Penang Watch

The outdated Uniform Buildings By-laws has been around so long that most people in the industry and outside had learnt to adjust to its outdated requirements-yet they need to be amended to make our buildings more environmentally friendly (eg proposal for collecting rain water), more disabled friendly(make ramps mandatory) and energy saving(optimise natural lighting and ventilations), and also more safety conscious(eg make alarm bells mandatory). So many things waiting for updating.

Friday May 16, 2008 MYT 6:53:36 PM
Bumiputra property can be sold: Perak MB
By HAH FOONG LIAN

IPOH: The Perak government will release unsold bumiputra housing lots for sale in the open market to overcome the problem of "overhang stock" in the state.

As its first step towards the move, the state government has approved the release of 130 units of those lots, valued at some RM5mil, to be sold at the 2008 Malaysia Property Expo (Mapex) launched here on Friday.

Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin said the state government had, in principle, agreed to release unsold bumiputra units for sale in the open market to overcome the problem of oversupply.

2007/08/06

MANAGEMENT OF HIGH-RISE APARTMENTS: Power back in hands of owners
By : K. Harinderan and Sri Kuehnlenz

(NST)

The Sri Murni condominium is one of those that have set up a joint management body which now has even the power to auction off a property if the owner refuses to pay maintenance fees.

KUALA LUMPUR: At least once a month, the lifts stop working at the high-rise apartment block where Liew See Lan lives.

"There is little we can do as the developer is the only one with the power over the management company," she said.

Soon, though, the housewife and other owners of Bukit Pandan Two condominiums will be able to have a big say in how the property is run.

 Nation
Thursday July 26, 2007(Star)

Board to handle strata title grouses

PUTRAJAYA: The soon-to-be-formed Strata Titles Board will handle all complaints regarding strata titles.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid has informed the Bar Council that he was in the midst of appointing members to the board.

The council’s conveyance practice committee chairman, Roger Tan, said this was provided for in the amended Strata Titles Act, which came into effect in April.

Tan said condominium owners could take their complaints to the board and its decision would be final. 
 

Monday May 7, 2007(Star)

Form management body or be fined

By DAVID TAN

DEVELOPERS who do not form a joint management body with residential high-rise property owners can be fined from RM20,000 under the newly implemented Building and Common Property (Management and Maintenance) Act 2007.

Jelutong MP Datuk Lee Kah Choon said the Act also allowed for the setting up of the commissioner of building (COB), headed by the president of the local council, to ensure that the joint management body was formed.

“A joint management body has to be formed under this new Act for all high-rise residential properties before they obtain their strata titles.

Fix gaps in One Stop Centre plan
The new One Stop Centre (OSC) to process applications for permission to undertake land development has been trumpeted as a "paradigm shift" in the delivery system. "A process that used to take five years now requires only six months," a news report enthused. No wonder captains of industry related to property development gave a chorus of approval.
Although one hopes for the success of OSC, one should also not be blind to possible problems. As such, while the Ministry of Housing and Local Government is commended for the efforts to make the property sector more efficient, Malaysians may want to hold on to the champagne bottles.