Manpower not house buyers’ problem

The Star 12/08/2002

PETALING JAYA: House buyers should not be the victims when developers face an acute shortage of manpower due to the recent exodus of illegal foreign workers, said House Buyers Association secretary-general Chang Kim Loong.  

“They are governed by the sales and purchase agreement. If developers fail to deliver on time, they have to pay for late delivery,” he said. 

“How developers employ their workers is of no concern of the buyers. They are only the recipients of the end product. 

“Good developers should have complied with the regulations in the first place,” he said. 

He advised potential house buyers to adopt a cautious attitude due to the uncertainties in the industry. 

“The lack of manpower could delay the delivery of houses. New workers may not be skilled and the problems of shoddy workmanship could arise again,” he said. 

Hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants, mostly Indonesians, have returned home when Malaysia’s amnesty plan for them ended on July 31. 

Under new laws, illegal immigrants could face fines up to RM10,000, a mandatory jail term of up to five years and six lashes of the cane.