SPNB sets target to finish projects

The Star 27/2/2003 BY ZAZALI MUSA in Batu Pahat, Johor

MINISTRY of Finance Inc company Syarikat Perumahan Negara Bhd (SPNB) is targeting to complete the 97 abandoned housing projects nationwide within the next two years. 

SPNB assistant general manager (project rehabilitation) Mohd Amin Mohd Salleh said that as of December last year the company had completed and handed over 15 of these projects to the buyers.  

He said work on six projects in Batu Pahat, Cheras, Klang, Semenyih, Labuan and Se- remban, comprising 2,485 houses was being carried out and buyers would probably get their houses this year. 

SPNB hoped to complete at least 23 projects this year, he added. 

“The 97 housing projects comprise 32,460 houses worth a total of more than RM3.2bil,” Amin told StarBiz at the recent signing of Akujanji (I agree) letter of consent by 82 buyers of Taman Suria Emas near Batu Pahat.  

Amin said that by signing the letter of consent affected house buyers were giving their consensus to let the company take over the ownership of the project and continue with the balance works. 

He also said the Housing and Local Go- vernment Ministry would this month allocate between 20 and 50 abandoned projects to the company.  

SPNB administration assistant (project rehabilitation) Ahmad Azlee Ahmad said the awarding of projects came under the purview of the Housing and Local Government Ministry and the money from the Finance Ministry's Tabung Pemulihan Projek Terbengkalai (abandoned projects rehabilitation fund). 

He said the timing of completion was largely determined by how long the projects had been abandoned and at what development stage they were when left by the previous developers. 

Azlee said the company even handled projects that had been abandoned since the 1980s, noting that a higher degree of damage was likely the longer a project had been neglected. 

“The crucial part involves the legal work such as locating the project developers and obtaining their consent to carry out the balance works by transferring the ownership of the projects to us,” he said. 

Azlee said that locating these developers was quite a task and time consuming as most of them had closed shop and were nowhere to be found. 

He said upon getting the transfer of ownership of the company SPNB would locate the affected house buyers for their consent to rehabilitate the project. 

Even if one buyer refused to sign, the company could not proceed with the job, he added. 

“Generally, house buyers are cooperative and place their trust in us as most are quite frustrated, having waited for their houses to be completed for more than five years,” said Azlee.