HBA: Enforce housing development laws

The Sun 16/06/2003 By Arion Yeow

Petaling Jaya: The government can enact all the laws it wants but these rules will not be worth the paper they are printed on if not enforced.

This was the response of the House Buyers Association (HBA) to the Housing and Local Government Ministry's plan to fast track approvals for development plans and Certificates of Fitness.

"Guidelines need enforcement," HBA secretary-general Chong Kim Loong said of minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting's recent announcement for one-stop agencies to approve development plans within 12 weeks, ensure that CFO inspections are conducted within four weeks and CFO applications are approved within 14 days.

According to Chong, article 25 of the Uniform Building By-laws 1984 was amended about two years ago to speed up the process but was not properly enforced by errant local authorities who continued to delay the process.

"We welcome the idea of one-stop agencies but steps must be taken to make sure that local councils adhere to the guidelines.

"It all boils down to enforcement ...  the system is not working because errant local councillors are not taken to task for defying the law ... many local authorities continue to make their own rules and set special fees for approval," he said.

"It is about time the Housing and Local Government Ministry take proactive steps to ensure transparency."

Asked if HBA believes that the amendments made on Dec 1 to the Housing Development (Control and Licensing) (Amendment) Act 2002 was successful in curbing abuses by errant developers, Chong said: "As members of the public, we don't know yet. The ministry should highlight cases of developers taken to task by by the new laws."