SPEECH TEXT
By Secretary-General, Chang Kim Loong
National House Buyers Association, Malaysia
Bandar Mahkota Cheras Protem Committee 1st General Meeting,
7 December 2003 3:00pm
Ladies
and Gentlemen,
HBA thank the Pro Tem Committee, the Protem Chairman, Mr Lee Ee Sing for
inviting us to this gathering of house buyers.
I am the Secretary –General of National House Buyers Association. My name
is Chang Kim Loong and I would like to take this opportunity to introduce
my fellow Council members, Tan Chong Leng & Suzie Low.
For those who do not know what National House Buyers Association – in short
‘HBA’ – is, let me give you a short introduction. HBA is a non-profit, non-government,
non-political, a national voluntary public-interest organization incorporated
in and under the laws of Malaysia. Our motto is “strive for buyers’ rights
and interests”. All HBA Central Executive Council, are unpaid volunteers
donating their time, money, and resources for the success of the organization.
We are formed to help house buyers understand their rights according to
the law. For more information on HBA’s aims & objectives, activities etc.,
you can surf our website at www.hba.org.my
Ladies & Gentlemen,
We are glad that your committee headed by Lee Ee Sing has successfully heeded
our call that house buyers unite and form groups. Without the few interested
and dedicated buyers in any project to spearhead the forming of a committee,
the probability of getting anywhere when dealing with issues and betterment
of your neighbourhood would be slow or nothing. Whenever a new development
is developed it means a new community of people and their families. New
friends, neighbours are made. A united group with a common interest generates
synergy that equips you to better resolve outstanding issues. Together,
house owners have the advantage of numbers. Even political pressure may
be generated because, as the saying goes, politics is a game of numbers.
Ladies & Gentlemen,
Developers, as their after sales service, can do their part to help the
owners form owners associations. Wise developers know that their own interest
in the project is short term - to sell and make a profit - whereas for the
purchasers, their interest is long term. The buyers and their families are
the ones who would be living in the community.
Unfortunately, many developers do not understand the importance of working
with their buyers so that the buyers would be prepared towards community
living. Indeed, some developers do not want to encourage these associations
of buyers by refusing to recognize them for fear that they will be too conscientious
in reviewing the developer's activities.
At HBA we have always advocate self-help as complete reliance on others,
such as developers or the authorities, to look after the owner's interests
is not wise. Your owner’s group should act as the “eyes and ears” of the
authorities. Our strongest objective is that the future generations of house
buyers will have it easier and that is in: stronger protection through the
laws; full support of the monitoring and enforcement departments and the
unity of informed house buyers.
Most of you who are gathered here today, want to find out how you can serve
your new community. You want to know too, what are your rights when, and
if, the terms in your sale and purchase agreement have been breached. It
has become the norm and policy of lots of developers to offer a percentage
of compensation instead of the full compensation as stipulated by the Housing
Development (Control & Licensing) Act, 1966. That is not correct. Compensation
for late delivery claims is stated clearly in the stipulated Contract of
Sale. Our opinion is that buyers should not be made to suffer first by having
their property delivered late and then suffer again when the late delivery
compensation is not immediately given full heartedly. When one purchases
a property from a particular developer, one actually supports the developer
and their project and becomes their customer. Is this the way they reciprocate
to their customers and supporters?
Ladies & Gentlemen,
In ending, we would you like to remind you all that this event here today
is also the opportunity for you to know your neighbours. Keep the community
active & alive with “gotong-royongs”, family days, environmental care days,
fight crime days, etc., and take turns to volunteer in the community. To
achieve this, your passion in your community must be consistent and not
because you want to settle your own problems first. Communication should
be maintained and regular get-togethers conducted to compare notes on the
happenings with their property and in the project. As an organized group,
you would want to work with your developer for the betterment of your community.
As this Ethiopian proverb goes, “When spiders unite, they can tie down a
lion”.
Thank you.
