Ka Ting: Ministry’s task to
address housing industry problems first
11/11/2000
NST
The Government will focus on improving the regulations governing housing
developers first before it considers proposals for another Act to regulate
other sectors of the property development industry.
Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka
Ting said: “The immediate task of the Housing and local Government
Ministry is to put the housing industry in order first before even
considering an Act to regulate the commercial and industrial sectors.”
He was speaking in response to a call for a Property
Development Act to be introduced to regulate not just housing
developments, but all other aspects of property development.
“Another Act would mean additional responsibility on the
Ministry’s part and we must seriously consider if we are capable on taking
this on at present. Even the name of the Ministry will have to be changed
if we are going to take up the task of regulating the entire property
development industry,” he said at a Press conference after opening the
Malaysian Property Expo 2000 organised by the Real Estate and Housing
Developers Association (Rehda).
He said the issue had been brought up by various parties
involved in drafting the amendments to the Housing Developers Act but the
consensus was to concentrate on the housing industry for the time being.
On the status of the amendments to the Housing
developers Act, Ong said the Ministry was “more or less in the final stage
if the first draft” Ong was still fine-tuning it based on feedback from
various parties.
“After this, we will embark on the preparation of the
final draft to be submitted to the Attorney-General’s Chambers,” he said.
Commenting on the call for a Property Development Act,
Rehda President Datuk Eddy Chen Lok Lai said: “The commercial and
industrial sectors are too complicated to be regulated by just one single
Act. Several Acts will have to be enacted to manage the complexities of
issues such as strata titles, pricing, by-laws and internal agreements by
shopping complexes and commercial buildings…the list goes on.”
He added that at present, the Housing Ministry was
directing all its efforts towards putting the housing industry in order,
and he doubted its capability to regulate the entire property development
industry for the time being.
A property consultant said over legislation of the
property industry was not the answer to addressing the weaknesses inherent
in property development.
“Introducing more legislation to govern property
development will only make it more difficult for genuine developers to on
with the job of meeting the niche market needs of property investors,” he
said.
He said the Government’s focus for now should be on
tightening loopholes and enforcing the law governing housing development. |
