Syabas reduces form filling by going digital

KUALA LUMPUR: Developers will now have to fill up 11 instead of 31 forms when applying to Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Syabas) to take over the water supply system from them.
This simplified take-over process was developed by Syabas development department and came into effect on Jan 1.
Syabas executive director for planning Sanusi Suleiman said the reduced number of forms for inspections and testing promises a more efficient take-over.
They are being used for all new projects while existing ones continue to use the old forms until the end of the take-over process.
The move will reduce paper handling and safekeeping of forms, and besides removing the need for multiple approvals the developers will also get their test results in a shorter time, he said at a briefing for representatives of real estate and housing developers as well as plumbers' association.
He added developers will now have more time to spent on ensuring compliance rather than completing the forms.
Sanusi said the new filling system will be gradually replaced with the use of mobile devices to record and submit site inspection and test results via online facilities.
He added the online system will fix an inspection date and appointed officer will inspect the site at random.
"This will prevent the possibility of developers 'choosing' their favoured inspector or blaming Syabas of fixing the inspection date at its own convenience," he said, adding they expect the entire take-over system to be recorded online via mobile devices by July 2016.
He also announced that Syabas has introduced an online submission channel for developers and plumbers to apply for water supply.
Meanwhile, the Real Estate and Housing Developers' Association Malaysia (REHDA) deputy secretary-general Tiah Oon Ling described the moves taken by Syabas as good.
"We have been voicing our concern to Syabas that there are just too many forms to be filled, for many years. Finally there is good news that they are intending to go paperless in future," he said.