Two hundred and thirty five of the 320 buyers who turned up for a forum on the stalled Taman Terubong Indah (Majestic Heights) Phase I project at Dewan Tunku in Komtar voted to revive the project themselves.

The purchasers' ad-hoc committee gave them a right to choose from three options--to let the developer, Majestic Heights Sdn Bhd, finish the 80% completed project at its own pace, wait for the Housing and Local Government Ministry to intervene or revive the project themselves.

While the majority chose the third option, 50 went for the first option and 35 for the second.

The project has 1,577 buyers and ballot papers would be mailed to the remaining buyers next week.

Committee adviser Chang Seng Liang said this was the committee's way of being transparent and democratic in its decisions.

He said: "Although we have already been given the mandate to act for some 900 buyers (over two-third majority), we still respect the buyers' preference.

"All the three options are actually bad options. But the most secured one is the third option which could ensure buyers of getting the Occupancy Certificates within 18 months.''

Chang was referring to the option of winding-up the current developer and appointing a professional liquidator to finish the 80%-completed project, adding that this would cost each buyer about RM10,000.

"We (Buyers) have waited long enough. Some buyers had even died waiting for their dream homes.

"A buyer had even committed suicide last year as she could not settle her housing loan instalments,'' he said.

Earlier, the forum, which lasted five hours, turned into a heated debate when several frustrated buyers questioned the loop holes in the Housing Developer's Act 1966 which failed to protect their rights.

One asked, "What's the point of having the key to our units when we can't live in them?''

Bayan Baru MP Wong Kam Hoong, Paya Terubong assemblyman Dr Loh Hock Hun and committee chairman Lim Beng Hong were present at the forum attended by some 550 buyers.

Last month, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting gave the developer and buyers until end of this month to reach an agreement failing which the ministry would intervene.

Ong had said if there is still no resolution, the ministry's Problematic Projects Monitoring Committee chaired by him would exercise its power to settle the matter.