19/02/2009 The Star Story and photos by ELAN PERUMAL

BUYERS of houses in a project at Taman Jentayu at Jalan Kebun, near Sijangkang, in Kuala Langat have been left in a lurch after the project was abandoned.

More than 100 buyers bought the houses in 2004 only to find out that five years down the road, the project has not been completed.

The project has been abandoned for almost a year and the buyers claimed they were unable to reach the developer, RIHD Development.

Sorry sight: Some of the houses are only shells and the entire project site is overgrown.

The project is located by the roadside and comprises terrace, semi-detached and bungalow lots. A recent visit revealed that some of the houses were between 50 to 80% complete while other blocks were left with only the framework built.

One section of the project is visible from the road as the hoarding around the project had deteriorated and collapsed over time. Other lots were hidden by the undergrowth.

Two of the lots were accessible via stretches of earth road.

At some parts of the project, the grass had grown to almost two-thirds the height of the houses.

Housebuyer Mohd Sabri Salleh, 36, from Shah Alam said he had paid RM118,000 for a single-storey terrace house at the project in 2004.

Easy access: Even the hoarding surrounding the project has collapsed.

After paying RM265 monthly as progressive payments for 24 months, he said he had started servicing his monthly instalments of RM768 since July last year.

“I thought there would be a slight delay in the handing over of the project as my house was almost 80% complete in July last year but never expected the project to be completely abandoned.

“I have lost hope and stopped visiting the site about three months ago,’’ the dejected factory worker and father of three said.

Sabri added that he was unable to get in touch with the developer and the situation had caused him sleepless nights.

He said he was forced to pay RM550 per month in rent for the house his family is staying in on top of the instalments for the abandoned house.

Ahmad Din, 31, from Jenjarom said his house was on a different lot from Sabri’s and his was only about 50% complete.

He said the project was in a mess and he feared that it would be totally abandoned.

“We are worried and have no idea what is going to happen to these houses.

“We hope that they will not be left to rot, especially now that the site is overgrown with bushes and creepers,” he said.

Telephone calls made to the developer, RIHD Development, went unanswered and a visit to its office at Bayu Perdana in Klang revealed that it was not in operation.

The office is located on the first floor of three-storey shoplot facing Jalan Kim Chuan and had a signboard placed outside the office. The entrance was padlocked.