Developer clarifies residents’ claims
Malay Mail 30/11/2006

TARAGON Golfview Sdn Bhd has clarified the issue pertaining to the safety concerns of residents of Venice Hill Golf Condominium and Resort in Cheras.

In a faxed statement to The Malay Mail yesterday, its director, K.H. Sim, said the company started work on April 18, not Nov 23, as claimed by the condominium’s Owners and Residents Association chairman, Chong Choong Hai, 52.

Sim said the project is at the roof-stage for some of the units.

“We are certain we’re not the party referred to by the complainant as there is no more land clearing at our development,” he said.

In our Nov 24 report, Chong had claimed that residents were under the impression that the condominium was the only housing development in the area when they bought their units.

On this, Sim said Taragon Golfview bought the land as part of a restructuring exercise to revive the development of Venice Hill. He said their housing project is not new.

It was initially approved under the overall master plan for Venice Hill project by Majlis Perbandaran Kajang in 1993.

“When we took over the land, we applied to MPKj to build 141 units of townhouses instead of high-rise apartments,” said Sim.

“The council approved the project and our management has been communicating regularly with Chong since April.

“He is aware of who we are and what we’re doing with our property.”

Sim added the developer’s parcel of land was never part of a forest reserve.

He said as a responsible developer, they ensured that their project obtained the necessary approval from the relevant authorities, including the Institut Kerja Raya Malaysia, the Works Department and the Geoscience and Mineral Department, before they started work.

Sim also clarified that their townhouses were built across the road from Venice Hill and not off a slope between the Venice Golf Condominium and Taman Mudun.

He said the photo which accompanied The Malay Mail’s report was not near their project.

In our report, we had highlighted the condominium residents’ plight on safety concerning Taragon Golfview’s project.

We had quoted Chong, who claimed the project is being built on the hillside next to a forest reserve, and could pose a danger for the residents of Venice Hill and nearby Taman Mudun.

Chong had wondered how the project was given the green light as there should not be any hillside developments after several landslides in Hulu Klang.

On this, MPKj corporate planning and public relations head Shahriman Mohd Nor had clarified that the approval to start work on the project was given before the ruling on slope development was made.