Buildings without CFs to get documents

The Sun 17/09/2003

KUALA LUMPUR: After almost 30 years, several buildings in Kuala Lumpur which do not have legal documents will finally receive their certificates of fitness (CFs) or strata titles .

The Housing and Local Government Ministry is looking at ways to resolve this outstanding issue involving about 25 buildings.

Deputy Minister Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui said residents of old high-rise buildings in the Klang Valley without CFs or strata titles should bring their cases to the ministry.

He said Kuala Lumpur City Hall has agreed to cooperate in addressing the issue. "We believe there are 20 to 25 old buildings in the Klang Valley, by old we mean built before 1975, which were never issued CFs or strata titles. We want to compile statistics and work from the ground to solve these problems," he said at a dialogue session with Deputy Land and Cooperative Development Minister Dr Tan Kee Kwong.

On the importance of issuing CFs to buildings which have been standing for more than 25 years, Chin said:" A CF is necessary to get a strata title. A strata title is necessary as a proof of owner-ship. All residents should have proof that they own their homes."

Asked how the government is going to solve such cases, he said suggestion is that we issue a special CF restricted to only this category of buildings. If we do not do this, the problem will persist."

Asked what problems there are in issuing CFs to old buildings, he said: "We need new architects to sign the certifications for the building plans. No architect will do this out of fear of being held responsible if a building collapses.

"We need to assure the new architects will not be held responsible for signing the certification as long as the buildings are safe."

According to the law, applications for strata titles require the developer to make payment to the Land Surveyors Board.

Asked who is going to make the payment on behalf of dead or missing developers, Tan replied: "We rather not say:"