Making way for buffer zone
30/03/2007 The Star By Dharmender Singh

A block of 26 completed double-storey houses built by the Malaysia Airports Bhd Employees Co-operative (Komab) in Selayang will be torn down to create a buffer zone near a dam there.

Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo said the condition on creating a buffer zone was in the approved development plans for the project and Komab should not now ask the state government to provide a buffer zone.

“We are serious about ensuring that developers abide by the law and we will not show leniency in cases where there is a clear violation,” he told reporters after chairing a state exco meeting in Shah Alam recently.

Dr Khir said Komab would be fined RM250,000 for failing to comply with the development plans besides other fines issued to it.

Komab has also been directed to strengthen the slope and soften the terrace at the edge of the property.

“Action will also be taken against a few council officers for their failure to take action against the developer earlier,” he said, adding that the state government would no let up on its strict action against errant developers and had found fewer developers flouting the law since the government started to get tough with them.

He said he would urge the Housing and Local Government Ministry to take action against Komab and other developers who flouted the law.

State Housing, Building and Squatters Management Committee chairman Datuk Mokhtar Dahlan said the state government would set up a task force under its Housing and Real Property Board to look into the issue and check on matters including the legality of a co-operative acting as a developer.

“The task force will include representatives from the state Legal Department, Housing and Local Government Ministry and the Co-operatives Development Depart-ment. They will study the whole project to find out if there have been other violations,” he said.

Dr Khir said the co-operative was also not cooperating and had failed to attend a meeting with state government officials recently to discuss the issue.

“We will give them another chance and call them for a meeting next week to hear their case,” he said.

Mokhtar said the cooperative had decided to get into the property business to increase profits but handed the development project over to a company after signing the Sales and Purchase Agreement (SPA) with the buyers.

He said buyers now claimed that the company approached and urged them to allow late delivery of the units without compensation.

And when they refused, the company cancelled the SPA and sold the units to others.

“The buyers have now reported the matter to the police and Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) and we have told them they should seek legal redress on the matter,” he said.