Tiang pledges Sarawak govt will help purchasers of ‘sick’ housing projects

KUCHING (Aug 8): The government will assist purchasers of ‘sick’ housing projects, said Public Health, Housing, and Local Government Deputy Minister Datuk Michael Tiang.

When inspecting several ‘sick’ housing development projects yesterday, Tiang said the authorities will be unwavering in their commitment to cooperate with all parties involved in resolving the issues.

Accompanied by the officials from the ministry, Padawan Municipal Council (MPP), and MPP chairman Tan Kai, Tiang met with various stakeholders or related agencies involved to explore possible solutions to the critically delayed projects.

At the completed Taman Landeh Heights 2 project, it was confirmed that most of the buyers had taken vacant possession of their respective houses.

During a meeting with a group of house buyers, Tiang emphasised the importance of understanding and exercising one’s rights after listening to their grievances regarding the condition of their houses upon handing over.

“It is the duty of the government to empower and educate the public to exercise their rights and ensure that their investments are protected,” he said in a statement.

“In general, affected house purchasers are advised to seek further advice from the Tribunal for Housing Purchaser Claims and Strata Management Tribunal on claims related to Liquidated Ascertained Damages for the late handing over of vacant possession, non-compliance of specifications, as well as defects of the house.”

For Taman Millennium, a ‘sick’ project located in Matang, a white knight had taken over after the winding up of the original developer in the High Court in 2022.

The project is now progressing and expected to be completed by the end of this year.

“Despite the challenges faced during the project revival stage, the ministry has relentlessly conducted various engagements and taken necessary actions to address the concerns of the affected house purchasers,” said Tiang.

He promised buyers present during the site visit that the ministry and MPP would continue to closely monitor the project’s progress.

Their patience and trust in the government have been invaluable, Tiang said.

At Taman Greenwoods, Matang, which has been completed, he said although the project faced difficulties during the implementation phase, the ministry and MPP conducted multiple rounds of engagement and inspections to facilitate and ensure compliance with technical requirements.

The project is expected to be delivered to the respective owners subject to the settlement of the deposit payment by the developer, he said.

For the last project visited at Taman Sri Kenyalang, Matang, which is critically delayed, Tiang said the ministry is currently in the process of intervention to work out a mechanism and ways to ensure the project is delivered to purchasers.

“The ministry will continue to strategise and, therefore, improve the work processes to monitor project execution and efficiently facilitate those affected by the project delay,” he added.