Developers may be asked for
deposit 01/03/1997 NST
MALACCA, Fri. - The State Government may require developers to make monetary
deposits to the State in a move to guarantee that they are sincere about getting
a particular project. Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Zin Abdul Ghani said
although there were numerous development projects launched by the Government
and the private sector, there were as many which had been abandoned.
Warning to developers not to
alter topography 02/03/1997 NSUNT
IPOH, Sat. - Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Dr Ting Chew Peh
today warned developers not to alter the topography of a housing estate which
could lead to degradation of the environment and natural disasters such as
flash floods. Ting said under the recent amendments to the Town and Country
Planning Act 1976, developers must ensure that trees, lakes, rivers and, in
some cases, retention ponds, are preserved and not destroyed in the name of
development.
Gerakan suggests commission
to maintain flats 05/03/1997 NST
MALACCA, Tues. - The State Gerakan today called on the Housing and Local Government
Ministry to form a Strata Title Commission which would be given the task of
maintaining flats in all States. State Gerakan chief Chua Peng Song said the
formation of the commission is needed so flats could be maintained effectively.
Tower of uncertainty
05/03/1997 MM
THE fate of a condominium tower built on a sheer cliff in Km14.4 Jalan Cheras
has been hanging in the balance for more than a year. Deemed "unsafe" by a
technical committee of the local government, the 16-storey Tower 4, a twin-block
building in the Venice Hill Condominiums and Golf Resort, is vacant because
no certificate of fitness can be issued.
Firm gets memo to carry out
repairs 05/03/1997 NST-LTIMES
CITY Hall yesterday issued a written directive to the contractor of the proposed
five-storey appartment-cum-office block at Jalan Kasah, Damansara, to carry
out immediate repairs on backyards that have sunk at four adjacent houses.
Its Planning and Building Control Department officers visited the houses yesterday
to inspect the damage.
Prangin Mall: RM6m remedial
work to begin 06/03/1997 NST
PENANG, Wed.- An additional RM6 million will be spent on remedial work to
stabilise the foundation of the RM200 million Prangin Mall project which has
been identified as the most probable cause of cracks in 327 houses nearby.
The Penang Isiand Municipal Council today approved the developers' revised
proposal for the measures which incorporate the installation of a new line
of sheetpiles at the outer perimeter of the site using a new piling technology
with the help of a "silent piler".
Ministry to probe complaints,
says Lim 08/03/1997 BT
PAK Sin Development Sdn Bhd will be taken to court if it is found guilty of
defying the stop-work order issued by the Department of Occupational Safety
and Health, Human Resources Minister Datuk Lim Ah Lek said. Pak Sin Development,
the developer of the commercial and apartment complexes in Kajang, Selangor,
was slapped with a stop-work order on February 17, following an accident at
its construction site which resulted in the death of a worker.
Council to review project plans
08/03/1997 MM
THE Kajang Municipal Council will review the plans for the Winnie Plaza and
City Heights Apartment project following complaints from residents on the
access road. Council president Yusup Badul said of late, the council had received
several complaints on the access road to the project site.
Kept in the dark about condo
project 10/03/1997 NST-LTIMES
RESIDENTS of Taman Seputeh, Kuala Lumpur, want the developer of a proposed
condominum project in the area to provide details of the project as they fear
its impact on the neighbourhood. Seputeh Residents' Association president
Dr K. Kanagalingam said officials from Homemakers Sdn Bhd, which is developing
the project, had told residents about the condominium at a recent meeting.
Proposals for projects on Bukit
Larut approved 15/03/1997 NST
TAIPING, Fri. - The Perak State Government has approved the latest proposal
submitted by a private developer to undertake a RM270 million project to develop
Bukit Larut and the foothills in a bid to attract more tourists to Taiping.
The executive chairman of Kesatuan Guru-Guru Melayu Malaysia Barat Holdings
Sdn Bhd, Nordin Mahmood, said Menteri Besar Tan Sri Ramli Ngah Talib had approved
the project.
Two-tier way to weed out bad
hats 16/03/1997 MB
TWO-TIER system for property developers will go a long way in separating the
wheat from the chaff within the industry. It is hoped that all parties will
support this proposal by Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Dr Ting
Chew Peh. The buoyant property market has made property development a very
lucrative business. Many want to jump onto the bandwagon to cater to the seemingly
unlimited appetite house buyers appear to have.
Test of strength
16/03/1997 SUM
TOUGH. That is what the Sunday Mail discovered after conducting a few tests
to determine the strength and safety of the prefabricated longhouses in Kepong,
Kuala Lumpur. Using a hammer, this reporter was encouraged by the developer,
Magna Park Sdn Bhd, to hit the walls of some of the almost completed longhouses
at random and as hard as possible. And surprisingly, there were no cracks
or holes on the walls despite the hammering.
Abandoned houses to be ready
by June 17/03/1997 NST
MALACCA, Sun. - Taman Bukit Tembakau house buyers, caught in a bind after
the developer abandoned the project in Umbai 12 years ago, can look forward
to moving in after June. Jejaka Megah Sdn Bhd will complete the project and
offer the houses to buyers at the original price.
Ensuring open areas are not
regazetted 19/03/1997 NST
KUALA LUMPUR, Tues. - Some State Governments have taken steps to ensure land
set aside for sports and recreation in housing estates will not be regazetted
for commercial use without good reason. They were responding to Housing and
Local Government Minister Datuk Dr Ting Chew Peh's statement yesterday asking
State Governments to disallow the practice by developers applying to degazette
land meant for recreation areas.
Building work to blame for
road cave-in 19/03/1997 NST
JOHOR BARU, Tues. - Construction work at the project site of the 33-storey
Wisma Matex in the city centre has been identified as the cause of the massive
cave-in in Jalan Trus last Saturday. State Housing, Small and Medium-Scale
Industries and Local Government Committee chairman Adam Abdul Hamid said extensive
digging at the site (to build several levels of underground parking) had affected
the stability of the ground beneath the road.
Authorities told to ensure
developers get strata titles 20/03/1997 NST
SEREMBAN, Wed. - All government authorities in Negri Sembilan must ensure
developers of highrise buildings in the State apply for strata titles upon
completion of their projects. Menteri Besar Tan Sri Mohamad Isa Abdul Samad,
in issuing the directive today, said the State Government was unhappy with
the response from housing developers on to the matter.
Federal Hill project starts
20/03/1997 ST-LTIMES
PRELIMINARY work has started on a proposed RM50 million high-density project
on a 7.43ha site at Federal Hill, Kuala Lumpur, with residents hoping that
the developer will spare most of the trees in the area. Residents want City
Hall to ensure that the project does not affect the green lung which is part
of the bird corridor in the area.
Siah Bros' low-cost houses
sold out 20/03/1997 BT
ALL 3,300 units of low-cost houses at Siah Brothers Corp (SBC) Bhd's proposed
mixed development at the foot of Genting Highlands have been sold out, with
construction completed on about half of them so far. The low-cost houses,
sold at the ceiling price of RM25,000 each, will meet the Government's requirement
for the developer, Ligamas Sdn Bhd, to set aside a portion of its 767.6ha
project for low cost homes.
Affected parties may get data
on cracks 23/03/1997 NSUNT
PENANG, Sat. - The Residents Affairs Committee and the Technical Advisory
Committee of the Prangin Mall and Metrojaya projects will recommend to the
State Executive Council that all raw data on cracks be made available for
inspection by the affected parties. Residents Affairs Committee chairman Dr
Kang Chin Seng said today the residents of each house monitored by the Malaysia
Public Works Institute (Ikram) for cracks should be given the raw data on
the findings.
Ministry probes land clearing
case 26/03/1997 NST
KUALA LUMPUR, Tues. - The Cabinet has instructed the Housing and Local Government
Ministry to investigate a case of land clearing for development in Selangor
which was spotted by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad from a
helicopter last week. Minister Datuk Dr Ting Chew Peh said investigations
at the moment had not revealed who the developer was but his ministry would
be ready to take action against those responsible.
Developer in Hulu Klang told
to stop earthworks
27/03/1997 NST
SHAH ALAM, Wed. - The developer who is undertaking earthworks in the 138 hectares
of land at PT 13431 in Hulu Klang was today ordered by the State Government
to stop all land clearing activities. Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Muhammad
Muhammad Taib said the order was given following the Cabinet's instruction
to the Housing and Local Government Ministry to investigate a case of land
clearing in Selangor
More checks on project sites
to protect environment 27/03/1997 NST
KUALA LUMPUR, Wed. - Concerned with the continuing indiscriminate felling
of trees and levelling of hills, the Cabinet today directed State Governments
and local authorities to step up checks on development projects to ensure
regulations are strictly followed. The Cabinet, at its meeting today, expressed
concern that there were still reports of developers flouting guidelines and
regulations on cutting trees and levelling of hills in the name of development.
Projek terbengkalai kerana
tiada kayu bakau 27/03/1997 BH
MUAR, Rabu - Sekurang-kurangnya lima projek perumahan di sekitar daerah ini
dan Melaka terbengkalai di peringkat awal pembinaan, berikutan tidak ada bekalan
kayu bakau untuk kerja menanam cerucuk, sejak sebulan lalu. Kekurangan bekalan
itu dikatakan berpunca daripada tindakan Lembaga Perindustrian Kayu Malaysia
membekukan permit mengimport bakau dari Indonesia yang selama ini memenuhi
keperluan projek pembinaan sekitar daerah ini.
Kurang bekalan bakau jejas
projek 27/03/1997 HM
MUAR: Banyak projek perumahan di daerah ini yang bercadang menggunakan kayu
bakau sebagai cerucuk, mungkin terbengkalai berikutan kekurangan bekalan bahan
itu dalam pasaran tempatan. Masalah itu terpaksa dihadapi berikutan pembekuan
lesen import bakau dari Indonesia oleh Lembaga Perindustrian Kayu Malaysia
sejak sebulan lalu.
Firm's failure to complete
houses puts 200 in lurch 28/03/1997 NST By Noor Adzman Baharuddin
NIBONG TEBAL, Thurs. - Some 200 housebuyers, mostly pensioners, are being
left in the lurch since 1989 following the failure of a developer to complete
their low cost houses at Taman Kesumba near Sungai Bakap here. A spokesman
for the housebuyers, Mohd Kassim Osman, 55, said they had appealed to Housing
and Local Government Minister Datuk Dr Ting Chew Peh for help but to no avail.
Rumah terbengkalai
28/03/1997
HM
NIBONG TEBAL: Impian empat pembeli rumah kos rendah untuk memiliki rumah sendiri
tidak tercapai apabila mereka meninggal dunia sebelum projek perumahan itu
disiapkan. Pembeli terbabit adalah antara 200 pembeli rumah di Taman Kesumba,
Sungai Bakap, dekat sini terbengkalai sejak lebih lapan tahun lalu.
Bumi quota houses `must be
registered' 28/03/1997 NST
THE State Government will require all housing developers to register their
Bumiputera quota houses which are either ready or under construction with
the Malacca Customary Land Corporation. The move is aimed at preventing such
houses from being sold to non- Bumiputeras.
Errant developers be warned
28/03/1997 NST
IDEALLY, man should leave nature be. But this is an impossibility given the
need for mankind to undertake development and progress. The global scenario
is not a happy one with scientists predicting that there could be more climatic
chaos with global warming caused by increasing degradation of the environment.
Sadly, mankind while acutely aware of the burgeoning threat to the environment
is all talk and little action as manifestly clear after the historic 1992
Rio Earth Summit. At home, there is no doubt that the media is greatly conscious
of its important role in creating environmental consciousness. Write-ups and
exposes could fill volumes. But environmental awareness among the people has
yet to reach a level that we can be proud of.
MB: No indiscriminate opening
of land in State 28/03/1997 NST
PETALING JAYA, Thurs. - Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib
denied any indiscriminate opening of land for development in the State, adding
that projects were being carried out according to guidelines. He said the
State Government was constantly monitoring development projects through agencies
such as the district and land offices and district councils.
Rainforest turns `desert' in
Hulu Klang 28/03/1997 NST
WITH the trees felled and the hills levelled, this "desert" in Hulu Klang
which used to be a rainforest will soon be a concrete jungle, like the one
in the background. It is being cleared for the Ukay Perdana housing project.
Greenery gone
28/03/1997 MM
SCARRED EARTH. These pictures are on the controversial 138-hectare site in
Hulu Klang near Bukit Antarabangsa earmarked for a housing project suspended
following a stop-work order from the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council last Wednesday.
The Taman Ukay Perdana project is developed by Projek Ikatan Rapi Sdn Bhd,
which is also the landowner and managed by listed company, Larut Consolidated
Berhad.
Earthworks on hillslope leave
residents wondering 28/03/1997 MM
EARTHWORK on a hillslope in Taman Seputeh have got residents wondering about
its purpose due to lack of proper signboard on the project. They claimed the
developer, Homemakers Sdn Bhd, also failed to take proper safety measures
in barricading the area when the work started a month ago.
Joint probe on Hulu Klang hill
cutting 29/03/1997 NST
PETALING JAYA, Fri. - A joint investigation between the relevant agencies,
including the Housing and Local Government Ministry, will be conducted on
the indiscriminate tree felling and hill cutting at Hulu Klang, Selangor.
Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Dr Ting Chew Peh said today co-operation
from the authorities was needed. They include the State Government, the Ampang
Jaya Municipal Council, the Department of Environment and the Drainage and
Irrigation Department.
Project not carried out in
proper phases 29/03/1997 NST
KUALA LUMPUR, Fri. - Projek Ikatan Rapi Sdn Bhd, the company developing the
138-ha Ukay Perdana housing project in Bukit Antarabangsa, Hulu Kelang, had
defied a ruling by the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council to carry out the project
in phases. Apart from this, Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad
Taib said the developer had also ignored the council's ruling earlier this
month "to clean up its act."
Is hillslope development getting
out of hand? 29/03/1997 BT
QUITE a number of things happening around us just do not make sense. One of
them has to be the cutting of hillslopes which environmentalists regard as
crucial to maintain the delicate balance of nature, just to satisfy the greed
of developers for more "superfluous" projects like apartments and condominiums.
Joint probe into case of developer
who denuded hill 29/03/1997 BT
A JOINT investigation will take off soon into a case of extensive clearing
of land at Bukit Antarabangsa, Hulu Kelang, Housing and Local Government Minister
Datuk Dr Ting Chew Peh said yesterday. He said the investigation would involve
his ministry, the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council, Department of Environment
and the Drainage and Irrigation Department.
Warnings ignored
29/03/1997 MM
ALTHOUGH the developer responsible for the indiscriminate clearing of a huge
tract of land in Hulu Klang had ignored three warnings by the local authority,
the latter failed to act decisively - until the Prime Minister stepped in.
The Ampang Jaya Municipal Council only issued a stop-work order to Projek
Ikatan Rapi Sdn Bhd on Wednesday, days after Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad
expressed concern over the development he saw from a helicopter.
Too late to do anything, say
villagers 29/03/1997 MM
WHY cry over spilt milk? That's the sentiment of those living near the Ukay
Perdana project. Kampung Melayu Sungai Sering residents said the authorities
should have stopped the work long ago when they had to put up with rock-blasting
and mudfloods besides the loss of greenery.
Penang puts on hold appeal
on RM800m hillslope project 30/03/1997 NSUNT
PENANG, Sat. - The State Government has put on hold a developer's appeal on
a controversial RM800 million hillslope project in Paya Terubong pending the
outcome of a macro level environmental study of the valley. A State Govemment
official told the New Sunday Times today that a decision on the appeal by
Datas tream Corporation Sdn Bhd on density limits would only be made after
the outcome of the study.
`Taiping council members should
quit' 30/03/1997 NSUNT
TAIPING, Sat.- The Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association has called
on the Taiping Municipal Council president and councillors to resign enbloc
over their failure to act against the developer of the Taiping Villa housing
project, alleged to be responsible for mudslide problems faced by residents
residing near the project site. Its secretary-general N. Marimuthu said the
council should shoulder the blame as it should not have approved the project
on the hill, which involved extensive hill-cutting.
Hulu Klang hill-cutting: Selangor
not to be blamed 30/03/1997 NSUNT
KUALA LUMPUR, Sat. - The Selangor Government is not to be blamed for the indiscrimate
felling of trees and hill-cutting by a housing developer in Hulu Klang. Housing
and Local Government Minister Datuk Dr Ting Chew Peh said if anyone was to
be blamed, it should be the developer.
Hillslopes still barren 13
months after order 30/03/1997 NSUNT
KUALA LUMPUR, Sat. - The hillslopes within the Mimaland Golf Resort project
are still barren although 13 months have passed since the Government ordered
its developer, Mimaland Bhd, to stop work for failing to meet conditions of
the Environmental Impact Assessment. A visit to the site showed that some
greenery has returned to the previously barren slopes but large tracts of
land still lay exposed.
Open spaces belong to house
owners 31/03/1997 NST
THE Housing and Local Government Ministry has suddenly realised that it is
more beneficial to maintain open spaces within built-up areas for recreational
purposes than turning them over to developers. It is left to be seen how serious
the ministry is.
Move to check flash floods
31/03/1997 MM
DEVELOPERS carrying out earthworks in Petaling Jaya must build silt-traps
to prevent clogged drains while work is in progress. Petaling Jaya Municipal
Council president Datuk Mohamed Nor Bador said those who fail to comply with
the ruling will be issued with a stop-work order.
Council move to blacklist errant
developers 31/03/1997 MM
THE Selayang Municipal Council will blacklist any developer who ignores the
council's regulations, in the interest of public safety and convenience. "We
do not want irresponsible developers to cause inconvenience to the public,
especially those living in the vicinity of the development projects," said
council president Kasjoo Kadis.
