KUALA LUMPUR: The Task Force on Sick and Abandoned Private Housing Projects (TFST) plans to recommend that the Rumah Selangorku Sentoria Morib project be officially classified as abandoned and submitted to the Housing and Local Government Ministry (KPKT) for action.
Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Aiman Athirah Sabu said the decision was based on the developer’s failure to comply with a directive issued on Nov 14, 2024, due to severe financial constraints, making it unlikely to be completed within the stipulated timeframe.
“In the case of the Sentoria Morib housing project, the ministry issued a directive to safeguard buyers’ interests, signed by the Housing and Local Government Minister on Nov 14, 2024.
“The developer was required to complete the project within three months from the date of the directive. As of today, that deadline has passed,“ she said during a Special Chamber session in the Dewan Rakyat.
She was responding to a question from Datuk Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi (BN-Kuala Langat) regarding the government’s actions on stalled housing projects, including the Rumah Selangorku Sentoria Morib, which has been abandoned for over two years.
Previously, the media reported that more than 500 buyers, mostly from the B40 group, have been unable to move into their homes as the project remains incomplete.
Responding to a question on whether the ministry would introduce stricter monitoring of housing project progress to protect buyers from similar issues, Aiman Athirah said that TFST will continue to closely monitor problematic projects and act as a mediator to find the best solutions to ensure completion and handover to buyers.
She added that TFST also plays a proactive role by engaging with stakeholders, including state governments, housing boards, local authorities, technical agencies, utility providers, and financial institutions, to address the issue.
Additionally, the ministry is reviewing the Housing Development (Control and Licensing) Act 1966 (Act 118) to strengthen enforcement and preventive measures to prevent private housing projects from becoming sick or abandoned.
“The ministry is considering the inclusion of financial guarantees in the proposed amendments to Act 118, as financial guarantees and insurance are already mandatory clauses in sale and purchase agreements.
“We will explore granting legal authority under Act 118 to ensure these financial safeguards are accounted for in all housing transactions between buyers and developers,” she said.
