Jail culprits in housing, says rep

The Star  04/10/2000

Penang:  A Penang exco member wants developers and professionals responsible for housing project discrepancies to be jailed and their licences revoked for causing hardship to housebuyers.

State Trade, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee chairman Dr Loh Hock Hun said that imposing fines was not good enough in view of the misery caused to thousands of purchasers.

He said that action must be taken against professionals such as architects, engineers, consultants and bankers for failing to uphold their professionalism.

"The culprits must be held responsible as one mistake can cause hardship to many people," he said at a roundtable forum themed Stalled Projects - Whose Remedies organised by Save Ourselves Committee on Monday night in conjunction with World Habitat Day.

Dr Loh said the law must be amended to protect the purchasers and not the developers.

Tanjung MP Chow Kon Yeow said he had proposed in Parliament in March that the Government seriously look into adopting the "build then sell' concept to protect buyers.

Lawyer Lim Kar Cheng said the people should join hands to campaign for the housing development regulations to be amended to protect purchasers.

Another lawyer, Cheah Kah Peng, who is state Keadilan deputy chairman, said the people should use their fundamental democratic rights to make the Government amend the law.