Order to stop work issued on housing project

The Star 8/4/2004 By Simon Khoo

Seremban: The state government has issued a stop-work order on the 122 ha township project in Bandar Seremban Selatan here.

Negeri Sembilan Mentri Besar Datuk Mohamad Hasan said the order, effective immediately was issued because construction was not carried out in accordance with proper guidelines.

"The land was given to a local developer for a mixed development project but the firm did not submit any building plans for approval.

"Instead, the developer carried out the project on his own accord and none of the structures in the site are fit for occupation.

"This has been going on for the past two years and I am glad that no untoward incident has happened so far," he told reporters after chairing the weekly state exco meeting in Wisma Negri here yesterday.

Mohamad said the landowner had terminated the service of the local contractor and the state government was looking into ways to help those affected to obtain temporary certificates of fitness (CF).

He said irresponsible parties, particularly developers, would be taken to court for not complying with requirements.

He pointed out that the state government had also detected another housing project in Rembau that had yet to be granted CFs, but the developer had gone missing.

"We will review such projects in the state on a case-by-case basis and will help affected house-buyers get a CF," he said.

A spokesman for Rhombus Bina Sdn Bhd, developer of Bandar Seremban Selatan, declined to comment when asked about its failure to submit building plans for approval.

However, he acknowledged that the firm was late in submitting applications for CFs.

"We have responded to numerous complaints from buyers such as minor defects and apparent cracks on the walls," the spokesman said when contacted at his main office based in Semenyih, Selangor.

He added that the firm was confident that it would obtain the CFs by end of June to enable the buyers to move in.

On a separate matter, Mohamad said he had issued a directive to all business establishment to repaint their premises