KUCHING: Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) Public Complaints Bureau (PCB) has urged the government to consider tightening existing housing laws, by making it mandatory that completed houses be inspected by specially trained third-party independent inspectors before the issuance of occupation permit (OP) by the local council.
SUPP Public Complaints Bureau chief Wilfred Yap was recently approached by frustrated house buyers of a double-storey corner terrace house situated at Lotak Villas 2 who were seeking his assistance concerning unresolved defects in their house.
He said the house buyers had purchased their house from the developer in 2013 for RM516,000 but they had never moved into their new house due to numerous defects.
“According to the house buyers, the developer had initially repaired some of the defects they had complained about, but the repair works carried out were shoddy and the same problems always recurred after a few weeks,” he said in a statement on Friday (Sept 4).
He had been informed by the house buyers that the developer now ignored complaints from them and had stopped responding to their request for further rectification works and repairs.
“This is despite the fact that developer in the first place had never properly rectified the defects after they took over possession of the house.
“According to them, the numerous defects – especially the cracks in the concrete drains and fencing – are now getting from bad to worse and the concrete fencing is now nearly collapsing,” said Yap, who is also SUPP Kota Sentosa Branch chairman.
Following the request for assistance, he along with other SUPP members had gone to inspect and assess the situation and to see what could be done to resolve the problem facing the house buyers.
He said that SUPP PCB had now brought the matter to the attention of the Ministry of Housing, hoping that the ministry, being the issuer of Housing Developer’s Licences, would take steps to request the developer concerned to give a proper explanation to the problem facing the house buyers.
He hoped the ministry would also order or compel the developer to properly repair the sinking concrete drain problem as well as the collapsed fencing and apron of the house so that the house buyers can move in.
“SUPP PCB hopes that the Ministry of Housing will seriously look into the matter due to the financial hardship and inconvenience currently faced by the said house buyers, as they still have to continue to pay their housing loan when they are unable to move into their house,” said Yap.
The bureau is always ready to lend a helping hand to anyone facing problems with government departments or agencies, or who have come across problems of public interest and are unsure of how to handle them.
Anyone requiring assistance can always call SUPP Public Complaints Bureau at 016-7797688 or 082-246999, or directly visit SUPP Head Office to request for assistance.
