The Star Penang 13/5/2004
THE presence of illegal structures at a housing project in Taman
Pekaka in Sungai Dua, Penang, may delay the issuance of strata
titles by the relevant Taman Pekaka Block 31 Residents’ Association
chairman Peter Lim Keat Wee said the developer had constructed the
structures after obtaining the Occupational Certificate (OC) of the
last two blocks in March last year.
He said Block 31 which comprised three 22-storey towers and a
five storey low-rise apartment were occupied by more than 2,000
people in 544 units.
“The developer failed to comply with the original plans submitted
to the Penang Municipal Council and all our efforts to settle the
problem with the developer have failed.
“We fear that we will not be able to obtain the strata titles
with the presence of the illegal structures,'' he said at a press
conference recently.
Lim said among the illegal structures were the parking area drawn
on the driveway, a motorcycle shed erected at an open space in front
of Block 31D and the guard house at the main entrance which was not
built according to the plan.
Lim said he had written a letter to the council on March 25
informing them about the matter and the council had sent three
notices on April 10 and another two on April 29 to the developer
urging the company to demolish the illegal structures.
“After receiving the first order by the council to demolish the
motorcycle shed, the developer had handed out survey forms to the
unit owners asking whether the company should abide by the council's
notice or appeal to the council to allow them to have the shed,'' he
added.
Lim claimed he had also obtained a copy of the original map of
the plan approved by the council from the state Land and Mines
Department.
“I had also lodged a police report on December 2003 after finding
out that the developer had invested a sum of RM233,651.08 from the
sinking fund in a unit trust.
“A report was also submitted to the Land and Mines Department
which issued a warning letter on April 13 to the developer stating
that money collected from the unit owners has to be kept in a bank
as fixed deposit and not for investment purposes,'' he claimed,
adding that they would be handing a protest letter to the developer
urging the company to demolish all the structures as soon as
possible.
The company's general manager Cheng Chip Khiang refused to
comment on the matter when contacted.
