CCC to be tabled in Parliament next month
28/11/2006 The Sun By R. Manirajan

PUTRAJAYA: (Nov 28, 2006) A new law to replace the Certificate of Fitness and Occupation (CFO) with the Certificate of Completion and Compliance (CCC) will be tabled in Parliament next month.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak, who chairs the cabinet committee on local councils, said the new system will be implemented 18 months after Parliament passes the legislation.

Under the CCC system, engineers involved in building projects certify the integrity of the buildings they had designed, instead of leaving it to the local authorities.

To enable the CCC, six bills will be tabled.

Najib said existing projects would continue to use the CFO even after the CCC had been approved in Parliament for a certain period, so as to resolve issues arising from abandoned projects.

For the new system to be effective, he said, the state governments must ensure all non-technical conditions imposed, like the-quota for bumiputras and quota for low-cost houses, must be decided before the plan is approved.

"This is to avoid linking the CCC to non-technical aspects," he said.

Najib's committee also approved the Building and Common Property Management Bill, which will allow the local authority to appoint a building commissioner for high-rise properties in the interim period before a management corporation is set up.

"When vacant possession for a strata-title property is given to the owners, and before the management corporation is set up, we noticed the management of such buildings face a lot of problems," he said.

Asked who could be appointed building commissioners, Najib said it would be decided by the state government.

He said the head of a local authority or anyone competent could be appointed.

"If they appoint the Yang di-Pertua, there must be a team below him to ensure the maintenance of the building," he said.

Elaborating on the role of the building commissioners, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting said they would be in charge of maintenance of the common areas in a high-rise residential building after vacant possession had been given and until strata titles are issued.

"There is a long vacuum and only developers have the right now to manage the common properties and there are a lot of problems," he said.

"The commissioner will be an important person appointed by the state government. He would have the relevant local authority experience to enforce the laws."

Giving an example, he said if the buyers are unhappy with the developer or the developer is not carrying out maintenance works or the buyers are not paying for their lots, the commissioner can intervene.

He said there are no specific laws currently to help them out, but with the new law and if there are disputes, abuse or misappropriation, the commissioner will be the one to enforce the law that will be passed.