions to assist better the communicating of merchandise when it travels down the supply concatenation has been really fruitful in the recent old ages. The usage of RFID ( Radio Frequency Identifiers ) has led to better safety of nutrient merchandises and besides let efficient handling of natural stuffs and finished merchandises and to rush up the fabrication processes. RFID allows to place objects from a distance without holding to be in a line of sight. RFID ticket besides allows to garner and convey other information like the inside informations of the merchandise and maker and can besides convey mensural environmental factors like temperature and humidness. Some of the possible utilizations of RFID engineering in nutrient industry include ;RFID tickets could be used to track nutrient merchandises during storage and distribution.Multiple RFID tickets can be used to ease machine-controlled merchandise cargos from warehouses to a retail location.Freshtime RFID tickets can assist to supervise the shelf life of the merchandise to which it is tagged. The tags sens e temperature and humidness and the engineering is incorporated to find the shelf life of the merchandise depending on the temperature and humidness monitored.A new RFID based engineering is now being used which combines tracking and temperature measuring specially to guarantee nutrients such as meat, fruit and dairy merchandises are maintained at safe temperature during transit and storage. This engineering is presently being used to transport vinos, seafood, meat, domestic fowl and pharmaceuticals.Therefore the usage of RFID can be really helpful in the distribution and keeping the quality of nutrient merchandises. Elimination of wastes and the demand to eliminate hungriness and poorness is of national importance. Even a slightest of betterment or the ability to supply nutrient for the hungry can be game modifier when it comes nutrient distribution. Understanding the function of an industrial technology and how the techniques of these constructs can assist increase the efficiency of the whole nutrient production and distribution system. Mentions:â€Å"Inadequate Food Distribution Systems† , Mission 2014: Feeding the World, hypertext transfer protocol: //12.000.scripts.mit.edu/mission2014/problems/inadequate-food-distribution-systems, Accessed September 2014.Vlajic, J. V. , Van Der Varst, J.G.A.J. and Haijema, R. , â€Å"A model for planing robust nutrient supply chains† , International Journal Production Economics, 2012, Vol. 137, n.d. , p. 176-189.Van der Varst, J.G.A.J. , Tromp, S. and Van der Zee, D. , â€Å"Simulation patterning for nutrient supply concatenation redesign ; integrated determination doing on merchandise quality, sustainability and logistics† , International Journal of Production Research, 2009, Vol. 47, No. 23, p. 6611-6631.â€Å"Bar Coding and RFID Enable Food Supply Chain Traceability and Safety† , A Zebra Technologies White Paper, hypertext transfer protocol: //www.zebra.com/content/dam/zebra/white-papers/en-us/food-traceability-en-us.pdf, Accessed September 2014.â⠂¬Å"RFID engineering may assist in maintaining nutrients safe† , Inventory Management Reliable Plant, hypertext transfer protocol: //www.reliableplant.com/Read/20768/rfid-technology-may-help-in-keeping-foods-safe, Accessed September 2014.Wognum, P.M. , Bremmers, H. , Trienekens, J.H. , â€Å"Systems for sustainability and transparence of nutrient supply ironss – Current position and challenges† , Advanced Engineering Informatics, 2011, Vol. 25, n.d. , p. 65-76.Scipioni, A. , Saccarola, G. and Centazzo, A. , â€Å"FMEA methodological analysis design, execution and integrating with HACCP system in a nutrient company† , Food Control, 2002, Vol. 13, n.d. , p. 495-501.

Personal Theory Paper Essay

Throughout my experience my current course, Theories and Practices: Human Services in Criminal Justice, I have learned plenty of information about the various theories of psychotherapy in counseling. Some of these theories operate on the basis of recognizing errors in thinking and correcting those errors. Other theories operate on the basis of multiculturalism and the fact that all clients are unique and deserve to be treated as such. As a result of learning from my readings and of my discussions with class mates, I was able to create my own intervention theory for counseling. Explanation of Theory and why I believe in it Any student in a human service course should be able to develop his or her own intervention theory by the time the course ends. My personal theory will involve both cognitive and multicultural approaches to therapy. Cognitive approaches to therapy operate on the assumption that by correcting the clients’ faulty beliefs, they can learn to behave more appropriately, how to think differently, and how to act on these learnings (Jones-Smith, 2012). On the other hand, Multicultural approaches to therapy suggest that counseling theories represent various views of the world with their own values, biases, and assumptions about human behavior, and that all clients are unique in some way and that their individual differences must be both accepted and respected (Jones-Smith, 2012). I believe in combining these approaches to therapy for my theory for a few reasons. First, I have always thought that offenders within the criminal justice system need to recognize their errors in thinking before they will be able to change their behaviors to be in accordance with the law. Plus, as a future employee of the criminal justice system who will most likely be working in human services, I need to be able to work with clients from various cultural backgrounds and  to accept and recognized their differences. Combining these two theories is the best way for me to be able to help all of my future potential clients in the best way possible. Theories and Theorists I Relate the Most to and why After reading all of the material for this course, I found that I relate to a few of the theories and theorist better than I do others. For instance, I found that I can relate to Albert Ellis and his Rational Emotive Behavior Theory or REBT. One of the reasons that I can relate to this theory and theorist is because it is a cognitive approach to therapy, which I think is very important for offenders to take part in for the best chances of living a crime-free life. Plus, REBT is based on the belief that people are born with a potential for irrational or rational thinking (Jones-Smith, 2012). In addition, REBT maintains that people are born constructivists and have a great deal of resources for human growth (Jones-Smith, 2012). I have always made these assumptions about people, which is also why I can relate to this theory. I can also relate to Ho’s theory of internalized culture, which suggests that the formations of our worldviews are influenced by eternalized culture (Jones-Smith, 2012). In addition, the theory suggests that effective multicultural counseling is based on the counselor’s ability to go beyond the boundaries and limitations of his or her personal culture (Jones-Smith, 2012). I can relate to this because I think that it is necessary to be able to look past my personal beliefs and experiences to be able to help a wide range of clients. Relating to these theories and theorists has helped me to develop my own personal intervention theory that I will be able to use in my future career. What Surprised me most about the Theories and why Some of the theories and concepts from this course took me by surprise. For instance, it took me by surprise that there are theories and theorists created specifically for feminist and the LGBT communities. Although I realize that all types of people have issues that they need to address in therapy, I never thought that specific therapeutic techniques were developed for feminist and LGBT communities. However, it does make sense that the LGBT community would have certain issues that other people may not have to face. In addition, I was a bit surprised at the variety of theories and  approaches that are used for Asians, Muslims, and Arabs. What surprised me about these theories is that they were very different from many of the theories generally used by our culture. In addition, I did not fully understand how the differences in these cultures played such a large role in how to approach these populations with therapy. However, I did find them interesting, and considered many of the concepts for use in my personal intervention theory. Even though these theories took me by surprise, I recognize their importance in psychotherapy approaches to counseling. Conclusion All of the theories of psychotherapy discussed in this course are effective for specific people with specific needs. Despite the fact that some of the theories were surprising, they all have merit and can be effective with the right client. Even though I recognize the importance of all of the theories and theorists, I was able to relate to some more than others. After relating to certain theories and theorists, I was able to develop my own personal intervention theory based on cognitive and multicultural approaches to therapy. My personal intervention theory, along with the rest of the theories and concepts discussed in this course will guide me along my journey of employment as a juvenile probation officer in the future. References Jones-Smith, E. (2012). Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy: An Integrative Approach. Sage Publications.

Compare and Contrast parent-child relationships in ‘Follower’, ‘Catrin’ Essay

In the following poems we see various interesting examples of parent-child relationships. Some are easier to relate to than others but most communicate the stages of parenthood and the challenges posed by becoming responsible for another person. The poets each take different lines on how they perceive/d parenthood and the each in which their children reacted. In ‘Catrin’ a metaphor of an umbilical cord is used to symbolise the relationship between mother and daughter. It seems that Gillian Clarke feels that this relationship is one that can be â€Å"neither won nor lost† and a â€Å"struggle†. She goes on to describe their everlasting attachment despite this temporary separation in terms of childbirth. She also says â€Å"from the heart’s pool that old rope, tightening around my life† her she is trying to reinforce her belief that her relationship with her daughter is everlasting as she discusses the implications of childbirth on her life. After evaluating the struggle she experiences she finally questions whether mother hood is right for her at this moment in her life. This compares to ‘On my first Sonne'(OM)where the father experiences extreme grief on account of the broken connection between him and his Son. Ben Jonson describes his son as â€Å"[his] right hand and joy† and is evidently proud of his heir. However the poet makes what he feels is a fundamental realisation that his Son infact belongs to God. He actually feels that it was wrong of him to put â€Å"too much hope in thee[his son].† In this case the connection was in fact temporary and says that the son does not belong to him but God. Jonson struggles with this idea and momentarily accuses God of being unfair. He at one stage feels that he would have preferred to have had no connection/attachment to his son that have it cut short or disrupted. â€Å"O, could I loose all father, now.† In this poem Ben Jonson ends this poem with realisation of his mistake whereby Gillian Clarke ends Catrin in temporary confusion. She takes the parenting if her daughter as her responsibility while Ben Jonson admits that it isn’t his child and so the child’s fate is God’s matter but he insists that he will still do his paternal duty and love his son unconditionally. In Follower and The Affliction of Margaret (AM) the connection between parent and child is slightly different. In AM the parent is lonely, isolated woman who has been left by her son. Like OM the mother feels that perhaps her overbearing nature is the reason for the disaster. We get the general feeling form the mother that she would like to re-establish a connection with her son.†No tiding of an only child† Margaret apologises and is willing to reconcile. She is one of the only parents in the four poems to admit her faults she is however not alone to worry about her son and fear for his development in the outside world. In Follower the son is connected to his father when he is young doing such activities as â€Å"[he]rode me on his back†. It is important to understand that the child is in awe of his father’s strength and the use of various metaphors show the father portrayed as â€Å"globed.†

IT IS THE DRUGS THAT MADE ME DO IT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

IT IS THE DRUGS THAT MADE ME DO IT - Essay Example In claiming that their addiction led someone into a life of crime is a fallacy, at best. Criminal behaviour, like drug abuse, alcohol abuse, truancy, spousal abuse, promiscuity, and other risky behaviours are all lifestyle choices. One does not cause another. The confusion and misconception that has surrounded this notion for years lies in the fact that often risky behaviour such as drug abuse and criminal behaviour are, along with other behaviours, found in the same groups of people – those who chose this type of life for themselves. In the following report, conclusive proof is respectfully presented to the court which conclusively proves that heroin abuse doe not cause a person to commit a crime. Criminal behavior is a deliberate lifestyle choice. The cost of drug abuse and known crime is huge; however, as will be shown shortly, much of the drug related crime either goes unreported, unsolved or not connected to drug abuse. The problem is pervasive both in the UK and within the United States. As early as 1998 it was estimated that in the UK alone the cost of drug offenders within the criminal justice system was conservatively set at  £1 billion per year, and that is just the beginning. Police in the UK estimate that approximately 50% of the drug related crime is hidden.1 This will be shown in detail shortly, but, in effect, either drug related crimes are not reported, are not solved, or the offender is convicted of the crime but it is not linked to drug abuse. The relationship between drug abuse and criminality has been noted empirically since the 1960s. However, it was not until the following decade that the extent and nature of this causal relationship began to be understood. As early as 1974 Greenberg and Adler’s study concluded that heroin use could not be linked to criminal behaviour as the vast majority of the subjects in their study possessed a long history of

Community Boundaries Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Community Boundaries Paper - Essay Example A healthy community encompassed balance and dynamic relationship between people, location, and the social system. To analyze the community of Jefferson County, Birmingham, Alabama, a description will be made in terms of people, location, and social system. Community Boundaries Environmental Boundaries (Location). A community is usually defined by geographic and political boundaries (Hunt, 2009, 10). Environmental boundaries may determine the availability of health services to the consumers of health care. Jefferson County has 1113 square miles of land area and 11.2 square miles of water area. The number of people living per square mile is high, which is 598 people per square mile thus, in case of an epidemic or occurrence of a communicable disease, the crowded location of people in the community may predispose the spread of a certain disease. Jefferson County’s boundaries include Walker County and Blount County in the North, Shelby County in the south, St. Clair County in east , and Tuscaloosa County in west. Majority of the people in Jefferson County are pro-Republicans (City-Data.com, 2003-2010, n.p.). A total of 34 hospitals are located in the Jefferson County, Alabama and majority of them focus on children and women’s health – a significant indicator why infant death rate decreases, while female population is greater than the male, and why the community transitioned to a child-developing community. Environmental Relationship (People). The diversity of the individuals living in a community contributes to the overall character of the community (Hunt, 2009, 9). To understand people and environmental relationship, it is essential to know the vital statistics and demographics of the community. For instance, Jefferson County is a diverse community, composed mainly of neighbors who are are either single/married, retirees of all ages, children, and interracial couples from Hispanics, Whites, Blacks, and others. Described in detail below are the empirical statistics of Jefferson County community. According to the July 2009 Census of the City-Data.com, Jefferson County has a total population of 665,027 with 89% urban and 11% rural: male has 312,089 (47.1%) rate while female has 349,958 (52.9%). The median age of male residents is 34 years old while female median age is 38 years old. Approximately, there are 598 people living per square mile. Majority of the people in in Jefferson County works in the industry of educational, health, and social services (21.8%) but there are also 8.7% of unemployed individuals. Several races live in Jefferson County particularly; White Non-Hispanic (53.9%), Black Non-Hispanic (40.6%), Hispanic or Latino (3.1%), Asian (1.4%), and two or more races (0.7%). The births per 1000 population from 2000-2006 is 14 while the death rate is 11. Infant death per 1000 live births is 11.5 and there are 13% members of the population who are not enrolled in health insurance program. Majority of the population is in a familial household with 2 members (City-Data.com, 2003-2010, n.p.). The characteristics of the people in the community define community health care needs thus, the suburban, female-domineering, married population of Jefferson County may promote families that are caring, nurturing, and strong. In addition, the nuclear-type family of Jefferson County may lead to self-reliance and isolation while median age of 30 and above is essential to the governing structure.

Summary and response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Summary and response - Essay Example le media such as tv, books, computers, mp3 players and video games by children in the United States are cited, and questions are raised regarding the proper response to such emerging issues. A short questionnaire is supplied, and readers are invited to test themselves against these questions to see whether or not they suffer from internet addiction. The authors conclude with some advice regarding early interventions and treatment and there is a reference list with useful sources for further reading. This is an informative article which explains the relation between internet usage and other types of behavior which can be quite normal when carried out in moderation, but become pathological when taken to an extreme. It gives good advice on a rather simplistic level and this makes it suitable general public readership. The article describes what internet addiction is, how it can affect people, and what to do about it, but there is no consideration of the causes of this problem or any statistic on trends across countries and through time. The authors asked the question whether internet addiction is an epidemic or a fad, but they did not fully answer this question. They admit that it is a problem â€Å"for at least as subset of internet users† (Jaffe and Uhls, 2011, p.1) but it is hard to tell how serious or widespread this problem is. I would like to have seen a deeper analysis of the reasons why people are so drawn to the internet and what the bigger implications are for Ame rican lifestyle and culture now and in the future. Jaffe, Adi and Uhls, Yalda T. â€Å"Internet Addiction – Epidemic or Fad?: Can people really get addicted to the holy internet?† Psychology Today. November 17, 2011. Available at:

Training teachers to produce software program and using in their Thesis Proposal

Training teachers to produce software program and using in their classes - Thesis Proposal Example Additional research has demonstrated that 53% of the aspiring teachers who participated believed that they had confidence in their software programming skills in the classroom (Yost et al. 2003). Studies have shown that 50% of all educational professionals apply software educational material in the learning environment. The application of computer aids differs from educational locations. In some locations, the instructor application of software programming approaches 100%. In other locations the instructor application of software programming is nil. Many instructors attribute this deficiency to time constraints, economic constraints and deficiency in instructor preparation (Education World n.d.). The instructor application of software has been proven to increase student’s ability in quantifiable courses. The instructor application of the software programming has yet to be proven to enhance the students’ skills in social studies, language and the arts. Research has demonstrated that software programming consists of various levels which may be assessed distinctively. These implementations may be applied with varying levels of success to quantitative and graphic courses (Roschelle et al. 2001). There are courses which provide effective lesson administration and enable aspiring teachers to aggregate interactive classroom participation in the lesson plan. Those desiring to become educators may acquire the software programming skills in order to properly administrate the lesson plans and connect items to an assortment of web based resources. The web based resources may apply visual and auditory aids in order to facilitate classroom instruction. Aspiring teachers may acquire or enhance software programming ability by the following implementations: The integration of software programs in the classroom by the aspiring teachers

Stress Differences between Rita Dove's Grape Sherbet and Jim Daniels Essay

Stress Differences between Rita Dove's Grape Sherbet and Jim Daniels My Father Worked Late - Essay Example Contrasting Rita Doves â€Å"Grape Sherbet† and Jim Daniel’s â€Å"My Father Worked Late† Rita Doves â€Å"Grape Sherbet† speaks about the memories of a father. The narrator together with their siblings spends time with the father who offers them grape sherbet. Later on, the narrator and the siblings learn that their father had taken them to a grave yard. The motive is to make the children learn to associate memories with positive experiences as opposed to mourning. The children quickly learn the importance of the day. Jim Daniels â€Å"My Father Worked Late† lays emphasis on the dilemma of a working father. The father who is the sole provider of the family had to put some extra effort and cope with stress to support his family. The working father utilizes most of his time to ensure that the family is catered for. He ends up spending little time with the family. The most dominant play of polarity is the narrators who give the memories of their childhood and fathers. The father in â€Å"Grape Sherbet† spends time and involves the children when conducting a memorial day at a graveyard. On the other hand, the father in â€Å"My Father Worked Late† utilizes most of his time at work to ensure that he provides for the family. The subject matter â€Å"Grape Sherbet† is about memorial. The narrator’s family holds a memorial where the father is participating. The children learn that the memorial is for the dead and the reality of life and death dawns to them. The subject matter in â€Å"My Father Worked Late† is a working father who works tirelessly for the family. He becomes overwhelmed by the work and has limited time to be with the children. He is stressed and sometimes causes tension in the family. The narrator in â€Å"Grape Sherbet† wants to highlight the importance of a memorial. Using the young children in the poem enables them to make known the reality of life and death. Children do not understand what death is. The poet may be implying that, creating memories enables those who are gone to live. The narrator in â€Å"My Father Worked Late† wants to recognize the effort of the hardworking father. He works late to support the family. Work is stressful and tiring, y et the acceptable behavior requires the father to provide for the family. The setting for â€Å"Grape Sherbet† is on Memorial Day while the setting for â€Å"My Father Worked Late† is on a regular working day in a rural setting. In â€Å"Grape Sherbet† there is a celebratory atmosphere where there is cooking and feasting in the occasion â€Å"The day? Memorial after the grill†¦ we cheer† (Righeto 54). The setting talks about a single day. The setting in â€Å"My Father Worked Late† narrates of the encounters of a hardworking father. The narrators capture experiences from many days (Daniels 5). In â€Å"Grape Sherbet† the role of a father as the source of affection and love for the children is revealed. The father spends time with the family on the Memorial Day. The children gallop in the graveyard in play. In â€Å"My Father Worked Late† the father is to provide the family with basic necessity and not to provide love. The father becomes detached from the family as a result of demanding work. The father shows distress from his work and becomes unfriendly to the family. Children rarely get affection from their father. The father’

Why do some pupils achieve more than others in mathematics Essay

Why do some pupils achieve more than others in mathematics - Essay Example An issue means something significant that needs to be finalised, an argument that is not settled. ‘Taking an issue’ means disagreement and ‘to issue onwards’ means to illustrate. Among the contemporary issues, Peter Bailey‘s statement is of value to everyone. He proposed that â€Å"teachers of mathematics can play a crucial role in making the world a fairer place† (Gates, 2001, p. 10). Different pupils think differently to a same mathematical problem. This creates trouble for teachers in devising the most appropriate method in the best interest of all. Some students do achieve more because of the individual differences in terms of abilities, motivation levels, preferences etc. (Orton, 2004, p. 136). Mostly mathematical calculations are thought to be convergent - having a limit however there are also divergent questions whose answers could be manifold. Hudson (1966) tested the convergent and divergent thinking ability of sixth form students in a research study of individual differences and concluded that students weak at the IQ tests were much better in subjective questions. Most of the students that perform better in mathematics are convergent thinkers, who likes logic, definite solutions etc. They are bound to have mathematics as their favourite subject while divergent thinkers have difficulties (Orton, 2004, p.139). â€Å"Mathemetical abilities are not innate but are properties acquired in life that are formed on the basis of certain inclinations†¦ some persons have inborn characteristics in the structure and functional features of their brains which were extremely favourable to the development of mathematical abilities†¦anyone can become an ordinary mathematician; one must be born an outstandingly talented one† (Orton, 2004, p.142). Generally Maths is considered a subject you cannot humanize. Russel (1938) proposed that most students have the common perception of considering

Power of Women Essay Example for Free

Power of Women Essay Behind every great man is an even greater woman. This certainly hold true in many cases. Woman can be the driving force in any successful man. However, a woman can also use her strong influence in a negative way. Woman do have power, lots of it. But Im not just talking about the power within the family, or power in the workplace or even power in higher political office. I m talking about a more basic kind of power: Power over Men. If a woman recognizes her power over men, she can own a man. I dont care who the man is but if she wants him and hes at all attracted to her, she chan own him. Feminine charm is one of the element of this power. It can stops a man on his tracks even when theres no overwhelming physical attraction. Theres also a spiritual power that women have, especially with men who instinctively repect or idolize women. Men acknowledge a womans power. They may welcome it at times. But always remember that men always want to feeel like a man. So women should be really careful. This power needs to use wisely. In the absence of man, can woman really be like a man? I think yes. There are woman who is capable in finance, even being a capable single parent and bread winner. In this respect, a woman will have to be like a man. Of course she cannot match the physical strength of him. This just only mean that nowadays, a woman can do what man can do. Things back before, they were very strict for women. They had no rights; no rights to vote, no freedom of speech, they did not work, they stay at home and took care of their household and wifely duties. Thankfully that the legal status of them changed since the 18th century. Things have changed due to eomen actively becoming contributors as a breadwinner of their household. Some of the factors of this are, they work in full time jobs and some of them occupy the best position. Some also dont want to get married and have a traditional family. Others are changing to openly raise a family with another woman where the societys critism is becoming less harsh everyday. Maybe because they already now their characteristics and find it more compatible thats why they chose to have a relationship with the same gender. Compassion is one of the characteristics within women that tends to be greater than men. They give a better undstanding of a person and feel what they feel. This allows people to trust and have a good relationship. Because woman have good communication skills, they can use it by showing their feeling which  encourage openness in relationships. Men as we all know are not very vocal when it comes to showing their feelings thats why woman are there. They are the ne whos in charge in teaching their children, managing the expenses and more. Wives, mothers, daughters, sisters, and grandmothers are important people in everyones lives. People should know how to respect them especially men. In todays world, theyre not below level of anyone but considered as great women with great responsibilities aside from bearing a child. Ill end this talk by saying a quote which is The beauty of a woman must be seen in her eyes because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.

Satisfaction of Occupants in PV 10 Condominium

Satisfaction of Occupants in PV 10 Condominium The Study of Satisfaction Level of Occupants towards the Maintenance and Facilities in PV10 Condominium Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1  Background The population in Malaysia is on a rapid growth and this can be seen in the last three (3) years, 2007 – 2009. According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia, the population growth was from 27.17 million (2007) to 28.31 million (2009). That shows an increase of 1.14 million within three (3) years. This population figure was last updated on the 31 st July 2009. (Department of Statistics Malaysia Official Website, 2009) According to the International and National Context of Growth from the Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2020, the figure below illustrates the function of Kuala Lumpur and its conurbation (KLC). The figure illustrates ‘functional pyramid’ for the KLC with more specialised urban functions towards the apex of the pyramid, which represents Kuala Lumpur and more general functions towards its base, representing the remainder of the KLC. (DBKL International and National Context of Growth, 2009) From Figure 1, it is shown that the number of population increases. However, the land area still remains the same. Land scarcity is faced by the people of Kuala Lumpur as more construction works are carried out to meet the demand of the increasing population. The relationship between population and living standard is obvious as the graph shows that the living standard is proportional to the population. According to Datuk Michael Yam (2009), Kuala Lumpur’s 1.7 million population is expected to expand by 30% within the next decade and that the market is getting more sophisticated with consumers demanding more facilities, convenience and built quality to improve their quality of life. (The Star, 28 March 2009) Condominiums are on high demand in a high density area like Kuala Lumpur due to the population increase and at the same time this highly populated area is facing scarcity of land. However, the satisfaction of the occupants in a condominium is important to ensure that developers will be able to continue to expand such projects in their firm. This is because, liberalization or opening up of the market gives wider choices of goods or services for consumers which contribute to their satisfaction. (The Star, 6 July 2009) Therefore, the facilities and maintenance provided in a condominium are important to meet the occupants’ satisfaction towards the condominium they are staying. 1.2  Problem Statement In Malaysia, as the population rises through the years, the construction of condominium development also has to increase to meet the demand of increasing residents. As the latest statistic stated that there is a population of 28.31 million (in 2009), there will also be an increase in land use. (Department of Statistics Malaysia Official Website, 2009) In Kuala Lumpur, despite the softer conditions in the property market construction will still be an on-going process. According to one of the top companies like Sunrise Sdn. Bhd, they expect to perform well in the next two to three years due to its high unbilled sales of RM 1.36 billion. As at July, Sunrise had sold 93% of 10 Mount’ Kiara (MK10) units, 45% of 11 Mount’ Kiara (MK 11), 92% of Solaris Dutamas, 9% of The Residence Phase 2B, 90% of Mont’ Kiara Meridin, 95% of Mont’ Kiara Banyan, and 100% of Kiara Designer Suites-Kiara Walk. (The Star, 29 October 2008) As Sunrise is focusing more on the condominium residential type of construction, it is shown that condominium is still in high demand despite the slow economic flow at the moment. However, there must be certain factors which cause the homebuyers to set their mind on purchasing the condominium of their choice. To successfully compete in the long term, the company must be sure that existing customers are satisfied. Providing superior quality and keeping customers satisfied are rapidly becoming the ways for companies to stand out among the other companies. (Zeljko M. Torbica  and  Robert C. Stroh., 2001) According to the National House Buyers Association, management and maintenance ranked second in the types of complaint in the complaints statistics. (National House Buyers Association, 2006) The complaints statistics is as illustrated in Figure 2. Therefore, it is important to carry out the research about the satisfaction of the occupants in the aspect of the maintenance and facilities provided in a condominium. Besides that, ways of improving the maintenance and facilities from the occupants’ point of view will also be carried out in this research. 1.3  Aim Objectives Aim To look into the satisfaction levels of occupants towards the maintenance and facilities of the condominium. Objectives To determine the satisfaction of occupants in PV 10 Condominium with the maintenance and facilities provided. To determine the ways to improve the maintenance and facilities to increase the satisfaction of occupants in PV10 Condominium. 1.4  Benefits/Importance of Study This study will benefit three parties; consisting of the developer, the management of the condominium and the occupants of condominiums. The developers will be able to plan their construction wisely to increase the demand in houses and preserve the developer’s reputation as it is one of the essential key to success for a developer. On the other hand, occupants or homebuyers will benefit when they are able to purchase and stay in the type of house they wish to have, and to own a worth buying piece of property. Besides that, the management of the condominium will be able to plan their management in the maintenance and facilities offered to the occupants as this is the key to customer satisfaction. 1.5  Scope of Study This case study will be carried out in PV 10, Jalan Genting Kelang, Setapak. There are 4 blocks of condominium in PV10 and they will be taken into consideration for this research. This place is chosen because it is one of the latest condominiums built in one of the highly populated area. Maintenance and facilities offered will be further looked into. The maintenance in the condominium will cover the cleanliness and collection of rubbish maintenance, the lifts operation and lighting maintenance and water maintenance. On the other hand, the facilities in the condominium will cover the recreational facilities such as play ground for children, health facilities and the safety facilities. In addition, another facility which will be looked into will be the car parks provided. Maintenance of facilities will also be explained. 1.6  Research Methodology 1.6.1  Introduction The increase in condominium construction is proportional to the rapid growth of the population in Malaysia. Besides that, land scarcity in high density areas of Kuala Lumpur forces the people to go further into the development of condominiums. 1.6.2  Literature Review Data collected will be secondary type of data collection. They consist of: Books Relevant books will be from the Tunku Abdul Rahman Library and National Library. The type of books will be those under building maintenance, facility management, economy, development, research and dissertation studies, property management and other relevant books to the research study. Magazines and Newspapers Magazines and newspapers used will be from local newspapers and magazines. Newspapers search will be the online type of newspaper. News and updates will be taken based on current issues regarding construction, development, property, and maintenance and facilities management that are reported in the newspapers and magazines. Online resources and Journals Online resources will be from reliable sources which provide reference of research papers such as online journals and articles. Relevant sources to the research studies will be taken into consideration through these websites. Online journals will also be those which are regarding with the research study and are available through the college library website which linked to reliable sources such as Emerald.   1.6.3  Background PV10 will be the place of case study for this research. This condominium is situated at Jalan Genting Kelang. Resources will be obtained from the management of the condominium and the developer of the condominium. 1.6.4  Analysis Primary data will be used in this research and data through this type of data will be analysed. Questionnaire will be selected in order to scrutinize the feedback from the respondent. First, a set of questionnaire will be set. After that, the set of questionnaire will be distributed to occupants in PV10 to get their responds. A selected sample size of 200 will be chosen randomly. SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) software will be used to analyse the data. Snowball sampling type will be used to determine the satisfaction of occupants in PV10. This type of sampling is chosen as this sampling design will be given out randomly. Besides that, this study design will increase the number of participants in process. 1.6.5  Conclusion Recommendation Ways of improving the condominium will be suggested base on the data that will be collected. References Author unknown, Department of Statistics Malaysia Official Website. 2009. Population (updated 31 July 2009). Viewed on 2 August 2009. Available from: Author unknown, DBKL. 2009. Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2020: International and National Context of Growth. Viewed on 10 July 2009. Available from: Ng, A. 2009. Raising KL’s living standards. Viewed on 10 July 2009. Available from: Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Mamat, 2009. Making sense of liberalisation. Viewed on 10 July 2009. Available from: Author unknown, 2009. Sunrise is confident RM1.3bil in unbilled sales can sustain performance over three years. Viewed 10 July 2009. Available from: Torbica, Zeljko M. and Stroh., Robert C. 2001. ‘Customer satisfaction in home building’. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management. 127(1), pp.82. Author unknown, 2006. Complaints Statistics. Viewed on 10 July 2009. Available from: Chapter 2 Literature Review 2.1  Introduction Looking into the population of the world, it is clear that the population will increase as the years go by. The population in the urban areas will increase while the population in the rural areas will decrease through the years. This can be proven when the United Nations (2008), when the World Urbanization Prospects the 2007 Revision corroborates that the world population will reach a landmark in 2008 for the first time in history, as the urban population will equal the rural population of the world and, from then on, the world population will be urban in its majority. The United Nation (2008) also stated that from the year 2007 to 2050, the world population is expected to increase by 2.5 billion, passing from 6.7 billion to 9.7 billion. At the same time, the population living in urban areas is to gain 3.1 billion in 2007 to 6.4 billion in 2050. Thus, the urban form has interdependently affected the development and the governance of the city. Generally, the population in Malaysia will increase as the years go by. The population in the urban areas will increase and this can be seen in the increasing population of the World – Class City of Kuala Lumpur. The Draft Kuala Lumpur (KL) City Plan 2020 has five (5) core guiding principles that will frame the draft, and one of these principles is Planning ‘For and With’ the People (DBKL, 2009). Density Structure of Kuala Lumpur Strategic Zones Area Sq. Kms Population 2005 Density 2005 (person/ sq. km) Population 2020 Density 2020 (person/ sq. km) City Centre 17.7915 143,000 8,038 245,611 13,805 Figure 4 shows the density structure of Kuala Lumpur. The figure also shows that Wangsa Maju – Maluri which is within the Setapak area, rank the highest in the 2005 data on population. At the same time, the population is expected to increase and become the third highest in population by the year 2020. According to the DBKL (2009), Kuala Lumpur is a city that houses 2.2 million populations and provides employment to 1.4 million people. The City will thus ensure whatever its plans, builds or develop are based on the wants and needs of the people. Furthermore, the Future Population of Kuala Lumpur in DBKL (2009) stressed that Kuala Lumpur must be liveable in order to encourage people to live in the City comfortably and through the plan allows for an additional 600,000 people in the next 12 years. From the Draft KL City Plan 2020, it shows that the satisfaction of the occupants is also taken into consideration when planning of the city is done. Therefore, this research will focus on the satisfaction level of occupants in one of the most populated area, Setapak. In this chapter, there will be reviews on some key words definition regarding the research study from various sources and the various maintenance and facilities which may also include explanation on some of the types of maintenance and function of maintenance. Reports and case studies on maintenance and facilities will also be included in this chapter. 2.1.1  Definitions The satisfaction level of occupants towards the maintenance and facilities in a condominium can be defined as the repair works and the upkeep of a condominium together with the functional things and services provided which fulfil the needs, claim or desire that gives gratification to the occupants or residents of the condominium. Further clarification of this statement can be found through the definition of the key words such as satisfaction, occupants, maintenance, facilities and condominium. 2.1.1.1  Satisfaction Finch (2004) proposed that customer satisfaction with facilities is determined not only by technical performance, but also by â€Å"an intricate set of exchange process†, such as effective communication and management of expectations.  Salleh and Abdul Ghani (2008) also mentioned that residential and neighbourhood satisfaction is an important indicator of housing quality and condition, which affects individuals’ quality of life. Besides that, according to the MSN Encarta Dictionary (2009), satisfaction means happiness with arrangement, which can refer to the happiness with the way that something has been arranged or done. On the other hand, Compact Oxford English Dictionary (2009) defined satisfaction is the state of being satisfied and by the law, it is the payment of a debt of fulfilment of an obligation or claim. In addition, Longman English Dictionary Online (2009) further defines that satisfaction is a feeling of happiness or pleasure when someone gets something that they want, need or have demanded. 2.1.1.2  Occupant The Longman English Dictionary Online (2009) defines occupants as someone who lives in a house, room etc. Meanwhile, MSN Encarta Dictionary (2009) defines occupant as a resident of a place. The Compact Oxford English Dictionary (2009) further clarifies that occupant as a person who occupies a place at a given time. Besides that, according to the Laws of Malaysia (2007), occupier means the person in actual occupation of the building, but, in the case of premises for lodging purposes, does not include a lodger. 2.1.1.3  Maintenance Maintenance is synonymous with controlling the condition of a building so that its pattern lies within specified regions as defined by Lee (White, 1969). The MSN Encarta Dictionary (2009) defines maintenance as the continuing repair work where work that is done regularly to keep a machine, building or piece of equipment in good condition and working order. Compact Oxford English Dictionary (2009) further defines maintenance as the process of maintaining or being maintained. Longman English Dictionary Online (2009) also clarifies in depth that maintenance is the repairs, painting etc. that are necessary to keep something in good condition. In fact, Chanter and Swallow (1996) identified maintenance as actions that relate not only to the physical execution of maintenance work, but also those concerned with its initiation, financing and organisation, and the notion of an acceptable condition. This implies an understanding of the requirements for the effective usage of the building and its parts, which in turn compels broader consideration of building performance from the definition of BS3811 (1984), as it defines maintenance as a combination of any actions carried out to retain an item in, or restore it to an acceptable condition. Besides that, Singh (1996) further defined building maintenance as work undertaken in order to keep, restore or improve every facility, i.e. every part of a building, its services and surrounds to a currently accepted standard, and to sustain the utility and value of facility. 2.1.1.4  Facilties The MSN Encarta Dictionary (2009) defines facility as something with particular function, in which something is designed or created to provide a service or fulfil a need. Besides that, Compact Oxford English Dictionary (2009) defines facility as a building, service, or piece of equipment provided for a particular purpose. Longman English Dictionary Online (2009) further defines facility as a place or building used for a particular activity or industry, or for providing a particular type of service. With these definitions explained from the dictionaries, facilities can be define as services or equipments provided to improve the effectiveness of a building. However, facilities are further clarified by the Charted Institute of Building (CIOB) with the definition that facilities management is an umbrella term under which a wide range of property and user – related functions may be brought together for the benefit of the organisation and its employees as a whole (Flanagan et al., 1995). Meanwhile, Alexander (1996) mentioned in his paper that facilities management is first and foremost about organizational effectiveness. 2.1.1.5  Condominum The House Buyers Association (2009) mentioned that the word â€Å"condominium† comes from the Latin word â€Å"con† which means â€Å"together† and â€Å"dominium, meaning â€Å"property†. There are two parts in this type of property ownership. They are the ownership of the individual unit and joint ownership of the common property, in which the property is shared with other unit owners in the project. The MSN Encarta Dictionary (2009) defines condominium as an individually owned apartment, which is an individually owned unit of real estate, especially an apartment or town house, in a building or on land that is owned in common by the owners of the units. Meanwhile, the Compact Oxford English Dictionary (2009) further defines condominium as a building or complex containing a number of individually owned flats or houses. Longman English Dictionary Online (2009) later defines that condominium is one apartment in a building with several apartments, each of w hich is owned by the people living in it. 2.2  Maintenance In Condominium For the maintenance in condominium in Malaysia, there is an act that was specially gazetted on 12th April 2007 for the purpose of maintaining the condominium and its surrounding, together with the facilities available in the condominium. According to the Laws of Malaysia (2007), under the act 663 building and common property (maintenance and management) act 2007, the act is to provide for proper maintenance and management of building and common property, and for matters incidental thereto. Maintenance in the condominium comprises maintenance of all the common property area in the condominium. The building and common property (maintenance and management) act 2007 further defines common property as development area not comprised in any parcel, such as the structural elements of the building, stairs, stairways, fire escapes, entrances and exits, corridors, lobbies, fixtures and fittings, lifts, refuse chutes, refuse bins, compounds, drains, water tanks, sewers, pipes, wires, cables and ducts that serve more than one parcel, the exterior of all common parts of the building, playing fields and recreational areas, driveways, car parks and parking areas, open spaces, landscape areas, walls and fences, and all other facilities and installations and any part of the land used or capable of being used or enjoyed in common by all the occupiers of the building. Charges which means any money collected by the owner, developer, Body or managing agent from the purchaser for the maintenance and management of the building or land intended for subdivision into parcels and common property, will be taken from the building maintenance account which is also known as building maintenance fund after the account is passed to the Joint Management Body (Laws of Malaysia, 2007). 2.2.1  Types of Maintenance According to Gurjit Singh (1996), generally, maintenance management can be approached in the following ways: Cyclical maintenance: this is maintenance for recurring items such as redecoration. Non-cyclical maintenance: this will apply to the items identified in the condition survey and includes items that need major repairs and replacements. Planned preventive maintenance: this is maintenance which is carried out on regular basis to prevent breakdowns. It has the advantage of predicting the loss of facility to the owner and down-time. Emergency maintenance: this is maintenance which is carried out only when there is a breakdown. It is normally expensive and increases the amount of non – productive time. Chanter and Swallow (1996) further explained the types of maintenance according to definitions given in BS 3811 and produced flow charts to summarise the types of maintenance and decision based types of maintenance as below: (1)  Planned maintenance: This is maintenance organised and carried out with forethought, control and the use of records to a predetermined plan. (2)  Unplanned maintenance: Ad hoc maintenance carried out to no predetermined plan. (3)  Preventive maintenance: Maintenance carried out at predetermined intervals, or corresponding to prescribed criteria, and intended to reduce the probability of failure, or the performance degradation of an item. (4)  Corrective maintenance: Maintenance carried out after failure has occurred, and intended to restore an item to a state in which it can perform its required function. (5)  Emergency maintenance: Maintenance which it is necessary to put in hand immediately to avoid serious consequences. (6)  Condition – based maintenance: Preventive maintenance initiated as a result of knowledge of the condition of an item from routine or continuous monitoring. (7)  Scheduled maintenance: Preventive maintenance carried out to a pre – determined interval of time, number of operations, mileage, etc. Figure 5  Decision based types of maintenance Source: Chanter and Swallow (1996) 2.2.2  Maintenance Function Miles and Syagga (1987) mentioned that the function of maintenance can be divided into three groups. These three groups consist of cleaning and servicing, rectification and repair, and replacement. Both authors also added that cleaning and servicing should be carried out regularly and may be combined with a system of reporting faults, so that repairs can be carried out soon after faults become apparent, thereby avoiding the need for more expensive repairs or even replacement at a later stage. 2.2.3  Malaysias Report On Poor Maintenance According to the report from National House Buyers Association (The Star, 2005), residents of Mount Karunmas Condominium fret over cracks in car park. Residents want the developer or maintenance company of the building to rectify the cracks that have appeared on the beams in the car park. Besides the cracks, there was a water leak from the extension joints which were connected to the slabs. In this case, the developer and the maintenance parties did not deliver their duty and responsibility well despites the complaints from the residents and had pin point each other to take hold of the work. In such case, the matter was brought to the press and the local council and the developer in the end stood up rectify the defects and mentioned that defects were only minor cracks.   In another report regarding to maintenance, there was a statement stating that one of the many issues of public concern is how to develop a strong maintenance culture in Malaysia in the interest of public safety and convenience. There was also an addition stating that Malaysia is known as a country which prides itself on the provision of First World infrastructure but not in terms of its maintenance (The Star,24 June 2009) The Star (2009) also mentioned that poor maintenance of children’s playground can result in accidents and injuries. Besides that, poor maintenance of public buildings and infrastructures can also cause accidents, injuries and also flash floods when roads and public drains are not properly maintained. (The Star, 24 June 2009) When maintenance are not done properly, image of the country is also not preserved as tourist would come to Malaysia to visit and this give a bad image to the country when maintenance are poorly done. According to the Star (24 June 2009) improving a country’s image is not only the responsibility of the Government but also the duty of each citizen who must be civic – minded. According to the Star (7 May 2009) former squatters moved into the Putri Laksamana apartments in Batu Caves had to deal with poor maintenance, cracking tiles, water leakages, sewage problems and even snakes entering their houses for four years. According to Sundramoorthy Veerasamy (2009), when they moved into the apartment which comprises of 400 units, many of the units had cracked floor tiles and water leaking from the roof and pipes. There were also drainage and garbage problem, and even though the Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) promised to solve the problem, it has been eight months since the problem have not been solved (Sundramoorthy Veerasamy, 2009). Sundramoorthy (2009) also mentioned that they are losing faith in the councillors and state government finding a solution. From this, Government should be able to come out with a solution to help these residents as they are also the citizens of Malaysia and deserve to live in a properly maintained place. Poor maintenance can also lead to criminal activities. According to the Star (7 May 2009) criminal activities like snatch thefts, break-ins, and motorcycle and car thefts are rampant there and drug addicts and pushers also haunt the area of the apartment. MPS councillor Gopalan Krishnan Rajoo (2009) also mentioned that because there is no Joint Management Body (JMB) for the apartment, it is difficult to solve the problems and residents were urged to form the JMB to bring up the residents’ problems so that they can be solved easily. From this report, it is shown that forming a JMB in a community is important to solve certain problems and that increase in poor maintenance also would increase the crime rate in the area. 2.2.4  Case Study of Poor Maintenance Abdulmohsen Al – Hammad, Sadi Assaf and Mansoor Al – Shihah (1997) in their research which outlines the defects and faults during the design stage that affect building maintenance in Saudi Arabia and their relative degree of importance, came out with a table on the level of importance of design defects on building maintenance. The following tables show the result from the questionnaire done from their research on the defects. From the table above, the maintenance practicality and adequacy which is one of the defect groups rank the highest among the owners. When maintenance are not planned and done adequately, there will be defects and the defects will worsen causing the building to be not safe for the occupants and even aesthetically affected. 2.3  Facilties In Condominium In Malaysia, there are many types of facilities available in a condominium. The National House Buyers Association (2009) mentioned that there are many facilities and services in a condominium, such as lifts, swimming pool, gym, tennis court, landscaped gardens and even security services. Further explanation was that these facilities and services are expensive to maintain. Facilities are actually one of the important key aspects which purchasers will look into when buying a condominium. This is because purchasers have to understand that they when purchasing a unit of the condominium, two things are bought. These two things are the individual unit and the common property which includes all the facilities available in the condominium. Nowadays, facilities play a big role in portraying the image of the condominium. Besides that, facilities available in a condominium also determine and set a standard to the condominium. This can be seen when the low – end condominiums and high – end condominiums are being compared. Types of facilities available will be very different for both types of condominium, where the facilities in the high – end condominiums are more and much better than those of low – end condominiums. 2.3.1  Malaysias Report On Facilities National House Buyers Association (The Star, 2008) reported that hairline cracks have appeared on pillars and car park areas of the Sri Gotong apartment block in Batu Caves for the past year. One of the occupants, Abd Rahman Suraiman, mentioned that the management company Benih Kencana Sdn. Bhd. Should act fast to prevent the situation from getting worse. According to Rahman, who is secretary of the Sri Gotong Apartment Batu Caves Pro – tem Committee, the apartment was supposed to have condominium facilities like swimming pool, recreational area and sauna, but such facilities were lacking and the place was not properly maintained. Rahman also mentioned that the sauna room is locked, the gymnasium equipment is damaged and ever since he started staying there, one of the lifts stopped working and has yet to be repair. This report shows that lacking of facilities in a condominium will also cause dissatisfaction to the occupants. Thus, this kind of problem gives the condominium a bad image. In another report from the National House Buyers Association (The Star, 2004) stated that the local authorities are often hampered in their efforts to build sports facilities when developers, in fulfilling the requirement of providing open areas, allocate land that is too small or narrow. The report also added that local authorities wanted to provide more recreational facilities, especially in housing estates, but were unable to do so in some areas due to the lack of land. Developers would usually tell local authorities that they had carried out their responsibility by providing recreational through building playgrounds which are meant for younger children and this leaves teenagers without a proper place for recreation. According to the report, this could more likely cause teenagers. Therefore, it is wise that the developers to allocate Satisfaction of Occupants in PV 10 Condominium Satisfaction of Occupants in PV 10 Condominium The Study of Satisfaction Level of Occupants towards the Maintenance and Facilities in PV10 Condominium Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1  Background The population in Malaysia is on a rapid growth and this can be seen in the last three (3) years, 2007 – 2009. According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia, the population growth was from 27.17 million (2007) to 28.31 million (2009). That shows an increase of 1.14 million within three (3) years. This population figure was last updated on the 31 st July 2009. (Department of Statistics Malaysia Official Website, 2009) According to the International and National Context of Growth from the Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2020, the figure below illustrates the function of Kuala Lumpur and its conurbation (KLC). The figure illustrates ‘functional pyramid’ for the KLC with more specialised urban functions towards the apex of the pyramid, which represents Kuala Lumpur and more general functions towards its base, representing the remainder of the KLC. (DBKL International and National Context of Growth, 2009) From Figure 1, it is shown that the number of population increases. However, the land area still remains the same. Land scarcity is faced by the people of Kuala Lumpur as more construction works are carried out to meet the demand of the increasing population. The relationship between population and living standard is obvious as the graph shows that the living standard is proportional to the population. According to Datuk Michael Yam (2009), Kuala Lumpur’s 1.7 million population is expected to expand by 30% within the next decade and that the market is getting more sophisticated with consumers demanding more facilities, convenience and built quality to improve their quality of life. (The Star, 28 March 2009) Condominiums are on high demand in a high density area like Kuala Lumpur due to the population increase and at the same time this highly populated area is facing scarcity of land. However, the satisfaction of the occupants in a condominium is important to ensure that developers will be able to continue to expand such projects in their firm. This is because, liberalization or opening up of the market gives wider choices of goods or services for consumers which contribute to their satisfaction. (The Star, 6 July 2009) Therefore, the facilities and maintenance provided in a condominium are important to meet the occupants’ satisfaction towards the condominium they are staying. 1.2  Problem Statement In Malaysia, as the population rises through the years, the construction of condominium development also has to increase to meet the demand of increasing residents. As the latest statistic stated that there is a population of 28.31 million (in 2009), there will also be an increase in land use. (Department of Statistics Malaysia Official Website, 2009) In Kuala Lumpur, despite the softer conditions in the property market construction will still be an on-going process. According to one of the top companies like Sunrise Sdn. Bhd, they expect to perform well in the next two to three years due to its high unbilled sales of RM 1.36 billion. As at July, Sunrise had sold 93% of 10 Mount’ Kiara (MK10) units, 45% of 11 Mount’ Kiara (MK 11), 92% of Solaris Dutamas, 9% of The Residence Phase 2B, 90% of Mont’ Kiara Meridin, 95% of Mont’ Kiara Banyan, and 100% of Kiara Designer Suites-Kiara Walk. (The Star, 29 October 2008) As Sunrise is focusing more on the condominium residential type of construction, it is shown that condominium is still in high demand despite the slow economic flow at the moment. However, there must be certain factors which cause the homebuyers to set their mind on purchasing the condominium of their choice. To successfully compete in the long term, the company must be sure that existing customers are satisfied. Providing superior quality and keeping customers satisfied are rapidly becoming the ways for companies to stand out among the other companies. (Zeljko M. Torbica  and  Robert C. Stroh., 2001) According to the National House Buyers Association, management and maintenance ranked second in the types of complaint in the complaints statistics. (National House Buyers Association, 2006) The complaints statistics is as illustrated in Figure 2. Therefore, it is important to carry out the research about the satisfaction of the occupants in the aspect of the maintenance and facilities provided in a condominium. Besides that, ways of improving the maintenance and facilities from the occupants’ point of view will also be carried out in this research. 1.3  Aim Objectives Aim To look into the satisfaction levels of occupants towards the maintenance and facilities of the condominium. Objectives To determine the satisfaction of occupants in PV 10 Condominium with the maintenance and facilities provided. To determine the ways to improve the maintenance and facilities to increase the satisfaction of occupants in PV10 Condominium. 1.4  Benefits/Importance of Study This study will benefit three parties; consisting of the developer, the management of the condominium and the occupants of condominiums. The developers will be able to plan their construction wisely to increase the demand in houses and preserve the developer’s reputation as it is one of the essential key to success for a developer. On the other hand, occupants or homebuyers will benefit when they are able to purchase and stay in the type of house they wish to have, and to own a worth buying piece of property. Besides that, the management of the condominium will be able to plan their management in the maintenance and facilities offered to the occupants as this is the key to customer satisfaction. 1.5  Scope of Study This case study will be carried out in PV 10, Jalan Genting Kelang, Setapak. There are 4 blocks of condominium in PV10 and they will be taken into consideration for this research. This place is chosen because it is one of the latest condominiums built in one of the highly populated area. Maintenance and facilities offered will be further looked into. The maintenance in the condominium will cover the cleanliness and collection of rubbish maintenance, the lifts operation and lighting maintenance and water maintenance. On the other hand, the facilities in the condominium will cover the recreational facilities such as play ground for children, health facilities and the safety facilities. In addition, another facility which will be looked into will be the car parks provided. Maintenance of facilities will also be explained. 1.6  Research Methodology 1.6.1  Introduction The increase in condominium construction is proportional to the rapid growth of the population in Malaysia. Besides that, land scarcity in high density areas of Kuala Lumpur forces the people to go further into the development of condominiums. 1.6.2  Literature Review Data collected will be secondary type of data collection. They consist of: Books Relevant books will be from the Tunku Abdul Rahman Library and National Library. The type of books will be those under building maintenance, facility management, economy, development, research and dissertation studies, property management and other relevant books to the research study. Magazines and Newspapers Magazines and newspapers used will be from local newspapers and magazines. Newspapers search will be the online type of newspaper. News and updates will be taken based on current issues regarding construction, development, property, and maintenance and facilities management that are reported in the newspapers and magazines. Online resources and Journals Online resources will be from reliable sources which provide reference of research papers such as online journals and articles. Relevant sources to the research studies will be taken into consideration through these websites. Online journals will also be those which are regarding with the research study and are available through the college library website which linked to reliable sources such as Emerald.   1.6.3  Background PV10 will be the place of case study for this research. This condominium is situated at Jalan Genting Kelang. Resources will be obtained from the management of the condominium and the developer of the condominium. 1.6.4  Analysis Primary data will be used in this research and data through this type of data will be analysed. Questionnaire will be selected in order to scrutinize the feedback from the respondent. First, a set of questionnaire will be set. After that, the set of questionnaire will be distributed to occupants in PV10 to get their responds. A selected sample size of 200 will be chosen randomly. SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) software will be used to analyse the data. Snowball sampling type will be used to determine the satisfaction of occupants in PV10. This type of sampling is chosen as this sampling design will be given out randomly. Besides that, this study design will increase the number of participants in process. 1.6.5  Conclusion Recommendation Ways of improving the condominium will be suggested base on the data that will be collected. References Author unknown, Department of Statistics Malaysia Official Website. 2009. Population (updated 31 July 2009). Viewed on 2 August 2009. Available from: Author unknown, DBKL. 2009. Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2020: International and National Context of Growth. Viewed on 10 July 2009. Available from: Ng, A. 2009. Raising KL’s living standards. Viewed on 10 July 2009. Available from: Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Mamat, 2009. Making sense of liberalisation. Viewed on 10 July 2009. Available from: Author unknown, 2009. Sunrise is confident RM1.3bil in unbilled sales can sustain performance over three years. Viewed 10 July 2009. Available from: Torbica, Zeljko M. and Stroh., Robert C. 2001. ‘Customer satisfaction in home building’. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management. 127(1), pp.82. Author unknown, 2006. Complaints Statistics. Viewed on 10 July 2009. Available from: Chapter 2 Literature Review 2.1  Introduction Looking into the population of the world, it is clear that the population will increase as the years go by. The population in the urban areas will increase while the population in the rural areas will decrease through the years. This can be proven when the United Nations (2008), when the World Urbanization Prospects the 2007 Revision corroborates that the world population will reach a landmark in 2008 for the first time in history, as the urban population will equal the rural population of the world and, from then on, the world population will be urban in its majority. The United Nation (2008) also stated that from the year 2007 to 2050, the world population is expected to increase by 2.5 billion, passing from 6.7 billion to 9.7 billion. At the same time, the population living in urban areas is to gain 3.1 billion in 2007 to 6.4 billion in 2050. Thus, the urban form has interdependently affected the development and the governance of the city. Generally, the population in Malaysia will increase as the years go by. The population in the urban areas will increase and this can be seen in the increasing population of the World – Class City of Kuala Lumpur. The Draft Kuala Lumpur (KL) City Plan 2020 has five (5) core guiding principles that will frame the draft, and one of these principles is Planning ‘For and With’ the People (DBKL, 2009). Density Structure of Kuala Lumpur Strategic Zones Area Sq. Kms Population 2005 Density 2005 (person/ sq. km) Population 2020 Density 2020 (person/ sq. km) City Centre 17.7915 143,000 8,038 245,611 13,805 Figure 4 shows the density structure of Kuala Lumpur. The figure also shows that Wangsa Maju – Maluri which is within the Setapak area, rank the highest in the 2005 data on population. At the same time, the population is expected to increase and become the third highest in population by the year 2020. According to the DBKL (2009), Kuala Lumpur is a city that houses 2.2 million populations and provides employment to 1.4 million people. The City will thus ensure whatever its plans, builds or develop are based on the wants and needs of the people. Furthermore, the Future Population of Kuala Lumpur in DBKL (2009) stressed that Kuala Lumpur must be liveable in order to encourage people to live in the City comfortably and through the plan allows for an additional 600,000 people in the next 12 years. From the Draft KL City Plan 2020, it shows that the satisfaction of the occupants is also taken into consideration when planning of the city is done. Therefore, this research will focus on the satisfaction level of occupants in one of the most populated area, Setapak. In this chapter, there will be reviews on some key words definition regarding the research study from various sources and the various maintenance and facilities which may also include explanation on some of the types of maintenance and function of maintenance. Reports and case studies on maintenance and facilities will also be included in this chapter. 2.1.1  Definitions The satisfaction level of occupants towards the maintenance and facilities in a condominium can be defined as the repair works and the upkeep of a condominium together with the functional things and services provided which fulfil the needs, claim or desire that gives gratification to the occupants or residents of the condominium. Further clarification of this statement can be found through the definition of the key words such as satisfaction, occupants, maintenance, facilities and condominium. 2.1.1.1  Satisfaction Finch (2004) proposed that customer satisfaction with facilities is determined not only by technical performance, but also by â€Å"an intricate set of exchange process†, such as effective communication and management of expectations.  Salleh and Abdul Ghani (2008) also mentioned that residential and neighbourhood satisfaction is an important indicator of housing quality and condition, which affects individuals’ quality of life. Besides that, according to the MSN Encarta Dictionary (2009), satisfaction means happiness with arrangement, which can refer to the happiness with the way that something has been arranged or done. On the other hand, Compact Oxford English Dictionary (2009) defined satisfaction is the state of being satisfied and by the law, it is the payment of a debt of fulfilment of an obligation or claim. In addition, Longman English Dictionary Online (2009) further defines that satisfaction is a feeling of happiness or pleasure when someone gets something that they want, need or have demanded. 2.1.1.2  Occupant The Longman English Dictionary Online (2009) defines occupants as someone who lives in a house, room etc. Meanwhile, MSN Encarta Dictionary (2009) defines occupant as a resident of a place. The Compact Oxford English Dictionary (2009) further clarifies that occupant as a person who occupies a place at a given time. Besides that, according to the Laws of Malaysia (2007), occupier means the person in actual occupation of the building, but, in the case of premises for lodging purposes, does not include a lodger. 2.1.1.3  Maintenance Maintenance is synonymous with controlling the condition of a building so that its pattern lies within specified regions as defined by Lee (White, 1969). The MSN Encarta Dictionary (2009) defines maintenance as the continuing repair work where work that is done regularly to keep a machine, building or piece of equipment in good condition and working order. Compact Oxford English Dictionary (2009) further defines maintenance as the process of maintaining or being maintained. Longman English Dictionary Online (2009) also clarifies in depth that maintenance is the repairs, painting etc. that are necessary to keep something in good condition. In fact, Chanter and Swallow (1996) identified maintenance as actions that relate not only to the physical execution of maintenance work, but also those concerned with its initiation, financing and organisation, and the notion of an acceptable condition. This implies an understanding of the requirements for the effective usage of the building and its parts, which in turn compels broader consideration of building performance from the definition of BS3811 (1984), as it defines maintenance as a combination of any actions carried out to retain an item in, or restore it to an acceptable condition. Besides that, Singh (1996) further defined building maintenance as work undertaken in order to keep, restore or improve every facility, i.e. every part of a building, its services and surrounds to a currently accepted standard, and to sustain the utility and value of facility. 2.1.1.4  Facilties The MSN Encarta Dictionary (2009) defines facility as something with particular function, in which something is designed or created to provide a service or fulfil a need. Besides that, Compact Oxford English Dictionary (2009) defines facility as a building, service, or piece of equipment provided for a particular purpose. Longman English Dictionary Online (2009) further defines facility as a place or building used for a particular activity or industry, or for providing a particular type of service. With these definitions explained from the dictionaries, facilities can be define as services or equipments provided to improve the effectiveness of a building. However, facilities are further clarified by the Charted Institute of Building (CIOB) with the definition that facilities management is an umbrella term under which a wide range of property and user – related functions may be brought together for the benefit of the organisation and its employees as a whole (Flanagan et al., 1995). Meanwhile, Alexander (1996) mentioned in his paper that facilities management is first and foremost about organizational effectiveness. 2.1.1.5  Condominum The House Buyers Association (2009) mentioned that the word â€Å"condominium† comes from the Latin word â€Å"con† which means â€Å"together† and â€Å"dominium, meaning â€Å"property†. There are two parts in this type of property ownership. They are the ownership of the individual unit and joint ownership of the common property, in which the property is shared with other unit owners in the project. The MSN Encarta Dictionary (2009) defines condominium as an individually owned apartment, which is an individually owned unit of real estate, especially an apartment or town house, in a building or on land that is owned in common by the owners of the units. Meanwhile, the Compact Oxford English Dictionary (2009) further defines condominium as a building or complex containing a number of individually owned flats or houses. Longman English Dictionary Online (2009) later defines that condominium is one apartment in a building with several apartments, each of w hich is owned by the people living in it. 2.2  Maintenance In Condominium For the maintenance in condominium in Malaysia, there is an act that was specially gazetted on 12th April 2007 for the purpose of maintaining the condominium and its surrounding, together with the facilities available in the condominium. According to the Laws of Malaysia (2007), under the act 663 building and common property (maintenance and management) act 2007, the act is to provide for proper maintenance and management of building and common property, and for matters incidental thereto. Maintenance in the condominium comprises maintenance of all the common property area in the condominium. The building and common property (maintenance and management) act 2007 further defines common property as development area not comprised in any parcel, such as the structural elements of the building, stairs, stairways, fire escapes, entrances and exits, corridors, lobbies, fixtures and fittings, lifts, refuse chutes, refuse bins, compounds, drains, water tanks, sewers, pipes, wires, cables and ducts that serve more than one parcel, the exterior of all common parts of the building, playing fields and recreational areas, driveways, car parks and parking areas, open spaces, landscape areas, walls and fences, and all other facilities and installations and any part of the land used or capable of being used or enjoyed in common by all the occupiers of the building. Charges which means any money collected by the owner, developer, Body or managing agent from the purchaser for the maintenance and management of the building or land intended for subdivision into parcels and common property, will be taken from the building maintenance account which is also known as building maintenance fund after the account is passed to the Joint Management Body (Laws of Malaysia, 2007). 2.2.1  Types of Maintenance According to Gurjit Singh (1996), generally, maintenance management can be approached in the following ways: Cyclical maintenance: this is maintenance for recurring items such as redecoration. Non-cyclical maintenance: this will apply to the items identified in the condition survey and includes items that need major repairs and replacements. Planned preventive maintenance: this is maintenance which is carried out on regular basis to prevent breakdowns. It has the advantage of predicting the loss of facility to the owner and down-time. Emergency maintenance: this is maintenance which is carried out only when there is a breakdown. It is normally expensive and increases the amount of non – productive time. Chanter and Swallow (1996) further explained the types of maintenance according to definitions given in BS 3811 and produced flow charts to summarise the types of maintenance and decision based types of maintenance as below: (1)  Planned maintenance: This is maintenance organised and carried out with forethought, control and the use of records to a predetermined plan. (2)  Unplanned maintenance: Ad hoc maintenance carried out to no predetermined plan. (3)  Preventive maintenance: Maintenance carried out at predetermined intervals, or corresponding to prescribed criteria, and intended to reduce the probability of failure, or the performance degradation of an item. (4)  Corrective maintenance: Maintenance carried out after failure has occurred, and intended to restore an item to a state in which it can perform its required function. (5)  Emergency maintenance: Maintenance which it is necessary to put in hand immediately to avoid serious consequences. (6)  Condition – based maintenance: Preventive maintenance initiated as a result of knowledge of the condition of an item from routine or continuous monitoring. (7)  Scheduled maintenance: Preventive maintenance carried out to a pre – determined interval of time, number of operations, mileage, etc. Figure 5  Decision based types of maintenance Source: Chanter and Swallow (1996) 2.2.2  Maintenance Function Miles and Syagga (1987) mentioned that the function of maintenance can be divided into three groups. These three groups consist of cleaning and servicing, rectification and repair, and replacement. Both authors also added that cleaning and servicing should be carried out regularly and may be combined with a system of reporting faults, so that repairs can be carried out soon after faults become apparent, thereby avoiding the need for more expensive repairs or even replacement at a later stage. 2.2.3  Malaysias Report On Poor Maintenance According to the report from National House Buyers Association (The Star, 2005), residents of Mount Karunmas Condominium fret over cracks in car park. Residents want the developer or maintenance company of the building to rectify the cracks that have appeared on the beams in the car park. Besides the cracks, there was a water leak from the extension joints which were connected to the slabs. In this case, the developer and the maintenance parties did not deliver their duty and responsibility well despites the complaints from the residents and had pin point each other to take hold of the work. In such case, the matter was brought to the press and the local council and the developer in the end stood up rectify the defects and mentioned that defects were only minor cracks.   In another report regarding to maintenance, there was a statement stating that one of the many issues of public concern is how to develop a strong maintenance culture in Malaysia in the interest of public safety and convenience. There was also an addition stating that Malaysia is known as a country which prides itself on the provision of First World infrastructure but not in terms of its maintenance (The Star,24 June 2009) The Star (2009) also mentioned that poor maintenance of children’s playground can result in accidents and injuries. Besides that, poor maintenance of public buildings and infrastructures can also cause accidents, injuries and also flash floods when roads and public drains are not properly maintained. (The Star, 24 June 2009) When maintenance are not done properly, image of the country is also not preserved as tourist would come to Malaysia to visit and this give a bad image to the country when maintenance are poorly done. According to the Star (24 June 2009) improving a country’s image is not only the responsibility of the Government but also the duty of each citizen who must be civic – minded. According to the Star (7 May 2009) former squatters moved into the Putri Laksamana apartments in Batu Caves had to deal with poor maintenance, cracking tiles, water leakages, sewage problems and even snakes entering their houses for four years. According to Sundramoorthy Veerasamy (2009), when they moved into the apartment which comprises of 400 units, many of the units had cracked floor tiles and water leaking from the roof and pipes. There were also drainage and garbage problem, and even though the Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) promised to solve the problem, it has been eight months since the problem have not been solved (Sundramoorthy Veerasamy, 2009). Sundramoorthy (2009) also mentioned that they are losing faith in the councillors and state government finding a solution. From this, Government should be able to come out with a solution to help these residents as they are also the citizens of Malaysia and deserve to live in a properly maintained place. Poor maintenance can also lead to criminal activities. According to the Star (7 May 2009) criminal activities like snatch thefts, break-ins, and motorcycle and car thefts are rampant there and drug addicts and pushers also haunt the area of the apartment. MPS councillor Gopalan Krishnan Rajoo (2009) also mentioned that because there is no Joint Management Body (JMB) for the apartment, it is difficult to solve the problems and residents were urged to form the JMB to bring up the residents’ problems so that they can be solved easily. From this report, it is shown that forming a JMB in a community is important to solve certain problems and that increase in poor maintenance also would increase the crime rate in the area. 2.2.4  Case Study of Poor Maintenance Abdulmohsen Al – Hammad, Sadi Assaf and Mansoor Al – Shihah (1997) in their research which outlines the defects and faults during the design stage that affect building maintenance in Saudi Arabia and their relative degree of importance, came out with a table on the level of importance of design defects on building maintenance. The following tables show the result from the questionnaire done from their research on the defects. From the table above, the maintenance practicality and adequacy which is one of the defect groups rank the highest among the owners. When maintenance are not planned and done adequately, there will be defects and the defects will worsen causing the building to be not safe for the occupants and even aesthetically affected. 2.3  Facilties In Condominium In Malaysia, there are many types of facilities available in a condominium. The National House Buyers Association (2009) mentioned that there are many facilities and services in a condominium, such as lifts, swimming pool, gym, tennis court, landscaped gardens and even security services. Further explanation was that these facilities and services are expensive to maintain. Facilities are actually one of the important key aspects which purchasers will look into when buying a condominium. This is because purchasers have to understand that they when purchasing a unit of the condominium, two things are bought. These two things are the individual unit and the common property which includes all the facilities available in the condominium. Nowadays, facilities play a big role in portraying the image of the condominium. Besides that, facilities available in a condominium also determine and set a standard to the condominium. This can be seen when the low – end condominiums and high – end condominiums are being compared. Types of facilities available will be very different for both types of condominium, where the facilities in the high – end condominiums are more and much better than those of low – end condominiums. 2.3.1  Malaysias Report On Facilities National House Buyers Association (The Star, 2008) reported that hairline cracks have appeared on pillars and car park areas of the Sri Gotong apartment block in Batu Caves for the past year. One of the occupants, Abd Rahman Suraiman, mentioned that the management company Benih Kencana Sdn. Bhd. Should act fast to prevent the situation from getting worse. According to Rahman, who is secretary of the Sri Gotong Apartment Batu Caves Pro – tem Committee, the apartment was supposed to have condominium facilities like swimming pool, recreational area and sauna, but such facilities were lacking and the place was not properly maintained. Rahman also mentioned that the sauna room is locked, the gymnasium equipment is damaged and ever since he started staying there, one of the lifts stopped working and has yet to be repair. This report shows that lacking of facilities in a condominium will also cause dissatisfaction to the occupants. Thus, this kind of problem gives the condominium a bad image. In another report from the National House Buyers Association (The Star, 2004) stated that the local authorities are often hampered in their efforts to build sports facilities when developers, in fulfilling the requirement of providing open areas, allocate land that is too small or narrow. The report also added that local authorities wanted to provide more recreational facilities, especially in housing estates, but were unable to do so in some areas due to the lack of land. Developers would usually tell local authorities that they had carried out their responsibility by providing recreational through building playgrounds which are meant for younger children and this leaves teenagers without a proper place for recreation. According to the report, this could more likely cause teenagers. Therefore, it is wise that the developers to allocate