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.
