Ong: We will clarify position of tribunal first

The Star  12/12/2002 By Susan Tam

KUALA LUMPUR: The Housing and Local Government Ministry will seek the advice of the Attorney-General’s Chambers on whether the Housing Tribunal can hear cases involving transactions made before Dec 1, its minister, Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting, said.  

The tribunal was set up under the newly-amended Housing Developers (Control and Licensing) (Amendment) Act 2002, which took effect on Dec 1, allowing house buyers the opportunity to seek redress instead of undergoing a costly court process. 

However, the amendments only apply to sale and purchase (S&P) agreements signed after Dec 1. 

The House Buyers Association had proposed that the tribunal be allowed to hear complaints dating back to almost two and a half years to allow more house buyers to have their problems heard. 

It had also suggested a standard extension of 12 months on top of the 18 months warranty period given after the S&P was signed, to accommodate more issues raised by house buyers.  

Yesterday, Ong gave an assurance that his ministry would not ignore problems that occurred before Dec 1 as they wanted to help house buyers as much as possible. 

He said there was, however, a need to consult the A-G’s Chambers on the legal aspects and the tribunal’s area of jurisdiction. 

Ong also said tribunal chairman Kamaruddin Hashim should be given time to set up facilities and make the necessary preparations to receive complaints from house buyers.  

He was speaking to reporters after opening a seminar on “Fire Safety – Performance-based Approach” organised by the Fire and Rescue Department yesterday. 

On fire safety, he said local universities should consider offering a specialised course in fire safety engineering or set up twinning programmes with foreign universities to increase the number of these experts in the country. 

He said Malaysia was still lacking in qualified fire safety engineers and had to depend on the expertise of foreign engineers. 

He added that at present local institutions only focused on producing basic engineering degree holders in areas such as civil, mechanical and electric and electronic engineering. 

“Most local graduates have a basic degree with working experience in fire safety aspects but do not possess a specialised degree in this area,” he added.