Mayor: Architects to be made accountable for certifying building safety

The Star 02/01/2004

By CHOW HOW BAN at the Shah Alam City Council Full Board Meeting

SHAH Alam Datuk Bandar Datuk Salamon Selamat said the certificate of fitness (CF) would be replaced by a document called Borang F from Jan 15.

He said the use of Borang F would be made compulsory for all private consultants and developers for the certification of whether a house or building was completed or fit for occupation.

“In the past, CFs are issued by the Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) but now the accountability will go to the architects.

“They will be responsible to ensure that a building is in order,” he added.

Salamon said seven sets of Borang F needed to be filled up by the consultant, the Malaysian Architect Authority and the rest by MBSA’s building, engineering, health, and property assessment and management departments.

A set of Borang F costs RM70.

During the meeting, Salamon also announced that MBSA was following in the footsteps of other local authorities by introducing a one-stop centre (OSC) to clear certificate of occupation and building plans.

He said the move was in line with the Federal Government’s directive to improve its present delivery system and to enhance the public sector’s efficiency.

“The one-stop centre will be set up at the municipal and state level.

“The function of the OSC (one-stop centre) in the local government is to receive applications for building plans and certificate of fitness and forward them to the technical agencies or relevant parties for processing.

“The OSC also acts as a coordinator to supervise and monitor the applications forwarded to the relevant parties.

“After that, the centre will gather feedback from the agencies and process the applications according to the guidelines,” he said.

Salamon said the OSC would update the Housing and Local Government Ministry on the status of the CF applications and building plans approval besides sending the ministry a monthly report containing analysis of the problem encountered and suggestions to improve the system further.

The one-stop centre aims to speed up CF issuance to 14 days after an application is submitted.