S'gor MB Calls For Housing Developers Act To Be Re-amended
Bernama 12/2/2006

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 12 (Bernama) -- Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo today called for the Housing Developers Act (Amendment) 2002 to be re-amended so that stern action could be taken against errant developers.

This, he said, would enable legal action to be taken against developers who did not fulfill the criteria in sales and purchase agreements, like the provision of facilities for basic amenities and road and drainage systems before the Certificate of Fitness was issued by local authorities.

He said the existing Act did not provide for remedy when irresponsible developers handed over keys to housebuyers without even applying for the CF.

This had caused misunderstandings as the buyers blamed local authorities for not issuing the CFs, he said.

"We hope the Housing and Local Government Ministry will re-amend the act so that such errant developers can at least be jailed for six months," he told reporters after attending a Malaysian Youth Council (MBM) Youth Hate Drugs programme in Keramat here.

Mohamad Khir was commenting on the plight of housebuyers in Rinching in Semenyih and Kundang in Sungai Buloh who were dissatisfied that the local authorities there had not issued the CFs although they had received the keys from the developer.

The buyers also claimed that the keys had been given even before water supply had been fully made available in the housing estates concerned.

Mohamad Khir advised the affected buyers to lodge police reports.

On the proliferation of slot machine gambling in the state, he said that he had instructed all Excos to form special committees to wipe out the scourge.

On drug abuse, Mohamad Khir, who is also the president of MBM, urged the Youth and Sports Ministry to focus on youths employed in factories as the MBM, being a non-governmental organisation, had more difficulty in "penetrating" these establishments.

-- BERNAMA