KOTA KINABALU: The State Government has issued a soft loan of about RM10 million figure for Sabah Urban Development Corporation (SUDC) to resolve arrears of 252 serviced unit owners at Ming Garden Residence here.
Sabah Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Satta) President, Datuk Seri Winston Liaw, said the State Ministry of Finance Permanent Secretary assured him that Chief Minister Datuk Seri Haji Hajiji Noor has approved the loan.
A mandatory rental agreement was signed between tenants and SUDC guaranteeing returns over a nine-year tenure for the serviced apartments but it came to a complete halt in January 2020.
In August this year, they finally protested outside the building near Jalan Coastal.
“However, we urge the State Government to expedite the release of funds and make sure SUDC approaches all home owners.
“We also want SUDC to deliver the keys before this New Year. We have been paying and waiting for 33 months already.“
According to Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd, everything is in order and done according to rules. The units are supposed to be inhabitable but it is still awaiting SUDC consent.
“SUDC claims to have agreed with everything but immediate action should be taken. I have three group chats comprising these home owners on WhatsApp. With the rapid recovery of tourism, the Ming Garden rooms will sell like hot cakes just like we had imagined.
“But upon receiving the keys, it will be at least another two months of clean-up work. Rooms left uninhabited for three years will rot. SUDC should also shoulder this refurbishment as promised before handing it over,” he said.
Winston stressed that Kota Kinabalu has too many abandoned projects of 80 per cent completion and then stopped for whatever reason.
“This is what happened to China in the 90s. So many abandoned buildings until they finally decided to sell lots only when a building has obtained its Occupancy Certificate (OC).
“The buyers end up the ones to suffer. They go on repaying bank interests without ever receiving the keys. If this keeps up then I think buyers would have more confidence in sub-sale properties because at least they are inhabitable.
“The State Government should implement more stringent requirement for developers. The present one is not enough, as a result there are so many hanging projects and thousands of suffering buyers.
“The government should protect them… Hajiji was Local Government and Housing Minister, he should be more knowledgeable in this matter,” Winston said.
On abandoned projects, Pacific City in Likas Bay, Winston added that developers promised to issue an OC for phase one of developments (condo) which is now completed yet homeowners are hindered by one signatory’s materialism.
“This one we have waited two years already, but because one of the consultants doesn’t want to sign the submission letter to City Hall for his own benefit, which he sees can profit him sevenfold in the millions, many cannot access their homes,” he added.
In October, Daily Express reported how the developer of One Jesselton, Bina Puri, was said to have exploited a loophole to keep homeowners out the completed condominium in Kepayan Ridge despite having to cough up monthly bank loan repayments.