KUALA LUMPUR – A total of 78 private sector projects involving 17,605 housing units with 11,735 buyers involved have been classified as “abandoned” in Peninsular Malaysia, said Housing and Local Government Minister (KPKT) Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican.
Reezal Merican said this year, his ministry has rescued seven abandoned housing projects through intervention involving negotiations, facilitation and enforcement.
“So far, four projects (out of a total of 82) have been successfully restored and three more projects are expected to be completed by end of 2021,” he said after a walkabout at an abandoned housing project in Taman Selayang Mutiara (Kristal), Selayang, near here today.
With him was Selangor Housing, Urban Well-being and Entrepreneur Development exco Rodziah Ismail.
Reezal Merican said in Selangor alone, there were 32 abandoned projects comprising 10,855 residential units.
“In the Selayang area, including Taman Mutiara, there are seven abandoned projects involving 3,002 residential units,” he said.
He added that his ministry is examining all housing projects that are “sick”, delayed and abandoned through the establishment of a “war room” for government intervention, which he chairs.
“The role of this war room is to see concerted efforts to rehabilitate abandoned projects so that they can be inhabited, in line with the goals of a ‘liveable Malaysia’.
“The ministry is also studying how to improve the project rehabilitation criteria with government funds in addressing the problem of abandoned private housing projects that have been occupied by buyers but, due to incomplete infrastructure, the housing has not yet obtained a Certificate of Completion and Compliance (CCC) or CFO,” he added.
On the abandoned project in Taman Selayang Mutiara (Kristal), Reezal Merican said his ministry has completed the procurement process to restore a block of 500 units, including two units for a nursery and a surau.
“A contractor, Sunissa Sdn Bhd, was appointed as the rescue contractor on June 11, with a contract period of two years.
“A total of 489 buyers out of 498 units (nine units unsold) will stand to benefit when their homes are completed in mid-2024,” he said. – Bernama, October 28, 2021
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