Developers urged to provide more playground areas
06/04/1994 MM
HOUSING developers have
been urged to be more sensitive to current needs by providing recreational
facilities in their housing projects to promote a healthy lifestyle. Housing
and Local Government Minister Datuk Dr Ting Chew Peh said there are no laws
to make it compulsory for housing developers to do so and that such things
are the developers' social responsibility.
Sluggish property market to blame
07/04/1994 NST
THE sluggish property market in Ipoh has resulted in the failure of the
Bandar Bercantum project and a five-star hotel-cum-shopping arcade in
Greentown, Menteri Besar Tan Sri Ramli Ngah Talib said yesterday. He said
the State Development Corporation (SDC) had already solved the financial and
legal problems involving the former developers of Bandar Bercantum project.
Rejected: 4 appeals on low-cost housing regulation
07/04/1994 NST
KANGAR, Wed. - The Perlis
State Executive Council today rejected four applications from housing
developers to waive the requirement that they include low-cost houses as
part of their projects. The rejected applications included one from the
Perlis State Economic Development Corporation (SEDC).
City Hall to make RM1m yearly from condo project
07/04/1994 NST-CITYX
CITY hall will receive close to RM1 million a year in rental income from the
18 units allocated to it under the Desa Cahaya luxury condominium
joint-venture project in Jalan Ampang. The project is believed to be the
first of its kind in the luxury condominium market with units being given in
exchange for City Hall's participation.
Contractors fined
07/04/1994 MM
FOR felling 1,424 trees along the Jalan Sungei Besi-Jalan Bellamy green belt
area during the ongoing construction of the southern middle ring road
project, the contractors were recently fined RM176,400 by City Hall.
Metramac Corporation Berhad, which employed Ho Hup Construction Company as
its sub-contractor, also had to pay another RM152,100 for the replanting of
the remaining trees in the area in City Hall's parks and nurseries.
Only one highrise housing
project issued strata title
08/04/1994 NST
SEREMBAN, Thurs. - Only one of the 13 completed condominium and flat
projects in Negri Sembilan have been issued with strata titles. State Housing
and Local Government Committee chairman Datuk Hon Choon Kim said developers
of the other projects, which have already been occupied, did not submit applications
for the titles.
`Expedite titles application'
08/04/1994 BT
THE Negri Sembilan Government has ordered the developers of 12 completed
condominium and flat projects in the state to expedite their applications for
the strata titles, chairman of the State Committee on Local Government Datuk
Hon Choon Kim said yesterday. "So far, out of 13 projects completed, only the
200 units of condominium at Blue Lagoon, Port Dickson, has been issued with
the strata titles," he told reporters after opening a day-long seminar on the
Strata Titles Act 1985 at the MPS hall, in Seremban. Hon said it was against
the law for a developer not to apply for the title after the building was completed
and, upon receiving it, they had to co- ordinate the formation of a management
corporation involving the dwellers to look after the building. - Bernama
Architects concerned over rules
09/04/1994 NST
KUALA LUMPUR, Fri. - The
Malaysian Institute of Architects has expressed concern over new guidelines
introduced by some local authorities requiring layout plans to be submitted
by town planners for certain kinds of development as this can result in
abuse. MIA president, Isa Mohamed, said some local authorities recently
introduced guidelines which required such plans to be submitted by town
planners who are corporate members of the Malaysian Institute of Planners
for development of projects more than five two hectarwes in size.
Shah Alam's building guidelines
11/04/1994 NST-CITYX
THE Shah Alam Municipal
Council has prepared a set of guidelines for developers and houses owners
who wish to undertake renovation work.
Put the squeeze on defiant developers
12/04/1994 NST-CITYX
CITY Hall may be fighting a losing battle against errant contractors who toe
the line when enforcement officials are around but return to their old
habits as soon as they leave. A cat-and-mouse game has developed with
contractors cashing in on the belief that enforcement officials may not be
able to efficiently police the many construction projects in the city.
Report on Highland Towers collapse ready
12/04/1994 BT
THE technical committee
investigating the Highland Towers disaster has come out with its report
detailing the causes of collapse as well as pinpointing the parties
responsible. The draft of the report, to be released soon, will be submitted
to the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council on April 15. It will be submitted to
the Special Cabinet Committee on Highland Towers Disaster within a week and
released to the public within a month.
Five housing projects revived
14/04/1994 NST-CITYX By Ramlan Said
FIVE abandoned housing projects, involving low- and medium-cost units, have
been revived in Ampang Jaya. Ampang Jaya Member of Parliament Ong Tee Kiat
said this was made possible with loans from the special fund set up by the
Government to revive abandoned housing projects.
Marina
project to be revived 14/04/1994 BT
THE proposed RM700 million recreational complex and marina project at Port
Dickson, which was abandoned in the 1980s, will be revived in July,
Menteri Besar Tan Sri Mohamed Isa Abdul Samad said yesterday. He said the
project will be carried out on 100 hectares of reclaimed land in three
phases over 10 years by the original developer, PD Land Development Sdn
Bhd, a subsidiary of the Safuan Group. The developer had reclaimed 48
hectares for the first phase development involving a marina with berths
for 150 boats, a handicraft market and apartments, he told reporters after
the State Executive Council meeting in Seremban. He said tenders will be
issued next month for the first phase which will take two years to
complete and cost RM117 million. - Bernama
Making light of a serious issue
16/04/1994 NST-CITYX
THE Chief Minister office, the State Secretariat, Government departments and
businesses have been occupying a building without a permanent certificate of
fitness for occupation (CF) for more than 10 years. Sri Tanjung, like other
Penang residents, was shocked to learn of this. It would have remained
unknown to most people if not for Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP)
president Datuk Tan Gim Hwa.
Hati-hati
pilih kontraktor rumah 18/04/1994
BH By Tengku Fauziah Ngah
KUALA TERENGGANU, Ahad - Semua kerajaan negeri dinasihatkan berhati-hati
memilih kontraktor untuk melaksanakan projek perumahan kos rendah bagi
mengelak projek terbengkalai. Menteri Kementerian Perumahan dan Kerajaan
Tempatan, Datuk Dr Ting Chew Peh, berkata langkah itu bagi memastikan
setiap projek rumah kos rendah siap mengikut tempoh iaitu tidak melebihi
dua tahun.
28 abandoned Sabah housing projects saved
20/04/1994 NST
KOTA KINABALU, Tues. - The
State Government has revived and completed seven of 28 abandoned housing
projects in Sabah, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Yong Teck Lee said. The seven
housing projects comprised 1,091 houses, valued at RM84 million.
Proper implementation of laws vital, Ting tells builders
19/04/1994 BT
LAWS and regulations by themselves cannot cure the ills in the construction
industry and ensure building safety. Rather, those in the industry must also
come to grips with the implementation aspects. Housing and Local Government
Minister Datuk Dr Ting Chew Peh said these include the implementation of
delivery, control and monitoring, human resource development, technology,
and professional standards.
RM9bn projects approved
19/04/1994 BT
THE Johor Government has
approved some 100 projects worth RM9 billion to be developed in the state
during the next nine years. Menteri Besar Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the
projects, including property development in major towns, have been assessed
by the State Government's privatization committee before approval. The State
Government is confident that under the programme, development in the city
will be balanced with that in the other towns more quickly, he said at the
earth-breaking ceremony at the Metro Larkin privatized project in Larkin.
Muhyiddin also said developers of property like office buildings should fix
reasonable rental rates so that they will not turn into white elephants. -
Bernama
28 abandoned Sabah housing projects saved
20/04/1994 NST
KOTA KINABALU, Tues. - The
State Government has revived and completed seven of 28 abandoned housing
projects in Sabah, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Yong Teck Lee said. The seven
housing projects comprised 1,091 houses, valued at RM84 million.
Nod for Bandar Sunway flats expected
20/04/1994 MM
THE Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS) appears set to clear the
final major hurdle to the issuance of certificate of fitness for its Bandar
Sunway flats. It is in the final stage of discussions with the Fire Services
Department to agree on the action needed to be taken to enable the housing
project to meet fire safety standards.
Ting: We can achieve housing target
21/04/1994 NST
KUALA LUMPUR, Wed. - In a turnaround to what had been forecast earlier, the
Housing and Local Government Ministry today said it was confident of
achieving its target of constructing 343,800 low-cost houses by the end of
next year, with the RM1.4 billion allocation for the project in the 1994
budget. Its Minister, Datuk Dr Ting Chew Peh, said to date, about 40 per
cent of the houses had been built and the allocation had given a tremendous
boost to the completion of the remaining 60 per cent.
MPPJ acts against errant developer
22/04/1994 NST-CITYX
THE Petaling Jaya
Municipal Council (MPPJ) will be acting against a housing developer for
constructing four additional apartments in Subang Indah without prior
approval. Councillor Datuk Megat Najmuddin Datuk Seri Megat Khas said the
developer, Prisma Development Sdn Bhd, had flouted the building approval
plans by constructing the additional apartments.
Council takes builder to task
22/04/1994 MM
THE developer of an
apartment project in Subang Indah near Bandar Sunway has incurred the wrath
of the Petaling Jaya Municipal Council for building "extra" units on the
sly. It is now saying "enough is enough" to such deviations from original
building plans and will penalise any developers for doing this.
Builders: Stricter rules may ultimately hit buyers'
pockets
25/04/1994 BT
SOME contsruction
companies in the country are of the view that the tightening of the present
system and procedures of planning approval, design review, safety inspection
and quality control in building construction will affect the end consumer.
They said the weaknesses inherent in the construction industry are known but
due to the fierce competition among developers, especially in open tenders,
developers have little choice but to come out with designs aimed at
attracting the customer at low prices.
Osu: Developers reluctant to build low-cost houses
28/04/1994 NST
KUALA LUMPUR, Wed. - The
Government is not happy with the level of co- operation from private
developers in helping the poor to own houses under the low-cost housing
scheme. Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister Osu Sukam said today
the private developers had yet to show encouraging support for the policy to
enable the poor to own houses.
Private developers not sincere: Deputy minister
28/04/1994 BT
WHILE state governments have responded positively to the Federal
Government's plans to build more low-cost houses, private developers are
still not sincere in helping meet the housing needs of those in the lower
income group. Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister Osu Sukam said
private developers are trying to avoid building low-cost houses although the
state governments are providing land for their development.
More than 500 file complaints against developers last
year
29/04/1994 BT
MORE than 500 irate
housebuyers filed complaints against developers with the Ministry of Housing
and Local Government last year. Its minister Datuk Dr Ting Chew Peh said
most of the complaints were on shoddy workmanship, late delivery of homes
and problems with the sales and purchase agreement.
More
complaints against developers 29/04/1994
NST
KUALA LUMPUR, Thurs. - More than 500 complaints were filed with the
Housing and Local Government Ministry last year against developers and the
number is expected to increase, Minister Datuk Dr Ting Chew Peh said
today. With the upward trend in consumerism and housebuying, he said it
was only "logical" that the number of complaints against developers
increased too.
`Rich' residents top defaulters' list
29/04/1994 NST-CITYX
PROPERTY owners in posh
residential areas in Ampang Jaya continue to top the list of assessment
defaulters in the municipality. Among the areas are Taman Melawati, Taman
Tun Abdul Razak, Ampang Indah and Taman Permata.
Petaling in a fix over relocation of squatters
30/04/1994 NST-CITYX
THE Petaling District
Council is unable to resolve the issue of how to relocate 44,000 squatters
in the district. In one area, the delay in relocating 20 to 30 squatter
families has held back health, education and fire department projects.
Suitable trees for city centre
30/04/1994 NST
PLUMERIAS of various
flowering types were planted in Kuala Lumpur before the 1960s, but not many
were planted after the 1980s for reasons only the city authorities
themselves know. Why none of these medium-growing and very free-flowering
trees that hardly require much maintenance and attention is being planted in
our city landscape is something of a mystery because their flowering
capacity and ease of maintenance are so obvious to any landscaping
department.
The link road must go, firm told
30/04/1994 MM
THE developer of Taman Puchong Jaya has run into a snag - a link road they
are building has run across an expressway reserve and they have been told to
scrap the road. Kesas Sdn Bhd, the company awarded the contract to build the
35km Shah Alam Expressway, has already told the developer, Dynamic
Management Sdn Bhd, that the link road has to go.
