Wong raps PDC over housing woes

The Star 7/12/2005

THE Penang Development Corporation (PDC) came under fire over its deplorable blocks of flats in Bayan Baru.

Wong Mun Hoe (BN-Pantai Jerejak) said PDC had shirked its responsibility when it came to the management of the blocks which were mostly located at Jalan Tengah, Bandar Bayan Baru and Jalan Mahsuri and built in the mid-70s.

He said residents at 92% of the blocks had expressed strong disappointment with the way PDC had been managing their blocks and handling issues such as maintenance and security.

“I'm very disappointed that PDC has not taken the lead to show us an example of what a good developer is all about, at least when it comes to the important issue of managing properties and issuing strata titles,'' he said when taking part in a debate on the state budget for 2006.

He said PDC had taken a short cut way by issuing the strata titles and rushing the residents to form their management corporations (MCs).

“The transfer of the strata titles and the formation of the MCs have been done in an unprofessional way.

“Almost all the strata titles were only issued over the last five years, which is almost 20 years after the blocks were built,'' he said.

Wong urged the state to form a special committee to look into and address the pro-blems faced by residents of the 51 blocks.

On another issue, he proposed that the state form a company and invite Penangites to invest in the company to build the state's second bridge.

“If just 50% of Penangites which works out to 700,000 people were to invest RM3,000 each in the company, we would have something like RM2.1bil.

“If the 75 Penang-based public-listed companies invested RM5mil each, it will mean we will have a further RM375mil which will be enough for us to build the bridge,'' he said.

Wong added that if this was achieved, it would be history in the making as it would the bridge of the people, for the people and by the people.