Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting said local authorities would still be responsible for approving development of housing projects and building plans.

"When housing schemes are under construction, local authority officials still have the power to go in and check on compliance of building by-laws.

"The existing rules and regulations governing local authorities are still intact," he told reporters after launching five part-time degree programmes of MCA-run Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (Utar) yesterday.

In a move to overcome the usual delays in CF issuance for housing projects, the local authorities have been relieved from the task of issuing CFs and thus reducing red tape in getting approvals for buildings.

Instead, the Certificate of Completion and Compliance (CCC) will replace the CFs. The CCC will be given by professional bodies like architects and engineers.

Ong said conditions for issuance of the CCC would be the same as stipulated for the CFs.

The Government would not compromise on public safety even though the CF would be substituted with the CCC, he said. - Bernama