JOHOR BAHRU - About 90% of the units in 167 abandoned housing projects in the peninsula have been completed.

They were completed after new developers were appointed to take over the projects, according to Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Chor Chee Heung.

He said blacklisting errant developers and their board of directors as well as publishing their names in the papers were not sufficient punishment.

That was why the Government amended the Housing Development (Control and Licensing) Act 1986 to mete out a more severe punishment, he said after handing out keys to new home owners in Taman Cahaya Kota Putri, Plentong, near here yesterday.

“The Act will protect house buyers from becoming victims of irresponsible developers.”

Parliament passed the amended Act last December and it would be enforced from September this year, he added.

Chor said the Prime Minister was concerned with the number of abandoned projects and had asked the ministry to conduct research to help affected buyers.

In KULAIJAYA later, Chor took Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to task for appointing a Singapore firm to develop a housing project.

There were many capable local companies that could do the job, he said after handing out keys to new house owners in Taman Mawar.

The Penang Government had reportedly appointed Surbana International Consul­tant, the privatised building and development division of Singapore’s Housing and Development Board, to design the proposed 11,800 apartment units on a 80.9ha plot to be known as Bandar Cassia in Batu Kawan.

“With the general election looming, Lim does not want to be criticised. Therefore, he decided to build a public housing project in Batu Kawan to get the votes,” said Chor, adding that Barisan Nasional had already built houses for people in other states.

-- Star Property