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SPEECH TEXT
By Secretary-General, Chang Kim Loong
National House Buyers Association, Malaysia
Bandar Mahkota Cheras Protem Committee 1st General Meeting,
7 December 2003 3:00pm
Ladies and Gentlemen,
HBA thank the Pro Tem Committee, the Protem Chairman, Mr Lee Ee Sing for inviting us to this gathering of house buyers.
I am the Secretary –General of National House Buyers Association. My name is Chang Kim Loong and I would like to take this
opportunity to introduce my fellow Council members, Tan Chong Leng & Suzie Low.
For those who do not know what National House Buyers Association – in short ‘HBA’ – is, let me give you a short introduction. HBA
is a non-profit, non-government, non-political, a national 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. We are formed to help house buyers understand their
rights according to the law. For more information on HBA’s aims & objectives, activities etc., you can surf our website at
www.hba.org.my
Ladies & Gentlemen,
We are glad that your committee headed by Lee Ee Sing has successfully heeded our call that house buyers unite and form groups.
Without the few interested and dedicated buyers in any project to spearhead the forming of a committee, the probability of getting
anywhere when dealing with issues and betterment of your neighbourhood would be slow or nothing. Whenever a new development is
developed it means a new community of people and their families. New friends, neighbours are made. A united group with a common
interest generates synergy that equips you to better resolve outstanding issues. Together, house owners have the advantage of
numbers. Even political pressure may be generated because, as the saying goes, politics is a game of numbers.
Ladies & Gentlemen,
Developers, as their after sales service, can do their part to help the owners form owners associations. Wise developers know that
their own interest in the project is short term - to sell and make a profit - whereas for the purchasers, their interest is long
term. The buyers and their families are the ones who would be living in the community.
Unfortunately, many developers do not understand the importance of working with their buyers so that the buyers would be prepared
towards community living. Indeed, some developers do not want to encourage these associations of buyers by refusing to recognize
them for fear that they will be too conscientious in reviewing the developer's activities.
At HBA we have always advocate self-help as complete reliance on others, such as developers or the authorities, to look after the
owner's interests is not wise. Your owner’s group should act as the “eyes and ears” of the authorities. 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 the unity of informed house buyers.
Most of you who are gathered here today, want to find out how you can serve your new community. You want to know too, what are
your rights when, and if, the terms in your sale and purchase agreement have been breached. It has become the norm and policy of
lots of developers to offer a percentage of compensation instead of the full compensation as stipulated by the Housing Development
(Control & Licensing) Act, 1966. That is not correct. Compensation for late delivery claims is stated clearly in the stipulated
Contract of Sale. Our opinion is that buyers should not be made to suffer first by having their property delivered late and then
suffer again when the late delivery compensation is not immediately given full heartedly. When one purchases a property from a
particular developer, one actually supports the developer and their project and becomes their customer. Is this the way they
reciprocate to their customers and supporters?
Ladies & Gentlemen,
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.
Keep the community active & alive with “gotong-royongs”, family days, environmental care days, fight crime days, etc., and take
turns to volunteer in the community. To achieve this, your passion in your community must be consistent and not because you want
to settle your own problems first. Communication should be maintained and regular get-togethers conducted to compare notes on the
happenings with their property and in the project. As an organized group, you would want to work with your developer for the
betterment of your community. As this Ethiopian proverb goes, “When spiders unite, they can tie down a lion”.
Thank you. |
