House Buyers Want Perak Government
To Deliver Its Promise
bernama.com 3/4/2005
SLIM RIVER, April 3 (Bernama) -- After 18 years waiting for their low-cost
housing units at the Bandar Baru Slim River here, 156 purchasers are
wondering whether the Perak government will keep its promise to give them
alternative land or new homes.
The buyers' action committee chairman, P. Simon, said (on) Sunday that
they had been left in the cold since 2001 when the state government
offered them 10 per cent discount on a new housing scheme near the Proton
City in Tanjung Malim.
"We were given two choices -- either to take up the discount offer or a
piece of land for us to a build house. Since then, we've not heard
anything," he said.
The buyers were getting frustrated as many of them were low-income
earners, including plantation workers and government servants, Simon said,
adding that about 20 of them had died without seeing any compensation.
The house buyers paid a total of RM2 million in 1987 to the developer for
the units which were priced between RM25,000 and RM31,000 each but the
project was abandoned a year later.
It was auctioned off in 1993 without the knowledge of the buyers and the
Housing and Local Government Ministry, which was then making efforts to
revive the project under the Bank Negara Special Fund.
However, only 133 housing lots were auctioned off and 23 more involving
buyers who had obtained government housing loans were left untouched.
The new developer then built houses costing more than RM60,000 and sold
them to new purchasers. However, units allocated to buyers with government
loans were left idle.
After years of fighting for justice, the matter was referred to the
Attorney-General's Chambers after it was raised in the weekly Cabinet
meeting in 1999.
The Federal Government then asked the Perak Government to find a solution
to the problem faced by the buyers.
Simon said they had approached their MP and state assemblymen for the past
few years but nothing fruitful came up.
"Each time we meet them, promises are made. We had spent quite a large sum
on travelling, getting documents, hiring lawyers and other expenses...but
how long can we go on," he said.
Simon said they are willing to take up the discount offer at a housing
project to be developed by the State Economic Development Corporation in
Proton City.
"We are also willing to accept land under the Rancangan Perumahan Tersusun
in Slim River. Maybe the original buyers will be too old to build or buy
new houses but at least our children can," he added.
-- BERNAMA |
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