S'gor MB: We will blacklist errant developers

The Star 12/02/2001

PETALING JAYA: The Selangor government will not hesitate to blacklist developers who do not abide by the regulations and conditions set by the authorities, Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo said yesterday.

He said companies would also be fined if they started selling low-cost bumiputra houses without government approval.

"The welfare of the people is more important. On abandoned projects, we are monitoring the situation and urge contractors, land owners and municipal councils to help develop the land as planned,'' he said citing the abandoned projects in Sungai Kurun and Sungai Way as examples.

Dr Khir said 20 projects in Selangor would be revived and work would begin in July.

He was talking to reporters after inspecting low-cost apartments in Damansara Damai in Sungai Buloh yesterday.

Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) President S M Mohamed Idris said the Government's decision to revive abandoned housing projects was a welcome move but called for tighter housing laws to avoid schemes being abandoned.

He said the Housing and Local Government Ministry must ensure that developers had adequate funds before they embarked on housing projects.

Housebuyers Association Secretary-General Chang Kim Loong said the revival was commendable but there should be a guideline to determine which project should be revived.

"The ministry should draw up the criteria on these projects as there are many abandoned housing projects in the country,'' he said yesterday.

On Saturday, the Syarikat Perumahan Nasional said that the Government had decided to revive 41 abandoned housing projects beginning May.

According to SPN managing director Mohd Zaihan Mohd Zain priority was given to the projects which were either 95% complete or had been abandoned for more than 20 years.