Rogues exposed
NST 29/10/2005 By G. Umakanthan

IN a move welcomed immediately by the National House Buyers Association, the Housing and Local Government Ministry four days ago posted on its website (www.kpkt.gov.my) lists of housing developers who have run foul of the law.

The lists, presently only available on the site's Bahasa Malaysia version, detail five categories of contravention of the Housing Development (Control & Licensing) Act 1966 (HDA) and the regulations under it.

The first list names 15 developers that did not comply with awards handed down by the Tribunal for Homebuyer Claims up to September this year. They have been prosecuted in the courts, but no further details are provided.

The second list names two developers both with the same address at Kompleks PKNS in Shah Alam, against which a total of 18 cases will be heard at the Sessions Court in Shah Alam from Feb 13 to 15 next year.

The charges against these two companies come under Section 5(1) and (2) of the HDA, which concern the carrying out of housing development without a licence and using the term "housing developer" without the written consent of the Controller of Housing.

In the third list, three developers and the director of one of these companies named face action in magistrate's courts between November this year and March next year. Their offences include failing to provide information sought by the Controller, acting as director of a housing development company without the written consent of the minister and making a misleading or false statement in the application for the advertising and sale permit.

The fourth list names 213 developers that have been fined RM1,000 each between 2004 and September this year for breaching conditions or restriction related to advertising in their housing development licences. Among them are a number of well-known developers.

The fifth list reveals 304 developers, prominent companies included, that have been fined RM10,000 each, also between 2003 and last month, for failure to submit biannual reports on the progress of their developments.

These reports are required by the ministry to assess the status of housing projects and to consider stepping in to take necessary action if there is indication that a project may fail or be abandoned.

HBA secretary-general Chang Kim Loong in welcoming the publishing of the lists in the ministry's website called for the data to be updated regularly so as to enable the house-buying public to be better informed.