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SPEECH TEXT
by Secretary-General, Chang Kim Loong
National House Buyers Association, Malaysia
Taman Putrijaya Cheras Phase 3 & 4, Handover of Keys Ceremony
15th June, 2003 10.30am


Salam Sejahtera

YB Dato’ Peter Chin Fah Kui, Deputy Minister of Housing & Local Government
Ir. Yusof Ali, Bahagian Pengawasan dan Penguatkuasa, Min. of Housing and Local Government
YB Dato’ Hoh Hee Lee, Assemblyman for Balakong
Pn Bibi, Wakil Majlis Perbandaran Kajang
Ir Foong Choy Chye

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Introduction

HBA thank the chairman, Ir. Foong and Taman Putrijaya Protem Committee for inviting us to this event on this Father’s Day Sunday morning.

I am Chang Kim Loong, the secretary-general of National House Buyers Association and I would like to take this opportunity to introduce my fellow Council members, YBhg Brigadier-General (R) Datuk Goh Seng Toh, Mr. Albert Soo and Mr. Wilson Tan.

Before we go any further, let me impart some information on what our association is all about. HBA is a national, non-profit, non-government, non-political, voluntary public interest organization incorporated in and under the laws of Malaysia. Our motto is “strive for buyers’ rights and interests”. All HBA Central Executive Council, are unpaid volunteers donating their time, money, and resources for the success of the organization.

House Buyers Unite

We are proud that Ir Foong the chairman and prime mover of this housing project’s committee is also one of our council members. And we are glad too that this committee headed by Ir Foong has successfully heeded our call that house buyers unite and formed Taman Putrijaya Cheras Phase 3 & 4 PTC. This is one of our success story. Without the few interested and dedicated house buyers in any problematic project to spearhead the forming of a committee, the probability of getting anywhere would be so slow or nothing.

Form community groups

We have always advice house buyers to form groups. We advocate self help as complete reliance on others, such as developers or the authorities, to look after your interest is not wise. Your resident group should act as the “eyes and ears” of the authorities. A united group with common interest generates synergy that equips you to better resolve outstanding issues. House buyers have the advantage of numbers. Even political pressure may be generated because, as the saying goes, politics is a game of numbers.

Form groups to stand up and demand for better services from your developer. Or, from your local council. This one here is a call by the Minister in the Prime Minister’s department, Datuk Seri Rais Yatim, just recently published in the media. Every housing project, big or small, becomes a community of owners sharing common areas, roads, parks and woes (if any). With such shared ownership comes shared responsibility and co-owners must come together in an association to protect their interest.

Culture change

More often than not, ordinary owners are only interested in their purchase and most do not consider their part in the community. Some has never lent a helping hand, but enjoy it when the committee has worked hard to achieve success. Some, once they have gotten their property, they don’t care any more and becomes incommunicable. This culture must change as the caring for one another in the community can only improve your life and not make it worse.

From our dealings with aggrieved house buyers, we found out that some of them when faced with problematic projects become ashamed to even talk about one of the most significant financial crises they are facing. House buyers after house buyers revealed how the situation has done to them, not only financially but emotionally. They are afraid to appear to be foolish and victims of wayward Developers. However, hiding your head in the sand, will not solve problems. Think about your children, your children’s children. Do you want them to go through the same problems you have experience? We at the HBA, hope not. Our strongest objective is that the future generations of house buyers will have it easier and that is in: stronger protection through the laws; full support of the monitoring and enforcement departments and unity of informed house buyers.

Developing community

In the quest for making profits, developers usually forget they are creating new communities every time a new project is launched. Unfortunately, many developers do not understand the importance of working with owners so that they will be prepared for community living.

In fact, some developers to do not want to encourage such associations and refuse to recognise these associations of buyers for fear that they will be too conscientious in reviewing the developer’s activities. Although, the house buyers will still be able to connect with the rest, it is a time consuming way. We urge the Ministry of Housing to make it compulsory for developers to release the list of buyers in projects with problems when requested. This will save everyone involved a lot of time and trouble.

How Local Councils can help communities

Local Council must acknowledge the fact that house buyers (a.k.a rate payers) are the basis for their existence. Whenever aggrieved house buyers seek their existence, they should render their services to them dutifully and expediently. In actual fact, Local Councils should be the first to know if house buyers are facing problems in a project in their area.

Conclusion

In ending, we would you like to remind you all that this event here today is also the opportunity for you to know your neighbours. You have shared hard times, share the good times too. Keep the committee active & alive with “gotong-royongs”, family days, environmental care days, etc and take turns to volunteer in the community.

You are also welcome to help other house buyers by volunteering with HBA. We hope to be invited to more functions like this. It is so much refreshing to see faces of happy house buyers.

Thank You.

 

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