Seri Semarak public flats now up for grabs

15/04/2008 The Star By Yip Yoke Teng

THE sale of public flats was finally launched on Sunday by Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Ab Hakim Borhan at Seri Semarak flats in Setapak.

During the almost two-hour-long briefing, the residents also asked for assistance from the local authority.

Information please: Armed Forces retiree Azman Abdul Majid, 64, asking questions about the plan during the briefing. - BERNAMA

They urged City Hall to look into establishing a hire-purchase scheme or bank loan arrangements to help those who could not afford the amount.

Some also asked City Hall to put up all units for sale so that everyone would have a chance to own a house if the government could provide financial assistance in the future.

Hakim said City Hall would forward the feedback gathered from the residents to the Federal Territories Ministry for further discussion.

“We are open to suggestions but selling the units is no easy task.

“City Hall is appointed only to handle the sale, management and rental collection of the flats but I will forward the feedback to the ministry,” he said.


Ab Hakim: The sale is aimed at giving the lower-income group a chance to own a house.
Hakim said the government had chosen Seri Semarak, Intan Baiduri, Muhibbah and Kerinchi flats to be in the first phase of the sale.

“The sale of the flats is aimed at giving the lower-income group the chance to own a house.

“It is part of the government’s efforts to solve the squatter problem and to eradicate urban poverty while bringing up the people’s living standards,” he said.

He said the units would be sold at RM35,000 each. Some of the flats would be rented out.

For example, only two blocks (632 units) of the five blocks (1,580 units) at Seri Semarak flats would be sold.

He reminded the people that they would have to clear all rent arrears to be eligible to buy the units, adding that they would need to settle their bank instalments and pay a monthly service charge of RM65 to cover maintenance costs.

He said under Section 34 of the Building and Common Property Act (Act 663), they would be fined not more than RM5,000 or RM50 daily, if they failed to settle the service charge.

“The Federal Territories Ministry has directed City Hall, in particular the Housing Management Department, to be the secretariat for the sale of the units,” Ab Hakim said, adding that the department would continue to hold roadshows and distribute sales forms at other flats.

Housing Management Department director Abdul Samad Lope Pihie explained that interested buyers would need to get a housing loan from a financial institution and settle procedural fees amounting to about RM5,000.

He also explained that the service charge of RM65 covered water and electricity use in public areas, maintenance, cleaning and administrative costs.

He added that before the units obtained strata titles, it would be managed by a Joint Council Committee (Jawatankuasa Majlis Bersama) made up of City Hall and residents’ representatives.

After getting the strata titles, the residents would then have to form their own Management Corporations.

For enquiries, call the department’s PPR Sales Secretariat at 03-2617 6106/ 6107/ 6108/ 6109/ 6112/ 6113.