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GENERAL NEWS REPORTS
(2001)

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CF given but apartments still without utilities 01/03/2001 The Star By S. Vinotha
Certificates of Fitness (CFs) for Pangsapuri Perdana apartments in Section 13, Shah Alam was issued by the Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) last December but there's no water and power supply yet.

Housebuyers can seek help of panel over abandoned projects 01/03/2001 NST
MALACCA, Wed. - Housebuyers who are facing problems due to abandoned or delayed projects can seek the assistance of the newly formed committee on abandoned and delayed housing projects. Chief Minister Datuk Wira Mohd Ali Rustam said the State-level committee, chaired by the State Housing, Local Government and Environment Committee chairman, Datuk Mo'min Abdul Aziz, comprised representatives from the Land and Mines office, Housing division, the State Public Works Department and also district council presidents  

A `green card' to enter building sites 01/03/2001 BT
PROPERTY buyers who want to check on the development status of their investments are in for a surprise if they simply drop by the construction site. Effective early this year, the soon-to-be property owners are barred from setting foot in these sites without proper documents, or what the contractors and authorities call a "green card".

Monitoring hillside projects 02/03/2001 NST-CITY
A SPECIAL department will soon be set up to monitor development projects carried out on hillsides in the Selayang Municipal Council area. Council president Bakaruddin Othman said the new department will be placed under the council's Building and Planning Department.

Venice Hill condo buyers in a dilemma 03/03/2001 NST
Purchased a unit in Venice Hill Condominium and Golf Resort's Tower 10 during the economic crisis of 1998 paying RM155,000. I

Completed but still waiting for approval 03/03/2001 NST
PURCHASERS of about 550 units in two blocks of the Venice Hill Condominium and Golf Resort in Ulu Langat, Selangor, are in a quandary as the project that was launched in the mid-90s and is virtually completed still has not obtained the required building plan approvals. Venice Hill Residents Association (VHRA) assistant secretary Teh Chee Tong said official letters had been sent to the developer seeking clarification on the building plan approval for towers nine and 10, but no reply has been received to date.

`Developers must landscape green lungs' 04/03/2001 NSUNT
PETALING JAYA, Sat. - State Governments and local authorities need to make more effort to encourage developers to reserve 20 to 40 per cent of their land for green lung projects. At the same time, it is the developers' responsibility to landscape the area with plants and provide facilities including a playground, basketball and volleyball courts and a jogging or cycling track.

Low-cost housing poser 04/03/2001 NSUNT
TIME and again, Government officials have blamed developers for the shortage of low-cost housing, saying they are not abiding by the stipulated quota. The quota varies from State to State. In Selangor, the law requires no less than 30 per cent of all units in housing projects to be in the low- cost category. In Johor, it is 20 per cent.

`No shortage in the supply of building materials' 07/03/2001 BT
BUILDING material manufacturer Goh Ban Huat said that there is enough supply of building materials to cater for almost all sectors in the property industry and for future property development projects. "Even during the previous economic slowdown, we hardly had any shortage in the supply of building materials. What we had was excessive supply as many property development projects were put on hold or abandoned," group general manager Tan Ah Chuen said.

Selling fully-equipped homes 07/03/2001 BT
THE idea of selling a fully equipped home by property developers may be new in Malaysia but not in other parts of the world, especially for high- end condominium units. The move will also help improve the furniture industry which has been pinched by the recent economic slowdown.

Terraces with thought 07/03/2001 MM-CLAS
STATISTICALLY, seven out of every 10 terrace houses in the Klang Valley are renovated soon after an owner takes vacant possession, but this ratio might be lower in Taman Seri Tanming, a 14.2 ha freehold residential scheme taking shape near Bandar Tun Hussein Onn in Cheras. Such is the thought towards spatial layout and maximised efficiency given by its developer, the Tanming Group, for the project's second phase comprising 94 units of double-storey terraces. For starters, instead of the ubiquitous 20ft wide unit, Tanming is offering dimensions of 21ft by 70ft. The extra foot in width might not sound like much, but take a look at the sample house built on site during the 10am to 6pm opening hours, and you'll be able to appreciate the fact it makes for a more practical - albeit slight - living environment.

Pembeli rumah Taman Indah diminta akur peraturan 07/03/2001 BH
RAUB, Selasa - Pembeli rumah di Taman Indah, Simpang Kallang di sini, diminta akur dengan beberapa peraturan ditetapkan kerajaan untuk memastikan kerja memajukan semula 309 unit rumah yang terbengkalai di situ sejak 10 tahun lalu, dapat diteruskan segera. Selain pembeli terpaksa menandatangani beberapa borang yang membabitkan Akta Tanah, mereka juga diminta bersetuju terhadap perubahan tapak rumah berdasarkan pelan yang disediakan pemaju baru yang dilantik iaitu Amalina Holdings Sdn Bhd.

Malacca to enforce strata title ruling strictly but eases payment  08/03/2001 NST
THE Malacca State Government will step up enforcement of a ruling that requires developers to submit applications for strata titles when they apply for building plan approvals for stratified units. Chief Minister Datuk Wira Mohd Ali Rustam said this is to ensure that strata titles for the projects were issued at the same time as the certificates of fitness.

Striving for a `win-win' solution 09/03/2001 NST
SUNGEI BESI, Thurs. - The Housing and Local Government Ministry will strive to find a "win-win" solution between housing developers and buyers to satisfy both parties. Its Deputy Minister Datuk M. Kayveas said the proposed housing tribunal to arbitrate disputes between buyers and devolopers was one way in which this could be achieved

Houseowners should seek help of tribunal 09/03/2001 The Star By V.K. Chin
The decision of the consumer tribunal to order a businessman to compensate his client RM5,000 for unsatisfactory work on an extension to his house could have far reaching consequences on the industry.

Committee bid to manage condo 09/03/2001 MM
FED up with the poor service, residents of City Gardens Condominium have formed an action committee to take over management of the building. At a recent meeting, representatives of 43 condo owners elected a seven- member pro-tem committee.

Hillside development blamed for flood woes in Puchong  09/03/2001 MM
PARTS of Puchong are flood-prone but new developments on Bukit Cemi are compounding matters. And getting the worse deal are two villages at Batu 14 Jalan Puchong. Both areas were hit by a big flood on Feb 26, said Serdang MP Datuk Yap Pian Hon.

Kementerian kesan 493 projek swasta terbengkalai 09/03/2001 BH
Hingga akhir 1999, sebanyak 493 projek perumahan swasta dikesan terbengkalai. Jumlah ini membabitkan 96,247 unit rumah, 61,348 pembeli dan kos projek bernilai RM5.72 bilion. Daripada 493 projek terbengkalai itu, sebanyak 317 berjaya dipulihkan dan 19 projek dalam proses pemulihan iaitu diambil alih pemaju lain. Ini bermakna, sebanyak 157 projek masih terbengkalai dan daripada jumlah itu, sebanyak 46 projek dikenal pasti berpotensi untuk dipulihkan, manakala 111 projek lagi sukar dipulihkan.

Pemuda saran percepat pulih rumah terbengkalai 09/03/2001 Berita Harian
Pembeli rumah yang terbabit dengan projek perumahan terbengkalai ketika ini sudah pasti menanggung beban hutang kerana terpaksa membayar balik pinjaman perumahan yang dibuat dengan institusi kewangan bagi tujuan itu.Jika masalah ini dibiarkan berlarutan, hasrat kerajaan untuk melihat semua rakyat negara ini memiliki rumah sendiri sudah tentu sukar dicapai.

Kajang Council offers partial remedy to Venice Hill problem 10/03/2001 NST By Jennifer Gomez
A Partial remedy to the plight faced by owners of Venice Hill Condominium and Golf Resort in Ulu Langat, Selangor has been offered by the Kajang Municipal Council.

Selangor In Move To Speed Up Land Titles 12/03/2001 The Star By Elan Perumal
THE process of issuing land titles will be expedited under a move to allow private surveyors to conduct surveys in Selangor, said Mentri Besar Datuk Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo. Dr Khir said the move was aimed at cutting down red tape in the processing of titles.

Revival of housing projects gives hope to buyers 13/03/2001 The Star
HOUSE buyers whose schemes have been abandoned can look forward to these projects being revived by the National Housing Corporation which has been put in charge of dealing with this problem.

Inspect site, builder told 14/03/2001 NST-CITY
SEGAMBUT Member of Parliament Dr Tan Kee Kwong has urged the developer of Menara Megah Condominium, Hong Leong Property Management Company, to make a site inspection of the high-rise building and hear the many grouses of the residents there. The 335 residents of the two 20-storied blocks recently highlighted some of their problems, especially the 50 percent hike in maintenance fee and lack of strata titles for their five-year-old units, to Tan.

RM232m property unsold in Malacca, according to survey 15/03/2001 NST
MALACCA has 2,590 units of unsold residential, commercial and industrial property worth RM232.26 million, according to a property stock survey conducted by the state branch of the Real Estate and Housing Developers Association (Rehda). Of the total volume, residential units numbering 2,424 make up 93.6 per cent.

Land of errant firms to be taken back 16/03/2001 MM
TWO plots of land on which low-cost projects have been delayed for nearly 10 years will be taken back by from the developers who failed to fill their quota. Petaling Jaya Municipal Council councillor Dr Wong Sai Hou said the Selangor Government has asked the Land Office to handle the matter.

Six developers have yet to finish their projects 16/03/2001 MM
SIX developers in Petaling Jaya have yet to build low-cost projects in their development areas. Of these, two will have their plots taken back or acquired by the State. "The remaining four are on private land and the council is negotiating with three others to fulfil their promise," said councillor and Damansara Utama Assemblyman C.K. Lim.

Developers taken to task for empty promise 17/03/2001 NST-CITY
DEVELOPERS involved in new housing projects around Taman Murni in Kajang were taken to task for not keeping to their promise of maintaining the retention ponds and silt traps. They had, at a meeting with the Kajang Municipal Council on Jan 9, promised that they would improve the drainage system and repair the retention ponds and silt traps within a month.

Customer service comes first at Talam, Europlus 17/03/2001 NST
"HOUSING and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting is happy with our Customer Service Centre," proclaimed Tan Sri Chan Ah Chye proudly about his newly launched service designed to serve over 80,000 homes developed by Talam Corporation Bhd and Europlus Bhd, which he controls. The service makes Chan one of the few property developers to have identified and tackled what, until now, has been described as the critical missing link in the delivery of mass housing. 

Negative reaction to green card system 17/03/2001 NST
THE Construction Industry Development Board's modus operandi in implementing a "green card" identification system for workers on construction sites has drawn the ire of builders in the country. "We are not against the introduction of the system, which we believe is one way of ensuring that the construction industry is educated on safety requirements.

Abandoned project buyers to get help from state govt 17/03/2001 The Star By Mazni Mustafa
IPOH: About 400 people who bought low-cost houses in a project abandoned seven years ago in Silibin may soon see their dream of owning a house come true, thanks to the Perak Government. Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Tajol Rosli who visited the project site on Thursday promised the buyers that the government would either help to identify a new housing site or low-cost units for them.

SPN to build 10,000 low-cost housing units for the poor annually 18/03/2001 NSUNT
IF all goes as planned, tens of thousands of lower-income earners will be able to purchase affordable housing units in the next few years. Syarikat Perumahan Negara Berhad, which has been given the task of providing low-cost housing nationwide, will be building a minimum of 10,000 units a year.

Abandoned housing projects to be revived 19/03/2001 NST
TAIPING, Sun. - The Housing and Local Government Ministry will revive all abandoned housing projects in the country, said its deputy minister Senator Datuk M. Kayveas. Kayveas said while the Government had wanted to provide better houses for all, there were errant developers who had flouted the law causing hardship to purchasers.

More duties for developers under amended Act 19/03/2001 The Star By Sim Leoi Leoi
PETALING JAYA: Developers will be expected to shoulder "additional duties'' under proposed amendments to the Housing Developers (Control and Licensing) Act. The changes will enable better enforcement to clamp down on errant developers.

Ministry to collect more details on abandoned projects 20/3/2001 The Sun
The Housing and Local Government Ministry plans to collect first-hand reports from housebuyers affected by abandoned housing projects nationwide. Its deputy minister, Datuk M. Kayveas, said today “we want to have the human touch and understand the problems directly, instead of just seeing statistics for abandoned projects”.

New law should give house buyers a better deal 20/03/2001 NST
MY sympathies to R. Wati who has been waiting in despair and frustration for the Certificate of Fitness for a house since December 1998 (NST, March 1). I am also in the same predicament, maybe worse off in many ways. I have to fork out late payment fees of RM3,173.31 for an offence beyond my control (late conversion from Bumiputera lot to international lot by housing developer) and RM645 as maintenance for a house that has yet to receive CF.

No compensation for delay 22/03/2001 NST
ON behalf of house buyers, I would like to thank the Government and specifically Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting, the Minister of Housing and Local Government, for having issued Press statements recently giving assurance to house-buyers that action will be taken against errant housing developers who fail to hand over vacant possession of houses within the time frame stipulated in the sale and purchase agreement or fail to pay compensation for late delivery of completed houses. I am a pensioner who booked a three-room apartment in a five-storey block somewhere in the Subang area just before the beginning of the economic slowdown in the year 1997.

Abandoned PD hotel projects to be revived 23/03/2001 NST-CITY
ABANDONED hotel projects in Port Dickson will be revived soon, with more watersports activities being held to attract tourists, Menteri Besar Tan Sri Mohamad Isa Abdul Samad said Tuesday. He said the Negri Sembilan Government was working closely with developers to revive projects which were abandoned during the economic slowdown.

Work resumes on Villaria PJ condo project 24/03/2001 NST
PURCHASERS of 283 units in Anson Perdana Berhad's Villaria PJ Condominium project in Petaling Jaya can lay to rest their concern about the future of the project as the developer has resumed construction and has indicated it will deliver the completed units by the end of 2002. Work on the medium-cost apartment project developed by Anson Perdana subsidiary TD Management Sdn Bhd had stopped for some time and a number of anxious purchasers had expressed their fear and concern that it had been abandoned.

Flats owner's heartache 24/03/2001 MM
NOT only were his hopes dashed, a would-be first-time home owner is much poorer now. When lorry driver Yew Ah Onn, 50, bought two units of low-cost flats in 1998, he thought he was finally able to own a home for himself and his family.

Lodge complaints, lawyers urge 24/03/2001 MM
A LAWYER from the developer's law firm confirmed that the Lingkaran Nur housing project had been abandoned and taken over by the Selangor Government last year. "We have had some purchasers coming to inquire and asking for refunds of their deposits. But we could not do anything as the agreements were signed when the project licence was still valid," she said.

No sight of low-cost houses 26/03/2001 MM
IN 1982, the Bukit Kiara estate residents were told by the Government to vacate their place to give way for development. They were given `temporary' shelter at the Bukit Kiara longhouse for a monthly rent of RM45 and promised a low-cost unit within the next five years.

Valuers can help FIs reduce risks in loans 26/03/2001 NST
PROPERTY consultants can assist financial institutions (FIs) to reduce uncertainties associated with lending to property developers for their projects. By doing so, a recommendation in Bank Negara's financial masterplan regarding the establishment of a risk-distribution mechanism to reduce risks to the FIs will be achieved, said Elvin Fernandez, president of the Association of Property Consultants in the Private Sector (PEPS). 

Developers to face stern action  26/03/2001 The Star 
The names of two developers of low-cost homes in Petaling Jaya have been submitted to the Selangor Government for action after they failed to deliver the units on time. Petaling Jaya Minicipal (MPPJ) councillor Dr Wong Sai Hou said the council had submitted their names to the land office recently, requesting stern action to be taken.

Malacca to revive abandoned housing projects 26/03/2001 The Star By Devid Rajah
MALACCA: The state executive council will carry out routine visits to abandoned and delayed housing project sites to ensure their revival and completion. Chief Minister Datuk Wira Mohd Ali Rustam Ali said all abandoned or delayed projects would either be monitored by him or State Housing Committee chairman Datuk Mo'min Abdul Aziz.

Work to resume on delayed housing projects 26/03/2001 MM
FOUR long-delayed low and medium-cost housing projects in Petaling Jaya will be completed within a year. These are the medium density low-cost flats at the police reserve land near PJS2, Taman Mentari in Taman Medan, near Kampung Lindungan and on a vacant land in Jalan Klang Lama

Striving for affordable and quality homes 26/03/2001 The Star By S.C. Cheah
STAFF of Talam Corp Bhd and Europlus Bhd have been recently wearing large round badges with the groups' logo "Striving for Affordable and Quality Homes''.

Kementerian perketat pengeluaran lesen pemaju 26/03/2001 Berita Harian
Kementerian Perumahan dan Kerajaan Tempatan mengklasifikasikan projek terbengkalai kepada empat kategori iaitu projek baru dikenal pasti, projek dalam kajian kemungkinan, projek sedia untuk dipulihkan dan projek sedang dalam pembinaan.

Little or no recourse for house buyers 27/03/2001 NST
THE Chief Secretary Tan Sri Shamsuddin Osman's directive to government departments to serve the public efficiently is welcome news. Hopefully this will lead to better rapport with the public and project a more dynamic civil service. It is time for staff of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government to take note. Strangely, ministry officials have been oblivious to the numerous complaints published in the mainstream media.

10 years and still waiting for title from Land Office 27/03/2001 NST
FIRST of all, there was the issue of incomplete houses and then the question of strata titles. Now, we hear problems about Certificate of Fitness. There is too much talk, but no real action by the authorities to resolve these problems. The laws are too loosely laid down and this has caused house buyers unnecessary hardship.

Low-cost flats auctioned off 30/03/2001 MM
DO some background checks before you buy any property. The Malay Mail reported last Saturday that lorry driver Yew Ah Onn was one of the buyers of a low-cost flat which was later abandoned.

Legalising an illegal building 31/03/2001  NST
I RECEIVED a couple of e-mails recently from readers of this column, who wanted to know how to go about "legalising" an illegal building. The query was in response to a recent article published in the New Straits Times about problems faced by purchasers of the Venice Hill Condominium project in Ulu Langat, Selangor and the partial solution offered by the Kajang Municipal Council. An illegal building (to wit, a building erected without an approved building plan) can be "legalised" if the building owner is subsequently given time by the local planning authority to apply for the requisite planning approval.

 

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