A group of housebuyers, who have been waiting four years for their Fettes Villa condominiums to be built, want the developer to refund them their downpayment of between RM12,000 and RM15,000 each.

Their pro-tem committee chairman Ong Kean Wah said yesterday their dream of owning homes had been shattered with empty promises and blind faith as work had not even commenced at the site.

"Many of the buyers, who are living in Pepper Estate, are being served eviction notices by the trustees.

"They are now living in fear as they may become homeless if they are forced to move out,'' said Ong, who headed a group of eight buyers to The Star office here.

He said the refund could be used to help buy other properties where they could move in immediately.

Ong said their sales and purchase agreement stipulated that the project in Mount Erskine would be completed in April last year.

The RM300mil Fettes Villa project, launched in 1996, was to have been developed in two phases, with Phase One comprising 907 condominium units, 363 low-medium cost units and 32 shoplots.

The group also took Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon to task for promising in November that the project would resume if most of the buyers agreed to an offer proposed by the developer, Gewaris Sdn Bhd.

Those who agreed would then sign a supplementary agreement to accept the developer's offer to cut 10% off the sales price and waive the claim on late delivery.

However, Ong said, until now the buyers had not been contacted by the company which had been taken over by a new management.

"We have been in the dark and there is still no sign of construction work. The only thing we can see at the site is green grass,'' he added.

Ong also expressed disappointment with former Gewaris chairman Datuk Ooi Ean Kwong, who had earlier offered to mediate between the new management and buyers. He claimed that to date, nothing had been done.

Another buyer, Ng Fook Chuen, 29, said: "Our dream homes which we had hi bhang (hoped for) has turned into sit bhang (futile hope).''

The production supervisor said he was currently renting a house with his family and brothers in Pepper Estate for RM500 monthly.

"We had planned a three-year budget when we first bought the condominium. Today, our money has been exhausted and we may be evicted any day now.

"Even if the developer resumes the project, we have no money to pay for the other stages. We have spent the money earned through sweat and tears,'' he said.

Another buyer, Yolande Chau, said she was renting a former rent-controlled house where rental had increased by more than 100%.

"We are suffering from having to pay the high rental as we wait endlessly for our own home,'' she added.