Lembah Beringin housebuyers speak up

The Sun 18/10/2003

Throwing money away

I am one of the unfortunate buyers who is stuck with this Lembah Beringin project. The past five years have been a nightmare, not to mention the strain on our finances. I might as well be throwing money away every month because by the looks of it, we're not getting much help from anyone. It has just become a really bad deal. Looks like housing developers can basically get away from anything! Imagine, according to the law, Lembah Beringin Sdn Bhd will have to pay us damages for late delivery, which now comes up to almost half the cost of the house we bought. That would be great, half my house paid for! You think that will happen? Personally, we don't want the house anymore. The attraction is gone. Even if the house is completed eventually, I foresee it having one problem after another. The bare brick has been left open to the weather for five years. And how strong are the walls and support going to be after being left open to the weather all these years? I definitely do not want to stay there to find out! We just want our money back!

Graeme Sta Maria

via e-mail

Developer still in business

Thank you for bringing our misery to the public's attention. The Housing and Local Government should get tough with the developers of Lembah Beringin. The project has been abandoned, claim the developers, but they continue selling other properties. Can't the ministry cancel their licence? Are they not able to see this default? Must we, the rakyat point out to them their weaknesses? In this case we have, but no action has been taken. Right from the beginning, house buyers have the right approach in meeting with the authorities to see how the problem can be resolved amicably. The ministry has the power to take whatever action it deems fit. More than 900 house buyers in this project have been affected. But the ministry seems to be too complacent on this matter. I am renting a house and paying RM1,200 plus servicing the loan I took to pay for a house which my family should be living in. I hope somebody out there would come to our rescue. Only the House Buyers Association is able to lend us a shoulder to lean on. They have been with us right from the beginning, giving us some form of relief.

JMN-disappointed

via e-mail

Thanks for the support

Thank you very much for the articles on our problem. You are the only one who has supported us. Others are only good at talking. We are really hoping for a quick solution and our money back.

Buyer

Via e-mail

What's the ministry doing?

Since the article "Wind up developer, buyers tell govt"  was published, I have nothing but praises to the reporter for telling the misery some of us have gone through the past five years. I have also called up other Lembah Beringin house buyers and they too have been very frustrated that nobody except for the House Buyers Association has taken up interest in our predicament. Sometimes, I feel that going through the proper channel does not bear fruit. We have had meetings with the Housing and Local Government Ministry several times and even met up with the directors of Lembah Beringin but nothing good comes out of it. And now the developers can say that the project has been abandoned? How can they say that when the recent expo at PWTC and Malpect, L & G are still selling unsold houses in Lembah Beringin? And what is the ministry doing about it? If we look at the housing industry in Malaysia today, we can easily take note that more than 200 projects have been left abandoned. Does the ministry keep tab on these abandoned projects? Or they didn't know about it?

Victim of Lembah Beringin

via email

Disappointed by inaction

I am one of the unfortunate purchasers of a home from Lembah Beringin Sdn Bhd. I am wondering why can't the government especially the Housing Ministry take stern actions against this developer. It will teach other developers to be more responsible and not to mismanage the progressive payments made by the purchasers. What is the point of having a Housing and Local Government Ministry when they can't use the Act on the developer? I have personally met up with an officer from the Public Complaints Bureau , submitting our complaints. I am very disappointed to say, no action has been taken to date. I sincerely hope the authorities concerned will look into the plight of housebuyers like me.

Broke and homeless

via e-mail