House owners get sinking feeling

NIBONG TEBAL: Some 200 Taman Cowin Indah residents here are crying foul over cracks in their homes which they claim is due to the land settling underneath their residences.
Chan Chee Kit, 64, said his home had at least 10 defects, including cracks on the tiles and wall at the living room and car porch and complained the plaster ceiling of the master bedroom had collapsed last year.
He has complained to the developer but claimed there was no action taken despite some workers being sent to his RM476,000 house here.
"The cracks are terribly big as their width and depth are about two inches," he said after a demonstration at the nearby park today.
Residents are also worried about their safety and urged the Seberang Prai Municipal Council and developer to resolve the issue before the defect warranty on their homes expires on Dec 9.
The project was completed in 2014 and comprised 23 units of two-storey terrace houses and 84 units of three-storey
terrace houses.
Taman Cowin spokesman Tan Hoe Soon, 44, said the defects were discovered by residents a few months after the occupational certificate (OC) was issued by the council on Dec 9, 2014.
"The major problem is the land is unstable and keeps on sinking," he claimed and urged the the authorities to take the necessary action to address their concerns.
When contacted, Jawi assemblyman Soon Lip Chee said he has received several complaints over the matter since January this year and has since organised three discussion sessions between residents, the developer and the authorities.
He claimed the developer agreed to issue a letter to state they would resolve the problem during an Oct 12 meeting to all 123 owners by the end of this month but there was no such document so far.
He said he will be raising the matter with Penang Housing, Town and Country Planning committee chairman Jagdeep Singh and state Local Government, Traffic Management and Flood Mitigation committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow next week.