Ipoh land deal
under agency's investigation 01/01/1998 NST
IPOH, Wed. - The State Anti-Corruption Agency is investigating the alienation
of 10.4ha of land in Jalan Tun Dr Ismail-Jalan Golf to certain people by the
State Government. State ACA director Shaharudin Puteh confirmed that a report
had been lodged by DAP Teluk Intan Member of Parliament M. Kulasegaran today.
Govt memory
lapse? 03/01/1998 MM By Rosma Omar
THE Selangor Government seems to have a short memory. Even policies made two
years ago have been forgotten. This memory lapse has led to it approving the
application by Sime-UEP to convert Taman Subang Ria, a 15-year-old 40-hectare
recreational park in Subang Jaya, for mixed development.
Poser over
nod for Subang Ria project 03/01/1998 NST-LTIMES By Nuraina
Samad
WHY the Selangor Government approved the application by Sime-UEP to develop
Taman Subang Ria is a mystery. It is unimaginable that the State Executive
Council approved the project with the knowledge that the Petaling Jaya Municipal
Council under which the area was previously administered, had rejected applications
by Sime-UEP to develop it. What could have possibly possessed the State Executive
Council to approve the application knowing fully well that Subang Jaya is
so overdeveloped and Taman Subang Ria is about the only green area left for
residents.
State Govt:
Subang Ria development not approved 04/01/1998 NSUNT By
Sa'odah Elias
SHAH ALAM, Sat. - In a curious turn to the Subang Ria controversy, the State
Government today said it had never approved any application from Sime-UEP
to develop the recreational area for commercial purposes. The State Exco for
Local Council, Urbanisation, Infrastructure and Squatters, Datuk Fuad Hassan,
said as far as the State Government was concerned, the status of the land
remained that of recreational.
Stop-work order
on builder lifted 05/01/1998 MM
THE stop-work order slapped on a developer of five projects along Jalan 16/9,
Petaling Jaya, for breaching planning conditions has been lifted. Petaling
Jaya Municipal Council public relations officer Satiah Abdullah said they
issued the order to Phileo Damansara developer on Oct 18.
New committee
to assist housing industry 06/01/1998 NST
THE Housing and Local Government Ministry will set up a committee to assist
the housing industry and ensure there are no abandoned projects as a result
of the economic situation. Its Minister Datuk Dr Ting Chew Peh said yesterday
the committee would provide advice and assistance to developers and buyers
who might face problems including getting loans from financial institutions.
Move to save
houses from collapsing 06/01/1998 MM
U-SHAPED concrete channels will be placed along the critical stretch of Sungai
Kerayong to prevent 18 houses in Jalan Bunga Melati 2 in Taman Maju Jaya,
Ampang, from collapsing. Ampang Jaya MP Ong Tee Keat said the 18 houses were
seriously affected due to erosion of the river banks.
Affordable
homes for everyone 06/01/1998 BT
NOW, why are we arguing about how much a low-cost house should cost? And why
are we arguing at a time when the economy is bracing itself for a rough patch,
when people are losing jobs or earning less, when inflation is seeping in
and when there is supposed to be a moderation in the demand for property.
Logically, we should be discussing how the national target for low-cost houses
can be met, how low-cost flats or apartments need not look cheap and seedy
and how we can ensure a continuous supply of building materials and avoid
the hoarding and shortages that have caused these materials to cost more than
they should. It is good, therefore, that Housing and Local Government Minister
Datuk Dr Ting Chew Peh has announced that the ceiling price for low-cost homes
will not be reviewed at the moment. Following this decision, those who had
initiated the call for the increase should perhaps channel their energy and
resources towards trying to resolve other aspects of the matter. The Kelantan
Government, the Penang Builders and Building Materials Dealers Association
and others who might have asked the minister to review his decision, need
to re-assess the situation and their stand on the issue.
MPPJ may take
legal action 06/01/1998 MM
LEGAL action will be taken against developers of five projects along Jalan
16/9, Petaling Jaya for breaching the Petaling Jaya Municipal Council's (MPPJ)
planning conditions. Council president Datuk Mohamed Nor Bador said the developers
were issued numerous warnings against working on Sundays.
Developer slapped
with RM230,000 claim 07/01/1998 MM By Jasni Rahim
UMNO members of Kampung Tengah Baru in Puchong are demanding more than RM230,000
in compensation from Sime-UEP whose poor drainage and irrigation, they claim,
has caused their village to flood twice. That does not include the compensation
they will ask for losses in the third flood which hit their village last Monday
afternoon.
Worry over
these areas too 09/01/1998 MM
THE Malay Mail has reported many cases of ungazetted green lungs being threatened
by development. Though some of the attempts were unsuccessful, residents are
still worried about losing them if the areas are not gazetted immediately
Cheaper, faster
way of building houses 13/01/1998 NST By Noor Adzman Baharuddin
BUTTERWORTH, Mon. - A builder has come up with a cheaper and faster way of
building houses using "Lego"-like moulds of plastic and aluminium. Wong Chee
Fatt, 42, says this can cut costs by up to 15 per cent and speed up construction
time.
Talks soon
on future of Taman Subang Ria 14/01/1998 NST-LTIMES
THE Subang Jaya Municipal Council will meet Sime UEP Berhad officials soon
to discuss the future of the controversial Taman Subang Ria. Council president
Ahmad Fuad Ismail said the developer will be asked if it had plans to upgrade
or develop the park for the benefit of residents.
UDA flat dwellers
have no electricity for months 15/01/1998 NST
JOHOR BARU, Wed. - About 200 residents of a new block of flats in Bandar Baru
UDA will literally not see the light during the coming double festival. This
is because their apartments in the housing scheme have still not been connected
with electricity, although it has been between four and six months since they
moved into their units
`Speed up issue
of CFs' 19/01/1998 BT
INFORMATION Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Rahmat has called on the local authorities
to expedite the issuance of certificates of fitness (CFs) to house buyers
in the city. He said there were several cases in the Pulai parliamentary constituency
where house buyers resorted to staying in their houses even though the premises
did not have water and power supply due to the absence of CFs. Speaking to
reporters in Johor Baru on Saturday night, Mohamed, who is the Pulai member
of Parliament, said the problem should be dealt with promptly to reduce the
effect of the present economic downturn. "The local authorities should not
take too long to process the CFs. In the present economic situation the people's
confidence in the Government must not be affected," he said. - Bernama
Stalled projects
in Kelantan to be revived 20/01/1998 BT
THE Federal and Kelantan governments yesterday set aside their ideological
differences and reached an agreement to continue with the development projects
that were stalled since Pas took over the administration of the state in 1990.
The agreement involving the 13 projects was reached at the inaugural meeting
yesterday of the Federal Government-State Government Joint Committee, which
was set up with the consent of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad
and the State Executive Council.
27 housebuyers sue State,
contractor for negligence
21/01/1998 NST By Annie Freeda CruezShah
Alam, Tues - Twenty-seven housebuyers of a mixed housing project in Taman
Alam Jaya, Sabak Bernam today filed three civil suits in the High Court against
the Sabak Bernam District Council and Pingat Warisan Sdn Bhd for breach of
contract and negligence.
Ting: Don't
peg issuance of CFs to non-technical matters 22/01/1998
NST
PENANG, Wed. - Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Ting Chew Peh today
urged State and Local Government authorities not to peg the issuance of Certificates
of Fitness for buildings to non-technical matters. "The issuance of CFs should
not be pegged to the developer's compliance of State Government policies like
low-cost housing quotas
Ting: Housing projects will
not face problems 26/01/1998 BT
THE Government is now better prepared to prevent developers from abandoning
housing projects in the wake of the economic slowdown, Housing and Local Government
Minister Datuk Dr Ting Chew Peh said yesterday. He said measures adopted by
the Government following 400 cases of abandoned housing projects during the
economic recession in the 1980s would ensure that the industry would not face
a similar problem.
Kerajaan yakin pemaju mampu
laksana projek 26/01/1998 BH
GOPENG, Ahad - Kerajaan yakin kegawatan ekonomi sekarang tidak menimbulkan
masalah projek perumahan terbengkalai seperti dialami ketika zaman kemelesetan
ekonomi pada pertengahan 1980-an dulu. Menteri Perumahan dan Kerajaan Tempatan,
Datuk Dr Ting Chew Peh, berkata jangkaan itu berdasarkan keupayaan peruntukan
Akta Pemaju Perumahan yang mewajibkan semua pemaju membuka Akaun Pemajuan
Perumahan yang diseliakan oleh bank pada awal 1990-an.
Slowdown won't affect housing
projects 26/01/1998 NST
GOPENG, Sun. - The Government is confident that the current economic situation
will not result in abandoned housing projects like that experienced during
the recession of the mid-1980s. Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk
Dr Ting Chew Peh said this was because all developers were required to open
a housing development account whereby they deposited a certain amount of the
project money and were not allowed to withdraw the money without good reason.
