Long wait nears end
31/03/2007 The Star

BUYERS of the abandoned Taman Widuri housing project in Nibong Tebal, Penang, can heave a sigh of relief as the nine-year wait for their houses will finally be over.

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Abdul Rashid Abdullah said the project would be completed by August and residents could move in once the certificate of fitness was issued.

“The National Housing Corporation (SPNB) took over the project at the end of 2005 and RM31.7mil was spent to complete it,” he said after visiting the site yesterday.

Abdul Rashid said when SPNB took over the project, various segments of the project comprising 638 low-cost units, 50 low medium-cost shophouses, 490 medium-cost units and 137 double-storey terrace medium-cost houses were between 45% and 80% complete.

“Currently, the piping for the sewerage needs to be repaired and the road needs to be built,” he said.

He added that 1,283 units out of the total 1,315 units had already been sold when SPNB took over the project.

Although the housing project was not ready yet, 14 families moved in about three years ago.

The very first resident to move in, Rosli Othman, 42, said the buyers obtained their keys in 1999 but the houses did not have the certificate of fitness.

“There were no roads or street lamps. It was a jungle out here and there were also lots of snakes. I had to move in because I had to service my bank loan.

“I could not afford to service the bank loan and rent another house at the same time,” he said.

Rosli said he had to apply for electricity and water when he first moved in.

“A few months later, the other residents moved in.”

Nursimah Ahmad, 44, who also moved in earlier, said there were no roads and the bicycle tyres of her children would wear off often because of the uneven roads.

“When we moved in, the pipes, basins and electrical wires were missing. We had to fork out our own money to get them so that we could stay in the house,” she said.