AMPANG JAYA: Equip yourself with the necessary knowledge of the law to avoid falling victim to abandoned projects, urges Teratai state assemblyman Jenice Lee.

"Most of the housebuyers are not wealthy. When they buy a house, while waiting for the project to be completed, they have to pay the monthly installments on top of the rental on the place they presently occupy. This is a burden, especially when the project is stalled.

"Sadly, most of them don't know what to do when that happens. That is why it is important for the house buyers to know their rights and what to do when the developer fails to deliver the houses as stated in the contract," she said during a talk on the abandoned projects at the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council.

The talk, which focuses on the reasons and solutions for abandoned project, was part of her programme for public education.

Lee also urge the Government to confiscate the land on which the developer has failed to complete the project within the designated time, citing the Bukit Pandan project as example.

One of the speakers for the talk, Ernest Y.Y. Cheong, a chartered surveyor, said the National Land Code had already granted powers to the government to forfeit and repossess the land of the abandoned projects.

"The problems start when the developer overclaim from the bank. For instance, they claim for a certain level of progress, as certified by the architect, say to the rooftop, but in reality, they have finished only 15 per cent of the project.

"I have came across such cases when we were assigned by the bank to check on the progress of a project and found that there were only piles sticking up. The bank told us the project was supposed to already the roof installed," he said, adding that the developers are also governed by the Housing Developers (Control and Licensing) Act.

During the talk, residents were informed of the action that can be taken against developers who fail to deliver the houses as stipulated.

The house buyers can bring their complaints to the Housing and Local Government Ministry, who will investigate whether the project had been abandoned and whether it should appoint a new contractor to take over the project.

They can also claim for damages for the late delivery of vacant possession by filing a claim at the Housing Tribunal.