No unfair price hikes warning
The Star 19/04/2004 By Foong Pek Yee
KUALA LUMPUR: Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong
Ka Ting has warned developers against “simply hiking up” the price
of houses following the increase in the price of steel bars.
He was responding to reports quoting the Real Estate and Housing
Developers Association's RM8,000 increase per residential unit
following the mounting price of steel bars.
Ong said developers would not be allowed to raise prices for unsold
units within an apartment block or those which came under the same
parcel of land.
“Selling the same units at different prices is unfair to buyers,” he
said.
Nevertheless, Ong said his ministry would consider the merits of
applications to review the price of residential units if developers
had obtained the housing developers’ licence and sale and
advertising permit but had yet to start selling.
Developers were not allowed to sell above the maximum price stated
in the permit.
Applications for new licences and permits would be monitored to
ensure the hike in steel bar prices did not result in an unfair
increase in the price of residential units, he said.
The price of low-cost houses which was capped at RM42,000, would
remain despite the hike in the price of steel bars, Ong said
yesterday.
Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Mohd Shafie Apdal
announced the steel bars' price hike last Wednesday.
The price of the raw material increased from 26.9% to 30.3%, from
between RM1,175 and RM1,139 per tonne to between RM1,531 and RM1,675
per tonne.
The price for billets was raised by nearly 50% from between RM875
and RM970 to between RM1,294 and RM1,389.
In another development, Ong, who is also the MCA president, said the
committee to study the proposed merger of the MCA and Gerakan, which
was represented by MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy
and Gerakan deputy president Datuk Kerk Choo Ting, would continue.
He was responding to Gerakan president Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik's
suggestion on Saturday that the merger talks be “upgraded” to
involve the presidents of both parties.
Ong said he and Dr Lim could always meet for discussion, adding that
they sat beside each other during Cabinet meetings. |
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