Builders evading responsibility
The Star 30/4/2006

PENANG: Unscrupulous developers are using loopholes in the system to evade building low-cost homes.

Ticking them off, Finance Ministry parliamentary secretary Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya said some developers shirked the responsibility to build low-cost units by building fewer than 150 units in a single housing project.

He said it was regrettable that some developers were only thinking about making profit.

“The Government has imposed a requirement for developers to build low cost units if their projects comprised more than 150 units.

“To escape this requirement, some developers opt to build slightly fewer than 150 units,” he said in his speech during the opening ceremony of the first phase of Botanica. CT housing project in Air Putih yesterday.

Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon opened the first phase of the housing project comprising 168 units of terrace, semi-detached and bungalow units.

Dr Hilmi said perhaps the authorities should start collecting additional fee for every 0.4ha developed for housing projects.

“We can use the fund to build low cost units,” he said.

When he was the state Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Hilmi spearheaded an initiative to compel developers building more than 150 units to contribute RM10,000 for every 0.4ha developed, he said.

“Perhaps, this policy could be extended to those building fewer than 150 units of houses, as well.

He lauded MTT Properties & Development Sdn Bhd for building 168 terrace, semi-detached and bungalow units in the first phase.

Also present was MTT Properties and Development executive chairman Datuk Dr Kenny Ong Kean Lee.