Bill needs more work, says Ong

19/04/2006 The Star

THE proposed Building and Common Property (Maintenance and Management) Bill, which aims to accommodate developments in the housing sector, needs to be studied further.

Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting said the Bill was finalised by the Attorney-General’s Chambers in September last year but its tabling was delayed because of several emerging factors.

Among the developments is the introduction of the term “gated community”.

This, he added, involved amendments to the Strata Titles Act, among others.

Ong said the Bill needed to be tabled in Parliament in toto with amendments to the Strata Title Act.

“The Prime Minister had advised the ministry to replace the Certificate of Fitness for Occupation (CFO) with a system that would reduce bureaucracy,” he told Tan Kok Wai (DAP – Cheras).

“There are also technical matters that need to be looked into before we can present the Bill to Parliament, although the A-G’s Chambers has already studied it.

Ong added that once the Bill was passed, the authorities would be able to create a commissioner of buildings who would oversee the management of high-rises.

The proposed Bill is aimed at alleviating the maintenance and management problems for stratified property owners.