Buyers of stalled project seek minister's help

16/12/2003 The Sun

PETALING JAYA: Buyers of the abandoned Lembah Beringin housing project want to meet Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting to find a way to get their money back.

In a letter to the minister, Lembah Beringin House Buyers Pro Tem Committee chairman Gevanantham Marimuthu said previous meetings chaired by Deputy Minister Datuk Peter Chin were not carried out in the interest of the house buyers "but more the developer at the expense of the buyers".

"Our contract will be statute barred by March 2004 under the Limitation Act, after which we will be un-able to enforce our rights under the contract. We've been advised to take legal action but few buyers can afford that option," Gevanantham said.

He said the house buyers are turning to the minister as a last resort be-fore they take the matter to the higher authorities.

Previously, the committee and the House Buyers Association called on the ministry to wind up Lembah Beringin Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Land & General Bhd, for abandoning the housing project.

In response, Chin said on Oct18 the ministry wants to revive the project and will only use its-powers to wind up the developer as a last resort.

According to Chin, the ministry had appointed Syarikat Perumahan Negara to study the feasibility of re-vitalising the project.

Gevanantham said the buyers do not support the proposal as they are no longer interested in the project.

Launched in 1996, the project, comprising some 900 housing units, was due to be ready in 1998. About 70% of the units were sold before the project was stalled during the 1997 financial crisis.