Ten years later…

Osman Sapian, ADUN Kempas inspecting the site of the incomplete Taman Desa Kempas medium-cost flats

Six hundred sixty-six hopeful purchasers of the third and fourth phases of Taman Desa Kempas four-storey medium-cost flats are still waiting to occupy the units they bought more than ten years ago.

They have not only been servicing their bank loans every month since 2001, but are also burdened with the monthly rental of their current rented houses.

The developer of this state government privatised housing project has failed to meet its obligations as stated in the sale and purchase agreement.

According to one of the purchasers, Faridah Ban, 45, who works as a laundry worker, her family has been servicing the bank loan by paying a monthly repayment instalment of RM500 since 2001. On top of that, they must fork out an additional of RM350 monthly to pay for the rented house that the family is staying in now. She lamented that the irresponsible developer has made life difficult for the family more so with the high cost of living here.

She added that the developer has been giving lame excuses when confronted by the purchasers. The S&P agreement was signed in May 29, 2001 and, according to the agreement, the flats would be ready for occupation in three years upon the signing of the S&P agreement. She was speaking to reporters after the official forming of the Joint Council Action Committe (flat purchasers) at the Taman Desa Kempas community hall here yesterday.

Another purchaser, Yong Yeok Cheng, 39, said that the flats, now about 90 percent complete, can be completed soon as he wants to wait no longer: “If we as purchasers can fulfil our monthly loan repayment obligations over the last ten years then why is the developer victimising us?”

He added that the developer also prohibited the purchasers to view their flats by giving them the excuse that the flats are still incomplete. Yong clarified that the purchasers went to the contruction site to find out what is causing such interminable delay and “most of the time we saw hardly ten construction workers are working at the site”.

A resident staying in phase one of the development, Arbudi Ithnin, 29, complained that the construction quality was poor with leakages causing waterlogging in the roof. Numerous complaints have been made to the developer but no remedial work has been done.

Meanwhile, Osman Sapian, the state assemblyman (ADUN) for Kempas has asked the state government to take necessary action. Osman said that he has brought this matter up time and again during the state assembly sittings over the years, to no avail. He added that he even invited the developer for a meeting to resolve the issue but each time the developer failed to show up.