Decision to replace the lift contractor, Royden Sdn Bhd


The JMB has started to bring some changes to Prima. The management has been replaced. The cleaners have been replaced. The lift contractor has also been replaced.

In this blog, I wish to touch on the lifts as lifts are more important to us than anything else in the condo. Without the lifts, all of us will have to use the stairs. Our lives will be affected if the lifts break down very often. The value of our properties will also drop if the conditions of the lifts are very bad. These are the reasons why we must take good care of our lifts.

Why did the JMB make the decision to replace Royden Sdn Bhd with HPL Elevator Sdn Bhd? The first and the main reason that I can think of is the cost factor. It is cheaper to engage HPL. The second reason is that the JMC is not satisfied with the services rendered by Royden Sdn Bhd. Before I went on to say that the decision made the JMB is not a wise one, let me brief you on what these lift contractors do to our lifts. All our lifts need routine maintenance just like our cars, every 5000km, you need to send them to the workshop. Every month, these lift service contractors come to service our lifts. They clean up the lifts, oil them and see that all the components are in good running condition. They also provide breakdown services for 24 hours a day. For these, I think Royden is charging us RM 1000.00 per lift every month and HPL Elevator could be charging us RM 800.00 per lift every month. Our lifts are also under comprehensive cover, meaning we do not have have pay for certain parts which cause the lifts to break down unless those parts are vandalized by irresponsible residents.

Royden Sdn Bhd is the sole agent for Mitsubishi lifts. They install and service only Mitsubishi lifts. They installed our lifts and the parts they use to repair our lifts in the event that the lift breaks down are genuine Mitsubishi parts. They will not use any unauthorized parts in order to cut cost because their partnership with Mitsubishi company will be affected if they do so. It's just like UMW Toyota workshops service only Toyota cars. We are actually very lucky to have Mitsubishi lifts because they are very reliable and their life span is longer.

HPL Elevator Sdn Bhd is an independent lift contractor. They deal with all types lifts. The people who are behind this company could be those who had worked in companies like Royden, Toshiba, Hitachi or Otis for a long time. When they have gained sufficient expertise and experience, they will leave the companies to start their own companies. The parts that they use may not be genuine parts because genuine parts are expensive. They may not be able to source Mitsubishi parts in the market because Royden is the sole agent for these parts. I may be wrong on this. They may also not adopt the standard procedures used by Royden to repair or service our lifts. Simple logic tells us that if you drive a Camry, will you trust independent workshops to service your car.

By replacing Royden Sdn Bhd, we manage to save only about RM2000.00 per month but the price that we are going to pay could be higher. Who understands Mitsubishi lifts better than Royden ? Only time can tell whether our lifts will continue to be in good running conditions. If I have my way, I will not do it. We should not cut cost on lifts. With our fund, we can afford to pay company like Royden to service our lifts. I guess the JMC is too hasty in making such a decision. If they are not happy with Royden, they should hold a meeting with Royden to resolve whatever problems that arise. The lifts at Block A have never suffered any major breakdown that take days to resolve. Hopefully, they remain so for a long time to come. The above issues which I bring up are my personal views. Other residents may beg to differ. Hopefully , there are some M and E engineers out there who can comment on this. I know a lot about lifts because as a treasurer in the JMC for Genting Court we often have meeting with lift contractors.

Goodnight and have a nice day!